The Canadian Unitarian Council is calling for the Government of Canada to halt negotiations about participation in the US ballistic missile defence program, because the scheme involves plans to put weapons in space.

The CUC's call comes in response to a Department of National Defence report advising Canadian companies to "concentrate on developing space weapons and other 'kill vehicles' if they want to win lucrative contracts for the US missile defence shield."

CUC President, the Rev. Brian Kiely, said, "The current government has repeatedly stated it would not participate in the US missile defence program if it involves placing weapons in space.

"The Prime Minister should acknowledge that he now has conclusive evidence of the connection between missile defence and the weaponization of space. Therefore, he should call off negotiations with Washington on this scheme."

At the CUC annual conference last month in Edmonton, delegates adopted four resolutions committing the Council to work for global peace, nuclear disarmament and non-military approaches to resolving global conflicts. Approximately 400 Unitarians from congregations across Canada explored ways to implement their principles, such as the goal of a world community, with peace, liberty and justice for all.

The resolutions included a call for opposition to the U.S. missile defence system because it will provoke a renewed nuclear arms race with China and Russia and challenge other countries to acquire nuclear weapons as a defence against more powerful states.

Rev. Kiely said, "The missile defence program is a shameful waste of resources which should be used to tackle the poverty, despair and environmental degradation that are the root causes of global insecurity. Missile defence will make all of us less secure."

The Canadian Unitarian Council/Conseil unitarien du Canada (CUC), is an association of forty-five congregations located across Canada with 5,200 individual members. Arising out of the work of outspoken reformers and dissenters within the Christian tradition five centuries ago, the Unitarian movement today includes Universalists and flows in a broad religious stream augmented by Humanist, earth-centred, Buddhist and other progressive beliefs.

For more information, contact:

Rev Brian Kiely, CUC president, brian@cuc.ca , (780) 455-9797

For information about the CUC, contact:

Mary Bennett, Executive Director, executivedirector@cuc.ca 

Canadian Unitarian Council - www.cuc.ca