What we do – IPB – International Peace Bureau

Investing in Peace: IPB’s Role in Challenging EU Militarization at the European Left’s Summer University

Article from August 2024

The European Left and its foundation transform!europe held their Summer University in Mieres del Camino (Spain) on July 11th, 12th, and 13th. Chloé Meulewaeter, the GCOMS coordinator at the International Peace Bureau (IPB), participated in the plenary titled: “Investing in Peace, not in War! An analysis of the militarization of the EU.“

The session was moderated by Marga Ferré, Co-president of transform!europe (Spain), and featured several speakers: Claudia Haydt, Vice-president of the European Left and coordinator of its Peace Working Group (Germany); Gavin Rae, from the Nazprod Foundation (Poland); and Niamh Ní Bhriain, Programme Coordinator on War and Pacification at the Transnational Institute (Ireland).

During the plenary, Chloé Meulewaeter discussed the militarization of the European Union, highlighting how the arms industry lobby influences EU institutions to promote the narrative that “security is the precondition of any sustainability” in order to access the EU’s sustainable finances. Additionally, The Transnational Institute emphasized the urgent need to invest in peace rather than war, advocating for the isolation of Israel by cutting off funding to entities that perpetuate violence, in order to end the conflict in Gaza and promote true security.

Civil Society Statement on Calling for the Commencement of Preparations for the UN’s Fourth Special Session on Disarmament

UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security Delivered by Rafi Chowdhury, International Peace Bureau

Chairperson, distinguished delegates,

I present this statement on behalf of 175 civil society representatives and a coalition of organizations from around the world. We urge all member states to activate the UN General Assembly mechanism of Special Sessions on Disarmament without further procrastination, as per the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Action 26(a) of the Pact for the Future.

Summit of the Future Side Event Report Back: Advocating for SSOD-IV

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) participated in the Action Days and the Summit of the Future held in New York from September 20 to 23. During this pivotal event, we engaged in various activities and organized two significant events, one of which was an official offsite side event featured on the Action Days calendar.

Our official offsite side event “Reversing the Doomsday Clock: Nuclear Disarmament and the Need for a Fourth Special Session on Disarmament” aimed to advocate for a nuclear-weapon-free world and stronger disarmament commitments, calling for the convening of a Fourth Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD-IV). It took place in the beautiful and warmly welcoming Church of the Covenant on the afternoon of Saturday, September 21.

The event was co-sponsored by the Republic of Kiribati, International Peace Bureau (IPB), SCRAP Weapons (SOAS University of London), Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), Parliament of the World’s Religions, Agora Mexico and was supported by many other partners like Reverse the Trend (RTT), Justice for All, Agora Mexico, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung NY (RLSNY), the Episcopal Church, NGO Committee on Human Rights to the UN, NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, and Committee of Religious NGOs to the UN.

This gathering aimed to unite diverse stakeholders, including member states, civil society representatives, and experts in disarmament, to address the urgent need for a Fourth Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD-IV). As the UN Secretary-General stated, the Summit of the Future and its accompanying Pact for the Future offer a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” for member states and multistakeholders to come together and drive substantial global action.

PRESS RELEASE: Climate and Peace Groups Join Togetherin First Global Week of Action

Berlin, September 21st, 2024

Peace and climate movements are taking action together in the first Global Week of Action for Peace and Climate Justice to highlight the connections between their causes.

The week runs from 21-28 September, with more than 50 events planned across five continents, in countries including Australia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Malawi, Mexico, India, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and the USA, as well as many online.

The week of action aims to raise awareness of the links between war, militarism, and climate injustice, such as the following:

The world’s wealthiest countries have repeatedly failed to provide $100bn in promised climate finance to help countries adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate breakdown. Meanwhile, in 2023 global military spending increased for the ninth year running to $2443bn.
Experts estimate that the world’s militaries are responsible for 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If the world’s militaries were a country, they would have the fourth largest carbon footprint: higher than that of Russia. But militaries are excluded from current climate agreements, so face no accountability for their pollution.

The week also aims to build bridges between peace and climate justice movements, and to build momentum behind the demand to ‘divest from war – invest in climate justice!’

In New York City, there will be events to coincide with the UN Summit of the Future. The Japan-based international NGO Peace Boat will carry out workshops and actions in Tokyo and in the Atlantic Ocean as part of its global voyage for peace. In Mexico, students will create a list of demands directed to the Mexican Congress, asking them to divest funds from the armed forces and reinvest them in environmental public policies. In the UK, vigils will be held in London, Taunton and Bath.

