Give peace a lawsuit

Cash-strapped organizers of this month's World Peace Forum may appeal a court decision that would hit them in the pocket books to the tune of $50,000.

A B.C. Supreme Court Justice has ordered the World Peace Forum Society to cough up the damages after former co-executive director Lynn Hainsworth was sacked from her job last November.

But current executive director Jef Keighley said organizers are “looking at … legal options”. Such a payout would mean a “big hit” to the finances of the forum, which has already shaved its budget by one-quarter to meet funding shortfalls.

Embattled forum organizers had a previous $50,000 setback earlier this year when the City of Vancouver pulled funding for a related event.

In March, the city approved a $50,000 grant for the forum amidst much debate over whether or not organizers had reached preset fundraising goals.

Either way, Keighley said the forum, running from June 23-28, is a go. “What we've said right from the outset is that we are sizing the budget to meet the available resources,” he said.

That budget now stands at about $1.3 million, down from a previous estimate of $1.9 million.

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Tags: vancouver, world peace forum