Peter Dhillon contributes to peace through his humanitarian work, particularly the organization Right to Play. #Canada150

Peter chair of the Vancouver Branch of the Right to Play, an international humanitarian organization for children in communities affected by war, poverty and disease.

An outstanding business and community leader, Peter Dhillon’s family cranberry growing business, The Richberry Group of Companies, has contributed greatly to the economy of B.C. He has put equal importance on his philanthropic and charitable service, and has played an active role on many organizations and boards, including Director of Vancouver Airport Authority, Board of Governors of Simon Fraser University, Director and former vice chair of Ocean Spray Cranberries, audit committee of the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee, Canadian Olympic Committee, Board member Vancouver Hospital and UBC Hospital Foundation, Director and vice chairman of B.C. Ferries, Director of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and Director of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.

He has made significant financial contributions to many organizations including Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the Canadian Red Cross, the Canadian Olympic Committee, Arts Umbrella, and the Khalsa Diwan Society.

At the University of British Columbia he established the Rashpal Dhillon Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Endowment and the Rashpal Dhillon Track & Field Centre in his father’s memory. He has endowed The Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics at UBC. This is to be the first centre at a Canadian business school to take a comprehensive approach to the study, teaching and promotion of business ethics.

“There is an impression that you can’t do well in business unless you set ethics aside. I want to break that image. You can be caring, you can be thoughtful, and still be successful.”

Peter is a recipient of the Order of British Columbia.

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Operation Dismantle contributed to peace by advocating for nuclear disarmament. #Canada150

In 1977, James Stark and Peter Brown founded Operation Dismantle, a non-partisan, pacifist, nonprofit organization to bring the pressure of public opinion to bear on governments to end the nuclear arms race.

In 1983 Operation Dismantle brought a Charter challenge before the Canadian Supreme Court to end the government’s sanctioning of US testing of cruise missiles on Canadian soil. Operation Dismantle argued that the use of cruise missiles by the US government increased the risk of nuclear war and that Canada’s participation made Canada a more likely target. Ultimately, the court rejected their section 7 Charter challenge.

To build coalitions the organization pioneered the idea of municipal referenda on disarmament. They created a United Nations sponsored world referendum on disarmament, which the organization believed would be the best way to provide governments with a sufficiently powerful mandate to push for disarmament. Operation Dismantle’s municipal referenda campaign on disarmament led to 195 votes in municipal campaigns, with the results 76.2% in favour. The organization also led a campaign during the 1984 federal election to make a nuclear freeze an election issue.

Dismantle had some 10,000 members and supporters. Though the organization was disbanded in 1989, the experience and inspiration for the many people involved led them to continue efforts for nuclear disarmament with other local, national and international organizations. In turn, they contributed to Megatons to Megawatts, the U.S.-Russia agreement of 1993 which resulted in the dismantling of 15,000 Russian warheads to be turned into electricity (see article).

As of 2010, the U.S. and Russia have each agreed to destroy 34 metric tons of military plutonium this way, enough to make 8,500 nuclear bombs. We can’t help but wonder about the state of that agreement today.

Bonus Editor’s Content: Great article written in 2010 by former member Stephen E. Aplin reflecting on his time with Operation Dismantle.

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Michelle Landsberg contributes to peace as one of the first journalists to address sexual harassment in the workplace. #Canada150

Michelle Landsberg, born 12 July 1939, is a trailblazing Canadian journalist, author, public speaker, Feminist and social activist. Her work has brought many important issues to light and influenced countless opinion leaders across the country.

For over 25 years she wrote for the Toronto Star. She was one of the first journalists in Canada to address issues of sexual harassment in the workplace, equal pay, racial discrimination in education and employment opportunities, and lack of gender equality in divorce and custodial proceedings. She has been a vocal advocate in discrediting the False Memory Syndrome Foundation. Prior to writing her feminist column at the Star she wrote for The Globe and Mail; and served as a staff writer and editor for Chatelaine magazine.

Her latest book is Writing the Revolution, a history of the Canadian women’s movement. In 2006, the Canadian Women’s Foundation created the Michele Landsberg Award to celebrate young women speaking out about gender equality in the media. In 2013 and 2014, the Canadian Women’s Foundation launched  two new awards in Michele’s name.

