SEPTEMBER 1 – The 500,000-strong march against the war in New York City last week, preceded by Greek activists’ protests which forced US State Secretary Colin Powell to cancel his trip to Athens, show that far from being dead, the global anti-war movement is alive, kicking, and marching on.As resistance to the illegal occupations of Iraq and Palestine continues, representatives of the global anti-war movement are set to converge very close to the two current focuses of their struggle — in Beirut, Lebanon — this September 17-19 to discuss and debate their next steps.
Expected to attend are around 150-200 representatives of various anti-war coalitions, social movements, NGOs, and other organizations from around 50 countries around the world. Joining them are scores of activists from neighboring Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Morocco — including a delegation
of Iraqis who will be traveling by bus from Iraq.
Hosting the meeting is a broad range of political forces in Lebanon and Palestine, including progressives, seculars, and Islamists.
Most of the international delegates represent groups that were behind the historic February 15, 2003 global mobilizations against the invasion of Iraq — the biggest internationally coordinated march in history — as well as the continuing protests against the occupation in various countries around
the world.
The meeting in Beirut, entitled "Where Next for the Global Anti-War and Anti-Globalization Movements?," hopes to provide the movement with an opportunity to come up with a stronger political consensus on the movements’ positions and priorities, and a proposed plan of action.
Heated debates are expected on such questions as "What should the movement do now?," "What are our strengths and weaknesses?," "How do we relate to the resistance movements in
Iraq?," "Is there a role for the United Nations?," and "What if Bush wins the presidential elections?," among others.
The decision to hold the meeting in the Middle East was part of a conscious effort to build closer links with anti-war and anti-corporate globalization activists in the region.
Translation will be provided in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
At the moment, the meeting has been endorsed by 255 organizations, coalitions, and movements from 52 countries.#
(For more details, visit http://www.focusweb.org/beirut/b-index.htm, call the Secretariat office in Beirut at +9611360919, or e-mail [email protected] )
DEADLINE OF REGISTRATION has been extended to September 8.
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Call for Representatives: Beirut International Assembly of Anti-War and Anti-Globalization Movements
7-19 September 2004, Beirut, Lebanon
Following the fake June 30 "handover" of sovereignty, the United States’ military, economic and political occupation of Iraq continues and, along with it, the deliberate de-stabilisation of the region. At the same time, the Bush administration has given the Sharon government free reign to pursue a policy of assassinating the Palestinian people and building an apartheid
wall to isolate and control them. This is part of the US-Israeli strategy to "resolve" the Palestinian crisis by military force and subjugation.
Yet the resistance continues. Iraqis and Palestinians refuse to cower in the face of the occupiers and around the world, millions of citizens have taken to the streets calling for an end to the occupation of Iraq and Palestine and an end to imperialist wars. Together, we denounce the forces provoking religious, ethnic, racial and tribal conflicts in our countries in order to further their own interests, thereby increasing the suffering of
the people and multiplying the violence and hate between them.
PROPOSAL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL MEETING
The international anti-war movement has been the most inspiring global movement for decades. It has shaken the warmongers and it has the support of world public opinion. It is now faced with a new situation and new challenges. That is why we are proposing to convene an international meeting of the anti-war and anti-corporate globalization movements in
Beirut, Lebanon, with two specific objectives: First, to broaden and strengthen the movement by debating and developing common perspectives, strategies and campaigns for the coming years. The second objective is to deepen existing links, and to develop new links, with anti-war and anti-globalisation forces in the Arab world. That is why we are holding the meeting in Lebanon.
CALL FOR REPRESENTATIVES
We call on all movements, networks and coalitions fighting for
peace, justice and freedom to send their representatives to the meeting in Beirut to join the discussions and to be part of building a stronger international movement against war and corporate globalization.
