(Click here for the french version)
(After the meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, around 700-800 peace activists gathered again in Geneva during the illegitimate G8 summit to push the movement forward after the war on Iraq. Below is the report.)
The meeting agreed that the worldwide antiwar movement, which organized the unprecedented global antiwar resistance in the last months, needs to stay mobilised.
We must continue to campaign against the occupation of Iraq and to use this period to meet, to discuss, to make a balance of what we have done, and to find the best way to consolidate our national and international networks.
THE STRUGGLE AGAINST OCCUPATION OF IRAQ REMAINS OUR COMMON PRIORITY
War in Iraq is not over. After the bombing and the invasion, the Iraqi people are now suffering a foreign military occupation.Our first priority remains the struggle against occupation, for the withdrawal of all the foreign troops, for self-determination, for self-management of the resouces of Iraq.
The meeting agreed to commit our movements to campaign and to mobilize to avoid any kind of legitimation of the occupation. It strongly condemned any attempt by UN and national governments to find a mediation with the occupying powers in order to take part in the so called “reconstruction”.
We will do our best to push governments, parliaments, national and international institutions not to recognize any administration in Iraq coming from the occupation.
The Iraqi population is facing a desperate situation due to the occupation, after years of suffering from sanctions and dictatorship.
We stand shoulder to shoulder with them, and we support the growing resistance to colonial occupation.
We will organize civil missions, and we will start independent programs of mutual cooperation.
The meeting supported the project for an International People’s Tribunal, to prosecute those responsible for the occupation, and agreed to demand that the General Assembly of UN makes a formal condemnation.
GLOBAL RESISTANCE TO GLOBAL WAR, PERMANENT RESISTANCE TO PERMANENT WARS
We agreed on the need to enlarge our agenda. If war is global and permanent, we have to build up the permanent and global resistance to war.
Opposing the extension of the war on terror must be a key element of our campaign. We must be prepared to mobilise against attacks on Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba and the rest of the so called ‘Axis of Evil’. A special effort was asked of all our movements to support the Palestinians’ struggle for justice and freedom and to campaign against the occupation.We support the civil missions and strongly oppose the decision of Sharon government to deny entry in Israel to the peace activists. As well as supporting the struggle of the Palestinians, we support those Israelis who campaign against occupation.
AGAINST MILITARIZATION, AGAINST NEOLIBERALISM
Millions of people now understand the link between war and the economic plan of domination behind corporate globalization. In this situation, the movements who are fighting war, neoliberalism, social and economical injustice are not only natural allies: they are part of the same fight for a different world. We commit ourselves to campaign against the increasing of the military expenditure, for nuclear and conventional disarmament. In Europe, we will be in the frontline against the European army and against a security model for Europe based on re-armament: our security can be assured only by disarmment, peace, social justice and solidarity. We declare our will to join the worldwide campaign against the US military bases, and in Europe we want to link this campaign with the opposition to Nato bases and plans.
In many countries the antiwar movements have worked in alliance with Muslim communities and organisations: we need to ensure this happens accross Europe as it is one of the sources of our movements strength, and it is a counter to increased repression and xenophobia generated by the so-called “war to terrorism”.
The strength of our movement comes from its global dimension. We commit ourselves to improve our international links and relations. We support the declarations coming from the Cairo Conference and the Jakarta Conference.
SEPTEMBER, A MONTH OF GLOBAL MOBILIZATION AGAINST WAR AND NEOLIBERISM
The meeting agreed that September will be a month of global mobilization against war and neoliberism.
Many movements are preparing themselves to take part in the global mobilization against war and neoliberism against the WTO summit in Cancun,Mexico. A global day of action is planned for the 13th of September.
Many movements will mobilize on the 27th of September, on the anniversaryof the start of the second Palestinian Intifada against the occupations of Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan.
Many other actions are planned at the national and local level. A new year against war will start in September. The ESF in Paris and the WSF in India will provide us new occasion to meet and to build up our common agenda.
(report made by Raffaella Bolini and Chris Nineham)
