The idea came from a young violinist in
Australia who was listening to a radio
account of the United Nations’ annual one
minute of silence and one moment of
sound, which has been observed at noon on
Sept. 16, the International Day of Peace,
Since 1981. The musician thought it would
be lovely if all Australians would silently
think about peace, and he went to work to
promote the idea. Others heard of his effort
and expanded it to include other countries.
The rest was a mere matter of organizing a
worldwide campaign in a very few months
without funds. |

Canada’s distinguished George Ignatieff,
former ambassador to the United Nations
and former chancellor of the University of
Toronto, is a tough dove and readily agreed
tc head the effort in Canada. Requests
went out to about 200 notables, most_of
whom were profoundly unimpressed at the
idea of lending their prestige to something
as fuzzy-minded as asking people to think
about peace. Despite the fact that interna-
tional patrons included Archbishop Des-
mond Tutu, Jack Lemmon, the Dalai Lama
and Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pe-
rez Esquivel, response in Canada was slow.
The organizers treasure those patrons who
were among the first to make a leap of
faith: singer Bruce Cockburn, pianist
Oscar Peterson, comedians Johnny Wayne
and Frank Shuster, country singer Tommy
Hunter, native leader George Erasmus.

“I strongly believe that in striving for
worldwide peace, no contribution is too lit-
tle,’’ wrote Jean Chrétien when he gave his
name to the venture.

A 24-year-old Toronto geophysicist,
George Barnett, worked for six months to
help co-ordinate the Million Minutes for
Peace effort in this country. He’s one of

’ . :
<7 y a wy »)
S, _ re { ¢
. ¢

— to meet South African ambassador

that breed of shy, determined idealists who
illuminate the human landscape. “I’m
engaged in mineral exploration,’’ he ex-
plains, ‘“‘and I like to augment that with
community work.” <
He made a natural link with a like-mind-
ed man, Eric Hellman, 31, who was work-
ing with the group A Peal for Peace, to
widen participation in Canada in the UN's
annual minute of silence and moment of
sound on Sept. 16. Mr. Hellman took on the
task of single-handedly bringing Vancouv-
er’s Expo 86 to a halt for that moment. At
his own expense, and with a leave of ab-
sence from his supportive employer, a
computer company, he spent a montlr in.
Vancouver. - *
He started with the daunting task’ of-
obtaining the support of all 65 pavilions,
each of which was autonomous and repre-
sented a different province, state or nafjon..
That done, he needed the endorsement of.
Patrick Reid, commissioner-general® at-
Expo, who agreed with only 10 days ta
spare. That allowed Eric Hellman to ap-
proach the operators of concessions, res-
taurants and amusement rides. we?
At noon on Sept. 16, a hushed silence fell:
upon an estimated 65,000 people on the
Expo site. A minute later, a choir made up’
of representatives of almost every pavilion
sang “Peace on earth. ...” and then-the
exquisite Pachelbel canon was heard over
loudspeakers, and church bells rang.
Millions have been contemplating. peace’
over this past month, either in such a mov-
ing setting as that transcending minute at
Expo or simply in solitude. They have been
reflecting on how the world longs to raise
its children in safety. A silence as profound
as that cannot go unheard. Nothing ts lost
in the untverse. |

‘Babb, a meeting New Democratic

‘ing “totally inappropriate.”

meeting is a ‘‘courtesy call’’ that

C. Premier cuticized for acresing.

‘Canadian Press

VICTORIA

Premier William Vander Zalm
has arranged a meeting Nov. 7 with
South African Ambassador Glenn

“It is a fact, though, that this
province is the only one in Canada
which has held out in terms of sanc-
iors against South Africa and this
just reinforces the unfortunate
reputation which B.C. has through-
out the rest of the country and, in-
deed, around the world,” the
Opposition leader said.

A local anti-apartheid group is
also angry. ,

Zayed Gamiet, spokesman for the
southern Africa Action Coalition,
said that by agreeing to meet Mr.
Babb, Mr. Vander Zalm ‘is imply-
ing that he thinks Babb has a right.
“ represent the South African peo-
ple.”

Party Leader Robert Skelly is call-

William Bachop, Mr. Vander
Zalm’s press secretary, said the

was initiated by Mr. Babb, Mr.
Bachop said he has no idea what
they will discuss.

_ Mr. Skelly said it is inappropriate
for Mr. Vander Zalm te meet Mr.
Babb.

“We have never interfered in the
internal government of a country and
and have no intention of doing so,
never have had any thought of that kind.”’
Ronald Reagan, 28.9.-82

1823: Monroe Doctrine signed. U.S. claims Latin America as
its area of influence.

1833: U.S. troops intervene in Nicaragua.

1835: U.S. troops intervene in Peru. —

1854: San Juan-del Norte, Nicaragua destroyed to avenge
an insult to the U.S. minister.

1856: U.S. invades Panama after incident.

1858: U.S. troops intervene in Uruguay.

1865: U.S. troops intervene in Panama.

1868: U.S. troops intervene in Uruguay.

1868: U.S. troops intervene in Colombia.

1873: U.S. troops intervene in Colombia.

1885: U.S. troops intervene in Panama.

1888: U.S. troaps intervene in Haiti.

1891: U.S. troops intervene in Chile.

1894: U.S. troops intervene in Nicaragua.

Canadian Press
VANCOUVER

British Columbia is home to
more than 50 food banks — more
than all the rest of Canada, a
study says.

“It’s a disgrace,”’ Sylvia Rus-
sell, director of the Vancouver
Food Bank, said.

