Peace vigil planned for Peterborough

A peace vigil at the corner of George St. N. and McDonnel St. late Monday afternoon will call for an end to violations of human rights in Canada and for Canadian participation in the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty.

The event, which will take place from 5 to 6 p.m., will lead up to the local Hiroshima Day Commemoration events on Aug. 6, organizers stated.

“Remembering Hiroshima is about remembering the horror of nuclear devastation in Japan and saying never again,” stated Marion Little of the Peterborough Peace Council.

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in the deaths of more than 200,000 and marked the end of the Second World War.

The horror of it was part of what inspired a collective global commitment to prevent holocausts and global wars, Little stated.

“Despite all that, we stand witness to the ongoing genocide of Indigenous people in our own country – via policy and economic devastation rather than bombs and military.”

The group is celebrating the passage of Bill C-262, which provides the legislative framework for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“We strongly support its passage through the Senate before the end of this year and its forthright implementation in 2019,” Little stated.

The theme of UN human rights processes and agreements as the primary pathway to peace runs throughactivities planned for Hiroshima Day, which falls on the Civic Holiday on Aug. 6.

There will be a participatory program in Confederation Square starting at 5:30 p.m. where organizers said participants can reflect on the grief and joy of local reconciliation activities and take part in a community meal served by Food Not Bombs.

At the T-wharf in Del Crary Park, a traditional lantern ceremony begins with an open mic session dubbed Images of Peace at 7:30 p.m.

All forms of expressive arts are welcome, organizers stated.