Science for Peace 2012-15

List of events as of 22 May 2015 (other than executive, board, AGM meetings) that Metta Spencer has organized or represented SfP since becoming its president in June 2012:

1. July 6, 2012 Dinner in a restaurant with Andre Kamenshikov, speaker on his conflict resolution work in the Caucasus, Russia. About 20 people attended.
2. Aug 27, 2012 Invited new Sfp members to dinner at my home.
3. Sept 23, 2012 Re-Inventing Science for Peace. A meeting at my condo to discuss our future
4. Nov. 23, 2012 Held potluck supper for SfP members and guests
5. Jan. 23, 2013 Lunch for SfP members,Hart House Dining Room
6. Mar. 30, 2013 Convened meeting to revive SfP ethics committee
7. Mar 31, 2013 Potluck supper at my condo for SfP members and friends
8. April 4, 2013 lunch with Peter Russell, Kelly Gotlieb-committee to plan conference on freedom for research with cAUT, Royal Society
9. May 5-8 2013 Represented Science for Peace Working Group on Freedom for Research at the The Third International Conference on Research Integrity in Montreal.
10. May 11, 2013, Convened Freedom for Research Working Group Meeting. Planning
11. May 22-25 2013 Represented SfP on the International Peace Bureau Steering Committee, Mons, Belgium
12. July 31, 2013, Convened Freedom for Research Working Group Meeting. Janice Newson spoke.
13. Aug 8, 2013 Lunch at Faculty Club for SfP members and friends
14. August 21, 1013, Convened Freedom for Research Working Group. Eric Newstadt spoke.
15. August 27-30, 2013 Represented SfP and IPB at the open-ended working group on nuclear weapons, United Nations, Geneva
16. Sept. 12-18, 2013 Represented SfP on the International Peace Bureau Steering Committee meeting, Stockholm, Sweden
17. Oct. 17-19, 2013 Organized two panel sessions for Science for Peace in the annual conference of Peace and Justice Studies Association, Wilfrid Laurier U. One was on “Knowledge and Action,” which dealt with the tension between the activist role of a researcher and the scholarly norms that sometimes proscribe advocacy and the other on “Knowledge and Power.” and covered the suppression of scientific research.
18. Oct 23, 2013 Held social get-together at Faculty Club, U of T for SfP members, friends
19. Nov. 7, 2013 Convened meeting of Freedom for Research Working group. Professor Jamie Magnusson spoke.
20. Nov. 15, 2013 Hosted the Eric Fawcett Day speaker, Gwynne Dyer for the day and evening.

Vital Discussions of Human Security. Lecture Series for 2012-13 academic year.
These lectures have been recorded and are available as YouTube videos. They have received between 150-3000 hits.
www.youtube.com/user/Science4Peace/videos

