(Toronto, November 23, 2011)– As the federal government prepares to honour tomorrow the role of Canada’s military during NATO’s recent War in Libya, citizens from different Canadian cities will assemble to devote 20 minutes of their time for Peace in Libya and the goal of ending Canada’s participation in NATO’s "War on Terror."

Canada’s military played a leading role in NATO’s first war in Africa, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians, the decimation of the country’s infrastructure and the overthrow of the Libyan government. Tens of thousands of Libyans have fled their country of origin or have been displaced as a result of this "humanitarian war", while hundreds have been rounded up, detained, tortured or summarily executed by NATO’s newly installed regime.

Africa’s largest reserves of crude oil, formerly a source of wealth redistribution in Libya and in neighboring African countries, have been divvied up amongst a selection of multinational oil corporations loyal to the NATO agenda. Libya’s Central Bank and its hundreds of billions of dollars in assets has been plundered and dismantled, and a private banking cartel has been installed in its place to run the country’s finances.

"And the Canadian Government wants to celebrate this achievement?" questions Canadian author and longtime Toronto peace activist Barrie Zwicker. Since 2006, Zwicker argues, Canada’s military arm has been transformed from peacekeeping to waging war, training others for war and preparing for war. "The Harper Government has not only involved Canada in multiple theatres of war, from Afghanistan to Libya, but is actively engaging in advanced military planning to bring war to two more countries and its peoples: namely Syria and Iran."

Tens of billions of dollars from Canada’s public coffers are now being directed annually to finance NATO’s war machine. Moncton-based environmentalist and former United Nations staff member Daniel LeBlanc, who experienced the devastations of war first-hand and worked alongside Canadian peacekeepers during his assignments in Iraq, Cambodia and Uganda (Rwanda War) in the 1990’s, believes that Canada’s reputation as a peaceful nation in the world has been completely shattered. "There is no honour in bombing and destroying nations, communities, and families," LeBlanc states. "This is not the Canada that I am proud of."

On November 24^th at 11:10 Eastern Time and 12:10 Atlantic Time, Zwicker and LeBlanc, among other Canadians, will observe 20 minutes of silence, meditation and prayer for Libya. A second nation-wide peace rally with the intention of ending Canada’s participation in NATO’s "War on Terror" is planned for December 12^th.

More Info: www.20minutesforpeace.org

Contacts:

Barrie Zwicker, Toronto Event Contact (bwz@rogers.com) 

Daniel LeBlanc, Moncton Event Contact (info@20minutesforpeace.org)

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=27831