News – IPB – International Peace Bureau

Empowering Change: Palestinian Women, Resilience, and Global Solidarity with Randa Siniora

Dive into a powerful conversation on human rights, resilience, and the fight for justice with Randa Siniora, a leading Palestinian feminist and human rights activist.

In this compelling episode of the Women as Agents of Change podcast, Liza Florida sits down with the incredibly insightful Randa Siniora, a Human Rights Defender and General Director of the Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling in Palestine. Randa shares her deeply personal journey, shaped by a legacy of displacement and a lifelong defiance of patriarchal norms. She discusses the critical intersection of colonial occupation and patriarchal structures, specifically how they disproportionately impact Palestinian women.

This isn’t just a conversation about activism; it’s a testament to unwavering persistence, the vital importance of global solidarity, and the enduring power of hope in the face of overwhelming odds.

The Peace Manifesto 2025

Twenty-five years ago, UNESCO initiated the Manifesto 2000 for a Culture of Peace and NonViolence. It was signed by 75 million people around the world in support of six commitments to the culture of peace.

Today, as global crises persist and intensify—from war and militarization to climate change and inequality—the Peace Manifesto 2025 calls for a renewed and unified effort to build a culture of peace.

IPB Condemns U.S. Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites: An Illegal Escalation

Berlin, June 22, 2025

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) strongly condemns the United States’ recent military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Carried out in coordination with Israel, these attacks are a dangerous escalation that violates both international law and the U.S. Constitution—and brings the region closer to a devastating war.

Under international humanitarian law, nuclear facilities are protected due to the catastrophic risks they pose to civilians and the environment. Targeting them is inhuman and illegal. There is no credible evidence that Iran is currently pursuing nuclear weapons—U.S. intelligence has confirmed this repeatedly. Military action under these circumstances has no legal justification.

Domestically, the strikes also violate the U.S. Constitution, which grants Congress—not the President—the authority to declare war. Launching attacks without Congressional approval contradicts both the War Powers Resolution and the principles of democratic oversight.

This is more than a legal issue—it is a matter of global security. Attacking nuclear infrastructure risks the release of radioactive materials, retaliatory strikes, and rapid regional escalation. The consequences could be catastrophic—not just for Iran and the Middle East, but for the world. The USA and Iran should cease hostilities and return to serious, long-term negotiations.

NATO members must not follow a U.S. president who acts unlawfully, even within his own constitutional system. They have a responsibility to uphold international law and prevent escalation—not enable it. Silence or complicity only deepens the crisis.

There is no military solution to this crisis. IPB calls for an immediate end to all military operations, respect for international law, and return to diplomacy. Peace and common security can only be achieved through cooperation, not weapons.

Statements are available in English, French, and Russian. Check it below:

Statement in English

Statement IPB Condemns U.S. Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites Download

Statement in French

FR Déclaration IPB sur les attaques US contre l’Iran 22 juin 2025 Download

Statement in Russian

IPB statement (Russian Version) from Oleg Download

Promoting Global Peace and Nuclear Disarmament: Reiner Braun Meets with His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad

Reiner Braun, German journalist, historian, renowned peace activist, and former Executive Director of the International Peace Bureau (IPB), was recently honored with a private audience with His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba), the Fifth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

NATO’S 3.5% SPENDING GOAL: UNSUSTAINABLE ON EVERY COUNT

Issue Briefing – June 2025

A new analysis released during the NATO summit in the Netherlands by the Transnational Institute, Tipping Point North South, and Stop Wapenhandel, reveals that NATO’s growing military build-up is severely undermining global climate goals and diverting critical resources away from climate and social investment.

Since 2021, NATO member states have increased their combined military spending by 25%, reaching US $1.5 trillion. This rise has contributed to an estimated 40% increase in the Alliance’s carbon emissions—from 196 million to 273 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. In 2024 alone, European NATO members and Canada recorded their steepest annual spending increase in decades at 17.9%.

EBCO New Annual Report on Conscientious Objection In Europe

A Call to Safeguard the Right to Refuse to Kill and Resist Wars

Read the full report here or browse by country.

