SAVE THE DATE: IPB World Peace Congress Barcelona 2021

IPB is excited to announce the tentative dates for our large gathering next year – a follow-up to IPB’s 2016 World Peace Congress in Berlin – provisionally entitled the Second IPB World Peace Congress Barcelona 2021: Stronger Together, Building Back Better for Inclusive Peace.

We invite you to join us for the event from October 15-17 2021 in the Mediterranean city of Barcelona and ask you to join us in the preparation and promotion of the event.

Continue reading “SAVE THE DATE: IPB World Peace Congress Barcelona 2021”

Concluding Statement on the Prospects for a Culture of Peace

Concluding statement on the prospects for a culture of peace.

By Ingeborg Breines, former IPB Co-President. Written for the webinar ‘A Climate of Peace’ hosted by IPB and the Peace Union of Finland on 7 November 2020. For the complete webinar, visit our YouTube channel.

Continue reading “Concluding Statement on the Prospects for a Culture of Peace”

4th International Congress against Military Bases and Wars Develops New Strategies for International Cooperation

Read the complete congress declaration in English y en español.

The 4th International Congress against Military Bases and Wars was held on 25 September 2020 as a hybrid online-offline event due to the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 20 people were present in Berlin and more than 70 online to discuss the current state of military bases around the world and what actions must be taken to combat the growing trends of militarism, confrontation, environmental degradation, and more.

Continue reading “4th International Congress against Military Bases and Wars Develops New Strategies for International Cooperation”

IPB Co-President Philip Jennings Speaks to 2020 World Conference against A and H Bombs

On Nagasaki Day 2020, the 75th anniversary of the USA dropping an atomic bomb on the city, IPB Co-President Philip Jennings gave the following speech to the attendees of the 2020 World Conference against A and H Bombs: Continue reading “IPB Co-President Philip Jennings Speaks to 2020 World Conference against A and H Bombs”

Le Mouvement de la Paix Calls for Action Against French Missile Launches

*Update on June 12

Firing of an M51 Missile on June 12

At 8:20 am, the Téméraire, a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SNLE) successfully fired an M51 strategic ballistic missile at the tip of Penmarc’h in Finistère. “This test demonstrates our technological excellence and our attachment to French sovereignty” declared Florence Parly, Minister of Defence. The government is therefore insisting on launching its new missile campaign in Brittany not only in violation of the NPT, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons signed by France, but also in defiance of the real financial requirements of the present time and still environmental requirements. Let us recall that a missile costs 120 million euros, a sum which represents the gross annual salary of 7500 nurses. This missile is designed to carry six atomic bombs, each of which can destroy a city like Paris in a few seconds. Indignation and protest among many citizens: the pandemic has revealed, if proof were needed, that the real priorities must be given to health, social and environmental emergencies and not to expensive tests for better performance of our works of death.

In compliance with health precautionary measures, demonstrations, at the initiative of the Peace Movement, which denounced these tests, took place in various cities and on the very premises of the operation’s command centre, where some sixty people gathered at the tip of Penmarc’h, near the semaphore and the vessel providing the fire command logistics.

The original text in French can be found below.

Together we reject the new tests of M 51 nuclear missile in Brittany

In the midst of a health crisis, the government insists on developing its new nuclear weapons programs to the detriment of health, social and environmental priorities.

This obstinacy is expressed through a new campaign of tests of the Nuclear Missile M51 (1) organized, from 9 June and over several weeks, from the point of Penmarc’h in Brittany.

These weapons of mass destruction, dangerous for the survival of humanity, are illegal under international law, immoral, useless for our security and costly.

To express their opposition to this campaign, the Brittany committees of Le Mouvement de la Paix decided to organize citizen initiatives in the form of pickets of protest, or protest circles, or picnics for peace, and this in compliance with the rules of health prudence, in different cities of Brittany (Nantes, Rennes, Lannion, Saint Malo, Penmarc’h, Morlaix, etc.)

Le Mouvement de la Paix at the national level supports these initiatives and calls everywhere in France its committees, citizens and all organizations that consider it necessary to reverse the priorities in favor of health and environmental emergencies, to amplify this movement through multiform local actions in the maximum number of cities.

In the respect of the measures of health precautions, protest gatherings with about ten people can be organized in the coming days and until the end of June in front of the town halls, privileged places of expression of the citizenship, or in front of the prefectures,  symbolic places of state power. The priorities in favour of health, social and ecological security of the population, in favour of an ambitious multiannual programme for public hospitals and homes for senior and dependent persons, and a plan for ecological security must be expressed forcefully.

At the same time must be expressed the requirement, shared by 78% of the French (2), of visible political acts in favor of nuclear disarmament by the French government, like the freezing of new nuclear weapons modernization programs and the signing of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons adopted at the United Nations in July 2017. Every citizen can also support this initiative by signing the petition so that France and all the states of the world ratify the Treaty.

