McGill University Peace Event

Image showing the remote Peace Conference.

2020.

In early May, IPPNWC ran a webinar for university students across Canada in collaboration with Students for Peace and Disarmament at McGill University and Divest McGill to discuss the interconnectedness of health, environmentalism, and militarism during the COVID-19 era. The webinar began with a presentation by IPPNWC board member Dr. Erica Frank who discussed her organization NextGenU and provided resources for transitioning activism onto more sustainable online platforms during and after the COVID-19 Crisis. Dr. Richard Denton presented on divestment from both war and fossil fuels as a form of activism. Dr. John Guilfoyle spoke of the health and militarism intersect as well as the environmental consequences of war during a pandemic. Dr. Mary-Wynne Ashford presented on ways forward, activism and global change such as the current UN Secretary-General’s call for a global cease-fire during the coronavirus. 

After the presentations, IPPNWC members engaged in a fruitful conversation with students. They discussed why environmentalism and peace are essential to address in the COVID-19 context, what security really means, and how COVID-19 will change it. Human security became a central discussion point, whereas within a pandemic, the requirements for security are evolving and dynamic. Also discussed was how education, activism, and other institutions will change and evolve due to the coronavirus. IPPNWC is excited to have made meaningful connections with student activists and is looking forward to future intergenerational collaboration and further assisting efforts of university students and young members of IPPNWC.