Peace Education

Global Day of Action on Military Spending 2011 – IPB activities

IPB worked with several other organisations to organise three very successful activities to mark the Global Day of Action on Military Spending – a project itself co-coordinated by IPB. Activities included a public action at the Place des Nations, a lunchtime seminar on ‘Military Spending or the MDGs?’, and an evening meeting on militarisation in Burma.

What we did:

1. Public action at the Place des Nations in front of the UN, with 2 famous disarmament monuments, the Landmines Chair and the Twisted Cannon. It was organised by IPB and the Group for Switzerland without an Army/GSSA. A Symbolic installationt shows the vast disparity between global military spending and what is needed for the MDGs – using 160 boxes each representing $10bn, and 30 boxes for the MDGs. Continue reading “Global Day of Action on Military Spending 2011 – IPB activities”

Ireland: IPB congratulates new Irish President

11 November, 2011

IPB warmly congratulates newly-elected President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins as he officially begins today his seven-year term of office. Michael D. Higgins was the first-ever winner of the IPB-sponsored Sean MacBride Peace Medal in 1992, a prize which recognizes people who have shown an outstanding commitment to the promotion of peace, justice and human rights. The IPB believed that Michael D. was a worthy and very appropriate first winner of this Prize and now believe that he will be an inspirational Irish President, continuing to highlight the urgent need for peace in a world torn apart by war and conflict. Continue reading “Ireland: IPB congratulates new Irish President”

Syria: IPB calls on Ban Ki-Moon to act urgently in Syria

30 October, 2011

The IPB Council meeting in Potsdam on 29-30 Oct. 2011, calls on the UN Secretary General to use all the non-violent tools of the UN to protect civilians in Syria, and in other places where people are striving for democracy and decent human conditions.  IPB appeals to him to involve international expertise in peace-building and peaceful handling of conflicts, as well as the regional bodies, notably the Arab League and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, in facilitating negotiations between the Syrian Government and those protesting against undemocratic and violent behaviour. IPB urges Ban Ki-moon to exert his influence on member states in order to avoid that the Security Council adopts a militaristic interpretation of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine, as we saw in Libya.

Norway: IPB offers condolences to Norway and urges greater commitment to peace work

26 July, 2011

Observers all over the world were deeply moved to see the dignified grief expressed by the Norwegian people yesterday in the wake of Friday’s atrocities. The huge, spontaneous demonstrations in Oslo and in many other communities – with flowers held aloft – spoke volumes about the country’s firm commitment to solidarity and democracy. Continue reading “Norway: IPB offers condolences to Norway and urges greater commitment to peace work”

Libya: IPB condemns military strikes and urges political negociations to protect the civilian popula

21 March, 2011

A new historical era opened three months ago with the popular uprisings in Tunisia and then Egypt, the first of the ‘Arab spring’ season. These rebellions brought hope to millions and youthful energy to societies suffering decades of repression, injustice, inequality, especially gender inequality, and increasing economic hardship. The Libyan revolt was inspired by these largely nonviolent victories, but, as the world has witnessed with dismay, has rapidly become militarized and is now embroiled in a full-scale civil war. Continue reading “Libya: IPB condemns military strikes and urges political negociations to protect the civilian popula”

Nuclear Weapons: at what cost?

Ben Cramer, 2009, 150pp

Nuclear weapons not only threaten massive destruction, but they also incur enormous costs. Apart from the damage caused by blast, fire and radioactive fallout from actual use in warfare, the weapons impose major financial, moral and political costs on nuclear weapons states and countries that host the weapons. The US alone spends annually over US$ 50 billion on its nuclear arsenal, and the global annual total is around  $90 billion. At a time of global economic crisis, when the international community is also struggling to come up with ways to respond to climate challenge and dwindling energy resources, can this be the right use of public money? Nuclear Weapons: At What Cost? offers a survey of the costs of the nuclear weapons programmes of all the relevant states

Four key concept in implementing article 4 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

By Bruce Abramson and Clara Didio, 2007

One important reason for the persistent gap between the CRC and its implementation is the failure of governments to allocate adequate resources for the realization of rights, in spite of their obligation to fulfill economic, social and cultural rights “to the maximum extent of their available resources”, as set out in CRC Art. 4. As a matter of fact,  military spending takes a far greater share of both public spending and national income in most countries, thereby diverting huge resources from programmes for children and adolescents.

Reduction of military spending, greater fairness in budget allocations for young people, as well as more transparency and accountability in government expenditures, must all become major components of efforts to promote the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Full text here.