Apologies if this is a second posting for you.


The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario is making the argument
that peace is a fundamental determinant of health so I thought I would
forward its action alert on the Middle East for your consideration. An
Open Letter to the Prime Minister as well as supporting resources are
available on the main page of the RNAO website at www.rnao.org

Nadia

Help save the Lebanese civilians  ~  Soutenons les civils libanais
http://www.epetitions.net/julywar/
http://www.thehumanitariancoalition.ca/

Nadia Hamel inf, PhD(c)
Population Health PhD Candidate / Research Associate
Centre for Global Health, Université d'Ottawa


-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:Health Policy @ RNAO]
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 9:54 AM
To: Lynn Anne Mulrooney
Subject: Action Alert: RNAO Urges Action on Crisis in the Middle East

Action Alert: RNAO Urges Action on Crisis in the Middle East
August 1, 2006


As the federal cabinet's operations committee meets today to discuss
Canada's response to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the
Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) issued an Open Letter
to Prime Minister Stephen Harper asking that the Canadian government
urgently push for an immediate ceasefire. The crisis in the Middle East
has resulted in an increasingly urgent humanitarian crisis for civilians
in Lebanon, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. According to the United
Nations, Israeli fire has killed up to 750 Lebanese and 800,000 people
have been displaced from their homes. On the Israeli side, over 50
people have died and 300,000 people have been displaced by Hezbollah
rockets. Tens of thousands in Gaza are struggling to survive without
access to food, water, and medical care due to this conflict. The United
Nations has called for a humanitarian truce to put an end to the
suffering and death of hundreds of thousands affected by the conflict.
Robust diplomatic and peacemaking interventions are required immediately
so that crisis does not escalate into further disaster.

Background

RNAO, the Canadian Nurses' Association (CNA), and the International
Council of Nurses all have position statements opposing all forms of
armed conflict. As nurses, we know that it is our ethical duty to speak
out for peace as a fundamental-and unequivocal-determinant of health. In
2003, RNAO sent a resolution to CNA urging CNA to partner with other
national organizations to advocate for the Canadian government to
strengthen its peacemaking role. With increasing global instability due
to armed conflicts, RNAO is speaking out once again on the key part that
Canada must play as a force for diplomacy and social justice within the
international community with an Open Letter to Prime Minister Stephen
Harper.

RNAO members are urged to:

o     Contact Prime Minister Harper and urge him to lead Canada's
diplomatic support to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's call for a
humanitarian truce. A sample letter to the Prime Minister may be found
below in the resources section.
o     Donate to help those affected by this crisis.
o     Four of Canada's largest relief organizations (CARE Canada,
Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Quebec, and Save the Children) have formed the
Humanitarian Coalition to target assistance to those most in need in
Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza, Israel, Jordan, and Syria. Their website is
http://www.thehumanitariancoalition.ca  and phone donations are being
accepted at 1-800-464-9154.
o     The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees
is also seeking donations for this crisis:
http://www.unhcr.org/donate/

Resources:

Sample Letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper: your letter may be faxed
to the Prime Minister's Office at 613-941-6900 or emailed to
[log in to unmask] Please copy your letter to Kate Melino at [log in to unmask]

RNAO's Open Letter to the Prime Minister: see attached

RNAO's position statement: Peace, Security, and Well-Being (2003)
http://www.rnao.org/Page.asp?PageID=122&ContentID=1046&SiteNodeID=177&BL
_ExpandID=

RNAO's resolution submitted to Canadian Nurses' Association on Peace and
Health (2003): see attached

Canadian Nurses' Association's position statement: Peace and Security
(2003)
http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/documents/pdf/publications/PS64_Peace_Secur
ity_March_2003_e.pdf

Canadian Public Health Association:  Peace, Security, and Public Health
(2001)
http://www.cpha.ca/english/policy/pstatem/peace01/page1.htm

International Council of Nurses Position: Armed Conflict: Nursing's
Perspective (1999)
http://www.icn.ch/psarmed.htm


Health Policy @ RNAO

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