EBCO’s 2024 Annual Report on Conscientious Objection to Military Service in Europe is released at a time of escalating global militarisation. From the revival of conscription in Europe to the devastating impacts of ongoing wars, the protection and empowerment of conscientious objectors is more urgent than ever.

Empowering Change: Trauma Healing and Resilience with Esset Samatova

Explore the powerful intersection of trauma healing, human rights, and social change in this profound conversation with psychologist and poet Esset Samatova.

In this episode of the Women as Agents of Change podcast, Liza Florida sits down with the insightful Esset Samatova—a Santo psychologist, human rights strategist, and poet. Esset shares her journey from a ninth-grade fascination with psychology to the front lines of activism, where she pioneers a unique approach integrating trauma healing into the core of social change. She discusses the critical need to address both individual and systemic trauma, the mentors who shaped her path, and her work with the UN Minority Fellowship.

Statement On the Israeli Military Strikes on Iran – A Call for Restraint, Diplomacy, and Nuclear Disarmament

13 June | Statement by the International Peace Bureau (IPB)

The International Peace Bureau strongly condemns today’s large-scale Israeli military assault on Iranian territory. This operation, which reportedly struck nuclear enrichment sites—including Natanz—ballistic missile facilities, and military leadership compounds, marks a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region.

Civilian infrastructure has also been impacted, with casualties reported in residential areas. Iran has responded by launching a wave of drone strikes and has withdrawn from planned diplomatic talks on its nuclear programme. These events mark a critical deterioration of regional stability and significantly heighten the risk of a broader war.

This attack comes at a time when Iran is not currently assessed by international watchdogs, including the IAEA, to be pursuing nuclear weapons, though recent IAEA findings highlight a growth in Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile However, actions like these dangerously empower voices that argue nuclear deterrence is necessary for national survival. In that way, the strike may perversely encourage proliferation rather than prevent it.

Israel, widely believed to possess approximately 90 nuclear warheads, remains the only nuclear-armed state in the region. Its continued refusal to acknowledge its arsenal or engage in nuclear disarmament efforts stands in stark contrast to global non-proliferation goals.

IPB warns that targeting nuclear facilities—regardless of intent—carries catastrophic risks, both from direct damage and from the precedent it sets. Attacks on nuclear infrastructure undermine international norms and endanger the very safeguards designed to prevent nuclear catastrophe.
This moment must not become a tipping point.

IPB calls for:

An immediate halt to all offensive military operations.
The resumption of diplomatic talks addressing Iran’s nuclear activities.
Renewed international commitment to a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.
The urgent need for all states—including Israel and Iran—to join and implement the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

We urge the international community to reject further militarization, uphold international law, and invest in a diplomatic path that promotes disarmament, human security, and enduring peace.

IPB Press Release Download

Declare Neutrality and Help Prevent a U.S.-China War

Preamble:

Pacific and Pacific Rim countries are increasingly taking sides, or under pressure to take sides, in the growing confrontation between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China and are being urged to spend an increasing proportion of their public income on militarisation, to the detriment of addressing urgent social needs. A war between the USA and its allies against the People’s Republic of China and its allies would be disastrous for the people of the Pacific and Pacific Rim countries. Our survival depends upon preventing nuclear war and preserving our cultures and environments from irreversible destruction.

We, the Peoples of the Pacific and Pacific Rim countries, urgently call on each of our governments to adopt a neutral position, committing to reduce the likelihood and the scale of a U.S.-China war. Our governments should reaffirm existing maritime neutrality laws, implement country-specific neutrality policies, and refuse to participate in military escalation on any side.

Finland Considers Withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty

A concerning development has emerged from Finland: a government proposal to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the use of anti-personnel (AP) landmines, has received support from numerous Members of Parliament during discussions on Tuesday, June 3rd.

This move has sparked alarm among peace and humanitarian organizations across Finland and internationally. The Ottawa Treaty, also known as the Mine Ban Treaty, is a vital international agreement that prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines — weapons that are inherently indiscriminate and continue to harm civilians long after conflicts end.