CJPME's Mission:

CJPME’s mission is to enable Canadians of all backgrounds to promote justice, development and peace in the Middle East, and here at home in Canada.

Our Vision

To be the premier advocacy organization for Canadians for our mission:

• To empower Canadians of all backgrounds to promote justice, development and peace in the Middle East, and at home in Canada.

The “go to” organization for politicians, policy makers, and the media on our issues

• Known as a credible Canadian voice in the Canadian media and government within our mission: promotion of justice, development and peace in the Middle East.

A positive, valued and recognized influencer of Canadian foreign policy

• Developing credible and professional information resources useful to CJPME’s audience, constituency, and collaborators.

A positive, valued and recognized influencer of Canadian media, both

• The media’s portrayal of Canadian foreign policy on the Middle East, and
• The media’s portrayal of current events and people in the region

Community Relations: A contributor to community understanding

• Emphasizing outreach to all types of other players in the community: the general public, community groups; university groups; political parties; unions; religious organizations; etc.
• A developer of mutually beneficial relations with organizations of all kinds.

A “best of breed” bi-lingual NGO in Canada

Our Beliefs

CJPME evaluates the circumstances and events in the Middle East according to three beliefs:

1. We support international law, and the instruments of international humanitarian and human rights law supporting it: e.g. the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the UN Charter, and more.
2. We insist on equal expectations under international law of all parties in conflict; i.e. treating everyone the same under the law; holding everyone to the same standard; not allowing certain countries or parties to act with impunity.
3. We do not advocate for violence as a solution.  We oppose arms sales; we oppose sending soldiers; we push for ceasefires; we oppose funding for arms; we oppose violence as a supposed means to a solution; etc.  We acknowledge an oppressed group’s legal right to armed resistance (see our factsheet on that topic here), and will defend their legal right to armed resistance.  Nevertheless, because of our support for international law, we also condemn armed resistance when it is directed inappropriately against civilians, in violation of international law.  And we, as an organization, will not encourage armed violence, even as a form of resistance.

Our Values

• Welcoming to all, but not seeking to become a “dialog group”
• Secular, but based on identifiable principles
• Empowering people. Focused on people and volunteers – avoiding a professionalization of most tasks.
• Grassroots based. Plugged into the community; able to mobilize the community during urgent campaigns.
• Action oriented. Erring on the side of action vs. inaction. Focused on a results-oriented approach vs. a rhetoric-oriented approach.
• Excellence in everything.
• Pro-active. Trying to address issues before they become a fait accompli.
• Professional.
• Developing leadership. Focused on identifying, developing and equipping individuals with high potential to contribute to the organization.
• Resourceful. Creative and innovative – leveraging strategic trends, tools and technologies as much as possible. Finding ways to take action quickly, with a minimum of resources.
• Informed. Don’t speak to an issue if we can’t do it intelligently.
• Non-partisan.

Our Activities

CJPME is an active organization with ongoing work in several focus areas:

• Community Outreach – Reaching more Canadians with our resources and our policies
• Media and Communications Work – Developing relationships and connections with the media and beyond
• Vocational Connections – Looking at issues from distinct perspectives, vocations or specialities (e.g. Human Rights, Health, Art, etc.)
• Policy Work – Promoting sensible Canadian positions on the Middle East and related issues
• Events and Campaigns – Stimulating dialog and participation by Canadians on our issues

CJPME's History

CJPME was established in 2002 by Canadians who wanted to foster justice, peace, prosperity and security for all peoples of the Middle East. Founded under a different name, the current name – “Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East” – was registered in 2004. CJPME seeks to provide resources and host activities which enable Canadians at all levels to better understand the dynamics of the region, and work toward solutions for the region.