21. 13 Sept 2012: Walter Dorn, Chair, Canadian Pugwash Group. “Wars Waged by the USA and by Canada: Just, Unjust and Everything In Between”
22. 20 Sept 2012: Ellen Michelson, recent Green Party candidate. “Fixing Canada’s Electoral System: Four Fallacies”
23. 27 Sept 2012: Danny Harvey, Professor of Geography, University of Toronto. “Global Warming and Human Security: Food and Water”
24. 4 Oct 2012: Barry Wellman, Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto. “Networked individualism”
25. 11 Oct 2012: Helmut Burkhardt, Professor of Physics Emeritus, Ryerson University. “Security for All: But How and at What Price?”
26. 18 Oct 2012: Timothy Donais, Associate Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University. “Peacebuilding and Local Ownership”
27. 25 Oct 2012: Pia Kleber, Prof. of Drama, Comparative Literature, U of Toronto. “A Cultural Approach to Human Security”
28. 1 Nov 2012: John Hannigan, Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto. “Disasters Without Borders: The International Politics of Natural Disaster”
29. 8 Nov 2012: Doug Saunders, Journalist with The Globe and Mail. “The Myth of the Muslim Tide”
30. 15 Nov 2012: Ron Craig, Prof of Communication & Design, Ryerson University. “New Strategies for Dealing with Global Problems”
31. 22 Nov 2012: Lloyd Helferty, Engineering Technologist, Biochar Consultant. “Biochar and Food Security: Dealing with the Droughts”
32. 29 Nov 2012: Peter Besseau, International Affairs, Natural Resources Canada. “International Model Forest Network: Canada’s Contribution to Forest Sustainability Since Rio”
33. 10 Jan 2013: Aysan Sev’er, Professor Emerita of Sociology, U. of Toronto. Honour-Killings: “Women’s Safety in Honour-based Cultures”
34. 17 Jan 2013: John Bacher, Preservation of Agricultural Land, Ontario. “Toward a Billion More Trees in Ontario”
35. 24 Jan 2013: Duff Conacher, Coordinator of Your Canada, Your Constitution, Founder of Democracy Watch, Director of GoodOrg.ca in Toronto. “What Makes Up an Actual, Working Democracy?”
36. 31 Jan 2013: Shawn-Patrick Stensil, Staff of Greenpeace in Toronto. “Lessons from Fukushima: Implications for Nuclear Safety”
37. 7 Feb 2013: Valerie Zawilski, Associate Prof. of Sociology, Western University. “The Sexual Slave Trade in Kosovo”
38. 14 Feb 2013: Seva Gunitsky, Asst. Professor of Political Science, U of Toronto. “Competing Visions of Democracy in the Post-Soviet Space”
39. 28 Feb 2013: J.C. Luxat, Professor of Nuclear Safety, McMaster U, and Richard Denton, M.D. President, Physicians for Global Survival. “The Nuclear Safety Issue”
40. 7 Mar 2013: Gordon Edwards, Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility. “Can We Be Free of Nuclear Weapons and Still Have Nuclear Power?”
41. 14 Mar 2013: Harriet Friedmann, Professor of Geography, U. of Toronto. “From ‘Feeding the World’ to Sustainable Farming”
42. 21 Mar 2013: Leo Panitch, Professor of Political Science, York University. “The Making of Global Capitalism: The Canadian Model”
43. 28 Mar 2013: Jack Veugelers, Professor of Sociology, U. of Toronto. “The Far Right in France”
44. 4 Apr 2013: Peter Victor, Professor of Environmental Studies, York University. “Managing Without Growth: Slower by Design, Not Disaster”

Public Lecture Series on Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Power, and the Alternatives 2013 Winter series

45. 10 Jan 2013: Metta Spencer, “Risk Awareness”
46. 17 Jan 2013: Anna Jaikaran, Martha Goodings, “The Discovery of Nuclear Fission and the Development of the Bombs”
47. 24 Jan 2013: Walter Dorn, “The Cuban Missile Crisis”
48. 31 Jan 2013: Cesar Jaramillo, “Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Regime”
49. 7 Feb 2013: Vinay Jindal, Barbara Birkett, “Toward Nuclear Disarmament”
50. 14 Feb 2013: Shawn-Patrick Stensil, “Concerns About Fukushima and Clandestine Nuclear Activities”
51. 28 Feb 2013: Thomas Davis and Richard Denton, “Nuclear Energy: The Safety Issue”
52. 7 Mar 2013: Gordon Edwards, “Can We Have a World Free of Nuclear Weapons & Have Nuclear Power?”
53. 14 Mar 2013: Jose Etcheverry, “Choosing Energy Sources and Incentivizing Conservation”
54. 21 Mar 2013: Frank Sommers, “Stress”
55. 28 Mar 2013: Michael McNamee, “Thorium Reactors”
56. 4 Apr 2013: Derek Paul, “Necessary Changes in the Human Future”

Vital Discussions of Human Security Lecture Series for 2013-14 academic year.

