VOW Statement

October 11th, 2007

Canadian Voice of Women for Peace Statement on the Border Detainment of Medea Benjamin and Ann Wright:

The Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) decries the detainment of world renowned peace activist, Medea Benjamin and retired Colonel Ann Wright, at the Canadian border, as unacceptable and reprehensible. VOW is calling on the Prime Minster and opposition parties in Canada to redress the spectrum of repressive security and surveillance legislative changes enacted since 9-11, including those that threaten the rights of peace, social justice and global democracy advocates and activists by confounding them as terrorists and criminals. The government of Canada should be honouring not rejecting Medea Benjamin , one of the 1000 PeaceWomen nominated in 2005 for the Nobel Prize, whom we have just learned have been nominated again for 2007. Canada with its long tradition as a peace builder must recognize its commitments to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in support of `Women, Security and Peace´ and rethink and distance itself from US defence and foreign policies based on an unfounded global `war on terror´ and an SPP `Fortress America´ concept engineered by the Bush administration.