(OTTAWA) - Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and MP (Saanich – Gulf Islands), issued the following statement on International Day of UN Peacekeepers:
“Today, we pay tribute to peacekeepers around the world who have lost their lives in the pursuit of global peace.
“I am proud that peacekeeping was a Canadian invention, for which Lester B. Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize. Most Canadians remember with pride that in the early 1990s, Canada sent more than 3,200 peacekeepers to peacekeeping missions around the world. Unfortunately, in Stephen Harper’s attempt to rebrand Canada as a ‘warrior nation’, we have significantly cut back on our involvement in UN peacekeeping missions. We now contribute only 122 peacekeepers to UN missions and are ranked a disappointing 67th in the world.
“Canadians have consistently indicated in polls that they consider peacekeeping to be a top priority. Today, on International Day of UN Peacekeepers, we must revisit our commitment to multilateral peace.”
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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Julian Morelli
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
cell: (613) 614 4916
office: (613) 562 4916 (224)
julian.morelli@greenparty.ca