The year 2016 was an important one for IPB, for three reasons. It saw the sudden rise of new and dangerous forms of populism around the world; it was the year in which we held the Berlin Congress and elected a new leadership at the Triennial Assembly; and it marked the beginning of the transition towards a new, more decentralised IPB. As ever, the staff, elected officials and members were extremely busy promoting our peace agenda. In the Activity Report 2016 you can read some of the details and gain an insight into the workings of the organisation.
News
120 Actions from 40 Countries
Meet the spirit and diversity of the IPB community! Must see – 200 photos of actions on military spending.
Statement by the Republic of Kazakhstan on the occasion of 2017 Global Day of Action on Military Spending
The world has entered a new and troubling era. Tensions and conflicts are increasing as are suspicions and competition between major powers. This, in turn, is leading to a new arms race and a greater use of force to defend national interests and expand spheres of influence.
Read the whole article at: http://mfa.gov.kz/index.php/en/last-news/8736-statement-by-the-republic-of-kazakhstan-on-the-occasion-of-2017-global-day-of-action-on-military-spending
Program: NPT Prepcomm in Vienna
GCOMS Second Statement on the occasion of the Global Days of Action on Military Spending 18-28 April 2017
There are plenty of reasons to renew, once again and for the 7th year running, our call for a cut in military spending (based upon SIPRI data), so that the world can move a little closer to the human security approach that would better serve humanity.
Why Is There So Little Popular Protest Against Today’s Threats of Nuclear War?
by Lawrence Wittner
In recent weeks, the people of the world have been treated to yet another display of the kind of nuclear insanity that has broken out periodically ever since 1945 and the dawn of the nuclear era.
IPB Statement: A Prophetic Voice for Our Time
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr’s’ April 4, 1967
“Beyond Vietnam, Breaking the Silence Speech”
Fifty years ago, on April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech which rings across the decades. It is among the most remarkable expressions of prophetic moral, intellectual and spiritual courage. In his speech, titled “Beyond Vietnam – Breaking the Silence,” King – already the Nobel Peace Laureate – broke ranks with pragmatic critics within the U.S. Civil Rights movement who feared the political blowback of denouncing President Johnson’s catastrophic war in Indochina, and named the greatest obstacles to freedom in the United States – and the West: the triple evils of racism, militarism and extreme materialism.
Selected elements of a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons
New York, 27 March 2017
In this paper, the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA) discusses selected proposed elements of a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, leading to their total elimination, to be negotiated this year. The elements discussed are ones of special concern to IALANA; we have made no effort to provide a comprehensive catalogue, and there are many important elements not discussed here. IALANA draws in particular on our experience, with colleagues from other organizations, in the drafting of the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention.