Peace Education

IPB at Rio+20

ipb at rio+20With the help of its many partner organizations, IPB was able to bring the disarmament perspective to Rio+20. Through our side events on ‘disarmament for development’ and ‘the linkages between food security and armed conflicts’, we were able to discuss with other stakeholders the importance of disarmament and to encourage them to join our call.
The main attraction of the week, however, was our tank made of bread. Continue reading “IPB at Rio+20”

Opportunity Costs: Military Spending and the UN Development Agenda

By Colin Archer and Annette Willi, 2012

IPB wrote a Position Paper entitled Opportunity Costs: Military Spending and the UN’s Development Agenda. It makes the case that military spending should be taken into consideration in the debate now under way on the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda (following on from the Millennium Development Goals). In IPB’s view, militarization is a significant factor in the sustainable development equation, often undermining the security of citizens. At the same time, the massive resources devoted to the military sector could – if even a small portion were reallocated – make a major contribution to meeting the challenges of mass poverty, unemployment and climate change.

IPB critical of Nobel Peace Prize for the European Union

12 October, 2012

“For a peacemaking bloc, this is a highly militarized one”

The IPB finds the award of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union surprising in that it awards a prize not to a head of state but to an entire bloc of states, thus making it difficult to identify the real recipient. Is the EU really a ‘champion of peace’, as Nobel conceived it? Or is it a club of states with many contradictory impulses and interests? Continue reading “IPB critical of Nobel Peace Prize for the European Union”

Global Day of Action on Military Spending 2012 – IPB activities

On April 17, IPB organised two events to mark the second GDAMS.

What we did:

gva seminar panelLunchtime seminar at the UN

Diplomats and NGOs participated in this event. The panel was composed of:

– Mr. Kassym-Jomaert Tokayev, Director-General of UNOG, who highlighted the role of the civil society in drawing attention to military spending and its impact on human security. Continue reading “Global Day of Action on Military Spending 2012 – IPB activities”

On the occasion of the annual commemorations of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

3 August, 2012

On August 6 and 9 our thoughts turn once again to the tragic destruction of the two Japanese cities in 1945, and in particular to the victims of this first, and hopefully last, use of nuclear weapons in warfare. As the years go by, there are fewer and fewer of the hibakusha left alive to witness to the horror they experienced at a young age. Continue reading “On the occasion of the annual commemorations of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”

2014: 100 years since the start of World War I

30 May, 2012

The centenary of the outbreak of the First World War takes place in just over two years. Already governments and other official-level bodies are planning extensive commemorations, both nationally and on the European level. Numerous exhibitions, books, films and other projects are in the making. Peace perspectives need to be heard, especially in the mass-media debates, and in productions aimed at informing young people. Continue reading “2014: 100 years since the start of World War I”