City of Winnipeg Says Yes to the Nuclear Ban
Rooj Ali & Avinashpall Singh’s delegation to Winnipeg City Council begins at 1:13:24.
Press Release — Winnipeg
For Immediate Release, June 24, 2021
by Rooj Ali (she/her) & Avinashpall Singh (he/him)
Download the full press release here.
Today, Winnipeg City Council voted in favour of a resolution supporting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) following a youth-led initiative advocating for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons’ (ICAN) Cities Appeal. Winnipeg joins Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Victoria, Montréal and nine other Canadian municipalities in endorsing the ICAN Cities Appeal.
“Acknowledging the weight of taking on these discussions, it can be daunting to talk about nuclear weapons. But that anxiety cannot and should not get in the way of doing the humane thing. As youth leaders, a future free of nuclear weapons is a future we believe in and one that we encourage all, no matter how young or old, to work towards. It is in our hands that we take action to better our future.” Said Rooj Ali, a grade 11 student who led the campaign.
Cities have been and will continue to be targets in the event of a nuclear strike. In 2018, the Cities Appeal was launched by ICAN (2017 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) to allow municipalities to not only speak up, but to take meaningful action such as through educating residents.
On 7 July 2017, 122 countries voted to adopt the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Upon receiving 50 state ratifications on 22 January, 2021, nuclear weapons became illegal under international law for ratifying states only. This treaty is the most comprehensive of its kind - banning the use, threat of use, development, testing, production, manufacturing, acquisition, possession or stockpiling of nuclear weapons.
The TPNW represents the beginning of a global movement that puts pressure on nuclear armed states and creates a new international norm that these weapons are unacceptable. An international coalition of cities and civil society can play a game-changing role in breaking the status quo.
“Talking about nuclear weapons are not easy conversations to have. But more of it needs to happen so we can move beyond the point of awareness and towards a point of action and lead a tide of change - one city at a time. It can be incredibly scary knowing that our generation will one day inherit a world still full of nuclear weapons and the catastrophic consequences they pose. We refuse to stay silent as this happens.” Said Avinashpall Singh, who is enrolled into the University of Manitoba and also led the campaign.
Collaborative efforts between civil society is key to ensuring the success of this movement. Winnipeg is the first city among the prairie provinces to take action on this initiative, and serves as a leading example to neighboring municipalities to foster a better future for all generations.
Text of The Appeal:
The City of Winnipeg is deeply concerned about the grave threat that nuclear weapons pose to communities throughout the world. We firmly believe that our residents have the right to live in a world free from this threat. Any use of nuclear weapons, whether deliberate or accidental, would have catastrophic, far-reaching and long-lasting consequences for people and the environment. Therefore, we support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and call on our governments to sign and ratify it.
All endorsing cities have signed this exact statement.
About Us
Rooj Ali and Avinashpall Singh are two highly engaged activists and students attending River East Collegiate. They were youth co-chairs of the first-ever Youth Nuclear Peace Summit, which was held at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in 2019. They are concerned about the ongoing proliferation of nuclear weapons and would like to see Canada change its stance and support for total disarmament. Taking the connections and experience they've gained from the summit, the projects they've launched, and the conferences they've attended, Rooj and Avinash led the campaign to have the City of Winnipeg officially endorse the ICAN Cities Appeal.
Timeline
March 1–June 1: Sought formal endorsements from organizations that supported our campaign.
March 12: Presentation to the Subcommittee on Accessibility and Inclusion
Unanimous vote including a strong recommendation by the Standing Committee Chair to proceed.
April 17: Presentation to the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council
Majority support; Mayor Brian Bowman signalled personal support of our campaign.
This presentation was given by YAC member Shiven Srivastava on our behalf.
May 28: Presentation to City Councillor Brian Mayes (St. Vital)
May 30: Presentation to City Councillor Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan)
June 1: Presentation to City Councillor Sherri Rollins (Fort-Rouge East Fort Garry)
June 2: Presentation to City Councillor Ross Eadie (Mynarski)
June 3: Presentation to City Councillor Markus Chambers (St. Norbert - Seine River)
June 4: Presentation to City Councillor Janice Lukes (Waverley West)
June 9: Human Rights Committee on Council Officially Recommends
June 10: Presentation to City Councillor Shawn Nason (Transcona)
June 16: Executive Policy Committee Votes
Unanimous decision, advances to Full Council Meeting
June 18: Presentation to City Councillor Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan)
June 18: Presentation to City Councillor Cindy Gilroy (Daniel Mclntyre)
June 22: Presentation to City Councillor John Orlikow (River Heights - Fort Garry)
June 24: Full Council Meeting: City of Winnipeg formally endorses the ICAN Cities Appeal
