Joan Russow

Joan Elizabeth Russow (Ottawa: November 1, 1938) is a Canadian peace activist and former national leader of the Green Party of Canada from 1997 to 2001. [ [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/election/2000Federal/candidates-new/1642.html Globe and Mail Election 2000] ] [http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/testcase/russow.pdf. Affidavit of Joan Russow] ]

Russow's late partner was David Scott White (Winnipeg: January 20, 1947 – Victoria, B.C.: July 16, 2006) who was the former chair of the Green Party of British Columbia. [http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5076&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Peace, Earth and Justice on-line newsletter obituary] ] "White managed Russow's election campaign as leader of the federal Green party, and remained active in the party for the five years of Russow's leadership." [http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=d3b5dfa9-c632-4e33-9bf7-885033de16e0 The Province newspaper obituary] ]

The couple left the party in 2001, disillusioned by, among other factors, the German Green party's support of the NATO attack on Serbia. [ [http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/opinion/story.html?id=cc91d3e2-bf7a-4ba0-8b6b-a46d54df7332&p=1 Why I left the Green Party? Ottawa Citizen] ] Russow and White both joined the NDP in 2003 and White continued his work as an activist until his death, most recently researching and writing against Canada's military role in Afghanistan. [http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=d3b5dfa9-c632-4e33-9bf7-885033de16e0 Man of many hats lived two lifetimes ] ]

Russow received her BA and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of British Columbia. [The University of British Columbia Alumni Directory 1992] Russow received her Ph.D. [http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/testcase/russow.pdf Affidavit of Joan Russow] ] from the University of Victoria in Interdisciplinary studies.

Russow is a co-founder of the Ecological Rights Association and the Global Compliance Research Project. [http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/testcase/russow.pdf. Affidavit of Joan Russow] ]

Russow first gained attention in the "Lord's Prayer Case" which resulted in the banning of school prayer in public schools in British Columbia in 1989. [ [http://www.bccls.bc.ca/cms/index.cfm?group_id=33366 British Columbia Courthouse Library Society case name] ]

Russow joined the Green Party in 1993 and became leader in 1997. [http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/testcase/russow.pdf. Affidavit of Joan Russow] ] Russow ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in three federal elections; in Victoria in 1997 and 2000, and a federal by-election in Okanagan-Coquihala in September, 2000. [http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/testcase/russow.pdf. Affidavit of Joan Russow] ] She lost all three bids.

She left the Green Party in 2003 to join the New Democratic Party [cite news| last =Bell| first =Jeff| title =Ex-leader of Green party becomes New Democrat| page =C4| publisher ="Times-Colonist"| date =2003-09-06| ] and in 2005 she criticized the Green Party under Jim Harris for moving away from some of its original left-wing principles. [cite news| last =Keller| first =James| title =Former Greens say leader Jim Harris moving party too far to the right| page =| publisher =Canadian Press| date =2005-12-11| ]

Under the leadership of Russow, policies were developed which promoted social justice, human rights, and peace, as well as the more traditional concerns with environment.

In collaboration with the professors in the Law faculty of the University of Toronto, Russow was the litigant in the Charter challenge of the first-past-the-post electoral system in Canada. [ [http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/testcase/russow.pdf Affidavit of Joan Russow] ]

Russow developed a "common Security Index" which was submitted to the Senate Committee on the Anti-Terrorism Act on October 17, 2005.To further Common security, the member states of the United Nations have incurred obligations through conventions, treaties and covenants, and made commitments through Conference Action plans, and created expectations through UN General Assembly resolutions, and declarations member states of the United Nations have incurred obligations, made commitments and created expectations

• to enable socially equitable and environmentally sound employment, and ensure the right to development and social justice;• to promote and fully guarantee respect for human rights including labour rights, civil and political rights, social and cultural rights- right to food, right to housing, right to safe drinking water and sewage, right to education and right to universally accessible not for profit health care system , • to ensure the preservation and protection of the environment, the respect for the inherent worth of nature beyond human purpose, the reduction of the ecological footprint and move away from the current model of unsustainable and overconsumptive development.• to achieve a state of peace, and disarmament; through reallocation of military expenses• to create a global structure that respects the rule of law and the International Court of Justice; [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/anti-e/16cv-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=38&Ses=1&comm_id=597 Proceedings of the Special Senate Committee on the Anti-terrorism Act] ]

Russow has been speaking out about the increased militarism in Canada.Her activism currently focuses on: (i) Increased military budget; (ii) increased belligerence in the military invasion and occupation of Afghanistan (iii) increased military exercises involving US nuclear powered vessels and nuclear arms capable vessels and aircraft and using live ammunition; (iv) increased military recruitment ads on television and bus shelters, in "Navy days" with booths, and in schools; (v) increased mining and production of uranium, including the contribution to US ad NATO weapon systems; (vii) increased military flights overhead and participation in community events and parades. [ [http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=6805&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Proposed No-fly list for Removal of Real Threats] ]

In March 2007, Russow lobbied state delegations in the UN General Assembly to invoke Article 22 of the Charter of the United Nations to set up an international tribunal to try the Bush regime. On March 8, 2007, the petition, in the six official languages was submitted to the office of the President of the UN General Assembly. [ [http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=6673 The Bush Regime must be judged by an International Tribunal] ]

In September 2007, She also collaborated on a declaration related to climate change. This declaration called upon the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to calculate the contribution of militarism to green house gas emissions. [ [http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=6926 Militarism: the Elephant in the Room. DPI/NGO Climate Change Conference] ]

In March 2008, at the annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Woman, she collaborated on a paper related to the delegitimization of war; this paper wasofficially sanctioned for distribution to state delegations at the UN. [ [http://home.ca.inter.net/~vow/Summary.doc Towards the Delegitimization of War] ]

On August 4, 2008, in Victoria she served on a representative of Harper, 95 Articles of Condemnation of the Harper government. [ [http://pacificfreepress.com/content/view/2907/81/ Harper in Victoria: Served with 95 Articles of Condemnation] ]

Notes

ources

* [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/election/2000Federal/candidates-new/1642.html "The Globe and Mail Election 2000 Series"] Retrieved 11 January 2007.
* [http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5076&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 "PEJ Obituary David Scott White"] Retrieved 11 January 2007.
* [http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=d3b5dfa9-c632-4e33-9bf7-885033de16e0 "The Province Obituary David Scott White"] Retrieved 11 January 2007.
*The University of British Columbia Alumni Directory 1992. Vancouver, B.C. page 558.
* [http://www.bccls.bc.ca/cms/index.cfm?group_id=33366 "Lord's Prayer Case"] .
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/anti-e/16cv-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=38&Ses=1&comm_id=597 Proceedings of the Special Senate Committee on the Anti-terrorism Act] .
* [http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=6805&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Proposed Canadian No-fly list] .
* [http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=6673 The Bush Regime must be judged by an International Tribunal] .