Webinar: Militarizing the Sky: Opposing Canada’s Armed Drone Purchase
Wednesday, September 14, 1 PM ET
Panel and Q&A on Canada’s proposed armed drone purchase. The Canadian military is currently picking a contender for up to 5 billion CAD worth of armed drones. Participants joined experts in the field to learn &speak out against the government’s attempt to purchase and deploy a fleet of armed drones under our noses.
Facebook livestream: (share)
Take Action: write letter to Canadian Defence Minister
Speakers:
Dr Samer Abdelnour, academic and activist
Maya Garfinkel, World BEYOND War
Azeezah Kanji, legal academic and writer
Kathy Kelly, Peace activist, Ban Killer Drones
Tim McSorley, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
Moderator:
Bianca Mugyenyi, Canadian Foreign Policy Institute
Host:
Canadian Foreign Policy Institute
Cosponsors:
World BEYOND War
https://worldbeyondwar.org/canada/
Just Peace Advocates
Slides shared during webinar
Overview
The Campaign: Actions you can take
Links shared during webinar
The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG)
Drone factsheet:
https://worldbeyondwar.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/fact-sheet-drones.pdf
Work from Project Ploughshares on Drones
Article by Matt Korda & link to the 2016 Canadian government letter of intent
Article by Brent Patterson regarding activist Daniel Hale
https://rabble.ca/human-rights/canada-set-spend-5-billion-armed-drones-pinpoint-strikes/
#NoIsraeliArms4Canada
From PBI Canada
(vague) timeline/description from the Canadian government itself
https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/amd-dp/air/snac-nfps/sdat-rpac-eng.html
Shared by webinar participants:
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol7/iss4/8/
Canadian government on the call for RPAS Project
https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/tender-notice/PW-RPS-002-27808
https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/amd-dp/air/snac-nfps/sdat-rpac-eng.htm
http://dgpaapp.forces.gc.ca/en/defence-capabilities-blueprint/project-details.asp?id=977
Know Drones
Over 80 organizations have condemned the purchase of these remote armed drones. https://bdscoalition.ca/2022/01/08/end-two-way-military-trade-between-canada-and-israel/
Ban Killer Drones
Shut Down Creech Drone Base
https://shutdowncreech.blogspot.com/
No Fighter Jets
Canada-wide Peace & Justice Network
7% of the Canadian Pension Plan is invested in Israeli war crimes https://www.justpeaceadvocates.ca/cppib-invests-at-least-7-percent-of-our-public-pension-in-israeli-war-crimes/
Team SkyGuardian Canada
https://www.ga.com/team-skyguardian-canada-looking-to-grow
Shut Elbit Down
Elbit is not part of the specific drone contract we are speaking, but Canada already has earlier contract with Elbit.
From Yves Engler
https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/how-the-canadian-military-is-fueling-the-climate-crisis
Reasons to oppose Canada’s purchase of armed drones: https://www.justsecurity.org/79633/civilian-casualties-in-u-s-air-wars-a-wake-up-call-for-canada-and-its-future-use-of-armed-drones/
Re Pegasus #StandWithSix & also Justice for Salah Hamouri.
NDP on Armed Drones:
From Kathy Kelly:
for info on the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal.
We’ll focus on Boeing, General Atomics, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin
In Dec 2021 the Canadian government confirmed to Just Peace Advocates:
Two suppliers qualified under the process: L3 Technologies MAS Inc. and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
If you would like to get involved, please email
or
#NoArmedDrones for Canada
