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Summary of the demonstrations and actions on the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (24/02/2023)

February 24th, 2023 marks the 1-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. After almost one year, weapons are still not silent. News are still dominated by new attacks and their humanitarian consequences. This cannot continue. Around the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, organizations and groups from the peace and disarmament movement organized actions all over the world to show solidarity with Ukraine and call for a ceasefire and negotiations.

We compiled many actions and demonstrations in a list made public to all:

01 year Ukraine – Peace Actions and Activities 22/02 to 27/02

Many of these events were also present on the page of Peace Initiatives of sbilanciamoci.info. It is worth following their page to be updated on their latest news.

Preliminary report on national activities in the ambit of Europe-For-Peace

 Here you can find a preliminary report about activities on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Ukraine war. So far we have reports from Italy, UK/London, Belgium/Brussels, and Croatia/Zagreb. More reports from Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and also Denmark might be added soon. We thank Martin Koehler for providing us with this preliminary report.

Preliminary-report-on-national-activities-24-26-Feb-2023Download

South Korea Action regarding 1 year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – PSPD

On February 23, on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 56 South Korean civil society organizations took action to condemn the Russian invasion and call for a ceasefire.

You can find the statement here (In Korean)

Our partners of PSPD in Korea are currently translating the statement into English. We thank Sooyoung Hwang for helping us with this translation.

PEACE IS OUR VICTORY

On February 23-24, 2023, the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) happened in Vienna. The meeting coincides with the launch of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

During the OSCE session, representatives of the Austrian peace movement gather at the Vienna Hofburg and project their demand for peace in Russian, Ukrainian, English, and German on the façade of the building complex where the delegates meet: “Peace is our victory”.

Here you can find the photos: 

https://www.transform-network.net/blog/article/peace-is-our-victory/

https://www.european-left.org/campaigns/peace-is-our-victory/

https://twitter.com/ChrisNineham/status/1629147946242514945/photo/1

We thank Katerina Anastasiou from transform! Europe with this information on the activities in Vienna.

1,000 march in Helsinki to demand peace in Ukraine

Provided by our partners at Peace Union of Finland, here we have the register made by Yle News webpage.

“Events marking the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued in Helsinki on Saturday. Following a candlelight vigil on the steps of Helsinki Cathedral on Friday, there was a procession through the capital on Saturday afternoon calling for an end to the war and supporting those suffering due to it. […] ‘There are Ukrainians, Russians, and Finns here, and it seems that some foreign tourists have also joined,’ an organizer told Yle.”

We thank Laura Lodenius from the Peace Union of Finland for this information on the activities in Helsinki.

IPB Webinar – 365 Days of War in Ukraine: Prospects Towards Peace in 2023

One year after the beginning of the Ukraine war – the International Peace Bureau in cooperation with the Peace in Ukraine Coalition (USA), Movement de la Paix (France), CND (UK) and Transform! Europe held an international webinar to bring together different voices from different countries to discuss a lasting peace in Ukraine and the way towards it.

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  • Introductory words by Michael von der Schulenburg, a former UN/OSCE diplomat who also participated in the development of the Vatican peace plan;
  • Afterward, both Ukrainian and Russian activists will share their perspectives on the ongoing situation, including Oleg Bodrov (Public Council of the Gulf of Finland), Karyna Radchenko (100 Words for Peace), and Yurii Sheliazhenko (Ukrainian Pacifist Movement).
  • A roundtable discussion by different peace activists – including Corazon Valdez Fabros (IPB Co-President), Reiner Braun (former IPB Director, Germany), Lindsey German (Stop the War Coalition, UK), Alain Rouy (Movement de la Paix), Francesco Vignarca (Rete Italiana Pace e Disarmo, Italy), Medea Benjamin (CODEPINK) and Kate Hudson (CND) as moderator.

Настоятельная необходимость деэскалации для предотвращения ядерной катастрофы

– 27 февраля 2023 года –

Приостановка Россией действия договора СНВ-3 (the New START Treaty) знаменует собой последнюю опасную и безответственную эскалацию ядерных угроз после вторжения на Украину год назад. Быстрое ухудшение дипломатических отношений между Россией и Западом, наряду с усилением военных действий в Украине и прежними ядерными угрозами со стороны России, должно послужить тревожным сигналом для всего мира: мы ближе, чем когда-либо, к ядерному уничтожению.

