Yesterdays´news

Press Release: World Peace Congress concludes in Barcelona with successful participation

The World Peace Congress organised by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) and the International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP) ended this Sunday in Barcelona after three days of conferences, workshops, and cultural events.

Under the title “(Re)imagine the world. Action for peace and justice”, more than 2,500 people took part in this hybrid congress, with activities in Barcelona. The events took place in the Centre of Contemporary Culture (CCCB) and the Blanquerna – Universitat Ramon Llull, and broadcast on the Internet.

1,000 people attended to the congress in person, while 1,500 attended online. Participants came from 126 countries. In Barcelona, activists from 75 countries including South Korea, the United States, Afghanistan, India and Mongolia, were also able to listen to the speeches covering issues such as nuclear disarmament, climate justice, racism and the rights of indigenous peoples.

As IPB Executive Director, Reiner Braun, explains, this is the biggest international peace event of this year. “The congress was a great success. We got a great support from the city of Barcelona and the president of the government of Catalonia. From my point of view, it was the right congress in this difficult political time and in the right place because we got a big support from the city. The IPB will definitely continue working on the way of more engagement for peace after the congress”.

Jordi Calvo, IPB Vice-President and member of the local committee, affirms: “At the congress we have seen that the peace movement is not alone. The large participation of feminist, anti-racist and global justice movements in the conferences and seminars shows that pacifism is more alive than ever, but that it needs to adapt to new narratives and generations. After this congress, the Catalan, Spanish, European and global peace movement is stronger”

The congress started on Friday 15 October with an event attended by the President of the Generalitat Pere Aragonés and the Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau. The opening session was attended by prominent names such as British politician Jeremy Corbyn and ICAN Executive Director Beatrice Fihn. The open plenary can be accessed here.

Sean MacBride Award

Each year, IPB gives the Sean MacBride Peace Prize to an individual or organisation that has done outstanding work for peace, disarmament and/or human rights. This year the award was awarded to Black Lives Matter for the movement’s dedication and work to create a world where the lives of black people can thrive.

On the second day of the World Peace Congress in Barcelona, Rev Karlene Griffiths Sekou, community minister, academic and activist, and director of Healing Justice and International Organizing received the award on behalf of the social movement.

“Our movement is not a moment in time, it is a constant reminder to eradicate white supremacy, change racist policies and overthrow oppressive systems”.

“We thank the International Peace Bureau for their recognition and thank the community leaders, local activists and ancestors, who fuel the relentless will of our movement and inspire us to re-imagine a world for our children and for future black generations,” she added.

Photos from the congress:

You can access the photos of the congress via this link.

Press Release and final declarations:

You can find all the press releases and the final declarations here.

 

The IPB Recognizes Black Lives Matter with the Sean MacBride Peace Prize

Black Lives Matter has been recognized by the International Peace Bureau’s (IPB) Steering Committee for the movement’s dedication and work to create a world where Black lives can thrive. On the second day of the World Peace Congress in Barcelona, Rev. Karlene Griffiths Sekou, community minister, scholar and activist and Director of Healing Justice and International Organizing, received the award in the representation of the social movement.

“Black liberation and complete freedom has always been our vision at Black Lives Matter. Our movement is not one moment in time — it’s a constant reminder to eradicate white supremacy, upend racist policies and topple oppressive systems. At its core, our movement also works to envision and create space that centers Black art, culture, and joy. I am reminded by the words of Black scholar Ruthie Gilmore who noted that abolition is presence, not absence, and it’s about building life-affirming institutions that allow all of us to thrive”, she said.

“Since its founding eight years ago, BLM has remained rooted in its community leaders, local advocates, and young activists. They are the ones that marched the streets, uplifted individuals and families impacted by unjust policies, and tirelessly advocated to make sure our voices are heard in the Halls of Congress. Our movement continues because our young and local leaders have and continue to lead our movement together in struggle and unceasingly. We know the world is watching us. We thank the International Peace Bureau for recognizing us, and thank the community leaders, local activists, and the ancestors, who fuel the unrelenting will of our movement and inspire us to reimagine a world for our children and for future Black generations to come”, she added.

Every year the IPB awards the Sean MacBride Peace Prize to a person or organization that has done outstanding work for peace, disarmament and/or human rights.

The ceremony held on the 16th of October gathered more than 70 attendees including remarkable peace activists and personalities, including Jeremy Corbyn and Binalakshmi Nepram.

IPB Joins International Peace & Common Security Advocates Opposing QUAD and AUKUS Alliances

Peace and Common Security Advocates from Around the World Oppose QUAD (Japan, India, US, Australia), & AUKUS (Australia, UK, US) Militarism & Urge Common Security Collaborations to Address Existential Nuclear, Climate & Pandemic Threats.

Meeting on the eve of the QUAD alliance summit, peace, justice and common security advocates from the QUAD and AUKUS member countries, and Australia, Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, India, Britain, Germany, and the U.S. met to analyze and build opposition to the dangerous and increased militarism of the QUAD and AUKUS alliances.

