Peter George Makaroff (15 May 18945 December 1970) was a Canadian politician, peace activist, and

world federalist The World Federalist Movement advocates strong democratic institutions adhering to the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity and democracy. The movement formed in the 1930s and 1940s by citizens groups concerned that the structure of the new ...

. He was born in Kars, Russia (now northeast Turkey) to a

Doukhobor The Doukhobours or Dukhobors (russian: духоборы / духоборцы, dukhobory / dukhobortsy; ) are a Spiritual Christian ethnoreligious group of Russian origin. They are one of many non-Orthodox ethno-confessional faiths in Russia a ...

family which emigrated to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

in 1898 or 1899 with help from

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

and the

Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

. Makaroff became the "first Doukhobor in the world to get an education, to receive a university degree, and to enter a profession". Soon after earning a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1918, Makaroff established a law practice in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...

. He defended the spiritual leader of the Doukhobors from deportation to the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

in 1933. In 1935, with attorney

Emmett Hall Emmett Matthew Hall (November 29, 1898 – November 12, 1995) was a Canadian lawyer, civil liberties advocate, Supreme Court of Canada judge and public policy advocate. He is considered one of the fathers of the Canadian system of Medicare, a ...

, he successfully defended the unemployed men arrested in connection with the

Regina Riot The On-to-Ottawa Trek was a mass protest movement in Canada in 1935 sparked by unrest among unemployed single men in federal relief camps principally in Western Canada. Federal relief camps were brought in under Prime Minister R. B. Bennett’s ...

of 1935. Makaroff became close friends with J.S. Woodsworth, founder of the socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), and ran as a CCF candidate in the

1934 Saskatchewan general election The 1934 Saskatchewan general election was held on June 19, 1934, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. The Liberal Party of former Premier James Gardiner was returned to power with a large majority – 50 of the 55 seat ...

and the

1940 Canadian federal election The 1940 Canadian federal election was held March 26, 1940, to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada of the 19th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberal Party was re-elected to their second consecuti ...

. A long-time member of the

Fellowship of Reconciliation The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR or FOR) is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries. They are linked by affiliation to the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR). ...

, he endowed the

World Federalist The World Federalist Movement advocates strong democratic institutions adhering to the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity and democracy. The movement formed in the 1930s and 1940s by citizens groups concerned that the structure of the new ...

Prize "for the best annual essay relating to world peace through world law".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Makaroff, Peter Canadian pacifists Canadian anti-war activists 1894 births 1970 deaths Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Canada People from Kars