Незадолго до российского вторжения, в январе 2022 года, лидеры пяти ядерных держав подтвердили то, что мы все знаем как истину: ядерную войну нельзя вести и ее нельзя выиграть. Вместо того чтобы принять это сообщение близко к сердцу, Россия и Запад продолжают полагаться на ядерное сдерживание как на фундаментальную стратегию своей внешней политики, в том числе в качестве щита для своих империалистических авантюр. Обе стороны виновны в подрыве режима контроля над ядерными вооружениями, установленного во время холодной войны — посещение ядерных объектов США в рамках СНВ-3 также было ограничено санкциями против России. Угроза применения ядерного оружия сейчас выше, чем когда-либо в истории со времен кубинского ракетного кризиса.

Международное бюро мира вновь призывает к немедленному прекращению огня в Украине и к участию всех вовлеченных сторон в переговорах, чтобы положить конец насилию и кровопролитию. Мы требуем, чтобы переговоры включали вопросы безопасности украинцев, россиян и западных правительств, чтобы они основывались на общей безопасности и немедленно возобновили действие договора СНВ-3, а также работали над восстановлением дальнейших договоров по контролю над ядерными вооружениями и об установлении доверия, на основе принципов общей безопасности.

Кроме того, Международное бюро мира призывает положить конец дорогостоящей модернизации ядерного оружия — многомиллиардному проекту, который ничего не делает для обеспечения безопасности, — и ко всем странам поддержать Договор о запрещении ядерного оружия (ДЗЯО) во имя безопасного и безъядерного будущего.

Мариенштрассе, 19-20

10117 Берлин, Германия

New-Start-Statement-Russian-1Download

IPB Statement: The Urgent Need for Deescalation to Prevent Nuclear Disaster 

 – 27 February 2023 

Russia’s suspension of the New START Treaty marks the latest in the dangerous and irresponsible escalation of nuclear threats since the invasion of Ukraine one year ago. The rapid deterioration of diplomatic relations between Russia and the West, alongside the intensification of the war in Ukraine and Russia’s previous nuclear threats, must serve as a wake-up call to the world: we are closer than we have ever been to nuclear annihilation. 

Just prior to the Russian invasion, in January 2022, the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states reiterated what we all know to be true: a nuclear war must not be fought and cannot be won. Instead of taking this message to heart, Russia and the West continue to rely on nuclear deterrence as a fundamental strategy for their foreign policies, including as a shield for their imperialist ventures. Both sides are guilty of eroding the nuclear arms control regime established during the Cold War – visits to US nuclear sites under New START were likewise restricted by sanctions against Russia. The threat of the use of nuclear weapons is now higher than at any point in history since the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

The International Peace Bureau calls again for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and for all involved parties to engage in negotiations to bring the violence and bloodshed to an end. We demand that negotiations include the security concerns of Ukrainians, Russians, and Western governments to rely on common security and to immediately resume the New START treaty, as well as to work for the re-establishment of further nuclear arms control and trust-building treaties, in line with the principles of common security. 

Furthermore, IPB calls for an end to the expensive modernization of nuclear weapons – a multi-billion dollar project that does nothing to ensure security – and for all nations to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons for a safer, nuclear-free future. 

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You can download the PDF version of this Statement in English here:

statement-New-Start-February-27-2023Download

You can download the PDF version of this Statement in Russian here:

New-Start-Statement-RussianDownload

➡️ Interact with us on social media especially to learn about our latest actions and activities: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

➡️ Our office is open to reply to any doubts regarding the documents that were above presented. To get in touch with us, e-mail us at info@ipb-office.berlin.

New article by Michael von der Schulenburg

Michael von der Schulenburg, a former UN/OSCE diplomat, who has lately been working on the Vatican peace plan has published a new article on the Ukraine war, the importance of the UN-Charta and the obligation to seek peace.

