Date/Time
Date(s) - Friday - Sep 8, 2017 - Saturday - Sep 9, 2017
All Day
Location
Protestantische Versöhnungskirche Frank Schuster
Categories No Categories
Without global military bases wars would be impossible. For that reason, the closure and conversion of these bases, for example to civil production places, is a fundimental aim of the international peace movement.
US-military bases are predominant in foreign countries. Their presence is legitimised by contracts with “hosting states”. These contracts can be terminated successfully, as examples in Latin America and Central Asia have shown.
With this congress, we aim to critically examine the geo-strategic role of military bases and to illustrate the demands and chances of movements within the realm of civil society. In the past there were already established very good starting points for a worldwide network against military bases.
The goal is to reactivate this cooperation.
Friday, 8 Sept | 1 – 6 pm
| 1 – 3 pm | Opening Speeches
· Welcome Speech (Connie Burkert-Schmitz, Karl-Heinz Peil) · Global Military Bases and their geostrategic importance (Ann Wright) · The importance of US Air Base Ramstein as Military Base (Fee Strieffler/ Wolfgang Jung) · US Military Bases abroad – Is everything allowed or are there legal restraints? (Otto Jäckel) Chair: Pascal Luig, Cooperation for Peace |
| 3.30 – 5.30 pm | Working Groups
· Global Military Bases (Karl-Heinz Peil) · The relevance of US Air Base Ramstein (Fee Strieffler/Wolfgang Jung) · Military Bases within the global NATO-Strategy (Klaus Hartmann) · Social and ecologic effects of Military Bases, regarding the gender aspect (Kristine Karch) |
| 5 pm | Poster Session to present the mentioned Military Bases |
Saturday, 9 Sept | 9.30 am – 1.30 pm
| 9.30 – 11.30 am | Panel Discussion:
Examples for local resistance, i.a.: · Okinawa, Japan: Ikuko Ueno (Nago City Peace Comittee) · South Korea: Hohyun Choi (People‘s United Party) · Shannon, Ireland: Michael Youlton, John Lennon (IAWM) · USA: Ann Wright (CODEPINK) · United Kingdom: Dave Webb (CND) · Estonia: Victor Polyakoff (European LEFT) · France: Alain Rouy (Mouvement de la paix) · Sweden: Agneta Norberg (Swedish Peace Council) Presentation of planned local activities: for example at Büchel, Jagel, Ramstein, Eucom, Kalkar |
| 12 noon – 1.30 pm | Final Round
· Strategic considerations · Concept of networking, i.a. with Claudia Haydt (IMI), Anne Rieger („Bundesauschuss Friedensratschlag“), Ann Wright, Michael Youlton and Ikuko Ueno. · Closing Remarks: Reiner Braun |
The International Congress about Military Bases is part of the project „Stopp Air Base Ramstein“ (https://www.ramstein-kampagne.eu/).
Participants who are explicitly interested into the congress, are also welcome.
The congress will be held in German and English.
Please register at: info@ramstein-kampagne.eu