All the examples of actions listed below are taken from our IPB Newsletter (published electronically twice a month). If you are interested to receive it, please subscribe by writing to mailbox@ipb.org. Back copies are available at our website www.ipb.org/ : Newsletters & Publications > Newsletters & Calendars.

Thousands in US protests to end the war in Iraq

On 27th October, United for Peace & Justice (UFPJ) organised demonstrations against the war in Iraq in a dozen cities across the US. The protests where also a call for no war on Iran. It is regrettable to notice little media coverage of the
event, although according to UFPJ at least 100 000 people took part in these demonstrations.

See reports and videos from the regional demonstrations at : www2.oct27.org/
and read BBC article at : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7065975.stm

IANSA Women’s Network and 16 days of activism against gender violence

International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) Women’s Network is participating in this year’s 16 days of activism against gender violence form November 25th to December 10th organised by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. IANSA Women’s Network wants to use the 16 days campaign to mobilise against gun violence and invite its members to organize an event or an activity in their country on one day of the campaign.

IANSA Women’s Network website :
www.iansa.org/women
General information about the campaign at :
www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/home.html

Two citizens' initiatives in Switzerland : for prohibition of arms exports and for protection from weapons kept in the home

The first initiative aims to forbid the exports of arms and related goods - in order to make the Swiss humanitarian position more credible and to show its commitment to peace and disarmament. It was submitted on September 21st (Intl. Day of Peace) to the federal authorities along with 109 000 signatures. Swiss voters will have to vote on it later on. IPB member organisation Women for Peace is supporting this initiative.

The objective of the second initiative that has just been opened for signatures is to establish a stricter control over firearms and to reduce the number of homes containing weapons.

IPB member organisations : Centre for Non-violent Action [ FIND LINK ], the Swiss Peace Council, Women for Peace [ WomenWarPeace ? ] and Pax Christi are supporting this initiative.

The popular initiative is one of the two pillars of Swiss direct democracy, allowing citizens to modify the Federal Constitution. If 100 000 signatures can be collected for a particular initiative, a nationwide vote will be organised. More details to follow over the coming months.

Italian Mayors for peace: making Italy a nuclear weapon free zone

An initiative lauched by two Italian mayors and a large coalition of NGOs wants to make Italy a nuclear weapon free zone. This is very significant as the two mayors are from the cities where US nuclear weapons are held. The objective is to collect 50 000 signatures so the initiative can be discussed in Italian parliament. Various activities and manifestations have already been held in Italy.

More at : www.2020visioncampaign.org/pages/284/
and official site of the initiative : www.unfuturosenzatomiche.org/

German Peace bike ride

Political activists from all over Germany met in Munich for a bicycle tour to demonstrate for peace and disarmament. On a 9 day tour, they visited army bases of the Bundeswehr, weapons industry in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg as well as German Mayors for Peace.

Watch videos (in German language) at :
www.dfg-vk-mainz.de/67/
as well as in Youtube :
www.youtube.com/profile?user=querdenker0

Public weapons burning ceremony hold in Cambodia

To mark the end of a four-year Japanese arms reduction project in Cambodia, 6600 surrendered guns have been burnt under the eyes of 5000 people on September 19th. Project officer of the Japanese Assistance Team for Small Arms Management in Cambodia (JSAC) speaks about the atmosphere of trust they create among civilians, building confidence between the authorities and the public.

Read article at : www.iansa.org/

Appeal the Middle Powers Initiative (MPI) for a diplomatic and peaceful resolution of the Iran crisis
In order to avoid a dangerous escalation on the issues dividing the U.S. and Iran, the MPI has issued an appeal calling for negotiations between both parties and the need for compliance with international law and obligations. It stresses the point that the United States and other nuclear weapon states can more credibly insist on Iranian compliance with its international obligations if they meet their own nuclear disarmament obligations. IPB is a founder member of the MPI.

