Vancouver City Council |
REPORT TO COUNCIL
Date:
November 8, 2004
Author:
Chair and Vice Chair, Peace and Justice Committee
Phone No.:
604.873-7244
604-873-7245RTS 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 CommitteeSUBJECT:
World Peace Forum 2006
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve the creation of a reserve fund to hold the $65,000 donation received from the Simons Foundation to support the City's peace initiatives as directed by the donor.
B. THAT Council instruct the City Manager to contract for up to $10,000 for services in relation to conducting a feasibility report, as outlined in the body of this report, on holding a World Peace Forum in conjunction with the World Urban Forum in 2006. Source of funds, the Peace Initiative Reserve Fund.FOR CONSIDERATION
C. THAT Council provide a grant of $45,000 to the World Peace Forum Society to offset travel and organizational costs of holding a preparatory forum involving the local, national and international community to assess the feasibility of holding a World Peace Forum in conjunction with the World Urban Forum in 2006. Source of funds, the Peace Initiative Reserve Fund.
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:
· to ask that Council establish a reserve fund to hold the $65,000 donation received from the Simons Foundation to support the City's peace initiatives;
· to contract services, up to $10,000, for the preparation of a report on the feasibility of holding a World Peace Forum in conjunction with the World Urban Forum and approve the terms of reference for the report;
· to grant the World Peace Forum Society $45,000 to hold a preparatory world peace forum conference with local, national and international representatives.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.
The Peace and Justice Committee of the City of Vancouver is seeking a qualified convention or event organizer on a contract basis to work on ancillary tasks related to the World Peace Forum and to prepare a report to the Committee for review by City Council on the feasibility of holding a World Peace Forum in 2006 in conjunction with the World Urban Forum, a project endorsed in principle by City Council. The report should include:
· An assessment of the interest at the national and international level in supporting and participating in such an event;
· A recommended format, duration and theme;
· A draft budget, including estimates costs and proposed sources of revenue;
· Proposed strategies to attract sponsorships and partnerships from the non-profit and private sectors;
· A preliminary work plan to achieve the goal of a World Peace Forum, including critical milestones and decision points.A draft of the report must be submitted to the Peace and Justice Committee by Oct. 1, 2004 to be considered by City Council at its Oct. 19 meeting, as set out in the council resolution endorsing this study.
Special consideration will be given to applicants with a demonstrated record of event and conference organization and a history of involvement in non-governmental organizations, especially those working in the area of peace and social justice.
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:
· an assessment of the interest at the national and international level in supporting and participating in such an event;
· an assessment of the feasibility of the proposed format, duration and theme as adopted at the preparatory conference being held November 26 and 27, 2004;
· an analysis of the budget necessary for the proposed event and identification of possible sources of sponsorship and partnership from the non-profit and private sectors to achieve the budget;
· recommendations on whether the City should be involved in holding the Peace Forum, and if so, how the City should be involved and what are the necessary steps of engagement;
· liaison with the Chair and Vice Chair of Peace and Justice Committee on the feasibility study.This study will be submitted to Council no later than February 28, 2005.
The World Peace Forum Society was incorporated in August 2004 to:
· build a network for peace and justice of civic leaders, non-governmental community organizations, aboriginal and first nations people and others;
· to organize a world peace forum; and
· to facilitate a dialogue on peace and justice issues.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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