Suchergebnisse

This thesis examines the possibility of establishing a Department of Peace (DOP) as a Department of the Government of Canada. The topic has been introduced in Parliament twice--in 2009 as Bill C-447 and in 2011 as Bill C-373; neither Bill received any further action beyond the First Reading. The thesis, based on relevant literature and oral interviews, evaluates the establishment of the DOP in the context of the Canadian peace tradition as well as other global peace developments. It concludes that, in view of the priorities of the current government and the general mood in Canadian society, it is not realistic to expect a DOP to be implemented at present but that it has great potential to move the peace agenda in Canada forward. ; May 2019

This thesis argues that the conservative Kanadier Mennonites, who first came to Canada in 1874, were committed to absolute pacifism. This commitment--one of the basics of their faith--caused major tensions with the host society, notably in times of war. In this thesis I investigate three kinds of resources, each offering a different perspective on the pacifist conviction of the conservative Kanadier Mennonites. The first consists of three migration accounts; the second includes six sermons; the third is a unique set of minutes of the "Aeltestenrat"--the Council of Elders--which record the deliberations of the church leaders who met with government officials to negotiate the alternative service program for conscientious objectors during World War II. The documents demonstrate that the conservative Kanadier Mennonites were not socially or politically engaged pacifists but that their commitment to absolute pacifism was an integral part of their overall understanding of being Christian. ; October 2011