REPORT TO COUNCIL

Date:

November 8, 2004

Author:

Chair and Vice Chair, Peace and Justice Committee

Phone No.:

604.873-7244
604-873-7245

RTS No.:

4676

CC File No.:

3120-1

Meeting Date:

November 16, 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Councillor Cadman, Chair and Councillor Woodsworth, Vice-Chair
Peace and Justice Committee

SUBJECT:

World Peace Forum 2006

RECOMMENDATION

FOR CONSIDERATION

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The City Manager recommends A and B and submits C for consideration.

COUNCIL POLICY

Recommendation C to provide $45,000 to the World Peace Forum Society constitutes a grant, and as such requires eight (8) affirmative votes from Council.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is threefold:

BACKGROUND

On May 18, 2004, Council passed a resolution affirming the City of Vancouver as a City of Peace and that it will continue to participate in the Mayors of Peace initiative and the United Nations Peace Messenger Cities initiative by endorsing in principle the holding of a World Peace Forum in 2006 in conjunction with the World Urban Forum. Further it was resolved that Vancouver's Peace and Justice Committee be called upon to work with the international community to meet and assess the feasibility of holding a World Peace Forum in conjunction with the World Urban Forum in 2006 and to report back to City Council within six months with recommendations to hold a World Peace Forum in 2006 and to carry the Athens Olympics Peace Appeal endorsed by 187 nations forward to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

The proposal to hold a World Peace Forum in Vancouver has subsequently been endorsed by over 25 local, national and international organizations, including the United Nations Peace Messenger Cities, the Ecumenical Task Force for Justice in the Americas, Educating for Peace, Physicians for Global Survival, the Vancouver Public Library and Vancouver School Board.

At its meeting on July 26, 2004, the Peace and Justice Committee approved the terms of reference for the feasibility study as outlined below.

On September 15, 2004 the related request for proposals closed. Only one application was received and after review, it was deemed not to meet the requirements set out in the RFP.

In October 2004, The Simons Foundation made a donation of $65,000 to the City. The Foundation indicated that the donation is to be used to support the City's peace initiatives.

DISCUSSION

As a result of the failed RFP, it is now recommended that the City, through the City Manager's Office, undertake a direct contract for up to $10,000 for services related to the completion of a feasibility study on holding a World Peace Forum in 2006. It is also recommended that the terms of reference be amended as follows to provide:

This study will be submitted to Council no later than February 28, 2005.

The World Peace Forum Society was incorporated in August 2004 to:

The Society has broad-based membership and includes ecumenical, academic and labour representatives, as well as representatives from community, peace and justice groups such as the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, End the Arms Race and the Greater Vancouver Japanese Canadian Citizens Association. The Society works in collaboration with the City's Peace and Justice Committee through a Joint Steering Committee, which includes the International Centre for Sustainable Cities.

On October 17, 2004 the Society held a local consultation attend by 70 community representatives on the feasibility of holding a World Peace Forum in Vancouver in 2006. A draft vision, conference program and list of potential speakers was developed. On November 26 and 27, 2004, approximately 200 representatives from across Canada and around the world will meet to review the draft program, assess the level of commitment from cities and communities to participating in such a conference, and adopt a vision and process for establishing an Advisory Committee.

The grant of $45,000 being recommended is to offset costs associated with the preparatory conference, such as travel, facility rental, food, facilitation and post conference costs. This represents a contribution to the costs of the forum, the balance of which is covered by the Society through their own fundraising and substantial volunteer, in-kind donations. The Society will report back to the Peace and Justice Committee on the costs and sources of funding for the preparatory conference.

All of the actions identified in this report are consistent with the terms of the donation from the Simons Foundation.

CONCLUSION

In May 2004, the City of Vancouver endorsed in principle the holding of a World Peace Forum in 2006 in conjunction with the World Urban Forum. This builds on initiatives being undertaken by the Mayors for Peace and United Nations Peace Messenger Cities of which the City is a participant. The Simons Foundation has provided the City a donation of $65,000 to support this and other City peace initiatives. This report provides recommendations to establish a reserve fund to hold the donation, the granting of $45,000 to the World Peace Forum Society to support the holding of a preparatory forum and the direction that a review of the feasibility of holding the World Peace Forum in 2006 be undertaken.


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