The Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace (NSVOW) is an active branch of the
Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, also known as the Voice of Women or VOW, is a Canadian anti-nuclear pacifist organization that was formed in 1960. The organization was created in response to an article in which Lotta Dempsey, a journalist for t ...
(VOW). Established in 1960, VOW is a local, national and international feminist Non Governmental Organization (NGO) composed of diverse women with consultative status at the United Nations Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC). For almost 50 years, VOW has advocated a world without war. The organization's mandate is to "provide a means for women to promote world peace and justice, through education of themselves and others to take an equal part in the democratic process of decision making; and to cooperate with women throughout the world to create the mutual respect and understanding necessary for the peaceful resolution of international conflict."
History
The Canadian Voice of Women began in 1960 as a popular social movement opposed to nuclear weapons.
Muriel Duckworth
Muriel Helen Duckworth (née Ball; October 31, 1908 – August 22, 2009) was a Canadian pacifist, feminist, and social and community activist. She was a practising Quaker, a religious denomination committed to non-violence. Duckworth maintain ...
and Peggy Hope-Simpson were among the founding members of the Nova Scotia Chapter. Because of concerns raised by the Cold War, the time was ripe for ordinary women to become politically active. As Muriel herself explains it:
The Voice of Women grew out of fear of nuclear testing in the 1950s. Around the country, there were already women on the verge of organizing a women's peace group and when it happened, women poured into the membership, because it was such a dangerous time. The women who had come here as war brides were just beside themselves because they couldn't bear the thought of another war.
Current activities
Among other activities, NSVOW holds a monthly vigil in
Halifax, Canada
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
, and co-hosts an annual Peace Day at the World Peace Pavilion in Dartmouth, NS, Canada on August 6, to commemorate the tragedy in Hiroshima. Their current campaign includes encouraging Nova Scotia municipalities to joi
Mayors For Peace
Image:Linda_and_Jeanne's_Display.jpg, Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson's display on Non-State Actor Violence at 2008 Peace Day
Image:Ruth_and_Elinor_in_front_of_Spring_Garden_Library.jpg, NSVOW Members participating in a monthly vigil in front of Spring Garden Library in Halifax, NS, Canada
See also
*
List of anti-war organizations
In order to facilitate organized, determined, and principled opposition to the wars, people have often founded anti-war organizations. These groups range from temporary coalitions which address one war or pending war, to more permanent structured ...
References
External links
Nova Scotia Voice of WomenCanadian Voice of Women
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nova Scotia Voice Of Women
1960 establishments in Nova Scotia
Feminist organizations in Canada
Pacifist feminism
Peace organizations based in Canada
Women in Nova Scotia