A meeting was organized by the Marxist-Lenininst Party of Canada in Windsor on October 19 to discuss Canada’s foreign policy and how to make Canada a zone for peace. The meeting which was chaired by Laura Chesnik, the MLPC candidate in Windsor—Tecumseh who outlined the main points of the MLPC platform calling for a change in the direction of Canada’s foreign policy and emphasized the need for discussion on these matters during the federal election. In keeping with the MLPC’s call for political renewal she said the Canadian people, and no one else, must be empowered to decide the aim and direction of Canada’s foreign policy.
After the opening remarks there were two presentations. The first was by Margaret Villamizar, the MLPC candidate in Windsor West and its spokesperson on foreign policy. She began by saying that among the cartel parties vying for power there seems to be a taboo against talking about foreign policy. The complicit silence of these parties points to a shared unquestioned acceptance that Canada is for peace and so is NATO, so what is there to discuss?
Margaret then explained how there is nothing peaceful, democratic or legal about Canada and the Lima Group’s efforts to force regime change in Venezuela and to split the ranks of other countries, like the Caribbean states organized in CARICOM that have staunchly resisted joining the U.S.-led crusade. She announced to applause that Venezuela had just won a big victory at the United Nations by being elected to sit on its Human Rights Council with the majority of the organization’s 193 members backing Venezuela’s bid over that of the U.S./Lima Group candidate Costa Rica whose sole reason for entering the race at the last minute was to defeat Venezuela. She used the example of Canada’s dirty work through the Lima Group as well as NATO to illustrate the kind of multilateralism being pushed by sections of imperialism that say they champion liberal democracy and a rules-based order that is supposedly better than the unilateral wrecking by U.S. under Trump. This is very different from the international rule of law and adherence to the UN Charter that the world’s peoples striving to affirm their sovereignty and right to self-determination are demanding. She emphasized that it was essential for the people to play their role in bringing into being and defending the new arrangements required for the realization of their aspirations for a world at peace and in which the rights of all human beings are affirmed.
Left to right: Tamara Lorincz, Laura Chesnik and Margaret Villamizar
The second speaker was Tamara Lorincz, a member of Canadian Voice of Women for Peace. She spoke about the danger NATO presents to the world’s people and why it should be abolished. She pointed out that propaganda about NATO being a successful organization is a lie since all its interventions have been failures. She provided details about the extent of Canada’s military spending and drew attention to how much importance the government places on attracting youth from a very young age to identify with and join the military, revealing that the cadet program is the single largest youth program in the country. Tamara encouraged everyone to be active in working for peace and against war, pointing out the importance of the peace movement taking a stand against NATO and for it to be dismantled.
The presentations were followed by participants in the meeting asking questions and themselves contributing information and sharing their concerns about the direction of Canada’s foreign and military policy and the fact that none of the cartel parties showed any concern about continuing the status quo. Many expressed appreciation to the MLPC for organizing the meeting and the opportunity it provided for them to learn about and discuss matters of definite concern that are absent from the discussion at “official” debates and forums and what the media pundits say are “election issues” for Canadians.
Renewal Update, October 20, 2019 • No. 40
(Photos: RU)
Tony Seed's Weblog 