One of the
impetuses driving the creation of the CDSN was the need to foster a more
diverse and inclusive defence and security community. The murder of George Floyd as well as of
other Black Americans, the repeated demonstrations of police brutality aimed at
the protesters, and events closer to home remind us that we can and should do
better. First, we endorse the statement
made by Women In International Security-Canada, a founding partner of the CDSN:
We stand in
solidarity with the fight against anti-black systemic racism and white
supremacy. We condemn all forms of inequality, xenophobia, and discrimination
against Black people. Black lives matter.
Across the world, we
are witnessing the collective pain of a community who has survived
intergenerational discrimination and dehumanization. We are seeing the grief of
a community that cannot trust the police who swore an oath to protect them.
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Tony McDade. Ahmaud Arbery. Regis
Korchinski-Paquet. It is painful to say the names of people who have died far
too early at the hands of white supremacy, knowing this list extends for
centuries and includes hundreds of thousands of lives. It is more painful, but
necessary, to say without massive change this list will expand.
We know this problem
permeates all borders. This includes Canada. Canada was built on the genocide
of Indigenous peoples; our state is maintained through systemic oppression
against Black people, Indigenous peoples, and people of colour. To this day,
Black and Indigenous peoples are disproportionately reflected in fatal
interactions with police.
From the disproportionate
effects of COVID-19, to fighting against police violence, Black people continue
to be on the front lines of a war against racism and systemic injustice. We
cannot conceptualize security without considering the peace and security of
Black people. It is a security problem when access to education, housing, and
healthcare are dependent on the colour of one’s skin. It is a security problem
when political, social, and economic participation is conditional on the colour
of one’s skin. It is a security crisis when people are more likely to be jailed
because of the colour of their skin. It is a security crisis when innocent
people are killed because of the colour of one’s skin.
WIIS-Canada is
dedicated to advancing women’s voices in international security. This project
of inclusion must be anti-racist. Racism is a feminist issue. Complacency and
silence are complicity.
We the board of
Directors and Executive of WIIS-Canada stand in solidarity with those seeking
justice.[1]
Second, we
are working out the details for a new CDSN scholarship for undergraduate
students who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Colour. Third, we will work to develop partnerships
with organizations seeking to foster greater equity, diversity, and inclusion
in the defence and security community.
[1] We also support the statement put out by Women of Color
Advancing Peace and Security as well, but as a Canadian organization, we found WIIS-C’s statement
more appropriate.
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