PEJ News - C. L. Cook - This week on GR: Andrew Barry of Students Against the War, mobilizing Canadians for peace; Donna Morton and finally economics in the service of our higher natures; and Janine Bandcroft bringing us up to speed with all that's good to do in and around Victoria in the coming week.

Following five years of occupation, the situation in Afghanistan is worse today than when Canadian troops marched into the bombed out country. After five years, and billions of Canadian dollars spent, peace is no closer, and the promise of democracy, justice, reconstruction, and prosperity for the people no nearer.

As with its neighbour Iraq, Afghanistan is today a quagmire, a hopeless disaster no amount of force can remedy, and no amount of blood spilled will resolve. Despite that fact, the bellicose leaders of America and her allies in this murderous project refuse to admit their failures, refuse to admit their crimes, and refuse to consider changing policy. As the body count inexorably rises, and more irreparable damage is done, the grey men in Washington, and London, Canberra, and Ottawa steadfastly deny the demands made by millions of the world’s citizens that this cruel madness be ended; defying now the demand to stop as they defied demands this horror not be begun in 2001.

Later this week, citizens around the world, and right here in Victoria, will again take to the streets to mark the grim fifth anniversary of the continuing carnage in Afghanistan, conducted ostensibly in our name.

Andrew Barry is with Students Against the War and he’ll join us in the first half.

And; later this week, Victoria plays host to the first Victoria International Arts Symposium. Following Victoria’s designation as a Cultural Capital of Canada, the city, in partnership with the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society put out the call to local, national and international artists in all disciplines. This year’s symposium theme is Artists of Conscience, “an exploration of how artist’s work is impacted by awareness of and involvement in vital and sometimes controversial social issues.”

Donna Morton is founder and director of the Centre for Integral Economics; she’ll deliver a keynote to the symposium exploring ways to create an economy that better reflects society’s higher values. Donna Morton in the second half.

And; Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of the good things to do in and around Victoria this week. But first, Andrew Barry and staying war’s course.

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