Endorsers as of September 1, 2004
"20 March" Movement for Change, Egypt
50 Years Is Enough: U.S. Network for Global Economic Justice
Action for Peace, Cyprus
Africa Alive
African Muslim Youth Congress
Agir Contre la Guerre, France
AICO-Autoridad Ind?gena de Colombia
AJURNICA, Ecuador
AL-LEQAA group, Lebanon
Al Yasari, Lebanon
All India Federation of Trade Unions (AIFTU)
All Together, Korea
Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Philippines
Alternative Information and Development Centre, South Africa
Alternative Information Center, Israel
Amazigh forum for culture and development, Morocco
Amel Association, Lebanon
Amerindia, Chile
Anebre, Colombia
ANEL, Mexico
Antiglobalization activists in Syria
Anti Globalization Egyptian Group (AGEG)
Anti-Privatisation Forum, South Africa
Anti War Coalition, South Africa
APROMAESNIC, Nicaragua
Arab African Resarch Center (AARC), Egypt
Arab Group for the Protection of Nature
Arab NGO Network for Development
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, Egypt
Argentinos Por La Paz
Asamblea Permanente de lo Sociedad Civil por la Paz, Colombia
Asamblea Popular, Chile
Asia-Pacific Peace Research Association (APPRA)
Asia Pacific Peace Forum
Asia Peace Alliance Japan
Asian Peace Alliance (APA)
Asian Women Human Rights Council
Asociaci?n por la Paz, Colombia
Association of web against a wall, France
Association Vigie-Media-Palestine, France
ASPU, Colombia
ATTAC Chile
ATTAC Japan
ATTAC Norway
ATTAC Switzerland
Austria Social Forum
Bangla Praxis
Bangladesh Krishok Federation
Barrios de Pie.M.Piquetero, Argentina
Beirut Association for Social Development
Cacao Pela Cidadania Mundial, Brasil
Campaign Genoa 2001
Caritas Brasileira
Caritas Colombia
Caritas Lebanon
CCCC/FECOC, El Salvador
CCIPPP – Civilian Campaign for Protection of Palestinian People
CEBs, Ecuador
Center for Development Studies, India
Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence, Austria
Center for Socialist Studies, Egypt
Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, Colombia
Centro de Estudios Internacionales, Managua
Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos, Colombia
Centro de Investigaci?n y Solidaridad Obrera, Mexico
Centro Memorial Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Cuba
CIDEP, El Salvador
CIEPPI, Ecuador
Circulo Bolivariano de Mujeres Nela Mart?nez
COAECH, Mexico
Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras
Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP), India
CODEP-CNPP, Mexico
Colectivo de Abogados “Jose Alvear Restrepo”, Colombia
Colectivo Objeci?n de Conaenaa, Colombia
COMAREG, Nicaragua
Comisi?n de Tendencias Clasistas-Venezuela
Comisi?n Nacional de Mujeres-Venezuela
Comit? permanente de DDHH, Colombia
Committee of Parents of People Arrested or Disappeared in Lebanon
Common Action Against War and for Peace, Korea
Comunidad de Paz San Jos?, Colombia
CONAIE, Ecuador
CONAPAME, Guatemala
CONDI – Iraqi National and Democratic Current
Consejo Coordinador de Concertaci?n Comunal (4 C), El Salvador
Continental Campaign Against FTAA
Continental Campaign for Demilitarization of the Americas (CADA)
Convergencia de Movimientos de los Pueblos de las Americas
CORFEINCO, Colombia
CorpWatch, US
CRISPAZ, El Salvador
CSPP, Colombia
Democratic front for the liberation of Palestine
Democratic Palestinian woman organisation
DOMINICOS, El Salvador
Egyptian Association Against Torture (EAAT)
Egyptian Committee in Solidarity with the Palestinian Intifada (ECSP)
Egyptian Democratic Social Center
El Karama Group, Egypt
El Nadiem Center for Rehabilitation of Violence Victims, Egypt
El Taller International
Ensan Center for Democracy and Human Rights, Palestine
ESK -trade union, Basque Country
Europe Solidaire Sans Fronti?res (ESSF), France
Farah Social Foundation, Lebanon
Federaci?n de Organizaciones y grupos de Negros de Pichincha, Ecuador
Federaci?n de Pueblos Kichwas de la Sierra Norte, Ecuador
Federation of Indonesian Peasant Union (FSPI)
FICONPAZ, Colombia
Focus on the Global South
Forum Against War, India
Forum Social Quebec
Frente Continental de Mujeres, Venezuela
Frente de comunidades en Conflicto con la base naval de Jaramijj, Ecuador
Fundaci?n Surcos, Colombia
Gathering for Peace, Philippines
General Union Of Palestinian Farmers
Global Peace and Justice Coalition of Turkey
Globalise Resistance, UK
Globalize from Below, Korea
HELEM (Lebanese Protection for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered and
Queer People)
Hermandad y Solidaridad con los pueblos, Colombia
HIJOS, Guatemala
"Hisham Mobarak" Law Center (HMLC)