Full statement at : www.gsinstitute.org/mpi/archives/000332.html

CODEPINK’s protest action to call for Blackwater’s expulsion from Iraq

After the fatal shooting of 8 Iraqi civilians by Blackwater private security forces working for the U.S. in Iraq, CODEPINK, a women’s peace action group, went to protest at the company’s office and the State Department to call for their expulsion from Iraq.

Read press release at : http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=3469

Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace

The Global Alliance was launched at the first People's Summit for Departments of Peace, held in London in 2005, with the intention of supporting national-level campaigns to establish departments of peace in governments throughout the world. These Departments would operate in the realm of foreign affairs as well as at home. Their work abroad would include monitoring the world scene for signs of conflict and taking pre-emptive measures according to non-violent solution of conflicts. Their work at home would involve fostering a culture of peace at all levels of the community by transforming conflict in the home, the workplace, the school, and in all aspects of government. The vision is of a world in which peace, toleration, and justice prevail, within and between nations.

More : www.mfp-dop.org/

Iraq war : Nationwide Campaign of Grassroots Activities in US

A robust campaign of grassroots activities based on various coordinated civil, non-violent actions throughout the fall will culminate on October 27th with 10 massive demonstrations for peace across the US.

More explanations and links to the corresponding activities at United for Peace & Justice website : www.unitedforpeace.org/.

Innovative Action against the War in Iraq: Tax boycott scheduled in the US for May 15th, 2008

“Withhold from war and pay for peace” is the message of the initiative of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee. It is time for taxpayers who oppose this war to join together in nonviolent civil disobedience and show Congress how to cut off the funds for this war and redirect resources to the pressing needs of people.

More : www.nwtrcc.org/

First Peace University Online

The Transcend Peace University offers online courses on a wide range of topics related to peace.

Visit : www.transcend.org/tpu/index.shtml

Academy for Conflict Transformation, Germany

The Academy imparts knowledge and skills for sustainable peace work at home and abroad in courses, workshops and seminars. It offers facilities to learn about and discuss current issues of peace development, civil conflict transformation and the Civil Peace Service.

More : www.forumzfd.de/aka_english.html

New Tool for Mapping World’s Foreign Military Bases

Researchers from US universities, NGOs, Transnational Institute and Fellowship of Reconciliation used official sources, security websites, and private research to map more than 800 bases in more than 60 countries. A great tool based on Google Earth for visualising global military reach around the world.

More : www.tni.org/detail_page.phtml?act_id=17252&menu=11e

Action Toolkit on Banning Cluster Bombs - Now Online

Mines Action Canada has set up a very beautiful and useful site for anyone working for a ban on cluster munitions.

Available in English and French : www.minesactioncanada.org/tool_kit/

UN Video on the Creative Use of Old Weaponry

The video Transformer: AK-47s into guitars video, was produced by UN TV, with the support of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Colombia. It is the story of an artist who is helping people imagine how they can transform a history of violence by transforming AK-47 assault rifles into guitars, called escopetarras.

The video :
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/21century/21century8.rm?start=00:17:30

World Conference on A+H Bombs 2007 Successfully Held in Japan

The annual World Conference urged all governments to make bold decision at the UN General Assembly to honour their "Unequivocal Undertaking" to eliminate nuclear weapons. One of the outstanding features of this year's World Conference was the in unison emphasized urgency and significance of the abolition of nuclear weapons.

More info coming : www10.plala.or.jp/antiatom/html/e/e-index.htm

Commemoration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6th and 9th of August

The atomic bombs released over Japan in August 1945 killed a total of 145 000 people before the end of that year. Today, 62 years later, the victims of this tragic event are remembered all over the world. ‘Kaz Sueishi, who was 19 years old at the time of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and survived, said: “One second before it was heaven. One second after it was hell.”.

