Dear John,
My name is Brendan Martin, I'm a member of the World BEYOND War Vancouver chapter, a grandpa, and a family doctor, and I just finished a 14 day fast against fighter jets.
I consumed nothing but water for two weeks to raise awareness of my
government's intention to purchase 88 new fighter jets for a sticker
price of $19 Billion and a total cost of over $76 Billion. These are not
defensive weapons to protect Canada, and they are useless for dealing
with a global pandemic, natural disasters, a 9/11-style attack, in
peacekeeping or with international humanitarian relief. Their purpose is
to rain bombs in more US and NATO wars. I've been working as a World
BEYOND War member of the No Fighter Jets Coalition to do everything I can to get this purchase canceled before the contract is supposed to be signed this year.
Right now, as I take a few days to recover, I'm asking for your help.
Please give what you can to World BEYOND War so we can keep supporting ordinary people like me in taking the action we each can to demilitarize our countries and world.
On
the first day of my fast, over a hundred people joined me from coast to
coast — many fasted too, and even more joined public vigils, protests
and online candlelight ceremonies to object to the defense procurement.
Below are snapshots of just some of the many who joined in, and near the top of
this email are just a few examples of the amazing media coverage we got.
During the last two weeks, as I fasted in the public square of my
city, I realized that most people are unaware that this purchase, the
second biggest in Canadian history, is even happening. Though they were
unaware, most everyone I spoke with agreed that the federal government should not
invest in fighter jets but
instead invest in the real and urgent security needs we face, like
tackling the climate emergency, ensuring a just pandemic recovery,
ending homelessness,
and providing safe drinking water for First Nations communities. If the
Canadian government
purchases the fighter jets, I will see it as a declaration of war on poorer
countries around the world.
Please support World BEYOND War so we can keep supporting the No Fighter Jets campaign and actions for peace around the world.
Thank you,
Brendan Martin, Vancouver for a World BEYOND War
P.S. The fast was covered on CTV evening news, in the Winnipeg Free Press, the Aldergrove Star, the Hamilton Spec, The Chilliwack Progress, and Philippine Canadian News. A roundup of media coverage and summary of the Fast to Stop the Jets is posted on the No Fighter Jets campaign website here.
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