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War/Air Show Project meeting, May 12
The War/Air Show (a.k.a. "The National Capital Air Show") is coming!
The Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade is again calling for a boycott of
Ottawa's most militaristic event of the year. This spectacle romanticises and
glorifies conventional and nuclear weapons delivery systems and there's
even a high tech/military trade show. (Come mingle with the military
attaches and manufacturers!) Tens of thousands of people attend to watch
aerobatic performances by some of the most deadly weapons systems ever
made. (See and touch the planes that bombed Iraq back to the stone age.) We
are also encouraging others to join us in setting up displays and literature
tables INSIDE the spectacle. Please join us! We're holding our final
planning meeting on:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, May 12
7:30 p.m.
489 Metcalfe St. (just south of the Queensway, near Pretoria Ave.)
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Would you believe that in Ottawa on May 30-31 this year:
(1) The Air Force Generals of all North, South and Central American
countries are holding a conference?
(2) A high tech and military industry trade show will be open to the
public?
(3) Delivery systems for nuclear (and other weapons of mass destruction)
will provide fun, family entertainment?
(4) That we've been invited to set up displays and info. tables at a
military-related event with tens of thousands of people?
Believe it or not, all of this and more is (unfortunately) true!!
Please read on.
Coming to Ottawa this Spring - Three offensive events in one!
(1) CONJAFAMER,
(2) military/aerospace trade show &
(3) the National Capital Air Show.
This spring, the Canadian Air Force has the dubious "honour" of
hosting a gathering of the highest ranking air force generals from
virtually all of the countries of Central, South and North America.
Their organisation is called CONJAFAMER and their 38th annual meeting
will be held in Ottawa at the end of May and the beginning of June,
1998. To coincide with this conference, the National Capital Air Show
(NCAS) will be held May 30-31.
The NCAS, which glorifies and romanticises military aviation, will
also be holding an aerospace/military trade show to exhibit and promote
Canadian high technology. NCAS organisers, and exhibiting companies,
are betting that their military trade bazaar will benefit from the
presence of top brass military personnel from throughout the Americas.
These events present all of us who are interested in peace, human
rights, development, labour and solidarity with Latin America with an
obvious challenge. Everyone on the left who has ever studied, travelled
or worked for Latin American causes knows the central role which
militaries, and often air forces, have played in squashing peace, social
justice and democratic rights in that region.
Last year, the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) called
for a boycott of the air show. We got the support of a numerous
national and local organisations on this. We also got permission to
have a display inside and set up a booth with dozens of original
paintings done by Iraqi children. We are hoping to do the same this
year with paintings by children from Latin America. The human toll of
war planes is lost at air shows where the wonders of military aviation
are completely divorced from the reality of war and oppression. Please
join us in putting a human face on war and human rights abuses.
Is your group interested in setting up a display or information table at
an event with between 20,000 and 100,000 people. Then the air show's
the place for you.
We're not "preaching to the converted." Air show audiences are
thrilled by watching the kinds of warplanes that bombed Iraq. They rush
for autographs from military pilots. They marvel at the high tech
weaponry on display. There's even a free midway with rides for the
kids! (It's supposed to be good decent fun for the whole family!) For
those of you who are concerned about the environment (who isn't?) keep
in mind that an F-16 burns more fuel per hour than an average US car
does in a year! Last year a jet raced with a truck which was equipped
with jet engines making it capable of going 500 km/hour. (Yes kids,
creating pollution and depleting the ozone layer can be a fun spectator
sport for the whole nuclear family!)
**************************************
Please join us at a PLANNING MEETING:
Tuesday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m.
489 METCALFE ST. (south of the Queensway, near Pretoria Ave.)
**************************************
If you are interested in participating but cannot attend our meetings,
please fax, email or call and we'll keep you posted on the planned
events. If you are aware of displays of art, etc. that may be used at
the Air Show or as part of the public/education event, please let us
know.
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Yes, I / we are interested:
Name....................................................................
Organisation:...........................................................
Address.................................................................
City...........................Postal Code..............................
Tel.....................................................................
Fax.....................................................................
Email...................................................................
[ ] I /we would like to set up an info. table or display at the air
show (for all or part of May 30-31)
[ ] I / we would like to help hand out pamphlets at the air show
[ ] I / we can participate in planning meetings
[ ] The group listed above, will encourage it's members to boycott of
the National Capital Air Show
[ ] Please send more detailed information
[ ] Please send more copies of this sheet for distribution. (The # of
copies required is........)
[ ] I / we would like to make a financial contribution to COAT's
efforts
Please return this coupon to:
Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade
489 Metcalfe St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 3N7
Tel: (613) 231-3076 or 234-6182
Fax (613) 231-2614
WWW: http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/coat
Email: ad207@freenet.carleton.ca
--
Richard Sanders, Coordinator, Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT)
COAT, 489 Metcalfe St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 3N7
Tel: (613) 231-3076 Fax (613) 231-2614
WWW: http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/coat Email: ad207@freenet.carleton.ca
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