National Letter Writing Campaign

Anonymous — May 1984

For the last two months the National LetterWriting Campaign has targeted the Conservative and Liberal parties asking them to endorse and work towards the objectives of the Peace Petition Caravan Campaign (PPCC). This month, the NLWC is focussing on the New Democratic Party, which is the only major political party in Canada to have endorsed the PPCC. Although the NDP have endorsed the Campaign, and have spent many hours assisting with the training of organisers and canvassers, one of the most crucial roles the NDP can play in the upcoming Federal election is to make the objectives of the PPCC an election issue and to focus debate on the issues of disarmament and development.

Thanks are due to NDP MP Pauline Jewett for bringing attention to the issue of cruise missile testing. Yet making disarmament a major issue in the next Federal election depends to large extent on one of the major parties introducing it as part of its election platform so that it can become a topic of pre-election debate. Therefore, this month’s suggestion is to write Ed Broadbent, leader of the NDP, thanking the NDP for endorsing the PPCC, and assisting in organisation of the canvass, as well as pressing him to make the objectives of the PPCC central issues in the next election.

No postage is required in writing to the New Democratic Party leader, and letters should be addressed to the House of Commons, Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0A6. Also, in order to assess the number of letters that are being written nationally each month I would like to receive a letter, for this month only, from each group that has endorsed the NLWC, indicating the number of letters written by your group to Mr. Broadbent. Knowing approximately how many letters are being written each month will allow us to confront each month’s target. (e.g., ‘We know you received X number of letters last month; why haven’t you responded?)

Finally, the NLWC would like to welcome four new groups: Athabascans for Nuclear Disarmament, Battleford Association for Nuclear Disarmament, People for Peace-Erin, and our second group from Quebec — West Islanders for Nuclear Disarmament. If your group is interested in becoming part of the NLWC, please write to me and let me know that your group endorses the concept and is willing to encourage peace activists in your community to write letters. Also, please send suggestions of individuals you would like to see targeted for letters.

In peace,

Doug Mohr
301-103 Church St.
Kitchener, ON, N2G 2S3

P.S. Remember: Thinking about it doesn’t change anything. Please, put something in the mail.

The Peace Calendar

Canadian Disarmament Information Service, 1983-1984

National Letter Writing Campaign