See : http://wagingpeace.org/articles/2007/08/04_krieger_sixty-two_years_after.htm

The new Mayor of Nagasaki Tomihisa Taue marked the anniversary of the atomic bombing by saying in a peace declaration that Japan should enact its three non-nuclear principles into law.

See :
http://mdn.mainichimsn.co.jp/national/news/20070809p2a00m0na012000c.html
For the Hirsohima Peace Declaration issued the Aug. 6 2007 : http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/declaration/English/index.html
The UN Secretary-General’s statement :
www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2696

Gun Survivors Network in India Engages Women in Small Arms Policy

The Manipuri Women Gun Survivors Network encourages women to become more involved in small arms practices with the purpose of promoting legislative reforms, conflict resolution, peace-building and development. The network was established to assist women in recovering from small arms violence, to control the use and spread of small arms, and in general in search of ways to heal the scars caused by gun violence in society.

More : http://www.iansa.org/women/bulletin11/en-web-iansa-wn-bulletin-11.pdf

Argentina Starts First Country Gun Buyback

Argentina’s first national gun buyback started on 10 July. The President announced the buyback during the Week of Action in Necochea, the home town of a teenage boy who was gunned down in July last year. The shooting caused public outcry and a strong call for tighter controls on gun purchase and ownership in Argentina.

See : www.iansa.org/

IPB and Peace Boat Session at ECOSOC, Geneva

On July 4, IPB Secretariat joined with colleagues from our member organisation Peace Boat to make a presentation of our common project at a side meeting during the annual meeting of the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the Palais des Nations. The title was Warfare or Welfare? Armed Conflict and Development. The speakers were Yoshioka Tatsuya and Jasna Bastic, from Peace Boat, and Colin Archer from IPB. Numerous experts at the conference described the urgent needs for greater investment in development programmes, but extremely few drew attention to the huge sums currently devoted to the military. The ECOSOC meeting continues until July 27.

More :
www.ipb.org/pdf-files/ECOSOC_Meeting_Leaflet_July_2007.pdf
[ CHECK LINK ]

Civil Society Forum on the Millennium Development Goals Held in Geneva

The first Civil Society Development Forum, arranged by CONGO, took place in Geneva at the end of June. A central objective of the Forum consisted in providing a venue for an in-depth discussion of the themes of the Substantive Session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), topics in focus were the eradication of poverty and hunger, pro-poor growth, reaching the MDG’s by 2015 and civil society in the UN reform.

For the full report, see :
www.ngocongo.org/index.php?what=news&id=10377

First Ever US-Social Forum

Over 10,000 grassroots activists have gathered in Atlanta the week of July 2 for the first United States Social Forum. The theme of the five-day event has been : "Another World Is Possible. Another U.S. Is Necessary." The gathering has been inspired by previous World Social Forums in Brazil, India and Kenya.

More : www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/29/1420200 [ CHECK LINK ]

IANSA global week of action against gun violence

The IANSA Week of Action against gun violence was organized between 11 – 17 June. Members around the world demanded governments to pass bills that will guarantee the security of their citizens. Members also highlighted the human cost of arms proliferation.

More : www.iansa.org/campaigns_events/woa2007/index.htm

Nuclear test prevented by citizens

IPB member organization the Movement de la Paix helped to prevent a new French nuclear test. According to a press release, the French government was to test a new missile M51 capable of carrying nuclear warhead for over a distance of 6000km.

More : www.ipb.org/doc-files/French_M51_Nuclear_Test.doc

European Left workshop: the dangers from the US “anti-missile shield” for Europe, Rostock, 5-7 June 2007

The European Left which stands as an alternative European movement against G8, held a seminar at Rostock on 5 – 7 June 2007. They called for the mobilization against the US “Anti Missile Shield” in Europe and support for a comprehensive nuclear disarmament and nuclear free Europe.

More : www.ipb.org/doc-files/Antimissiles_Rostck.doc

European Youth Disarmament Competition

European youths under the age of 28 are requested to join a competition to campaign for nuclear disarmament. To be part of BANg and Peace Boat's global campaign to raise awareness on nukes among youths, they can create card through photography, drawing, paints and using graphic design programmes on the computer.