Le Mouvement de la Paix – June 9, 2020

(1) Each M51 missile costs 120 million euros, which represents the annual gross salary of 7,500 nurses. Each M51 carries six atomic bombs, each of which can destroy a city like Paris in seconds. Each of the 4 French nuclear submarines carries 16 nuclear missiles. The replacement of these 4 nuclear submarines, which is at the heart of the military programming law passed by the government majority, constitutes a violation of Article 6 of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

(2) Ifop survey/La Croix/ Le Mouvement de la Paix/ Planète Paix .


*mise à jour du 12 juin

Tir d’un Missile M51 le 12 juin

A 8h20, le Téméraire, sous-marin nucléaire lanceur d’engins (SNLE) a tiré avec succès un missile balistique stratégique M51 à la pointe de Penmarc’h dans le Finistère. « Cet essai démontre notre excellence technologique et notre attachement à la souveraineté française » a déclaré Florence Parly, Ministre de la Défense. Le gouvernement s’obstine donc à lancer sa nouvelle campagne de tirs de missiles en Bretagne non seulement en violant le TNP, traité de Non-Prolifération des Armes Nucléaires signé par la France mais aussi au mépris des vraies exigences financières actuelles et toujours environnementales. Rappelons qu’un missile coûte 120 millions d’euros, somme qui représente le salaire brut annuel de 7500 infirmières. Ce missile est conçu pour porter six bombes atomiques dont chacune peut détruire une ville comme Paris en quelques secondes. Indignation et protestation parmi de nombreux citoyens : la pandémie a révélé, s’il en était besoin, que les vraies priorités doivent être portées vers les urgences sanitaires, sociales et environnementales et non vers des essais coûteux pour de meilleures performances de nos œuvres de mort.

Dans le respect des mesures de précaution sanitaires, des manifestations, à l’initiative du Mouvement de la Paix qui dénonce ces essais, ont eu lieu dans différentes villes et sur les lieux même du centre de commandement de l’opération où une soixantaine de personnes se sont retrouvées à la pointe de Penmarc’h, à proximité du sémaphore et du bâtiment assurant la logistique de commandement du tir.

Ensemble refusons la nouvelle campagne de tirs du missile nucléaire M 51 depuis la pointe de la Bretagne

En pleine crise sanitaire, le gouvernement s’obstine à développer ses nouveaux programmes en faveur des armes nucléaires au détriment des priorités sanitaires, sociales et environnementales.

Cette obstination s’exprime à travers une nouvelle campagne de tirs d’essais du Missile Nucléaire M51 (1) organisée, à partir du 9 juin et sur plusieurs semaines, depuis la pointe de Penmarc’h en Bretagne.

Ces armes de destruction massive, dangereuses pour la survie de l’humanité, sont illégales au vu du droit international, immorales, inutiles pour notre sécurité et coûteuses.

Pour dire leur opposition à cette campagne, les comités de Bretagne du Mouvement de la Paix ont décidé d’organiser des initiatives citoyennes sous forme de piquets de protestation, ou cercles de protestation, ou pique-niques pour la Paix dans différentes communes de Bretagne et ce dans le respect des règles de prudence sanitaire (Nantes, Rennes, Lannion, Saint Malo, Penmarc’h, Morlaix…)

Le Mouvement de la Paix au plan national apporte son soutien à ces initiatives et appelle partout en France ses comités, les citoyennes et citoyens et toutes les organisations qui estiment nécessaires d’inverser les priorités en faveur des urgences sanitaires et environnementales, à amplifier ce mouvement à travers des actions locales multiformes dans le maximum de communes.

Dans le respect des mesures de précautions sanitaires, des cercles de protestation regroupant une dizaine de personnes peuvent être organisés dans les jours qui viennent et jusqu’à la fin du mois de juin devant les mairies lieux privilégiés d’expression de la citoyenneté ou les préfectures lieux symboliques du pouvoir de l’Etat.

Les priorités en faveur de la sécurité sanitaire, sociale et écologique des populations, en faveur d’un programme pluriannuel ambitieux pour les hôpitaux publics et les EHPAD, d’un plan pour la sécurité écologique doivent être exprimées avec force.

Dans le même temps doit s’exprimer l’exigence, partagée par 78 % des français (2), d’actes politiques visibles en faveur du désarmement nucléaire de la part du gouvernement de la France, comme le gel des nouveaux programmes de modernisation des armes nucléaires et la signature du Traité d’interdiction des armes nucléaires (TIAN) adopté à l’Onu en juillet 2017. Chaque citoyen peut aussi soutenir cette démarche en signant la pétition pour que la France et tous les Etats du monde ratifient le TIAN.

