Parliamentary Speech: Beyond Laws:
The Right to Be Me /Au delà des Lois : le Droit d'Être MOI.
On International Women's Day, March 8, 2006, Julia Morton-Marr, President of IHTEC, spoke for 25 minutes as the invited guest keynote speaker to the Canadian House of Commons, Senate and Parliamentary Librarians in the West Wing building. The theme of the event was "Beyond Laws" The Right to Be ME / Au delà des Lois: le Droit d'Être MOI". Organized by Pierrette Landy, approximately 200 people attended, including the first women Clerk of the House of Commons, Audrey O'Brien and the Clerk of the Senate Gary O'Brien. Julia was accompanied by Dianne Leggatt.
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Beyond Laws: The Right to Be Me /Au de là des lois: le droit d'être moi.
Speech given to the Canadian Parliamentarians:
House of Commons, The Senate, and the Parliamentary Library.
By Julia Morton-Marr.
President; International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC.
Email: julia@ihtec.on.ca Website: www.ihtec.org
Event: International Women’s Day Date: March 8, 2006
Honourable Member and Staff of the Senate, The House of Commons, and the Library of Parliament, distinguished guests.
“Beyond Laws: The Right to be ME”: It is a great pleasure to be invited here today to address you on this International Women’s Day March 8, 2006, and to provide you with some additional insight into the important role that so many Canadian Women have played not only in Canada but across the world. Lets hope today that we will ‘turn the world around’ (NB: arms in air, turn hands around, like the 1000 Peace Women in Zurich, Switzerland). At breakfast you will have seen the slide show telling the “1000 Peace Women Across the Globe” story. Their website is www.1000peacewomen.org Thank you, Fatima Shiekh, IHTEC’s student, who created the slide show. It is available on www.ihtec.org under NEWS.
I am accompanied today by Dianne Leggatt, an exceptional colleague, who once served in the York Region as a Principal, and who is now part of The Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation www.futureaces.org , an organization that promotes an exciting and spectacularly motivational program aimed at building character and helping young people be the best they can be.
I am here today as the result of the intervention of another wonderfully accomplished woman, Parliament’s very own poet laureate Pauline Michele. Thank you Pauline.
As you have already learned, I was a teacher in South Australia, a mother and grandmother of nine children who are under the southern hemisphere’s Ozone hole. They have to ‘Slip Slap Slop’ UV cream over visible parts of their bodies before they go out under the sun, sign a contract with their parents and teachers to never go out if the UV rays are too high. I have always been eager to improve the education and learning experiences of children, I have taught integrated subjects in Australia for 16 years, and since 1993, developed curriculum modules with solutions that help educate Canadian children about global commons.
Somewhere along that journey my studies took me into Tourism Impacts around the world, which developed into the need for a vision of world peace and a clean environment. The result of this journey was the creation of the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC which I and a small team formed in 1993. It’s main focus is the creation of International School Peace Gardens on the grounds of local schools in Canada and around the world. In just twelve years, this program has grown to include more than 35 countires and counts upwards of 500,000 students among its ‘graduates’. All the curriculum materials are available free on www.ihtec.org
It is for this work and the work of the IHTEC team members on similar associated programs, through my dedication, and the current development of programs that fit Global Sustainability Education, that I was honoured, to be included in the 1000 Women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, as one of the nine Canadian women. In the past the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to only 12 women, while 81 men and have received the prize which stimulated the project, The 1000 Peace Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. Powered by the leadership of Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangot, Member of the Swiss Parliament (National Council) and of the Council of Europe, Maren Haartje and Rebecca Vermot an international team of women academics was created for the project. They received over 2000 names from 150 countries.
One reason for the initiative was that 2005 was the 100th Anniversary of the first woman who won the Nobel Peace, Prize Bertha von Suttner. At first the team thought that 100 women’s names might be enough, but changed to finding 1000 peace women to celebrate the amazing work of women for peace and reconstruction. They have produced a Book and a Display which are now available in bookstores. This should be in every library around the world.
“The Time is Right” for Canada to help make these women and many other Canadian peace women visible by creating another list of the 1000s of peace women we know. They must be included in all decision-making on peace and security. Canada could help by supporting this initiative with the Nobel Committee. Among the 1000 women potential tough solutions are made more visible for the sake of our children and our grandchildren and for seven generations to come.
