Earl Turcotte, a veteran Canadian diplomat and arms control specialist, has been appointed Chair of the Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (CNANW), succeeding Bev Delong, who held the post for more than twenty years.
The announcement was made by former Senator Douglas Roche, Chairman of the CNANW Search Committee. Turcotte was unanimously selected by the 18 member organizations of CNANW. The appointment is effective April 1.
Turcotte served as Director and Senior Coordinator for Mine Action with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and also United Nations Development Program Chief Technical Advisor to the Government of Lao in the Unexploded Ordnance Sector. In 2014, he became an advocate for nuclear disarmament and conventional arms control, working with the CNANW and the Group of 78. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Carleton University and a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from the University of Ottawa. A resident of Ottawa, he has also been a television host, producer and writer.
Turcotte paid tribute to his predecessor’s work: “I can never replace Bev Delong, whose contribution to the CNANW and to our grand, shared cause — nuclear disarmament — spans decades and has been nothing less than remarkable! I find great comfort in the fact that Bev will remain part of our network, and that her knowledge, expertise, wisdom and guidance will continue to be available to all of us, as we move forward.”
Delong welcomed her successor: “I am enjoying collaborating with Earl on several projects and look forward to Earl taking over as Chairperson. His experience as a diplomat and more recently as an independent individual speaking out, together with his knowledge of the nuclear weapons diplomatic arena, will equip him well for this important work.”
CNANW has, since its inception in 1996, conducted 40 seminars and consultations on nuclear disarmament issues, which have provided a series of policy recommendations to the Government of Canada. Members engage in ongoing dialogue with Canadian officials and parliamentarians.
Roche, who was the founding Chairman of CNANW, also praised Delong’s leadership: “Bev has led the movement through tumultuous years with great effectiveness. CNANW now enters a new period in history when the architecture of nuclear disarmament is threatened by U.S.-Russian hostilities. Canada must step up to its responsibilities.”
CNANW (https://www.cnanw.ca) is composed of: Les Artistes pour la paix, Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, Canadian Disarmament Information Service (CANDIS), Canadian Federation of University Women, Canadian Peace Alliance / L’Alliance canadienne pour la paix, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Canadian Pugwash Group, le Centre de Ressources sur la Non-Violence (CRNV), The Group of 78, Physicians for Global Survival, Project Ploughshares, Religions for Peace Canada, The Rideau Institute, Science for Peace, United Nations Association-Canada, Vancouver Island Peace and Disarmament Network, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (Canadian Section), World Federalist Movement-Canada.
Mr. Turcotte can be contacted directly at earl.turcotte[at]gmail.com.
contact: cnanw@web.ca.