Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

For immediate release, via Vancouver & District Labour Council: After receiving hundreds of citizen emails, letters and telephone calls in support and hearing from a broad-based delegation of citizens speaking in favour of the World Peace Forum 2006, Vancouver City Council voted last night to continue financial support for the event scheduled for June 23 – 28, 2006. The key portion of the multifaceted motion, moved by Councilor Peter Ladner, read “given the international nature and topical significance of the World Peace Forum 2006 that City Council provide a one-time special grant of $50,000 to the World Peace Forum Society in support of this event”. It was supported unanimously by the full Council and Mayor. The resolution also makes available “a further $50,000 to the World Peace Forum Society subject to raising $584,000 in cash donations”.

World Peace Forum Executive Director Jef Keighley expressed the organizers’ satisfaction with the outcome saying “we are grateful for the support from the City of Vancouver and appreciate the fact that Council members were clearly moved by the strong support we received from citizens across the city, around the Lower Mainland and around the world. We have always wanted the City of Vancouver’s support and we hope that Mayor Sullivan and City Councilors will play an important role by helping to welcome our guests and by participating in key sessions on the role of cities in pursuing peace.”

Dr. Jennifer Allen Simons, President of the Simons Foundation, the Forum’s major funder, was passionate in her address to Council saying “the initiative for this Forum came from the previous City Council. I received a letter on City Council letterhead enquiring about support for a World Peace Forum and because it was an initiative of the City, the Foundation was pleased and proud to support the City in this endeavour.” Ms. Simons noted the Simons Foundation committed $350,000 to the Forum having relied on the City’s motion of March 31, 2005 to provide the World Peace Forum $150,000 in three $50,000 portions. She said “your commitment to provide the (second) $50,000 is now due. This would restore the integrity of the World Peace Forum and as Mayor Sullivan said to me ‘Now we must make sure this is as great a success as possible’.”

Executive Director Jef Keighley told City Council that “the World Peace Forum has caught the imagination of people here and around the world. In the 4 weeks since our registration system has been up on our website 458 delegates have signed up worth $54,660 in delegate fees. The weekly registration rate is trending up and the large blocks of delegates we know are coming have yet to register. We are on track for a substantial delegate registration come June 23.”

The World Peace Forum 2006 website www.worldpeaceforum.ca provides information on the program, on-line registration, financial donations forms, volunteer sign-up and much more. The Forum is inviting Lower Mainland residents to visit the website and open their homes to provide Forum delegates from across North America and around the world with a home-stay opportunity.

For further information please contact Jef Keighley, Executive Director, World Peace Forum at 604 687-3223 (o) or 778 999-1950 (c).

World Peace Forum 2006
550 West 6th Avenue Suite 420, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 1A1
Phone: 604 687 3223 ext. 100
Fax: 604 687 3277
Website: www.worldpeaceforum.ca