Douglas Roche

Douglas James Roche, OC, KCSG (born June 14, 1929) is a Canadian author, parliamentarian, diplomat and peace activist. Roche served as Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Edmonton—Strathcona from 1972 to 1979 and for Edmonton South 1979–1984.[1] In 1984, he was appointed Canada's Ambassador for Disarmament, a position he held until 1989. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada on September 17, 1998, where he served until June 13, 2004. Currently he resides in Edmonton, Alberta.

Douglas Roche
Senator from Alberta
In office
September 17, 1998 – June 14, 2004
Member of Parliament
for Edmonton South
In office
May 22, 1979 – September 3, 1984
Succeeded byJim Edwards
Member of Parliament
for Edmonton—Strathcona
In office
October 30, 1972 – May 21, 1979
Preceded byHu Harries
Succeeded byDavid Kilgour
Personal details
Born
Douglas James Roche

(1929-06-14) June 14, 1929
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Political partyProgressive Conservative Party of Canada
ResidenceEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
Occupationauthor, diplomat

History

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Douglas Roche has long been concerned with the issue of nuclear disarmament. He was elected Chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Committee, the main United Nations body dealing with political and security issues, at the 43rd General Assembly in 1988. He is also the author of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to thirteen more, including Creative Dissent: A Politician's Struggle for Peace (Novalis, 2008). From 1989 to 2001, he was appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Alberta, where he taught "War or Peace in the 21st Century?" In 1997, he was chosen by the Students' Union to receive a SALUTE Award for "outstanding contributions to students".[2]

He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a leading organizer of the project in which more than 500 members of the Order of Canada have endorsed a call for Canada to commit to working with other countries to achieve a Nuclear Weapons Convention, which would be a global ban on nuclear weapons.[2]

He is the founding Chairman of the Middle Powers Initiative,[3] co-sponsored by eight international non-governmental organizations specializing in nuclear disarmament; he now serves as Senior Advisor to the current Chairman, Ambassador Henrik Salander of Sweden.

In 1995, Pope John Paul II presented him with the Papal Medal for his service as Special Adviser on disarmament and security matters. In 1998, the Holy See named him a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.

Roche has served as President of the United Nations Association in Canada and was elected in 1985 as Honorary President of the World Federation of United Nations Associations. He was the founding President of Parliamentarians for Global Action, an international network of 1,300 parliamentarians in 99 countries, and wrote The Case for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly in 2002.[4] He was also founding editor of the Western Catholic Reporter (1965–72); and International Chairman (1990–96) of Global Education Associates.

In 2009, Roche was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians,[5] "presented annually to a former parliamentarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the country and its democratic institutions."[6] Roche was cited in particular "for his years of Parliamentary service, for his contribution to and respect for the institution of Parliament and for his continued interest and activity in the promotion of human welfare, human rights and parliamentary democracy in Canada and abroad."[7]

Archives

There is a Douglas Roche fonds at Library and Archives Canada.[8]

References
  1. "ROCHE, Douglas James, O.C., K.C.S.G., LL.D." Parliament of Canada. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  2. Sheila Pratt (February 4, 2011). "Canada's most distinguished peacemaker". Vancouver Sun.
  3. "History & Achievements". Middle Powers Initiative. 16 April 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  4. "The Case for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2006.
  5. Distinguished Service Award Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine, Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
  6. Activities of The Association Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine, Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
  7. Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians, Distinguished Service Award 2009 Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  8. "Douglas Roche fonds, Library and Archives Canada".
Parliament of Canada
Preceded by
Hu Harries		 Member of Parliament Edmonton—Strathcona
1972–1979		 Succeeded by
David Kilgour
Preceded by
New District		 Member of Parliament Edmonton South
1979–1984		 Succeeded by
Jim Edwards
Preceded by
Bud Olson		 Senator from Alberta
1998–2004		 Succeeded by
Elaine McCoy
Grant Mitchell
Claudette Tardif
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