I am mentioning the names of the Canadian Women on The Hill, I believe for the first time. Of the ten Canadian Women, most of you know the high profile Canadian Women; Landon Pearson, Louise Arbour and Maud Barlow. Other Canadian women on the list might be less well known nationally. They have been recognized for their tremendous social and developmental contributions to their cultures and groups at the local and Provincial levels. These include Maggie Hodgson, Doreen Spence, Muriel Duckworth, one of the founders of Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Akua Benjamin, Kama Steliga and myself. There is a tenth women, Rosalie Bertell who is now living in the US but is a Canadian Citizen.
Recently an Afghani teacher was beheaded in front of his wife, for continuing to teaching girls. This should never happen. This must be stopped.
The work of women in the peace movement is sorely needed, and we really do need you, our Parliamentarians, Senators and Canadian leaders, to support the amazing work of these 1000 women. Canada has many more peace women who weren’t nominated who should have been in this list. I honour them today. It is very disappointing when you realize how much women can do to further the peace process. Each time I look at various Parliamentary groups and State Leaders globally on TV, there are always too few women. Professor Emeritus Derek Paul, University of Toronto, one of the founders of Science for Peace, suggests that there should be two ballot papers in each district, one for women and one for men, to enable democratic balance.
I have with me a book of scientific papers that support my work. Many of these papers are from my colleague Professor Emeritus Helmut Burkhardt, Physicist and System Scientist, Ryerson University and Founder of the Council on Global Issues.These academic papers are on a CD under ‘Documents’ on the IHTEC website: www.ihtec.org
I have also brought you a ‘To Do List’ attached to my speech.
STATE OF THE WORLD
Consider looking holistically at the current “State of the World” and the current environmental damage to the global commons, which are already severely affected. Known social facts include the nuclear weapons on the planet, where the firepower of World War II is one dot, and current nuclear weapons powers in on (Fig 1). The current nuclear weapons are 10 times the power of the one dropped on Hiroshima. I support my colleague Senator Douglas Roche and the Mayors for Peace. These weapons must go.
Known social facts include the human species footprint is currently 20% over the available resource base of the planet. (Fig 2) Ecological footprint, Wackernagel and Rees.
Known species facts include the annual loss of approx 20,000 - 30,000 species a year, where before the industrial era the loss was 6 species annually.
Known facts include that climate change will cause the next major famine throughout the bread basket of North America. Food growing areas are predicted to become deserts, with an increasing temperatures of up to 50oC. We are in the 6th extinction, but the first that is man made because of the Industrial era.
Known environmental facts include two major life threatening roles: the Ozone Hole, which is still increasing, and secondly the sea level rise that will only happen from the melting of ice on the land, which continues daily in the Arctic and Antarctica. In the Northen Hemisphere the increases are due to a population larger than the Southern Hemisphere, discarded refrigerators and the black marketing of CFC's. We continue to emit ozone depleting substances CFC daily into the atmosphere from our old refrigerators and vehicles, and when the weather report tells us that we have a 10% decrease in ozone levels in Toronto, humanity is in big trouble. The increasing size of the ozone hole in the Southern Hemisphere over South America and Australia, and the Arctic are putting us and future generations at risk. The ozone hole is admitting dangerous ultraviolet light which is killing the micro-organisms (sea grasses and krill) which in turn affects the ocean's food chain. In addition to this, Tons of Carbon Dioxide emissions are admitted daily, adding to global warming, which in turn is causing the Climate Changes we are already experiencing.
Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, does not just disappear, in stays in the atmosphere and compounds for up to 100 years. Also there is a time lag of 10 years on what we actually feel. Trees and the Oceans absorb some of the carbon dioxide, but as we are still cutting down our large trees and rain forests are disappearing at a very rapid rate, compounded by the fact that no effort is imminent to sequester carbon dioxide, which is very expensive. I expect that we will have a worse summer this year and many more people will die or at least cost the Canadian health system millions of dollars.
Innuit people in the Arctic have noticed profound changes in the surrounding ice and the late arrival of animals for food. Large ice flows have broken off the Antarctica sheet. Sea levels have begun to rise and have caused island populations in the Pacific to re-locate. There has already been an increase of 2oC in global warming. The expected sea level rise is 6 meters of 7 yards. Another 2oC increase in temperature will cause another 2 meters in the sea level rise over the next 10 years. This will dramatically change all coastlines. Rivers will run backwards, fresh water will be scarce, and what water is left will be needed for dilution the polluted water.
Last week two major ‘tipping points’ occurred. Firstly we have reached the point of no return, according to the scientists, with carbon dioxide emissions. Secondly we are over King Hubbard’s oil peak. Thirdly the oil bourse, oil money being changed from US dollars to Euros, is heading human civilizations into a continual state of war. We must change to alternative energy immediately if this situation is to be stopped.
