Canadian Disarmament Information Service

Canadian Disarmament Information Service

"The Board of Directors (with up to fifteen members) is elected annually by members of the CANDIS Society. The Board owns and controls the magazine; its meetings (about three a year) are open. The Editor and Treasurer are members; other nominations to it are solicited from the major Canadian peace organizations. The rationale for this practice is to assure the widest possible representation and to prevent any one constituency from gaining disproportionate control. All voices are to be heard; the magazine's an open forum for all discussions that broadly favor nuclear disarmament.

"A new Board was elected in May. Each member belongs to one or more of the following organizations: Canadian Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Canadian Labour Congress; Canadian Peace Congress; Canadian Pugwash, Christian Initiative for Peace, Group of 78, Lawyers for Social Responsibility, Operation Dismantle, Performing Artists for Nuclear Disarmament. Psychologists for Social Responsibility, Science for Peace, Survival Committee of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. Toronto Disarmament Network, Veterans Against Nuclear Arms, and Voice of Women. Thus the magazine is owned and supervised by activists from more than fifteen major peace groups. Decisions between Board meetings are made by an Executive Committee: the Chairperson of the Board, the Treasurer, and the Editor. Two vacancies on the Board remain; we hope to fill them with a fundraiser and an ad sales expert...

"Funding up to Now. Talk about shoestring operations! Ours is a miracle. For about $66,000 per year, we produce six issues of a 48-page magazine, print 8000 copies each time, and mail over 3000 of than. We have previously received grants from governmental sources, including the City of Toronto, the Disarmament Fund of the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Canadian Institute for International Peace and Security (this year $6000 from CDPS) as well as from our original sponsor, the Church of the Holy Trinity. Even so, a major part of our funding has come from Board Members, some of whom have contributed several thousands of dollars. That shows how we feel about the magazine. We give away as many copies as we sell! As a business practice, that's dumb. As a way. to save the planet, it's smart. ours is not just a business, it's a cause."