# Murray Thomson > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Murray_Thomson > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Murray_Thomson.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Thomson > Source revision: 1324807836 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Canadian peace activist (1922–2019)}} {{Infobox person |name = Murray Thomson |image = Murray McCheyne Thomson.jpg |caption = Thomson in 2015 |birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1922|12|19}} |birth_place = Honan, China |death_date = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|2019|5|2|1922|12|19}}}} |death_place = [Ottawa](/source/Ottawa), [Ontario](/source/Ontario), Canada |awards = {{nowrap|[Pearson Medal of Peace](/source/Pearson_Medal_of_Peace) (1990),
[Order of Canada](/source/Order_of_Canada) (2001)}} }} '''Murray McCheyne Thomson''' {{post-nominals|OC}} (December 19, 1922 – May 2, 2019) was a Canadian peace activist.{{cite book|last1=Lumley|first1=Elizabeth|title=The Canadian Who's who|date=2000|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=0802049397|page=1257}} Thomson was born in [Honan, China](/source/Henan) where his parents were Christian missionaries. Thomson founded many non-profits in Canada.{{cite web|url=http://www.utpress.utoronto.ca/cgi-bin/cw2w3.cgi?p=thomson&t=12509&d=1424|title=Canadian Who's Who 1997 entry|accessdate=April 4, 2006}} He was the 1990 recipient of the [Pearson Medal of Peace](/source/Pearson_Medal_of_Peace){{cite web |url=http://207.112.105.217/PEN/1991-02/sharpe.html |title=Murray Thomson: Ottawa's Peace Medal Winner |last=Sharpe |first=Alan |date=February 1991 |publisher=Peace and Environment News |access-date=1 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816153703/http://207.112.105.217/PEN/1991-02/sharpe.html |archive-date=16 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web | last=Watson | first=Rick | title=The Peacefund Canada Foundation | website=Peace Brigades International Canada | url=http://www.pbicanada.org/index.php/en/take-action-2/donate-2/the-peacefund-canada-foundation-2 | access-date=1 February 2018}} for his work in peace and justice{{cite web |url=http://www.dennisgruending.ca/2012/12/murray-thomson-peace-activist-at-90/ |title=Murray Thomson, peace activist at 90 |last=Gruending |first=Dennis |date=8 December 2012 |access-date=1 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808101434/http://www.dennisgruending.ca/2012/12/murray-thomson-peace-activist-at-90/ |archive-date=8 August 2016 |url-status=dead }} and was made an Officer of the [Order of Canada](/source/Order_of_Canada) in 2001.{{Cite web|url=http://archive.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=380|title=The Governor General announces new appointments to the Order of Canada}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=139&t=12&ln=Thomson|title=Recipients|date=11 June 2018}} He was also awarded the (Canadian) Golden Jubilee Medal{{Cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=40482&t=6&ln=McCheyne%20Thomson|title=Recipients|date=11 June 2018}} and the Diamond Jubilee Medal.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=104861&t=13&ln=Thomson|title=Recipients|date=11 June 2018}} He is a former Executive Director of [CUSO](/source/CUSO). He is credited in helping the formation of: * [Grindstone Island](/source/Grindstone_Island){{citation needed|date=March 2018}} * [The Peacefund Canada Foundation](/source/The_Peacefund_Canada_Foundation) (1980s) * [Peace Brigades International](/source/Peace_Brigades_International) (1981) * [Project Ploughshares](/source/Project_Ploughshares) (1976) * [Group of 78](/source/Group_of_78) (1980) * [Canadian Friends of Burma](/source/Canadian_Friends_of_Burma) (1990) * Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention (2012){{citation needed|reason=uncertain|date=March 2018}} Murray was a recognized international expert and advisor to governments, aid organizations, and lobbyists on [disarmament](/source/disarmament) and [arms control](/source/arms_control). He was significantly involved in starting the United Nations World Disarmament Campaign and drafting its policy document, which was passed by the United Nations General Assembly. He continued to be active in advocating for [disarmament](/source/disarmament) into 2019.