As an educator, it is a shame that we, the current adult generation have not learned to recognize the difficult priorities ahead for the planet, nor the skills to overcome war or environmental destruction. The time is NOW for a different solutions, and a different education system. I call this “Global Sustainability Education”. It is now that we must make urgent changes to prevent exacerbating the atmospheric and environmental issues on the global commons. This is the reason for the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC creating their International School Peace Gardens and related Global Sustainability Education programs. Peace and Environmental Education cannot be separated and are well combined in Sustainability Education.
IHTEC could use your encouragement to foster all Canadian schools, to develop visible peace garden curriculum inside and outside their schools. Federal Financial support for the “UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development” is essential. It is critical that governments and departments of education globally, include in their curriculums, peace and sustainability education immediately. UNESCO with Chuck Hopkins and his team, have already begun this process, but it is not fast enough. Because if we don’t get to the upcoming generations, the changes are unlikely to happen as they need to.
Your support and encouragement is needed for the United Nations call for NGO’s to promote Conventions and Agreements signed by Canada, within our NGO mandate. For example, Security Council Resolution 1325 (31 October 2000) at the UN on Women, Peace and Security, must be honoured in Canada . Please make every effort to make Canadian Women visible in National and International Decision-Making.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to address you this morning. Dianne and I are so pleased to be able to share these ideas with you and look forward to answering any questions you might have regarding our programs or the work of so many other accomplished Canadian Women. Many of our materials are here today. Please leave a business card with Dianne as you take a copy. I know we can turn this grave situation around with joint inter-parliamentary supportive efforts. “We’re going to turn the world around”. Let’s keep going Canada; We need to do better. “We need more Canada” in the world.
Thank you.
Julia Morton-Marr, March 8, 2006
PARLIAMENTARY TO DO LIST:
The Following Issues need your constant attention and support:
1. Support International Holistic Tourism Education Centre’s Global Sustainability Education and International School Peace Gardens.
a. Encourage all Canadian schools to develop visible peace garden curriculum inside the school and to plant an their school grounds. This includes the using the creative and performing Arts.
b. Federally - Financially Support the “UN Decade of Education for Sustainablity Development”. This means at all levels of education including public education.
2. Support the “1000 Peace Women Across the Globe” who were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005.
a. Support and encourage the UN’s call for NGO’s to promote Conventions and Agreements signed by Canada especially UN Resolution 1325 (2000) on “Women Peace and Security”.
b. MakeCanadian Women visible in National and International decision-making.
c. Write a support letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to re-consider the nomination of the “1000 Peace Women Across the Globe” INTERNATIONALLY THE TIMING IS RIGHT.
d. Pay for a tour of the “1000 Peace Women Across the Globe” Display and Book across Canada. Request that the Display be held in your local district.
e. Ensure that the “1000 Peace Women Across the Globe” Book is in your local library. This will encourage women to participate in peace and sustainability education especially young women. 3. Science for Peace and Council on Global Issues ask you to:
a. Implement the Interdisciplinary Conference on the Evolution of World Order’s “Global Action Priorities for a Sustainable Civilization” within policy and law.
b. Implement the following statements everywhere:
i. Humankind is living 20% above the ecological sustainability level. [More details at: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/ ] This ecological deficit is bound to cause more resource-based conflicts. Paired with the availability of weapons of mass destruction bodes disaster for human civilization (The Ecological Footprint - Wackernagel and Rees)
ii. “Nuclear weapons in the hands of states or terrorists are a great threat to humankind. Since the peaceful use of nuclear power and nuclear weapons are correlated, Canada should stop promoting nuclear power and focus instead on renewable energy”. Prof. Helmut Burkhardt.
c. Ensure as far as you can, a prosperous and sustainable future for the next seven generations: Please make Canada a ‘Nuclear Free Zone’.
4. Limit all gratuitous violence in the Media and Video Games.
List Developed By Julia Morton-Marr;
Tel: 1 (905) 820-5067 Email: julia@ihtec.on.ca Website: www.ihtec.org
1/1000 Peace Women Across the Globe, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005
Founding President, International Holisitic Tourism Education Centre - IHTEC
Co-Founder: International School Peace Gardens.
Ex. Board: Science for Peace, Co-Coordinator Working Groups.
Ex. Board: Council on Global Issues, Vice-President Education.
Member: Canadian Voice of Women for Peace.
Dianne Leggatt, Future Aces
3 Baker St, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 2A9; Home: 416-486-6025 Fax:416-486-0417
E-Mail: charles.di@sympatico.ca
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