The Life of Food
July 2009
Banner photo: Oxheart tomatoes [© Creativ Studio Heinemann]
Promoting Peace in Canada
Mr. Roche speaks on peace [SGI-Canada]
On February 26, SGI-Canada representatives led a "Victory Over Violence" (VOV) workshop at a teachers' conference held in Winnipeg. They also brought the VOV exhibition to the event. The Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet), linked to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), organized the conference. Some 80 principals, teachers and national and provincial government representatives attended. Participants reported that the workshop enabled them to better understand the effects of passive violence, and many expressed interest in bringing the VOV exhibition to their local schools.
On April 2, the Hon. Douglas Roche, O.C., delivered the inaugural lecture of SGI-Canada's Distinguished Speakers Series at the SGI-Canada Toronto Culture Centre. Mr. Roche, a Canadian parliamentarian and diplomat, spoke about the importance of shifting from a culture of war to a culture of peace and of "believing that we can make a difference," basing his remarks on two of his recent books, The Human Right to Peace and Global Conscience.
Mr. Roche served as the Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament and as chair of the United Nations Disarmament Committee. From 1998 to 2008, he headed the Middle Powers Initiative, an international network of eight nongovernmental organizations specializing in nuclear disarmament issues.