Human rights Palestinian center, Palestine
Imam Sadr Foundation, Lebanon
Indigenous Environmental Network, Canada
Indymedia Beirut
Indymedia, Bolivia
Iniciativa Mexicana contra la Guerra. No en Nuestro Nombre
INREDH, Ecuador
Institute of Black Studies, South Africa
Institute of Philosophy, Cuba
Interhemispheric Resource Center
International South Group Network (ISGN)
Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation
Iraq Solidarity Campaign – Philippines
Ivorian Social Forum
JOC, Nicaragua
Jubilee South
"Kefaya" Website Group (Egyptian Z-net)
Korean Action against Dispatching Troops to Iraq
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU)
Korean People’s Action against FTA & WTO (KoPA)
Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KPD), Philippines
La Maison d’Orient, France
Lalit, Mauritius
Las M?lidas, El Salvador
Le Colectif Faty KOUMBA association for freedoms, Human Rights and
non-violence
Lebanon Family Planning Association
Liga Manggagawa, Philippines
LOKOJ, Bangladesh
Los Verdes, Spain
Louisville Committee for Peace in the Middle East
Maarouf Saad Social and Cultural Foundation, Lebanon
Makassed Islamic Philanthropic Association of Beirut
Mesa Global/CIDECA, Guatemala
Mesa permanente de Organizaciones Sociales del Tolima, Colombia
MIC, Ecuador
Middle East Council of Churches, Lebanon
Misioneros Claretinos, Ecuador
Modep, Colombia
MOPASSOL, Argentina
Mouvement Social, Lebanon
Movimiento Ciudadano por la No Violencia, Colombia
Movimiento Cubano por la Soberan?a de los Pueblos
Movimiento Social Nicaraguense
MST – Landless Workers Movement, Brasil
Mujeres de Negro, Argentina
Muslim Youth Movement of South Africa
Muslim Youth of India
National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR)
National Forum for Debt and Poverty, Ivory Coast
National Rehabilitation and Development Center, Lebanon
New Zealand Peace Council
No to the Occupation of Iraq Coordination, Turkey
Nord-Sud XXI
Organizacion Femenina Popular, Ecuador
Organization of Iranian People Fadaee Guerrillas
Pacific Concerns Resource Centre, Fiji
PACIFICAR, Argentina
Palestine Solidarity Committee, South Africa
Palestinian Association for Intercommunication
Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign
Palestinian Democratic youth union
Palestinian People’s Party
Palestinian Public Committees against the apartheid wall
Palestinian Workers Union in Greece
Pambansang Kaisahan ng Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (PKMP)
Peace Boat, Japan
People’s Solidarity for Social Progress (PSSP), Korea
People’s Task Force for Bases Clean Up, Philippines
Plataforma Aturem La Guerra, Barcelona
Plataforma Haitiana para Desarrollo Alternativo, Haiti
Popular Aid Committee, Lebanon
PRO PAZ MUNDIAL, Nicaragua
PROCAMES, El Salvador
Proceso de Comunidad de Nigras, Colombia
PRODH, Ecuador
PRT, Costa Rica
Pueblo Kchar Camobakina, Ecuador
Radio Sucumbios, Ecuador
RAJ, Canada
Red del Suroeste para la Justicia Ambiental, Mexico
Red Uniendo Manos Contra la Pobreza, Peru
Rede Social, Brasil
REDES-FoE, Uruguay
Renaissance Women’s Gathering, Lebanon
Resource Center for People’s Development (RCPD), Philippines
Rotaract Club of Dhaka University,Bangladesh
Secours Populaire Libanais
Selvas, Italy
SERCOBA, El Salvador
SERPAJ – IDEPAZ, Ecuador
Social Movements Network
Solidaritas Buruh Sumatera Utara (SBSU), Indonesia
Solidarity and Development, Morocco
Solidarity association for social development and culture, Palestine
South Center for Human Rights, Egypt
Stichting Sumpay Mindanao International
Stop the War Coalition, Greece
Stop the War Coalition, Sydney
Stop the War Coalition, UK
Suedwind, Austria
Sumpay Mindanao, Inc.
Terres des Hommes – Lebanon’s Program
The Consultative Center for Studies and Documentation – Beirut
The International Campaign against US and Zionist Occupations, Egypt
The National Association for Human Rights and Development
The New York Committee to Defend Palestine
No War No dictatorship campaign, Lebanon
The No Vox against US Great Middle East Project, Morocco
Transnational Institute (TNI)
UCDEPE, Ecuador
U.C.V., Venezuela
UNAL, Colombia
UNES, El Salvador
Uni?n de Trabajadores Suroeste, US
Union of the right of return committee, Palestine
U.P.I. Uni?n Popular Independiente, Mexico
UPL, Ecuador
UPML, Ecuador
UTOPIA-UCA, El Salvador
WESPAC Foundation, US
World March of Women
World Tribunal on Iraq – New York
(If you wish to endorse the event, please send an email to
[email protected] with your organization’s name, brief description of
organization, contact person’s name, and contact details)