More :
www.ipb.org/doc-files/Euro_Youths_Non_Nuclear_Competition.doc
www.postcards.bang-europe.org [ FIND LINK ]

IPB submits a discussion paper to the Committee on the Rights of the Child

IPB's Disarmament for Development programme subsumes a number of sub-projects. Among these is our work on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The purpose of this project is, in essence, to encourage states to invest in children's welfare and child rights rather than in the military. IPB has recently submitted a paper as a contribution to the Committee's work in advance of the 'Discussion Day' to be held on Sept 21 in Geneva (International Day of Peace).

More :
www.ipb.org/doc-files/CRC_Art_4_Military_Spending_IPB_Paper_Definitive.doc [LINK CORRECT DEFINITIVE FILE]
www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/discussion.htm [ FIND LINK ]

A new campaign "disarmament to combat poverty"

Over the last year IPB has developed a friendly partnership with the French development cooperation organisation 'Frères des Hommes'. We have cooperated for example over the organisation of a workshop held at the World Social Forum in Nairobi in January 2007. FdH have launched, together with colleagues in India and Pakistan, a new campaign that is very close in spirit to that of IPB : "Disarmament to combat poverty".

Here is their newsletter, available already in French and English.

More : www.france-fdh.org/campagnes/disarmament/disarmament-to-combat-poverty.htm

The Chagos Islanders wins appeal to return home

The inhabitants of the islands of Chagos who were forcefully exiled by the British in the 1960s to make way for the US military base have finally won an appeal to return home. After several years of deliberations, the British high court on the 24th May finally granted the right for the exiled islanders to return home.

More : www.ipb.org/pdf-files/Chagos_Islanders.pdf

Global peace index and sustainability

Global Peace Index ranks countries by their peacefulness and identified some of the drivers of that peace. 121 countries have been ranked by their ‘absence of violence’, using metrics that combine both internal and external factors.

More : www.visionofhumanity.com/index.php

30,000 links at new site of Better World Links

IPB wish to recommend the website of Better World Links. Better World Links are free of advertising and offer approximately 30,000 links on 20 main topics under the following headings: general information, peace, human rights, environment, sustainability, social justice, one world, politics, conflict regions, military, economy globalisation, education, religions, women, men, youth, health, culture, and news / media.

More : www.betterworldlinks.org

IPB Newsletter 16 May 2007 :

Cluster munitions - Partial success in Sweden

Frida Blom, Chair of IPB member organisation the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (Svenska Freds), reports on the result of a lobbying action undertaken by Swedish groups and members of the Cluster Munitions Campaign (CMC), with help from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) :

See : www.ipb.org/doc-files/Cluster_Bombs.doc

We globalise the Resistance! Report from the No Bases Network

The National Network for Closing the Manta base in Ecuador, together with the International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases organised in Quito, Ecuador, a remarkable conference for abolishing military bases all over the world. 400 participants from 40 countries heard speeches i.a. of Walden Bello and Joseph Gerson, and exchanged on strategies. A bus caravan to the near-by Manta base was organised. In the end of the conference President Correa declared that the Manta base treaty with the US should not be renewed when it expired in 2009.

See declaration and Agneta Norberg’s report.
More : www.no-bases.org or mail to agneta.norberg@spray.se

Resisting US military base at Vicenza

The U.S. government has proposed to make Vicenza, Italy, the largest US military site in Europe, but the people of Vicenza, and all of Italy, have sworn it will never happen.

For full report, comment and links : www.afterdowningstreet.org/vicenza

Peace doesn’t need new missiles - International Conference
against the Militarisation of Europe in Prague, Czech Republic

Faced with new US military plans to begin official negotiations with the Czech and Polish governments on May 10th, the signatories of this declaration underlign: ”We voice our protest against the plans of the Bush administration to install a ‘national missile defence system’ for the US on the territory of the Czech Republic and Poland. Most people in the Czech Republic and Poland, as well as in the rest of Europe, reject plans to host this system.”

