Liaison Newsletter > LIAISON-Canada Electronic Newsletter #3

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Branch Spotlight

Vancouver

The paths of Jim Carney and David Cadman first crossed in 1986, when the two men headed up the UN Pavilion at Expo 86 in Vancouver. Their paths crossed again over the Human Rights Day weekend this past December, when both were presented with UNA-Canada Medals of Honour in recognition of their contributions to the UN system.

UNA Vancouver branch president Gulzar Samji presented the Medal of Honour to Cadman during the day-long seminar on failed states held at UBC’s Green College on Decmber 9, while Carney received his at an event organized by the branch to mark Human Rights Day on December 10.

Cadman’s association with the UN spans three decades. He served as the President of the Vancouver Branch of UNA-Canada from 1977-93, as UNA-Canada’s National Vice-President from 1981-86, and as President from 1987-91. In 1986, he was awarded the United Nations Peace Medal in recognition of his contribution to world peace. He has also had a long-standing involvement in environmental, literacy, and indigenous issues.

Carney’s association with the UN began in 1967, when he was involved in the production of the UNICEF/CBC film series “Children of the World”. He spent 12 years as a film producer for the UN Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), during which time he helped coordinate production of films for the 1976 Habitat Conference in Vancouver. His films have won a number of Canadian and international awards.

In addition to the medal presentation, the branch's December 10 event also featured a panel discussion on national and international perspectives on justice and human rights. Among the panelists were Eduardo Vetere, Chief of the UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch, Edward Lee, President of the Canadian Council of International Law, and Noemi Gal-Or of the Kwantlen University College Department of Political Science.

The Vancouver branch will co-host a public forum on Habitat II on the evening of April 1, in conjunction with the branch AGM. This event will take place at the Vancouver Planetarium, and is being organized in collaboration with the UBC Centre for Human Settlements and the World Federalists. Among the invited speakers are Peter Oberlander, special assistant to the Habitat II Secretary-General (to be confirmed), Aprodicio Laqian, Head of the UBC Centre for Human Settlements, Patsy George of the International Council on Social Welfare, and Ann Wen Rowe-Evans of Youth for Habitat II.

The Vancouver branch of UNA-Canada is located at #101-1956 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6J 1Z2. Tel: (604) 732-0448; fax: (604) 736-8963.

Winnipeg

Winnipeg’s UN/50 activities culminated with events on October 24, although some activities continued through the fall and into the new year. On UN Day, the branch participated in a Citizenship Court held at the Manitoba Legislature in honour of UN/50. At that event, winners of the Branch’s Human Rights Cartoon, Essay and Poem contest were honoured.

Later that day, Manitoba’s Lieutenant Governor hosted a reception and ceremony honouring Global Citizens from the province. Among those recognized was Pat Mooney, who was awarded UNA-Canada’s Medal of Honour for his work in helping to protect the world’s genetic resources. While Mooney could not be present to receive the medal, it was officially presented to him at a branch event during International Development Week in February. At that event, Mooney also gave a presentation on the UN: Civil and Uncivil Society.

The branch also teamed up with Winnipeg’s arts community to mark UN/50. Cultural events throughout the fall featured a UN/50 component, and, more recently, UN posters and a display were also part of a theatre series at the Manitoba Theatre Company during the month of February.

The Winnipeg branch of UNA-Canada is located at #2-340 Cockburn St. N., Winnipeg, MB, R3M 2P5. Tel: (204) 475-0513.

National Capital Region

Two events highlight the calendar of the National Capital Region branch over the next two months. On March 12, the branch and the Carleton International Affairs Club will host a panel discussion entitled: The CTBT and Stopping Nuclear Weapons, which will look at progress towards the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty. The session will take place from 7-9 pm at the Faculty Lounge of Carleton University's Unicentre.

On April 25, the branch’s UN reform project continues at St. Paul's University in Ottawa with a panel discussion titled The Ethics of UN Intervention: From Early Warning to Rapid Reaction. Major-General Roméo Dallaire, former Commander of the UN Mission in Rwanda, will be the keynote speaker at the event, which will examine the possibilities for establishing objective criteria for determining when, where, and how the UN intervenes in crisis situations. Dallaire’s comments will be followed by a panel discussion.

UNA-Canada’s National Capital Region Branch is located at #900-130 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON, K1P 6E2. Tel: (613) 232-5751, ext. 254; fax: (613) 563-2455.