By: Lyn Adamson, Co-Chair, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
It is horrifying to watch the images coming out of Gaza: starving babies, the killing of civilians waiting in lines for food, and the forcing into a small enclosure, with 88% of Gaza now off limits to Palestinians.
The fact that all the powers in this world have not intervened to stop this massive humanitarian catastrophe, despite obligations under international law designed to prevent genocide, is an unbelievable failure of international diplomacy.
We are supposed to believe that the current massive expenditure in weapons is not enough to keep us safe and we need to TRIPLE our military budget asap. Yet with all the military force we have now, why are wars and starvation happening? All this military might is not enough to bring peace or justice to Gaza? Not enough enough to bring FOOD into Gaza and to stop killing people in aid lines? If all the military might we have now can’t stop the extermination of a people then why should we believe more will be better?
We have human rights law for a reason and it’s not being followed. By any state, including Canada. Except the 12 countries who have bravely spoken up to take ACTION by stopping military shipments to Israel.
Is no country willing to step up and break the siege by delivering aid to Gaza shores? Right now the Handala is on its way to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza – why is it not accompanied by ships from countries that have the obligation to stop the genocide
If these people can be starved, so can any other population declared ‘surplus’. With the increasing impacts of the climate catastrophe millions more will soon be stranded in unlivable environments and the doors to any other livable parts of the earth will be locked. And they will starve. Or drown. Or be murdered. Just as we see happening now.
And like the starvation of Gaza the killing of the planet’s ability to support life is being done deliberately.
And too many of us are standing by and letting it happen.
It is time to repair our international framework of human rights and use our diplomatic tools to prevent and to end war. We have the option to invest in building a peaceful future with mutual security as our aim, and the preservation of a living planet. To do so we must transition our energy systems, invest in nonviolent economic initiatives, and redirect military spending to foreign aid, reducing use of fossil fuels, and peacebuilding.
hi Lynn- i agree, and wonder about the campaign to withold the portion of income taxes going to defence. is that still active and how do i join? ps ryan is lovely!