Landsberg is the recipient of the Officer of the Order of Canada, two National Newspaper Awards, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, the Dodi Robb Award from MediaWatch, the Robertine Barry Prize for journalism from the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, the Florence Bird Award from the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, several honorary degrees, and the Canadian Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the 1929 Persons Case and Democratic Development, an award acknowledging contributions to equality for women which have resulted in positive change.

She is married to Stephen Lewis, former leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, diplomat and humanitarian. He is co-founder of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. His work with the United Nations has spanned over two decades.

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Sister Dr. Rosalie Bertell contributed to peace through her writing and speaking about the dangers of radiation. #Canada150

Sister Dr. Rosalie Bertell, (1929-2012), a member of the religious community of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, was an outstanding scientist and prolific author. She is best known for her work in the field of ionizing radiation.

A dual citizen of Canada and the United States, Bertell worked in environmental health from 1970. She was a consultant to both American and Canadian government departments in the areas of environment, health and nuclear regulation. Sister. Bertell was President of the International Institute of Concern for Public Health from 1987 to 2004. She also founded the International Medical Commission Chernobyl in 1996 and was a member of the International Medical Commission on Bhopal (India).

Between 1985 and 2005 Bertell appeared in 5 documentary films, including the National Film Board production Speaking Our Peace. In this film she challenges the audience to come to terms with the fact that an insidious ‘death process’ underlies the arms race.

“Wars results in immediate deaths and destruction, but the environmental consequences can last hundreds, often thousands of years. And it is not just war itself that undermines our life support system, but also the research and development, military exercises and general preparations for battle that are carried out on a daily basis in most parts of the world. The majority of this pre-war activity takes place without the benefit of civilian scrutiny and therefore we are unaware of some of what is being done to our environment in the name of ‘security.”

Bertell published numerous articles and was editor of the journal, “International Perspectives in Public Health. She wrote the books No Immediate Danger: Prognosis for a Radioactive Earth (1985) and Planet Earth: The Latest Weapon of War (2000).

Over her lifetime, Bertell was the recipient of numerous awards, including: the Hans- Adalbert-Schweigart-Medal (1983); Right Livelihood Award (1986); World Federalist Peace Award; Ontario Premier’s Council on Health, Health Innovator Award (1991); United Nations Environment Programme Global 500 Award; and the Sean MacBride International Peace Prize.

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Roméo contributed to peace by advocating for a greater UN response to the Rwandan genocide and against use of child soldiers. #Canada150

Lieutenant-General Dallaire (retired) served as Force Commander of UNAMIR, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Rwanda. The United Nations failed to respond to his pleas for more assistance and his fear for a genocide.

Roméo Dallaire is founder of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, a global partnership with the mission to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers. He is a celebrated advocate for human rights, especially in regards to child soldiers, veterans, and the prevention of mass atrocities. General Dallaire is also a respected government and UN adviser, a best-selling author, and former Canadian Senator.

Notably, General Dallaire was appointed Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda prior to and during the 1994 genocide. He provided the United Nations with information about the planned massacre, which ultimately took more than 800,000 lives in less than 100 days. He, along with a small contingent of Ghanaian soldiers and military observers, disobeyed the command to withdraw and remained in Rwanda to fulfill their ethical obligation to protect those who sought refuge with the UN forces.

His courage and leadership during this mission earned him the Meritorious Service Cross, the United States Legion of Merit, the Aegis Award on Genocide Prevention, and the affection and admiration of people around the globe. His defiant dedication to humanity during that mission has been well-documented in films and books, including his own account: Shake Hands with the Devil: the Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, which won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction in 2004 and the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for political writing awarded by the Writers’ Trust of Canada.

Since General Dallaire’s 1997 revelation that he suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he has devoted decades of passionate leadership and advocacy to the issue on behalf of other veterans, including the publication of his bestselling memoir: Waiting for First Light: My Ongoing Battle with PTSD.

General Dallaire has served on UN Advisory Committees on Genocide Prevention and Peacekeeping Training, and as Special Adviser to Government Ministers on Veterans Affairs, National Defense, and War Affected Children. He also served as a Canadian Senator from 2005 to 2014. Since 2010, General Dallaire’s primary focus has been his work with the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, seeking ways to assist militaries worldwide to help eradicate the use of child soldiers, a mission to which he has committed the rest of his life.