“[…] The Preamble of the UN Charter states that “We the peoples of the United Nations (are) determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind…” Unfortunately, this appeal of the UN Charter seems forgotten today. Especially, the original founding members, and hence supposed protectors, of the UN Charter, the US, UK, France and now also Russia, have repeatedly eroded its principles for their own political aims or, indeed, ignored it altogether. As permanent members of the UN Security Council with a veto power they were in a position to do this. In the Ukraine war, these four veto powers have now become direct adversaries, making a mockery of the UN Charter meant to prevent such wars. They thus bear primary responsibility for this war and its consequences vis-à-vis humanity.[…]” (20.02.2023, Michael von der Schulenburg in “The war in Ukraine and our obligation to seek peace – A call to find peaceful solutions”)

If you’re interested in reading the full article, please click here.

Appeal for Peace – 5,000 signatures reached

The German-Austrian appeal for peace in Ukraine, which calls for ceasefire and peace negotiations between the warring parties involved, has now exceeded the 5000 signatures mark!

Almost all German and Austrian peace organizations and peace activists have signed the appeal. It calls on the German and Austrian governments, among others, to support a UN peace initiative. The idea of a diplomatic initiative, which is now widespread in various countries, calls on governments to advocate the formation of a high-level and highly legitimized UN commission headed by the UN Secretary-General. This commission, which would be legitimized by the UN General Assembly and would have to, among others, consist of foreign ministers from influential states, has the task to bring the governments of Ukraine and the Russian Federation to the negotiating table. The goals are to achieve a ceasefire and to negotiate a binding peace order between the opposing states as a prerequisite for a European security architecture involving Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Read and support the appeal in German and English.

Press Release: Iraq War Protests +20 – Lessons from past peace movements. Actions towards a peaceful future

– 07th February 2023

Twenty years ago, on February 15th, 2003, activists from across the globe gathered in what many social movement researchers would come to describe as “the largest protest event in human history.”[1] In more than 600 cities worldwide, coordinated protests filled the streets with people expressing their opposition to the imminent United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq[2]. This was part of a series of protests and political events that had begun in 2002 and continued as the invasion, the war, and the occupation took place. 

Twenty years later, on February 15th and 16th, 2023, the International Peace Bureau (IPB), together with partners and supporters, organized an event to remember and discuss the preparation, organization, and consequences of these large anti-war rallies. We aim to highlight the lessons learned by the international and national peace movements and discuss further steps toward the future of peace when dealing with the current challenges of our times.

Named “Iraq War Protests +20”, the event will have three interconnected parts ­– parts 01 and 02 on February 15th (04:00 PM – 08:00 PM Central European Time) and part 03 on February 16th (07:00 AM – 09:00 AM CET), with the aim to address all parts of the world.

At the event we will have the participation of a variety of speakers in round tables, interviews, and other actions in different sections:

👉 COMPLETE AND UPDATED PROGRAM HERE 👈

Part 01: A glance at the past – the causes and consequences of the Iraq War

  • Video opening with footage and comments of the documentary “We Are Many” (2014), directed by Amir Amirani. Also, footage of the documentary “The Days Before – a journey through time for peace in Iraq”, a contribution from Leo Gabriel.
  • Video remarks from the organizers and participators of the activities in 2003;
  • Interview with Ismaeel Dawood, an Iraqi Human rights defender;
  • Round Table on the Impact of the war on the anti-war movement;

Part 02: A glance at the present – the current state of the peace movement

  • Participation of Noam Chomsky about the reasons behind the war, the lessons learned, and the war’s impact on global developments;
  • Round Table on the current challenges the Peace Movement Faces;

Part 03: A glance at the future – where peace will take us?

  • Summary and Highlights of the previous day;
  • Round Table on how to build the future of the peace movement;
  • Musical and Artistic Intervention;

👉 COMPLETE AND UPDATED PROGRAM HERE 👈

IraqWarProtests20-–-Detailed-Program-IPB-1Download

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_February_2003_anti-war_protests

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq

[3] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1929449/

You can register for our event here or click on the links below:

Registration link for Parts 01 & 02 (15th of February, 04 PM – 08 PM CET):

➡️ Click here to register to parts 01 & 02!

