By David G. Newman, February 23, 2016, published in Community News Commons 

Al-Jubitz-2This is one in a series of dispatches from David G. Newman, who attended the recent Rotary World Peace Conference 2016 in Ontario, California. These stories are inspired by the organizers and presenters to this peace conference and are posted by Mr. Newman on CNC as part of the process of advancing Positive Peace in Winnipeg.

Al Jubitz sees Winnipeg as a centre for peace and human rights. Al Jubitz, a philanthropist from Portland, Oregon, and Founder of Rotarian Action Group for Peace, led a workshop where he spoke of “Advancing peacebuilding through Rotary.”Al visited Winnipeg during Rotary’s Peace Days 2014 when theCanadian Museum for Human Rights opened.In his PowerPoint presentation, he showed a photo of the CMHR and said, “Winnipeg is the mecca for human rights on the planet.”He encouraged all Rotarians to visit Winnipeg and the Museum for a transformational educational experience.Al is President and Founder of the Jubitz Family Foundation which directs funding to organizations that foster peacebuilding, environmental stewardship and early childhood education.

Devoting most of his time to the War Prevention Initiative, a program of the Jubitz Family Foundation, Al has a vision to prevent all war by the year 2030. He works diligently to collaborate with partners in Rotary International, the Conflict Resolution Department at Portland State University and various grassroots and non-profit organizations to achieve this goal. Al said he had renewed hope for a more peaceful world when his grandson surprised him by dressing as Mahatma Gandhi for Halloween – shaved head, glasses and all.

Read the original article here.

A light in the fog: some believe CMHR will help Winnipeg become a leading city in the promotion of human rights and peace around the world. / GREG PETZOLD

A light in the fog: some believe CMHR will help Winnipeg become a leading city in the promotion of human rights and peace around the world. / GREG PETZOLD

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Just outside CMHR last month, the Mahatma Gandhi statue had been clothed in a hat, scarf and mitts, with a sign that read, “If you’re cold, please take these.” / GREG PETZOLD