57. 12 Sep 2013: “Martin Luther King: A Global Perspective,” Paul Dekar, Emeritus Professor of Theology, Memphis Theological Seminar
58. 19 Sep 2013: “The Supranational Corporation,” Laura Westra, Professor Emerita of Philosophy, U of Windsor
59. 26 Sep 2013: “Falling in Love with the Earth,” Stephen Scharper, Associate Professor, School of the Environment, University of Toronto
60. 3 Oct 2013: “Politics of Peace vs. Politics of Empire in the Middle East: Democratic Struggles, Neo-Ottoman Aspirations,” Sedef Arat-Koç, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University
61. 10 Oct 2013: “Neither Conflict nor ‘Use it or Lose it’: Canada’s Arctic Extended Continental Shelf,” Elizabeth Riddell-Dixon, Professor Emerita of Political Science at University of Western Ontario
62. 17 Oct 2013: “Building A Dream: Advocacy and Affordable Housing,” Dennis Magill, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Toronto
63. 24 Oct 2013: “What Can Time-Use Data Tell Us?” Bill Michelson, S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, Emeritus
64. 31 Oct 2013: “The Initiative for UN Emergency Peace Service,” Peter Langille, Senior Research Associate, Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria
65. 7 Nov 2013: “Generating Rights for Communities Harmed by Mining,” Liisa North, Professor Emeritus, York University and Visiting Professor, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), Quito, Ecuador
66. 14 Nov 2013: “The Industrial Diet in Three Meals,” Tony Winson, Professor and Associate Chair, Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph
67. 21 Nov 2013: “Whither Well Being: How Secure Can You Be?” David Harries, Generalist, Committed to Strategic Foresight
68. 28 Nov 2013: “Compensation, the Value of Life and the War on Terror,” Emily Gilbert, Associate Professor and Director, Canadian Studies program and Department of Geography, University of Toronto
69. 9 Jan 2014: “Education for Democracy in Peirce, James, Dewey, and Mead,” Irving Zeitlin, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Toronto
70. 16 Jan 2014: “Patients & Progress: What to do about Corrupt Medical Research Practices,” James R. Brown, Professor of Philosophy, University of Toronto
71. 23 Jan 2014: “Armed Conflict and Food Insecurity: A Global Challenge,” Mustafa Koç, Professor of Sociology, Ryerson University
72. 30 Jan 2014: “Nonviolence as Political Action,” Jill Carr-Harris, Development worker in India on women’s empowerment.
73. 6 Feb 2014: “Building Peace in the 21st Century: Reflections over 30 years,” Peggy Mason, formerly Canada’s Ambassador for Disarmament
74. 13 Feb 2014: “Constitution and Strategy: Understanding Canadian Power in the World,” Irvin Studin, Assistant Professor in the School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Toronto
75. 27 Feb 2014: “Economics of the Global Commons,” Frank de Jong, President, Earthsharing Canada
76. 6 Mar 2014: “Child Soldier Recruitment in Intra-state Armed Conflicts,” Vera Achvarina, Assistant Professor, Political Science, University of Toronto
77. 13 Mar 2014: “Taxing for Fairness and Prosperity,” David Langille, Health Studies, University of Toronto and Work & Labour Studies, York University, Treasurer at Canadians for Tax Fairness
78. 20 Mar 2014: “‘Prosecutor:’ A film and discussion about Luis Moreno-Ocampo and first trial of the International Criminal Court,” Barry Stevens, Film maker
79. 27 Mar 2014: “Seasick: When Oil and Water Don’t Mix,” Alanna Mitchell, Journalist and author
80. 3 Apr 2014: “Refugees: Silent Witnesses to War,” Mary Jo Leddy, Founder of Romero House for refugees, Adjunct Professor of Theology at Regis College

Public Health in a Nuclear Age UNI409H1-S-L0201. University College, Winter term 2014

81. 9 Jan 2014: Risk Awareness and Management (M. Spencer)
82. 16 Jan 2014: The Atom and the Bomb: The Discovery of Fission and Nuclear Threats to Public Health and Safety. (Anna Jaikaran)
83. 23 Jan 2014: The Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis and Mistaken Near-launches (Martha Goodings)
84. 30 Jan 2014: Re-Thinking Nuclear Weapons. (Martha Goodings)
85. 6 Feb 2014: Nuclear Proliferation & Control (Metta Spencer)
86. 13 Feb 2014: Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons (Derek Paul)
87. 27 Feb 2014: The Development of Nuclear Fission and the Search for Defences (Daniela Monaldi)
88. 6 Mar 2014: Nuclear Energy: The Safety Issue (Jeremy Whitlock)
89. 13 Mar 2014: Choosing Energy Sources and Incentivizing Conservation (Gideon Forman)
90. 20 Mar 2014: Stress, Trust, Social Capital, and Activism (Mark Leith)
91. 27 Mar 2014: Social Movements and Campaigns (Barbara Birkett)
92. 3 Apr 2014: Can We Meet the Challenges? (Metta Spencer)