IPB supports the process begun at the Prague meeting.
See more : www.ipb.org/doc-files/Prague_Declaration.doc

No Nukes in Our Name! - Hunger Strike at the University of California

On Wednesday, May 9th, 41 University of California (UC) students, alumni, and faculty members began a hunger strike to demand that the UC retract its management of the Los Alamos and Livermore labs. For over six decades, the UC has been the United States governments primary nuclear weapons research and design contractor. In March, the US Nuclear Weapons Council, an interagency committee of executives from the Departments of Defense and Energy, announced that the UC's Livermore facility would develop a new hydrogen bomb. The focus is the UC Regents meeting at UC San Francisco on Thursday, May 17th. Hundreds of their supporters will mobilize for direct action at the meeting…

Read more : www.ipb.org/doc-files/UCLA_Hunger_Strike.doc

Marshallese demand justice for nuke survivors

Former Marshallese activists are seeking international support for an online petition seeking justice for victims and survivors of 67 nuclear tests carried out in the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1958. Many of the nuclear test survivors are sick and unable to get adequate medical treatment and have not received monetary compensation that the U.S. promised them.

Read more about this initiative :
www.ipb.org/doc-files/Marshallese_Justice_for_Nuke_Survivors.doc

IPB Newsletter 24 April 2007 :

Global Day of Action on Small Arms, bulletin

Those who have been shocked and distressed by the shootings in Virginia and in Nagasaki - as well as the continuing high levels of violence in Iraq and elsewhere - over the last few days may find it useful to read the latest bulletin from the International Action Network on Small Arms, of which IPB is a member.

More :
www.iansa.org/
www.ippnw.org/
www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsID=14383

Dutch pension fund ABP and PGGM invest in arms production companies

Many Dutch protest against two of their largest pension funds ABP and PGGM after a television documentary revealed they had shares with producers of cluster munitions.

More :
www.investor.reuters.com/business/
BusNewsArticle.aspx?ticker=ATK&storyid=81959%2b06-Apr-2007%2bRTRS&symbol=ATK&target=
%2fbusiness%2fbuscompany%2fbuscompnewsset%2fbuscompnews
%2fbuscompnews&page=busnewsarticle [ NOT FOUND, reuters.com ]

Peace History Conference held in London

IPB is pleased to report that the Peace History conference, Encouragement and Warnings, co-organised with the Movement for the Abolition of War IPB member organisation) over the weekend of 13-14 April, was a great success. The meeting was hosted by the Imperial War Museum London and brought together over 100 historians, peace activists, students and interested citizens.

More : www.abolishwar.org.uk/peacehistory.shtml

IPB Newsletter 16 March 2007 :

Nuclear abolition update from LCNP

Nuclear abolition: New developments from Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy (USA) covering subjects such as :

• Model nuclear weapons convention updated for NPT review conference
• US hawks join moderates in call for nuclear abolition
• Mayors and Parliamentarians cooperating for a nuclear weapons free world
• Parliamentarians and the deployment and use of nuclear weapons in Europe

More : www.ialana.net

Help prevent war in Iran

Join Code Pink women for peace organization to prevent another war in Iran. Also support them in persuading the US congress to vote against the new Iraq war budget presented in the US congress.

More : www.codepinkalert.org/

Youth teams on the culture of peace launched in the Arab region

Alicia Cabezudo (IPB board member) was invited by the Youth teams on the culture of peace at Bibliotheca. With other peace advocacy colleagues, she will work with the Youth teams to foster the culture of peace in the Arab region. The meeting helped in creating a linkage with the Arab Network of Young Peace-builders.