British Columbia is regarded
as a disaster by approximately
300 social workers, politicians,
Government officials, teachers
and religious leaders meeting at
the three-day conference in To-
ronto. | |

‘‘And when people from the
Maritimes, with all the problems
they have, are shocked by what
they hear about B.C., you realize
we’re in really bad shape,” Ms
Russell said.

She said her organization
would probably turn people away
this winter, “It looks like a pretty
bleak winter for a lot of people,
especially if it is a cold one.”

The Vancouver Food Bank

started handing out several hun-
dred bags of food a month when it
opened about three years ago.
Now it routinely distributes 3,000
food hampers a month.

“There are a number of chil-
dren in this country going to
school who are unable to study,
unable to learn, because they

have no food in their stomachs,”

said Graham Riches, a Universi-
ty of Regina sociology professor
who studied the problem.

Figures from a June report by
the Social Planning and Research
Council of B.C. show more than
70,000 people in the province
needed handouts to ensure food

was on the table at the end of the

week,

Michael Claque, executive
director of the research council,
said a growing number of people
have lost their jebs, exhausted
their savings and unemployment
insurance and are unable to exist
on welfare.

“Tt’s a human tragedy,” he
said.

CANADA AND FINLAND SIGN
AGREEMENT ON
SOCIAL SECURITY

Draft sppech by Minister
Puhakka on the occasing of
signing the agreement concern-
ing Social Security between
Canada and Finland.

By tradition Canada has

been a favoured country for
Finnish emigrants. This may be
due to fact that the climatic and
other conditions in Canada are
very similar to those in Finland,
As a result, the number of Fin-
nish citizens and persons of
Finnish origin living in Canada
is quite cosiderable. From the
point of view of Social Security,
the Situation inevitable involves
problems, and in order to solve
these problems an agreement
concerning Social Security is

necessary.

Now such an agreement has
been completed, itdoes not only
solve the problems of Social
Security for the Finnish immig-
rants in Canada, but it also
guarantees Finnish Social Se-
curity rights to Canadians re-
siding in Finland. Moreover, it
implies a noteworthy impro-

™*

vement of the arrangement ol

Social Security in the Finnish
enterprises in Canada, and,
naturally the same applies to the
Social Security of Canadian
enterprises operating in Fin-
land, Now there will no more be
problems conce: ning the pay-
ment of Social Security con-
tributions in both countries.

‘Surely there must be somcont we cam
iry Our new Weapons on.

May we suggest that you
save our English section pages
and among your friends discuss
the content.

We would truly appreciate
any comments, — criticisms,
Suggestions, or your contribu-
tions of articles or clippings on
any subject of interest to our
readers,

Perhaps you have old pho-
tographs of our pioneers of
which you could print copies
and send them to us with in-
formation about them or events
at the time of the pictures.

Ol course new subscriptions
or advertisements are always
welcome especially for Christ-
mas ISSUES.

Thank's advance for any
contributions.

Although the Canadian So-
cial Security legislation covers
only Old-Age Pension Insu-
rance, the agreement concern-
ing Social Security with the
Federal Government is very
important, since it provides a
basis for extending the Social
securily arrangenrents to cover

the Social Security systems of

the Provinces of Canada. The
Social Security agreement with
the Federal Government also
defines the principles according

the agreements with the provin-
ces also determine the Social
Security of persons moving
from the area of one party of the
agreement to another in various
situations.

1895: U.S. troops
1896: U.S. troops
1898: U.S. troops

1898: Battleship Maine sunk. U.S. initiates Spanish-American war.
1898: U.S. troops invade Puerto Rico to ‘liberate it’ from Spain.

1899: U.S. troops
1901; U.S, troops
1902: U.S. troops
1903: U.S. troops
1903: U.S. troops
1903: U.S. troops
1904: U.S. troops
1904: U.S. troops
1907: U.S. troops
1910: U.S. troops
1911: U.S, troops
1912: U.S. troops
1913: U.S. troops

Company. 1000 killed.

intervene

in Colombia.

intervene in Honduras.

intervene

in Nicaragua.

intervene in Nicaragua.
intervene in Colombia,

intervene in Colombial

intervene in Honduras.

intervene in Dominican Republic.
intervene in Panama.

intervene

in Dominican Republic.

intervene in Panama.

intervene
intervene

in Honduras.

in Nicaragua.

intervene in Honduras.

intervene in Cuba.

intervene in Mexico,

1914: U.S. troops intervene in Haiti,

1915: Marines land in Haiti and occupy it until 1934.
1919: U.S. troops intervene in Honduras.

1920: U.S. troops intervene in Guatemala.

1924: U.S. troops intervene in Honduras.

1925: U.S. troops intervene in Honduras.

1925: U.S. troops intervene in Panama.

1926: U.S. troops intervene in Nicaragua.

1928: Banana workers strike in Colombia against United Fruit

1932: 3 U.S. and 2 Canadian warsliups arrive in El Salvador.

1932: Salvadoran peasants begin mass insurrection. Military
retaliation: 30,000 massacred.

1954: CIA overthrows Arbenz government in Guatemala.

1958: Panama declares state of seige after 6 are killed in anti-

U.S, riots.

1961: CIA defealed in Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba.
1962: U.S. naval blockade of Cuba initiated.
1964: U.S. troops kill student protesters in Panama Canal

ZOne,

1965: U.S. invades Dominican Republic.

1969: John Foster Dulles approves “thorough consideration
be given to the elimination of Fidel Castro."

1973: U.S. sponsored coup in Chile overthrows Popular

\Unity government; Allende murdered. \

to which the arrangements of 4975: 4Q students killed at University of El Salvador
demonstrating against U.S. intervention.

1983: U.S invades Grenada to install new pro-American

regime.

Contributed by Dr. Sofia Vuorinen,
Beamsville, Ontario

Ij