Vital Discussions of Human Security, Fall 2014 Series

93. 10 Sept 2014: Professor Atif Kubursi, Ms. Gloria Nafziger, Mr. Husam Wafael, “The War in Syria and Beyond”
94. 17 Sept 2014: Professor Walter Dorn, “Practical Technologies to Save Lives: A demonstration for humanitarian and peacekeeping missions”
95. 24 Sept 2014: Professor John Duncan, “Nothing Accomplished: Our War in Afghanistan”
96. 1 Oct 2014: Professor Matthew Light, “Insights about the Ukraine Crisis from a Stay in the Caucasus”
97. 8 Oct 2014: Professor Jamie Rowen, “International Criminal Law on Trial: An Assessment”
98. 15 Oct 2014: Professor Robert Austin, “Challenges Ahead for Kosovo”
99. 22 Oct 2014: Professor Richard Roman, “Big Business and the Re-shaping of North America”
100. 29 Oct 2014: Professor Kean Birch, “Alternatives to Fossel Fuels: Is the Bio-Economy the Answer We’ve Been Looking For?
101. 5 Nov 2014: Dr. Abraham Weizfeld, “Israel: A Nation-State?”
102. 12 Nov 2014: Ms. Emily Simmonds, “The Politics of Decay: Nuclear Nationalism”
103. 19 Nov 2014: Professor David Last, “Education for Security Leaders: A Global Survey and Research Agenda”
104. 26 Nov 2014: Professor Jack Wayne, “Revolution, War and Terrorism: Evidence From the Family Photo Album.”

105. Jan 12, 2014 Convened a meeting of the Currents working group on urban sustainability in my home. They decided to offer an undergraduate course.
106. Jan 20, 2014, Convened a meeting of scholars (mostly from York U) studying neo-liberalism’s effect on university research, inviting them to form a subgroup within the freedom for Research Working Group
107. Feb. 3, 2014, Held a lunch at the Gallery Grill, Hart House, for SfP members, friends.
108. Feb 24, 2014 Convened meeting of working group on freedom for research. Dr. Joel Lexchin spoke.
109. March 3, 2014 Organized a reception for Jim Turk, who then spoke after our public screening of CBC’s documentary, “Silence of the Labs”
110. Mar 25, 2014 Organized dinner in a restaurant, followed by a speech by Ward Wilson on “Five Myths About Nuclear Weapons.” Fifty tickets sold
111. April 16, 2014 Invited new U of T faculty members to lunch at Faculty Club, inviting them to join SFP and nominations to board. Two accepted.
112. May 12, 2014 Invited four new SfP board nominees to lunch at faculty club to help them get acquainted.
113. May 13-14, 2014 Represented SfP at the conference of Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons in Ottawa.
114. May 28-30 Represented SfP and gave keynote address at the Canadian Peace Research Association convention, at Congress, Brock U.
115. June 23, 2014 convened meeting to revive the nuclear weapons working group
116. July 14, 2014 Convened meeting of the Nuclear Weapons Working Group
117. August 18, 2014. Convened meeting of the Nuclear Weapons Working Group.
118. Sept. 21, Working group on Nuclear Weapons distributed leaflets for International Day for the Total elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
119. Oct. 6, 2014, Working Group on Nuclear Weapons met
120. Oct 26, 2014 Represented SfP at the Nuclear Weapons Conference on the Ban Treaty Campaign in Ottawa
121. Nov. 14, 2014 Eric Fawcett Day, jointly produced by Science for Peace and Pugwash. This time it was Mostly Pugwash that organized the talks.
122. Dec. 1-2, 2014 Represented SfP at the Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Ottawa.

