Halifax

Rally
Saturday, November 20 – 1:00 pm
Halifax Peace and Friendship Park (Hollis and South Sts)

Toronto

Picket Against Halifax Security Forum
Saturday, November 20 – 1:00-2:00 pm
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s Office, 344 Bloor St. W.

Edmonton

Picket – Oppose Halifax International Security Forum!
Canada Out of NATO and Norad!
Canada Needs an Anti-War Government!
Saturday, November 20 – 1:00 pm
Strathcona Farmers’ Market, 103 Street and 83 Avenue
Organized by the Edmonton Coalition Against War and Racism (ECAWAR)

The 13th Annual Halifax International Security Forum (HISF) will be held November 19-21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. According to the organizers, they plan to have all their participants in person at the Westin Hotel for the fully vaccinated Forum.

The HISF is a U.S. organization hosted by Canada’s Minister of National Defence. It proudly announces it “receives generous support from the Government of Canada and Club HFX.”

At this time, the Security Forum is part and parcel of the U.S. and NATO’s “pivot to Asia.” Last year it rolled out its anti-China stance by issuing a “Handbook for Democracies” titled: “China vs Democracy: The Greatest Game. HISF President Peter Van Praagh said, “We know what we are for; and we know what we are against. This is how (the Security Forum) differs from all other conferences of similar stature.”

This year, two of the eight Plenary Sessions and at least three of the Informal Sessions are directly related to China while a number of other sessions are indirectly related. All of it grows the danger of war in the Asia Pacific and on the world scale.

Besides the Plenary and Informal Sessions, the Security Forum prides itself on providing the venue for international defence and security “leaders” to meet behind closed doors to plan further crimes against the peace and the peoples of the world. “There is no substitute for face-to-face, in-person conversations between international defence and security leaders. They lead to collaboration, innovative solutions, and renewed hope for our democracies,” said Van Praagh.

The agenda purports to deal with global security issues but it does so not from the perspective of the peaceful resolution of conflicts and promotion of international rule of law by upholding the UN Charter. On the contrary, it promotes a U.S. “rules-based international order” which it calls democracy despite its aim to make the entire world submit to the U.S. declaration that it is the “indispensable nation” which every country must obey.

Anti-war activists in Halifax urge you to get involved in opposing the Security Forum and making sure Canada provides No Harbour For War and gets out of NATO and NORAD.

No Harbour For War advocates the prevention and resolution of conflicts in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. It opposes the use of force, threats and sanctions to subjugate countries. It calls on Canadians to oppose Canada’s integration into the U.S. war machine, NATO and NORAD and the usurpation of Canada’s decision-making and sovereignty by the U.S. All foreign and military policy should be decided in a manner which favours the peoples of the world.

Join a webinar on Friday, November 19 to hear speakers discuss what’s at stake for Canada and the Asia Pacific at this time. Participate in actions to oppose the warmongering Canada is sponsoring by hosting the HSIF.

We call on Canadians to demand that the HISF be banned, along with demanding that Canada get out of NATO and NORAD and that they be dismantled. No foreign troops should be permitted to operate on Canadian territory and Canadian forces should be brought home. No foreign warships, whether armed with nuclear weapons or not, should be permitted to use our harbours. NATO-sponsored think tanks and academic institutions should be dismantled. Promotion of imperialist war aims and the militarization of culture must be rejected.