Included among the honours bestowed on LGen Dallaire:

• Officer of the Order of Canada
• Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec
• Commander of the Order of Military Merit
• United Nations Association of Canada’s Pearson Peace Medal
• Arthur Kroeger College Award for Ethics in Public Affairs from Carleton University
• Laureate of Excellence from the Manitoba Health Sciences Centre
• Elie Wiesel Award from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Harvard University Humanist Award

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Jean Augustine, trailblazed as first black woman in the House of Commons. Today, she contributes to peace through strong advocacy for social justice. #Canada150

An educator, politician and advocate for social justice Jean Augustine worked to gain equality and justice for women and people of colour. An immigrant from Grenada, she understood first-hand the difficulties newcomers’ experience. She advocated for the community and financial support needed for immigrants, and other peoples who were struggling financially and to find a place in society.

Augustine was an activist in Toronto’s Caribbean communities, working to strengthen immigrant and women’s rights and to combat violence against women, drug abuse and poverty. In 1967, she helped to organize the first Caribana festival. In 1973, Augustine founded the Toronto chapter of the Congress of Black Women of Canada, where she later became national president.

In 1993, Jean Augustine became the first black woman elected in to the Parliament of Canada. While in office, Augustine was responsible for championing legislation to have February recognized as Black History Month in Canada. As an educator she had recognized that black Canadians’ accomplishments were not shown as part of the fabric of Canada, and that their lives were not part of classroom literature. When she was approached by the Ontario Black History Society to move the legislation forward, she was able to change history.

“There was very little that was written for and about the Canadian Black community, and the presence of Black people as part of Canadian history…It was a passion of mine to see how we could make this happen – to have Black history be part of the curriculum, and Black people acknowledged and celebrated in the Canadian mosaic.”

As a Member of Parliament, Jean Augustine served as Chair of the National Liberal Women’s Caucus for three terms. She was also elected chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade in February 2002. Augustine was appointed Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women) in 2002, making her the first Black woman to achieve a post in Cabinet. The same year, she was selected to be a member of the Queen’s Privy Council of Canada.

In 2004, she was appointed to the position of Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole, making her the first black Canadian to occupy the Speaker’s Chair in the Canadian House of Commons. Through the efforts of Augustine and others, the 2004 Canadian Journey Series of banknotes featured the women of The Famous Five on the $50 bill.

Augustine was the Founding Chair of the Canadian Association of Parliamentarians on Population & Development, Chair of the National Sugar Caucus, Chair of the Micro-credit Summit Council of Canadian Parliamentarians, Chair of the Canada- Slovenia Parliamentary Group, and Chair of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Group.
In 2007, Augustine was appointed Ontario’s first Fairness Commissioner, a position she held until March 2015. She is a Member of the Order of Canada.

Honours:

• Order of Canada
• Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Toronto
• Honorary Doctor of Laws, McGill University
• YWCA Woman of Distinction Award
• Kaye Livingstone Award
• Ontario Volunteer Award
• Pride Newspaper Achievement Award
• Rubena Willis Special Recognition Award
• Toronto Lions’ Club Onyx Award.
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
• The Jean Augustine Scholarship Fund was named for her, which she helps support with fundraising. It assists single mothers to undertake post-secondary study at George Brown College.
• Jean Augustine Secondary School will open in Brampton in 2016
• Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Girls’ Leadership Academy

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Chris Hadfield contributed to peace by showing us how connected we all are on planet earth, from his post on the Intl. Space Stn. #Canada150

Colonel Chris Hadfield, was born on August 29, 1959, in Sarnia, Ontario. Engineer, test pilot, speaker and highly decorated astronaut, Chris Hadfield has had a life of exploration and trailblazing. He was the first Canadian to: walk in outer space, use the Canadarm, and board a Russian spacecraft (during his mission to the Russian space station), perform two spacewalks as a mission specialist on STS-100 in 2001.

In 2010 the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced Hadfield’s third mission: commanding the International Space Station (ISS), leading Expedition 35-again a first for a Canadian. Hadfield launched into space on December 19, 2012 and took command of the ISS on March 13, 2013.