{{cite web | title=Canada must join new negotiations to eliminate nuclear weapons | website=Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention | date=1 January 2017 | url=http://nuclearweaponsconvention.ca/2017/02/01/cnwc-statement-hill-times/ | access-date=1 February 2018}} For several years he led a campaign among members of the Order of Canada in calling for an international Nuclear Weapons Convention. Over 1,030 members of the Order have signed the statement as of May 2019.{{cite web | title=Welcome | website=Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention | date=1 December 2016 | url=http://nuclearweaponsconvention.ca/2017/01/01/welcome/ | access-date=1 February 2018}} He died on May 2, 2019, in Ottawa, Canada.[http://www.quaker.org/peaceweb/poquak01.html Murray Thomson at Peaceweb/Peace/Ottawa]{{cite web |last1=Tarasoff |first1=Koozma J. |title=Peacemaker Murray Thomson at 90 |url=http://spirit-wrestlers.blogspot.com/2012/12/peacemaker-murray-thomson-at-90.html |website=Spirit-Wrestlers Blog |publisher=Spirit Wrestlers Publishing |access-date=16 September 2025}} His archives are held by [William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections](/source/William_Ready_Division_of_Archives_and_Research_Collections) at [McMaster University](/source/McMaster_University) in [Hamilton, Ontario](/source/Hamilton%2C_Ontario). == Works == * {{cite book | last=Thomson | first=Murray | title=Minutes to midnight : why more than 800 Order of Canada recipients call for nuclear disarmament | publisher=Author | publication-place=Ottawa, ON | year=2015 | isbn=978-0-9696808-1-9 | url=http://nuclearweaponsconvention.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/MurrayT-BOOK-Minutes-to-Midnight.pdf}} *A Time to Disarm: A Discussion Guide for Stimulating a National Dialogue on Canada and the UN's Special Session on Disarmament, 23 May - 28 June 1978 By Ernie Regehr and Murray Thomson *Daring Confidence: The Life and Times of Andrew Thomson in China 1906–1942. By Murray Thomson *Toward a Culture of Peace: Can We Afford to Pay the Price? By Murray Thomson == References == == Further reading == * {{cite web |date=17 September 1990 |title=Murray Thomson | website=United Nations Association In Canada | url=http://unac.org/murray-thomson/ | access-date=1 February 2018}} * {{cite journal |editor-last=Stieren |editor-first=Carl |year=1995 |title=Ottawa Quakers active in peace work (a selection) |journal=Peaceweb |volume=1 |number=1 |publisher=Peace and Social Concerns Committee, Ottawa Monthly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends |url=http://www.quaker.org/peaceweb/poquak01.html#MTHOMSON}} * {{cite journal |date=20 October 2001 |title=Government House: Order of Canada |journal=Canada Gazette |volume=135 |number=42 |url=http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2001/2001-10-20/pdf/g1-13542.pdf}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20130523044104/http://www.gazette.gc.ca/archives/p1/2001/2001-10-20/html/gh-rg-eng.html HTML]) * {{cite web |last=Thomson |first=Murray |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnsVXxtsPBk |title=Presentation from CFOB's 20th Anniversary Party |website=YouTube}} * [https://www.pulpitandpolitics.ca/2019/05/peace-activist-murray-thomson-dies-at-96/ Peace activist Murray Thomson dies at 96] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504172810/https://www.pulpitandpolitics.ca/2019/05/peace-activist-murray-thomson-dies-at-96/ |date=2019-05-04 }} *{{cite web|title=Murray Thomson fonds - Search Research Collections|url=http://archives.mcmaster.ca/index.php/murray-thomson-fonds|website=McMaster University Library|publisher=William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections|accessdate=7 November 2019}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, Murray}} Category:1922 births Category:2019 deaths Category:Canadian Christian pacifists Category:Canadian Quakers Category:Converts to Quakerism Category:20th-century Quakers Category:University of Toronto alumni Category:Peace award winners Category:Canadian expatriates in China {{Canada-activist-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Murray Thomson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Thomson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Thomson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.