(The following article is from the November 1-15, 2009, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)
Special to PV

The Second Trilateral Peace Conference of the World Peace Council was held in Toronto from October 2-4. Involving the Canadian Peace Congress, the United States Peace Council and the Mexican Movement for Peace (MOMPADE) - representing the peace movements of the three countries in NAFTA and the SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership) - the event was a continuation of the First Trilateral Conference held in Puebla, Mexico in 2004.

     Special guests included Socorro Gomes, President of the Brazilian Peace Committee (CEBRAPAZ) and also President of the World Peace Council, and Jose Ramon Rodriguez, President of the Cuban Movement for Peace (MOVPAZ) and regional coordinator for the WPC.

     The focus was an examination of current imperialist developments in the Americas, and proposals for common action among the peace committees. The opening session on "Current Realities, Concerns and Challenges for the Peace Movements" was followed by a series of panels that explored imperialist economic integration, imperialist wars and anti-war movements, the current economic crisis, and nuclear disarmament and the arms trade.

     The final day was spent discussing and adopting a Final Declaration from the conference, which expressly rejected the imperialist vision for the region and proposed common action in key areas. These will include building the coalitions to end the wars and occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and Palestine; opposing threats of military action against Iran; building the Network to End Foreign Bases and working to dismantle the US Fourth Fleet; mobilizing for the international Disarm Now! conference in May 2010 and increasing work to abolish nuclear weapons; and building anti-imperialist solidarity, including support for the struggles of Aboriginal peoples. The declaration also expressed commitments to organizing a Third Trilateral Peace Conference.