And a Good Sunday Morning to you!
Quick reminder for BC residents — in order to be eligible to vote in the September leadership race for the next leader of the Green Party of British Columbia, today is the deadline to join!
I will share some good news, but first some sombre reflections. This week marked the 80th anniversary of the first, and so far, thank God, the only use of nuclear weapons in war. On August 6, 1945 the atomic bomb destroyed Hiroshima, killing over 100,000 people, and three days later, Nagasaki and another 40,000 people were the nuclear weapon’s next victims. Growing up as the child of an activist, I knew a lot about the threat of nuclear war. My mom’s activism was an extension of maternal instinct. As a sculptor, with the luxury of a husband who was – in typical 1950’s norm – the breadwinner, her commissions for sculpting portraits of wealthy peoples’ children were not necessary for groceries. So when she read somewhere that the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere would cause an increase in childhood leukemia, distributing globally toxic radionuclides, like Strontium 90, she took on a new identity. In my mind she was a super-hero. With my dad’s full support, she founded “The Connecticut Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy”. She went to a print shop and ordered up hundreds of petitions calling for an end to atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. She wrote letters to the editor of newspapers across the U.S. She generally started her letters, “As a housewife, a mother and a Christian, I am writing…”
She had an amazing strategic instinct. She knew how to reach out and contact powerful allies. As Thomas Homer Dixon wrote about my mom in his book Commanding Hope my mother recruited influential thought leaders including Bertrand Russell, Dr. Ben Spock and Norman Cousins. Norman Cousins was my “Uncle Norman”, from working with my mom for what became the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (often just called SANE). After his sister married my mom’s brother, we were family. And through Norman I was close to Hiroshima survivor Shigeko Sasamori. Norman and a group of philanthropists brought a number of badly disfigured Hiroshima survivors to the United States for many surgeries. Norman adopted Shigeko and through her I heard the first-hand stories of her experience. She died late last year, at 92 years old.
By 1963 the US, USSR and UK had agreed to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. I attended this week’s local Hiroshima observance. It was beautifully organized by Victoria’s Peace School at the Gorge Park Pavilion. Our MC was Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi whose mother survived the nuclear blast in Hiroshima. I am active in the international group of Parliamentarians for the treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). I was the only Canadian MP at the 2025 meeting, but not the only Parliamentarian, as Senator Marilou McPhedran, a stalwart ally, was also there. There are still thousands of armed nuclear warheads, pointed at population centres around the world. Until nuclear weapons are banned, the ultimate weapon of mass destruction hangs over humanity. Canada has not yet signed the TPNW, nor have we even sent observer delegations to the meetings of state parties to the TPNW. Other NATO allies, such as Norway, have defied the US and sent observers. We have to keep pressing our government to take up the cause of peace, even as our new prime minister appears open to joining Trump’s military “golden dome” and re-arming, engaging economically in the US military industrial complex.
It is critical to remember that nuclear energy and nuclear weapons are intrinsically intertwined, especially now as Canadian Nuclear Laboratories moves closer to deals with US corporations that are part of the nuclear weapons industry. I shared this petition a few weeks ago, hoping for more signatories. I want to explain that the required personal information is not shared with anyone, even me. It is only the Parliamentary petition office that reviews names to ensure the signatories are Canadians. This petition is only open for signatures until September 8, I would be grateful for you signing and sharing!
In really good news, fabulous Victoria activist Corey Levine (who had been working in Afghanistan before the 2021 fall to the Taliban) shared the following news with our small all-party group of MPs who have been working to rescue the women from the Taliban. We have focused on women who had been Afghani MPs. (Not unaware we have to do more for women judges, and women and girls living in a state of gender apartheid.) Corey wrote:
“I am happy (and relieved) to inform you that the last family member of the Afghan women MPs whom Canada accepted finally arrived yesterday!
“It took almost 3 years, but in the end we managed to bring 8 families here which feels like a huge accomplishment overall.”
Almost all of our group survived the election: Liberal Marcus Powlowski, Bloc MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Conservative Alex Ruff, NDP Heather McPherson, and me. We lost one of our group as Liberal Leah Taylor Roy was defeated April 28, but we stay in touch. I love each of these colleagues so very much. We never let partisanship get in the way of strong collaboration to get these courageous women to Canada. And deep thanks to Corey, whose volunteer work and non-stop passion made this all possible!
We also owe a debt of gratitude to former Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller. Marc is still in the House, but not in Cabinet. I am working hard to persuade the new Minister of Immigration, the Hon Lena Diab, to right the wrong that was Zain Haq’s deportation.
As you know, BC climate activist Zain Haq was deported from Canada to Pakistan in early 2025 for his leadership in the climate movement. I am so distraught that Zain has been separated from his Canadian wife Sophia Papp. They are both inspiring young activists. His deportation happened despite former Minister of Immigration Marc Miller intervening to stop the removal… we’re asking the new Immigration Minister Hon. Lena Metledge Diab to bring Zain back to Canada and reunite him with his wife, her family and the larger community that supports him.
• Please help reunite the couple by sending a letter to the Immigration Minister
• Here’s another letter you can send in less than 5 minutes to help
As ever, I am so grateful for your support, activist actions and great suggestions!
Thanks to all locally who came to yesterday’s SGI Greens annual picnic!
So grateful every day. I think gratitude is essential as we face escalating madness. Find the small miracles and let them inspire you to do more!
Much love,
Elizabeth
Saanich-Gulf Islands Greens
https://www.sgigreenparty.ca/