Registration link for Parts 03 (16th of February, 07 AM – 09 AM CET):

➡️Click here to register to part 03!

More details on the program are going to be uploaded on the page for the event.

You can download the PDF version of this press release here:

Press-Release-IraqWarProtests20-1Download

➡️ Interact with us on social media especially to learn about our latest actions and activities: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

➡️ Our office is open to reply to any doubts regarding the documents that were above presented. To get in touch with us, e-mail us at info@ipb-office.berlin.

IPB Call to Action – On the First Anniversary of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Let’s Show That There Are Peaceful Alternatives to War

The International Peace Bureau calls on our members worldwide to take action during 24-26 February 2023 in support of peace in Ukraine. The war, which will mark its first anniversary on 24.02.2023, has already cost more than two hundred thousand lives[1] – by conservative estimates – forced millions to flee their homes[2], caused widespread destruction of Ukrainian cities, and strained already fragile supply chains that have made life more difficult for people the world over.

We know that this war is unsustainable – and, worse still, risks escalation that threatens the life and livelihood of people around the world. The nuclear rhetoric of Russia in particular is irresponsible and demonstrates the fragility of this moment. Moreover, the war’s direct and indirect impact on the climate impedes the urgent need for a green transition[3].

There is no easy solution to the war in Ukraine, but the current track we are on is unsustainable. Through global demonstrations for peace, we seek to pressure the two sides to establish a ceasefire and to take steps toward negotiations for long-term peace.

Our calls for peace are not limited to Ukraine – for all conflicts in the world, we implore governments to refuse the logic of confrontation and war, to oppose the nuclear peril, and to commit themselves to disarmament by signing the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty. We demand that governments and states act in favor of diplomacy, negotiation, conflict prevention, and the establishment of common security systems[4].

We call for your support and your voices for peace. Please consider joining an existing event during this weekend of action, or planning your own. Together we are stronger, and can show the world that there are alternatives to war and militarization. 

Further resources:

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/10/us-estimates-200000-military-casualties-all-sides-ukraine-war

[2] https://cream-migration.org/ukraine-detail.htm?article=3573#:~:text=The%20UNHCR%20records%207%2C977%2C980%20refugees,for%20temporary%20protection%20in%20Europe. 

[3] https://www.sgr.org.uk/publications/estimating-military-s-global-greenhouse-gas-emissions

[4] https://commonsecurity.org/

You can download the PDF version of this official statement here:

IPB-Call-to-Action-On-the-First-Anniversary-of-the-Russian-Invasion-of-UkraineDownload

➡️ Click here to read the appeal in French.

➡️ Interact with us on social media especially to learn about our latest actions and activities: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

➡️ Our office is open to reply to any doubts regarding the documents that were above presented. To get in touch with us, e-mail us at info@ipb-office.berlin.

 90 Seconds to Midnight: A Wake-Up Call for Peace? 

Official Statement – 25/01/2023

On 24 January 2023, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists officially announced that the Doomsday Clock moved to 90 seconds to midnight – the closest the count has been to global apocalypse in its 78 years of existence, underlining the grim state of the world in 2023. 

This report is a wake-up call to the world; we cannot continue on the path that we have been going. The International Peace Bureau and our global network once again call on all parties involved in the war in Ukraine – including those indirectly involved through weapons transfers and other support – to push for an immediate ceasefire and take good-faith efforts to return to the negotiating table, in order to avoid the unprecedented threats that the war poses for the future of all life on our planet.

The Bulletin references the dangers of escalation in the war in Ukraine – where both parties are entrenched in their positions and Russia has threatened the use of nuclear weapons – alongside the weaponization of nuclear plants, the lack of cooperation on climate change, and the erosion of international norms.

While the war in Ukraine may be the most immediate existential threat we face, the end of the war itself is not enough to push us back from the brink. We urgently need Common Security, including a new peace architecture in Europe to avoid future conflicts.  Furthermore, we need global cooperation to eliminate nuclear weapons through the framework of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). New agreements between nuclear weapons states on reductions of such weapons, an end to their modernization and the nuclear sharing between the US and European countries, and the expansion of Nuclear Weapons Free Zones (NWFZ) could be a starting point toward their elimination.

