WORDS MATTER!

At a time when the freedom of conscience guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been eliminated for some Canadians for the first time in many years, the casual misuse of the term “conscientious objector” in the headline of the essay at the link below is dangerous. A conscientious objector is one who … [Read more…]

It’s Your Fight Too!

Remarkably, in just two years we’ve gone from punishing those who help people taking their lives to punishing those who refuse to help people take their lives. This ignores the huge difference between governments which prevent people from doing what we consider to be wrong and governments which force citizens to do what those citizens … [Read more…]

Remarks by Stephen Woodworth, May 15, 2017, International Conscientious Objectors Day

OPENING Good evening, everyone! Thank you all for joining in this Democracy Defence Initiative this evening. And a special thanks to whoever arranged this wonderful weather! Also, our thanks to our musicians, Rob and Joe Koechl on guitar and vocals, joined by Ken Oakes, all the way from Nanaimo, B.C., on saxophone! We are here … [Read more…]

MEDIA RELEASE: First Annual International Conscientious Objectors’ Day in Kitchener a Success!

KITCHENER, ON.— The first annual Internationl Conscientious Objectors Day Rally, held in Kitchener yesterday, was a success, according to organizers with The Democracy Defence Initiative. Arranged to honour conscientious objectors, past and present, in Canada, in support of freedom of conscience, the event attracted over 50 people. Those present heard from conscientious objectors Dr. Mark … [Read more…]

A War Against Freedom

I recently penned a letter warning about measures to diminish the role of parents in their children’s education, and crossing the line between indoctrination and education, as grave threats to democracy. A perceptive reader observed that past aboriginal residential schools also eliminated parents from their children’s education and indoctrinated against parents’ traditional values. Freedom to … [Read more…]