More : www.decade-culture-of-peace.org

IPB Newsletter 9 February 2007 :

Nobel winners at World Social Forum echo demand for governments to reduce military spending

Nobel peace laureates Desmond Tutu, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai and Jody Williams speaking in the WSF urged governments to distribute their resources appropriately. They said money should be allocated to education and health rather than to military spending. As laureates, they promised to use their position to fight for global justice and peace.

More : www.thedailystar.net/2007/01/25/d7012501149.htm

Gun-lobby groups press their case at US. Capitol

Activists lobbied for a measure that would require unlicensed private sellers at gun shows to perform criminal background checks on firearms purchasers. Eleven-year-old Kailey Leinz urged US congress to close the so-called gun-show loophole.

More :
www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=
RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&%09s=1045855935264&c=
MGArticle&cid=1149192670269&path=%21news%21politics [ PAGE NOT FOUND ]

Washington peace march against the war in Iraq

Thousands marched in Washington on January 27 to protest against the war in Iraq. They called for the immediate end of the war and want American troops back home. The demonstration was also aimed on put pressure to the congress not to support Bush’s failed strategy in Iraq.

More :
www.wilpf.org/docs/jan27.html
You can visualize the anti war protest through video link at : www.truthout.org/docs_2006/013007A.shtml [ PAGE NOT FOUND ]

Conflict-zone women lobby for increase participation on peace talks and politics

Women from countries with political instability and military conflict met in Washington to push for greater participation in political process. Sudanese and Ugandan women hope to see women’s greater role in peace talks and politics in their various countries.

More : www.womensenews.org/article.cfm?aid=3041

War crimes: Support the prosecution of Donald Rumfeld

The Center for Constitutional Right and the International Federation of Human Rights urges all peace lovers to support their complaint filed in Germany against Donald Rumsfeld former US Secretary of State and other US officials for torture and war crimes.

For more on the complaint filed visit :
www.ccr-ny.org/v2/GermanCase2006/germancase.asp [ MISSING PAGE ]

You can write directly to the prosecution to express your opinion using the contact details below :
M o n i k a   H a r m s
Der Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof
Brauerstraße
3076137 Karlsruhe

Email : poststelle@generalbundesanwalt.de
Website : www.generalbundesanwalt.de/de/index.php

IPB Newsletter 17 January 2007 :

South African plea to outlaw gun ownership

South African plea to outlaw gun ownership as gun related crimes surged end of last year. South Africa is most likely the final destination of many AKs and other weapons from the long civil wars in Mozambique and Angola.

More : www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3612950

Belgian ban on investments in cluster munitions

The Belgian Senate voted in favour of a law proposal, forbidding financial institutions to invest in or finance cluster munition producers. To ensure its implementation, the law would make a duty for the Belgian state to produce a list of cluster munition producers. The proposed law needs to be discussed and hopefully approved in the chamber.

More : www.netwerkvlaanderen.be/nl/index.php

MoveOn mobilize to stop Bush's escalation in Iraq

Owing to Bush’s continuous belligerent ambitions towards Iraq, the US campaign group MoveOn launches Avaaz, a new international partnership to mobilize progressive global voices. They call for a global mobilization to help stop US occupation of Iraq.

More : www.avaaz.org/en/iraq_campaign_jan_2007/

IPB joins 13 Nobel laureates seeking strong backing for UN resolution on Myanmar – and joins visa action

Thirteen Nobel Peace Prize winners called on the UN Security Council to give unanimous support to a US-proposed resolution condemning political repression in military-ruled Myanmar. They also sought visas to visit sister Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi [ NOT FOUND ], the only imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate.

More :
www.nobelwomensinitiative.org/about.php?WEBYEP_DI=11 [ NOT FOUND ]
www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LZEG-6X6SJT?OpenDocument

Women lead in peace and stability

Women from the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, Sudan and Uganda were in Washington to discuss ways to bring youth into peace processes.

More : www.cedpa.org/content/news/detail/1036