The incipient coalition decries the QUAD and AUKUS alliances which dangerously intensify geostrategic military tensions with China. In addition to increasing the dangers that accidents or miscalculations to trigger escalation to catastrophic wars, this increased military competition seriously undermines the possibility of U.S.-Chinese and broader international cooperation to reverse the existential threats of nuclear weapons, the climate emergency, and pandemics.  The strategic competition between the great powers includes the danger of a great power war which will destroy the planet.

Continue reading “IPB Joins International Peace & Common Security Advocates Opposing QUAD and AUKUS Alliances”

Announcement: 2021 MacBride Peace Prize recipients

Announcement: 2021 MacBride Peace Prize recipients

  • Alexander Kmentt, Ambassador and Director of the Department of Disarmament, Arms-Control and Non-proliferation, Austria
  • Assistant Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), Myanmar/Burma

About the Sean MacBride Peace Prize

Every year the IPB awards a special prize to a person or organization that has done outstanding work for peace, disarmament and/or human rights. These were the principal concerns of Sean MacBride, the distinguished Irish statesman who was Chairman of IPB from 1968-74 and President from 1974-1985. MacBride began his career as a fighter against British colonial rule, studied law and rose to high office in the independent Irish Republic. He was a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (1974)

The award is decided by the IPB Steering Committee. IPB members are welcome to make suggestions and provide background documentation on potential candidates.

The Prize is a non-monetary one.

Assistant Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), Burma

Established in 2000, AAPP is a human rights organization that advocates for the release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners within Burma/Myanmar. The organization is headquartered in Mae Sot, Thailand, close to the Burman border as many of AAPP’s staff members are former political prisoners exiled from the country. The organization accurately states that “As long as political prisoners exist inside Burma, Burma will not be free”. Since the military coup d’état staged by the Burman military on February 1 2021, the AAPP have continued to tirelessly and diligently documented each and every death caused by the Junta. Their work makes them targets of the Junta, but this is a sacrifice they willingly embrace, placing the future and wellbeing of their country before themselves. In recognition of their bravery and commitment to securing the freedom and democratic rule of Burma, the IPB decided to award AAPP the Sean MacBride Peace Prize for 2021. The AAPP has graciously accepted this award which will be officially given during a ceremony in 2022.

Alexander Kmentt, Ambassador and Director of the Department of Disarmament, Arms-Control and Non-proliferation, Austria

Mr Alexander Kmentt is the President-designate for the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a role he fulfils alongside his Directorship of the Department of Disarmament. Arms-Control and Non-proliferation within the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Kmentt has a long career behind him of advocating for a reduction in arms production, sale and use, especially nuclear weapons, bringing these issues to the highest levels of government and imploring decision makers to take notice and take action. Mr Kmentt was one of the key architects to the TPNW. In 2014 he organized the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons which culminated in the Humanitarian Pledge which was endorsed by 135 States and played a significant role in the TPNDW’s fruition. For these reasons, among others, the IPB board decided to award Mr Kmentt the Sean MacBride Peace Prize for 2021. Mr Kmentt has humbly accepted this award, which will also be given during a ceremony in 2022.

To download the press note as a pdf, please click here.

 

Webinar Report: Religion, Peace and Sanctuary

On August 25th, Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) organized a Webinar with seven radical visionaries and activists for peace, who have been inspired by their faith traditions to use their power, privilege and trust in God in the struggle to end war, open borders, and provide sanctuary honoring the dignity and human rights of all people.

The webinar was coordinated as a pre-event for the IPB World Peace Congress to be held from the 15th October until the 17th October.

If you want to watch the webinar, please click here.

 

CND Campaign: Report the UK to the UN for breaking international law

CND is reporting the UK government to the United Nations for breaking international law.

he UK government has announced it will increase the number of nuclear warheads in its arsenal for the first time since the Cold War. A legal opinion commissioned by CND has confirmed this is a breach of international law.

As a signatory to the UN’s nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the UK has committed to working towards disarmament. Instead, it is going the other way and getting more nuclear weapons, and during a pandemic no less!

CND is reporting the UK to the President-designate of the upcoming NPT Review Conference – a significant international summit to monitor progress, or lack thereof, of the treaty.

If you want to take action, join the initiative and sign here.

Nuke Free Europe: Human chain against nuclear arms in Büchel (Germany)

On Sunday 5 September, the European month of action against nuclear weapons in Europe was kicked off in Büchel, Germany. 800 peace activists formed a human chain to protest against the US nuclear bombs at the Fliegerhorst air base as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangements.

The action took place just weeks before the September 26 federal elections to call on Germany to join the UN nuclear weapons ban (TPNW), which has been in force since January 22, 2021. The peace movement has been campaigning against nuclear arms at the air base for 25 years. The human chain was organized by the campaign “Büchel is everywhere! Nuclear Weapon Free Now”. Continue reading “Nuke Free Europe: Human chain against nuclear arms in Büchel (Germany)”