Watching the skies
By Larry Lutgendorff

Professor Baird would come to his 8 a.m. class, and each time the first thing he would ask is, "Did you see Venus rising this morning?" Of course I had, because I walked to his morning classes across a high bridge with a perfect view of the Edmonton sky. You could not miss the bright "morning star".

I wondered what that question had to do with my Introduction to International Relations class, but after a semester of early morning classes I had an answer, and I was hooked.

About six years ago I got a call from a representative from the Committee for Contact with the Government (CCG), asking if I would help CCG develop a position on the topic of Global Food Security. I've studied international politics, and have an interest in community development and international aid—this was a knock at my door that I was happy to answer.

Working with a group of people with similar minds, and in partnership with experts in the field, the CCG produced a brief for the Liberal government of the time, outlining the need for a consistent, principled perspective on international development, and in particular Canada's contribution to international food aid.

The foundation of our position was simple: starving people don't care where their next meal comes from, and therefore Canada should not tie its foreign aid to any kind of reciprocal trade initiatives. We called upon Canadians to act responsibly, as one of the world's largest exporters of grain, to provide for , and work closely with, those who are at the very margins of life due to lack of food.

We made this argument to government and civil service leaders, including politicians, bureaucrats and NGOs. We were encouraged by the uptake of our argument, and began to see some reverberations of CCG's influence.

Knocking on a different door

In the middle of this work, in came a new Canadian federal government (in January, 2006). As the political winds blew, so changed the priorities of our elected representatives. On the front burner now was the challenge of making peace in a region that had forgotten it for over thirty years: Afghanistan.

In keeping with current events, CCG decided to put its Food Security work on hiatus (temporarily), and pick up the mantle of another form of peacebuilding.

The CCG's current study group, the Peacebuilding Working Group (PBWG), has been shaped by a 2006 position paper by the synod of the Christian Reformed church, which asks: "What does it mean for Christians to be peacemakers today in the context of conflict around the world, international terrorism, and both conventional and nonconventional [nuclear] war?"

The question is not easy to answer. For Canada it has meant sending soldiers into harm's way. For me, personally, it means unconditional support for those men and women who are doing that job. But there are deeper questions that we must ask about what is really going on:

• When the Taliban is better able to deliver food to starving people than our military, do we really think that security first will win over Afghan people?
  
  
• Is there another way to be "peacemakers" in Afghanistan?
  
  
• Can we deliver food, medical and social reconstruction aid and provide a secure environment for development? Are the two not inter-related?

These are the questions that the PBWG struggles with. We have made several presentations—see CCG's Peacebuilding Dialogue page—to government officials at all levels, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Manley Panel, and opposition leaders. And we are encouraged that these decision-makers are receptive to our position.

The idea that peacemaking involves more than just military security is not a new concept in international relations. But it is so hard to change direction once you are committed to a specific course of action. CCG is working to persistently present its witness, as the debate over Canada's role in Afghanistan continues.

Being a peacebuilder is not only the task of those able and willing to carry a gun on behalf of a grateful nation; a peacebuilder is interested in contexts, in different viewpoints, in reconciliation, and in respect for genuine differences.

In the Christian Reformed Church, a peacebuilder can be a member who ponders how the interactions between people and nations can be impacted for God, and is then willing to put forward those ideas, letting God lead and guide the results.

The CCG is working to present a voice for justice in Canada's government, and simultaneously to mobilize the Canadian CRC to work for healing in Afghanistan. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this process, and I hope you will consider the role you can play in this process.

I've never forgotten Professor Baird's point about noticing the rising of Venus each day: Know what is going on around you. Be aware of issues, of contexts, and of yourself, and you will always find something that captures your interest. Whether it is the motion of the planets, the healing of nations, or the crisis of food prices, Professor Baird was right: awareness is the start.

Join the CCG in seeking justice, and speaking hope.

Larry Lutgendorff is active in the CCG's current study team, the Peacebuilding Working Group.

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