Importantly, the “Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States” just over a year ago emphasized that a nuclear war can never be won.

Finally, we need urgent global cooperation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to clean energy; we need to cease the alarming use of new militarized like drones and artificial intelligence; and we need global justice, standing together against colonialism, militarism, inequality, and exploitation, to avoid the conflicts of tomorrow. A negation of militarism and a reduction of military spending – which globally amounts to more than 2 trillion US dollars –  in favour of social spending can ensure that we avoid moving any closer to global catastrophe.

The International Peace Bureau will continue to work with our network and partners to push us back from the brink and create a brighter, peaceful future.

You can download the PDF version of this official statement here:

IPB-Statement-90-Seconds-to-MidnightDownload

➡️ Interact with us on social media especially to learn about our latest actions and activities: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

➡️ Our office is open to reply to any doubts regarding the documents that were above presented. To get in touch with us, e-mail us at info@ipb-office.berlin.

Militarized Japan and the Biden-Kishida Summit Signal Moment in the New Cold War

Article by Joseph Gerson – 11/01/2023

➡️ Read the original article in commondreams.org

Across the Indo-Pacific, as well as in the escalating Ukraine War, humanity stands an accident or miscalculation away from the calamity of nuclear war.

Japan in December adopted a set of three security and defense strategy documents that break from its exclusively self-defense-only stance. Under the new strategies, Japan vows to build up its counterstrike capability with long-range cruise missiles that can reach potential targets in China, double its defense budget within five years, and bolster development of advanced weapons.” —Asahi Shimbun

“U.S. officials have welcomed Japan’s willingness to take on more offensive role, while experts say it could also help widen cooperation with Australia, their main regional defense partner.” —Asahi Shimbun

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida comes to Washington on Friday, January 13. Unlike Japan, his summit with President Joe Biden will not garner much press attention here in the United States, but it marks a signal moment in Japan’s rise in military power and in the implementation of the Biden Administration’s National Security Strategy. The Strategy, which prioritizes Chinese and Russian challenges to the so-called “rules-based order”, a euphemism for U.S. primacy which is rife with contradictions, prioritizes the centrality of alliances to U.S. global power, stating that “our alliances and partnerships around the world are our most important strategic asset.”

The revitalized 70-year-old U.S.-Japan alliance has renewed importance in enforcing U.S. defense of Taiwan and resisting the expansion of Chinese influence across the South China/West Philippine Sea. This Sea is the geopolitically critical expanse of ocean across which 40% of world trade—including Middle East oil which fuels East Asian economies—flows. Similarly, further integration of the Japanese and U.S. economies and technological resources are encompassed by the alliance and seen as essential to the power and wealth of both nations.

Prime Minister Kishida has stated that the summit will be a “very important” opportunity to “demonstrate at home and abroad the further strengthening of the Japan-U.S. alliance.” The alliance is not a new development. In 1952 the Mutual Security Treaty (AMPO in Japanese) was secretly imposed on Japan as a condition for ending the postwar military occupation. Since then, contrary to Japan’s “peace constitution,” the island nation has served as the center of the United States’ hub and spokes Asia-Pacific alliance structure. It reinforced the Cold War containment doctrine in Asia, and in the 21st century it plays a critical role in containing and managing China’s rise and its challenge to U.S. regional hegemony.

➡️ Read the original article in commondreams.org

Continue reading “Militarized Japan and the Biden-Kishida Summit Signal Moment in the New Cold War”

Official Documents – General Assembly 2022

From the 14th to the 16th of October 2022 in the city of Ghent (Belgium), the International Peace Bureau (IPB) held its General Assembly. In our triennial meeting, we gathered many of our Board and Council members to discuss the past, present, and future of the organization’s plans and actions. A new Board and Council were elected and we even had the opportunity to award Mr. Hiroshi “Taka” Takakusaki his Seán MacBride Prize (watch the ceremony here).

As the discussions held in our General Assembly and Council meetings are public, we now come to present the documents that were drafted and produced throughout the three days of the event. They represent IPB’s current character and serve to establish and present our organization’s focus and plans.

Continue reading “Official Documents – General Assembly 2022”