Call to Action on the International Day of Peace

You can sign the call and find the original call in Spanish here.

This September 21, we join in and commemorate the International Day of Peace, which was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981.

On this day, which holds great significance for humanity, we call on the governments of our continent:

To put an end to the arms race and military spending. Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Ecuador are the countries with the highest military spending in Latin America. We need money for life— to build schools, hospitals, and meet other urgent needs, not for death.
To end police violence, which continues in many of our countries where there is no real oversight of police actions, impunity prevails, and there are no genuine efforts to ensure police training and actions are in accordance with respect for human rights.
To stop military exercises with the U.S. Southern Command, as well as military and police training for Latin American troops at the School of the Americas, now renamed WHINSEC, or at any other U.S. military academy where violence and war are still promoted as ways to resolve conflicts.
To close and withdraw all U.S. and NATO military bases in Latin America, including U.S. military bases imposed in Guantánamo, Cuba; Soto Cano in Honduras; the bases in Colombia; NAMRU-6 in Peru; in the Malvinas Islands, controlled by the United Kingdom in Argentina; and others. Out of Latin America! Return home, we want peace.
To demand that the U.S., NATO, and all countries end the arms race and war. It is time for the U.S. and NATO, in particular, to end the wars and stop sending weapons to Israel, Ukraine, and other places. It is time for them to act responsibly and make efforts to achieve peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel, and between Russia and Ukraine.
Finally, we call on our governments to lead efforts to advance global disarmament, diplomacy, respect for the self-determination of peoples, the end of unilateral sanctions, and to work toward building a world of peace, solidarity, and social justice.

Let the guns fall silent, end all wars, we want peace!

Click here to sign!

Peace and Human Rights Movements around the World since the end of the Cold War

AN ARCHIVE

compiled by the International Peace Bureau, Geneva

Approx 400 box-files.

Physical documents and an online catalog will be available soon – for students, researchers, activists, and others, at:

JB Priestley Library – Special Collections

University of Bradford BD7 1DP

https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/collections/peace

Further information, incl. 12pp illustrated article, available on request from: colinarcher@phonecoop.coop

1^st June 2024

A Chat With Annette: Threats to regional peace in the Asia-Pacific region and the work of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network

Watch our live chat replay with Independent and Peaceful Australia Network Executive Director Annette! She analyzes and opens the conversation on the threats to regional peace in the Asia-Pacific region and shares the important work of IPAN.

Watch now:

Stop the War Coalition -Philippines Statement on Global Military Spending

PRESS STATEMENT

APRIL 25, 2024

References: Dj Janier (09336412694), Mercy Angeles (09063677594)

Stop the War Coalition Philippines joins the call to demilitarize as global military spending rises for the ninth consecutive year

Wars and military conflicts devastate entire portions of the planet. According to SIPRI estimates, global military spending climbed by 19% between 2013 and 2022 and has risen annually since 2015. Particularly for 2023, for the ninth year in a row, there has been a 6.8 percent increase in spending in real terms from 2022, with the world spending roughly $2443 billion US dollars. This is apparent in all five regions, with considerable rises in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East.

For the Philippines, military spending has been steadily on the rise in recent years with the latest figures showing that we spent USD 3.965 Million or around 35 dollars per capita (source: demilitarize.org). Around 500 million USD in Foreign Military Financing from the United States is earmarked for the country. This is part of the 8 billion USD emergency aid package for Indo-Pacific allies under the Indo-Pacific Supplemental Appropriations Act that was approved by the United States House of Representatives. This in turn was part of an even bigger 95B USD package that will send aid to other US allies like Israel and Ukraine.

Sean MacBride Awarding Ceremony 2024

Berlin, 22 March 2024 – The recent award ceremony honored peace activists, recognizing their dedication to promoting conscientious objection and advocating for peace.

Save the dates for GDAMS 2024: April 12 to May 15

We are witnessing the dramatic consequences of escalating global militarization, evident in the numerous armed conflicts around the world, notably in Gaza and Ukraine, but also in many other conveniently ignored places of the Global South. We are suffering the consequences of a militaristic approach to international relations and global emergencies, imposed by countries of the North, which are at the same time responsible for most of the weapons produced.

Moreover, the environmental impacts -direct and indirect- resulting from these conflicts and militarization further underscore the pressing need for peace.

War is costing us the Earth.