Le Mouvement de la Paix – 9 juin 2020

  1. Chaque missile M51 coûte 120 millions d’euros, somme qui représente le salaire brut annuel de 7500 infirmières. Chaque M51 porte six bombes atomiques dont chacune peut détruire une ville comme Paris en quelques secondes. Chacun des 4 sous-marins nucléaires français est porteur de 16 missiles nucléaires.Le remplacement de ces 4 sous-marins nucléaires, qui est au cœur de la loi de programmation militaire votée par la majorité gouvernementale, constitue une violation de l’article 6 du Traité de Non- Prolifération Nucléaire (TNP).
  2. Sondage Ifop/La Croix/Mouvement de la Paix/Planète Paix.

Down by the Riverside and the Urgency of Now

Philip Jennings, Co-President of the International Peace Bureau, writes that the global pandemic has brought with it a call for change in the world. That change must include a new era for peace. The postponement of the UN Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons may be a blessing – as the Covid-19 crisis brings with it the call to build back a better world, and that means one without nuclear weapons. Could there be a peace dividend emerging from this crisis? The time has come for a new Global Commission for our Common Human Security.

Continue reading “Down by the Riverside and the Urgency of Now”

Updates from Latin America: Everyday Wars in the Search for Peace

Written by Patricia Pérez, Executive Director of ILAPyC and IPB Board Member.

Starting in April 2020, we will begin providing regular updates and a platform for the exchange of ideas and opinions that strengthen our actions for peace and citizenship in the Latin America and Caribbean region.

In this part of the world, there are wars, silent conflagrations, on a daily basis; they are brutal, full of immense pain and fear. Many experience fear and inequality within their families – women, children, and many times the elderly, are cornered by cultural bindings, where the “man” has all the rights and the house and its inhabitants revolve around him, his whims, prejudices, and atavisms.

Everyday wars are fought in society, between violent groups that fight to kill or be killed over coveted territories for their illegal businesses trafficking drugs or people.

These types of wars have been dangerously normalized to the point of turning illicit work into a social status.

It is a matter of pride to own the most modern, latest-generation light arms, modern cars, and fashionable clothing that give one “prestige” and recognition with certain social segments that, without belonging to the criminal gangs, look upon these pathetic traits as an opportunity for social advancement.

It is in these vulnerable sectors of society in Latin America where we act everyday with our commitment and activism for peace and human rights, supporting values and principles to construct citizenship.

Peace and Citizenship are the Objectives for the Region

The Latin American Institute for Peace and Citizenship (ILAPyC) is a tool that seeks to provide education and training in every country in the region in order to provide civil society organizations with the best opportunities for success in their objectives.

Our central headquarters is in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and we have an office in Panama City. We also have representatives in New York that tend to our connections with the UN and ECOSOC and further representation in Miami, Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Spain, and South Africa.

ILAPyC forms part of the extraordinary team of NGOs that develop actions and activism for peace in the extensive Latin American region, uniting forces under the IPB umbrella.

We are proud members of IPB

We feel intimately connected to the principles and objectives of IPB and express our recognition and gratitude for our colleagues who manage the passionate organization that we are proud to be part of.

We in the Latin America and Caribbean region pursue the idea that our founding fathers set in motion in 1891/92 during the Universal Peace Congress that gave form to IPB. The history of great and committed activists and leaders guides us, those such as Bajer, Ducommun, Gobat, and the 13 members of IPB that have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

We are inspired by the memory of Berta Von Suttner, the great Adolf Heilberg, and those that worked hard to bring IPB back to life like Wolf, MacBride, Herz, Santi Booth, McReynolds and the beloved Colin Archer who has worked hard for our region. We owe a special mention to our teacher and guide, Alicia Cabezudo, whose commitment has left a permanent mark on the course of our work every day.

In future updates, we will share stories about what we do, with whom, and what is happening in our area with respect to peace. This will include how we search for strategies for peace and how we use them.

Currently, the Covid-19 pandemic has spread uncertainty over the entire planet. Together, without rejection or discrimination against the infected, taking health precautions, let’s draw on the best of our history. There have been many times that there didn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel and we found one.

I extend a hug to everyone, from the elbow and from the heart.

-Patricia Pérez

IPB Supports António Guterres’ Call for a #GlobalCeaseFireNow

On March 23, 2020, António Guterres addressed the world with a powerful message of unity against a common enemy: COVID-19. Now more than ever before, world leaders are seeing the need to use limited resources to protect their people; not by funding the military and ongoing conflicts, but by investing in healthcare and the well-being of all citizens. Continue reading “IPB Supports António Guterres’ Call for a #GlobalCeaseFireNow”