Joan Russow

This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (November 2007)

This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can assist by editing it now. A how-to guide is available.(November 2007)

Joan Elizabeth Russow (Ottawa: November 01, 1938) is a Canadian peace activist and former national leader of the Green Party of Canada from 1997 to 2001 ^[1][2]. Russow's late partner was David Scott White (Winnipeg: January 20, 1947 - Victoria, B.C.: July 16, 2006) who was the former chair of the Green Party of British Columbia ^[3]. "White managed Russow's election campaign as leader of the federal Green party, and remained active in the party for the five years of Russow's leadership^[4]".

"The couple left the party in 2001, disillusioned by, among other factors, the German Green party's support of the NATO attack on Serbia. Russow and White both joined the NDP in 2003 and White continued his work as an activist until his death, most recently researching and writing against Canada's military role in Afghanistan.^[4]".

Russow received her BA and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of British Columbia ^[5]. Russow received her Ph.D.^[2] from the University of Victoria in Interdisciplinary studies. Russow is a co-founder of the Ecological Rights Association and the Global Compliance Research Project^[2]. . Russow first gained attention in the "Lord's Prayer Case" which resulted in the banning of school prayer in public schools in British Columbia in 1989^[6]. Russow joined the Green Party in 1993 and became leader in 1997^[2]. Russow ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in three federal elections; in Victoria in 1997 and 2000, and a federal by-election in Okanagan-Coquihala in September, 2000 ^[2]. She lost all three bids. Under the leadership of Russow, policies were developed which promoted social justice, human rights, and peace, as well as the more traditional concerns with environment. In collaboration with the professors in the Law faculty of the University of Toronto , Russow was the litigant in the Charter challenge of the first past the post electoral system in Canada. Reference Court File Onterio Superior Court of justice.^[7]. Recently, Russow developed a "common Security Index" which was submitted to the Senate Committee on the Anti-Terrorism Act on October 17, 2005 ^[8]. Russow has been speaking out about the increased militarism in Canada. (i) Increased military budget; (ii) increased belligerence in the military invasion and occupation of Afghanistan (iii) increased military exercises - involving US nuclear powered vessels and nuclear arms capable vessels and aircraft and using live ammunition ; (iv) increased military recruitment ads on television and buses etc;in and "Navy days" with booths, and in schools; (v) increased mining and production of uranium, including the contribution to US ad NATO weapon systems; (vii) increased military flights overhead and participation in community events and parades.^[9]. In March 2007, Russow lobbied state delegations in the UN General Assembly to invoke Article 22 of the Charter of the United Nations to set up an international tribunal to try the Bush regime.On March 8, 2007, the petition, in the six official languages was submitted to the office of the President of the UN General Assembly. ^[10].

Sources

• "The Globe and Mail Election 2000 Series" Retrieved 11 Jan 2007.
• "PEJ Obituary David Scott White" Retrieved 11 Jan 2007.
• "The Province Obituary David Scott White" Retrieced 11 Jan 2007.
• The University of British Columbia Alumni Directory 1992. Vancouver, B.C. page 558.
• "Lord's Prayer Case".
• Proceedings of the Special Senate Committee on the Anti-terrorism Act.
• Proposed Canadian No-fly list.
• The Bush Regime must be judged by an International Tribunal.

	Leaders of the Green Party of Canada (edit)
Trevor Hancock | Seymour Trieger | Kathryn Cholette | Chris Lea | Wendy Priesnitz | Harry Garfinkle | Joan Russow | Chris Bradshaw | Jim Harris | Elizabeth May

References