“This Nuclear Age,” a Series of Free Public Lectures, Winter Term: Jan 7 through April 1, 2015
Combined with guest lectures for UNI 409, Public Health in a Nuclear Age.

123. 7 Jan 2015: “The origins of nuclear science,” Marcin Kuzniak, Ph.D. Queens University
124. 14 Jan 2015: “Radiation’s health effects,” Cathy Vakil, M.D. Queens U.
125. 21 Jan 2015: “Nuclear fission and the search for defences,” Professor John Valleau, University of Toronto
126. 28 Jan 2015: “The cold war and nuclear strategies,” Ambassador Marius Grinius
127. 3 Feb 2015: “The Cuban missile and other nuclear crises,” Vinay Jindal, M.D.
128. 11 Feb 2015: “Proliferation and control issues,” Cesar Jaramillo of Project Ploughshares
129. 25 Feb 2015: “Rethinking nuclear weapons,” Ms. Martha Goodings
130. 4 Mar 2015: “Nuclear power and peaceful nuclear technology,” Dr. Jeremy Whitlock, Atomic Energy of Canada,
131. 11 Mar 2015: “Health, uranium mining, managing fissile materials,” Richard Denton, M.D. of the Northern Ontario
132. 18 Mar 2015: “Nuclear energy’s future: Its safety & environment,” Professor John Luxat of McMaster University
133. 25 Mar 2015: “Alternative energy: finance, environment, health,” Professor José Etcheverry, York University
134. 1 Apr 2015: “Nuclear activism: past, present, and future,” Neil Arya, M.D., McMaster U

135. Jan. 19, 2015 Convened Nuclear Weapons Working Group
136. Feb. 23, 2015 Organized a public lecture for John Feffer at U of T Department of Sociology.
137. Mar. 9, 2015 Held meeting of the Working Group on Nuclear Weapons at my condo, planning too host potluck dinner for visiting Japanese peace activists in late April
138. Dec 2014 through Feb 22, 2015, held four meetings on, and worked on organizing, the conference on the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Possibly 200 persons attended. The program:
• 10:30 – 12:30 “The Background”
  Moderator: Olivia Ward, Foreign affairs columnist for Toronto Star
  Panelists: Alexander Likhotal, Green Cross International President, Gorbachev’s aide (by Skype); Marta Dyczok, Associate Prof of Political Science, U. Western Ontario. Writes about Ukrainian media; Leonid Kosals, Professor at Higher School of Economics, Moscow.
  Video of the entire panel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy_qPmYpa_k
• Lunch at Fleming Bldg for Panelists
• 2:30 – 4:30 pm “Who has done what? And Why?”
  Moderator: Metta Spencer
  Panelists: Paul Robinson, Professor of Public Policy, U. of Ottawa; Fred Weir, Moscow correspondent for Christian Science Monitor (by Skype); Borys Wrzesnewskyj Ukrainian-Canadian politician and businessman
  Video of the entire panel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0OpGDRJuZ0
• 5:30 – 7:30 “What are some potential solutions?”
  Moderator: Doug Saunders, Toronto Globe and Mail Columnist
  Panelists: John Feffer, Director of Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute of Policy Studies, Washington, D.C.; Andre Kamenshikov, Nonviolence International. Moscow, coordinates network of peace; Andriy Kulykov, Ukrainian radio and TV journalist (by Skype)
  Video of the entire panel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNvDWpJZFi4
• Dinner for Panelists on Baldwin Street
139. April 29, 2015: Held potluck supper at Croft Chapter House for 45 visiting Japanese anti-nuclear weapons activist visitors and several other Toronto area peace organizations: Hiroshima Day Coalition, Soka Gakkai, Physicians for Global Survival, and the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, as well as new members of Science for Peace who had been offered complimentary memberships for their previous services to us, mainly as speakers in the weekly lecture series. Over 100 persons attended.
140. May 22, 2015: Convened inaugural meeting of SfP members interested in working on issues around nonviolence and civil society, one of SfP's five areas of focus and interest. Meetings of the other four sectoral groups will take place during June.