Hadfield’s accessibility, whether answering questions such as “how do you wring out a washcloth in space,” via Skype or collaborating with The Barenaked Ladies for a song sung by over a million people simultaneously, endeared him to all. His multiple daily Tweets and photographs from the Space Station made people see the world differently. On his last day on the ISS, he posted his farewell music video online, a version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity, it  garnering millions of views within the first hour.

His autobiography, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth is sub-titled, What Going to Space Taught Me about Ingenuity, Determination and Being Prepared for Anything, was a bestselling book in Canada as well as a New York Times bestseller.

“See, think, act – it’s how each of us changes the world,” said Chris at a We To Me Thank You Day in Montreal. When asked whether he thought the Canadian government should support the UN Secretary General’s call for a nuclear weapon convention, he replied, “Yes, of course; it is the only way to go.”

Honours and awards:

• Order of Ontario
• Honourary Doctorate of Laws from Trent University
• Vanier Award
• NASA Exceptional Service Medal
• Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal
• Inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame
• Commemorated on the Royal Canadian Mint silver and gold coins

Hadfield announced his retirement from the CSA on July 4, 2013.

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Mary Jo Leddy contributes to peace through her work with refugees in the human rights and peace movements. #Canada150

Ms. Leddy is a philosopher, theologian, writer, speaker, social activist and the founding Director of Romero House, a community based home for refugees in Toronto. Romeo house was opened almost 25 years ago, and challenged conventional beliefs and practices about refugee services.

Her work at Romero house is deeply rooted in the concept of the “street” as commons, and need for all who live on the street to take care of its people and places.  The sanctuary at Romero house welcomes refugees regardless of religion, ethnicity, political beliefs, sexual orientation or gender identity. In this way, they strive to create an inclusive community, celebrate differences, and grow for the benefit of all.

The child of ethical parents who endowed her with a strong sense of being true to her word, Leddy is a living testament to the difficulties, challenges, and rewards that come with unreservedly embracing an active and engaged Christian life. In her varied but related undertakings as a journalist/literary author, peace campaigner, refugee advocate, and university lecturer, she has consistently demanded individual and institutional integrity and accountability.

Leddy is the author of several theological and humanitarian works, and was the founding editor of the Catholic New Times. She received the Human Relations Award of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews in 1987.

Some honours awarded to Leddy:

• Order of Canada
• Ontario Citizenship Award
• Holds honourary doctorates/ fellowships from 8 Universities

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Lloyd Axworthy contributed to peace through campaigning to ban landmines while Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his work today for equality and human rights. #Canada150

Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, statesman, politician, academic and author was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

His political career spanned 27 years, six of which he served in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, and twenty-one in Federal Parliament. As a Liberal, he held several Cabinet positions, most notably Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1996-2000.

He became internationally known for his advancement of the human security concept, in particular, the Ottawa Treaty – a landmark global treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. For his leadership on banning landmines, Dr. Axworthy was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The winners of the prize, International Campaign to Ban Landmines, noted that his work had contributed to their success.

For his efforts in establishing the International Criminal Court and the Protocol on child soldiers, he received the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe.

He has been a board member for a number of organizations, including the MacArthur Foundation, the Conference Board of Canada, the Aspen Ministers Forum and the Coalition for the International Criminal Court. He served as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winnipeg from 2004-2014, spearheading an expansion and transformation, raising millions of dollars, and launching outreach programs to prepare aboriginal and immigrant high school students for higher education.

In 2012, Elder, Dr. Tobasonakwut Kinew and, Dr. Phil Fontaine, honoured Axworthy at a sacred Pipe Ceremony.  Mr. Axworthy was recognized for his commitment to creating an inclusive learning experience at the University of Winnipeg; one that reflects Indigenous traditions and cultures.

Mr. Axworthy left the University in 2014, to become chair of the board of CUSO, where he guides the organization in a new push to help First Nations in North America.

He is chancellor of St Paul’s University College, a board member of the International Institute of Sustainable Development, member of The Hague Institute Commission on Governance and Security, and the American Academy Working Group on the Ethics of the New Technologies of War and Peace.

Some of the honours Mr. Axworthy has received:

• North–South Prize of Central Europe, for the protection of human rights
• Nobel Peace Prize (nomination)Officer of theOrder of Canada
• Companion of the Order of Canada
• Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Honorary doctorate, Faculty of Environmentof the University of Waterloo
• Honorary doctorates from 12 universities