Category Archives: DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

International Peace Delegation to Syria 24-30 Nov. 2015

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Mairead Maguire for Transcend Media Service

Our delegation has just spent five days with the people of Syria visiting the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Qara and Ma’alula. We have been deeply moved by the kindness and warmth of the Syrian people whom we have had the privilege and joy of meeting. Although they have suffered unimaginable violence, they have inspired us by their vision of a peaceful Syria and deep commitments to solutions in their country. These are the findings of our delegation, consisting of eleven peace and human rights advocates from six countries. Over the course of five days, we met with internally displaced persons, refugees, affected communities, religious leaders, combatants, government representatives and many others in Syria.

maguire
Mairead Maguire

We call on the international community to protect the territorial integrity of Syria and to respect the fundamental rights of Syria as a sovereign State. We deplore any intent to breach the integrity of Syria’s frontiers or to damage the unity and rich diversity of the Syrian people.

We recognize the legitimacy of the aspirations of the Syrian citizens for change, reforms and an end to all violence and we support those working for the implementation of a democratic life that respects and protects the fundamental rights of all citizens and we believe that effective and lasting reforms can only be achieved through non-violent means.

Our primary appeal is that all countries stop their interference in Syrian affairs, more specifically, that they halt the supply of arms and foreign combatants. If foreign countries agree to stop the influx of arms and fighters, we are confident that Syrians can find their own solutions to their problems and achieve reconciliation.

We consider it beyond debate that the Syrian people have the right to determine their own government and their own future. Foreign interference is currently preventing the Syrian people from exercising their right to self-determination. We are concerned that such pernicious intervention is tearing apart the fabric of the country itself, with long-term consequences that can only be imagined.

The cautionary examples of Iraq, Libya, Yemen and other countries serve to remind us of the dire consequences of such international folly. This humanitarian crisis is already spilling into neighboring countries. A collapse of Syrian society will destabilize the entire region. We appeal to the international community that it can learn from history and make better choices in the case of Syria that will spare further tragedy for the courageous Syrian people.

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Question for this article:

How can there be a political solution to the war in Syria?

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Secondly we appeal to the international media to stop the flow of misinformation regarding the Syrian conflict. We believe that every Syrian should be given the right to be heard and we do not see this reflected in the international coverage of this crisis.

Thirdly, we urge the international community to review and reconsider the crippling sanctions that are taking such a heavy toll on Syrian people.

Fourthly, we urge the international community to take seriously the vast numbers of refugees and persons who have been internally displaced by this conflict.

We appeal to the entire religious community to call the faithful to nonviolence and peacemaking, and to reject all forms of violence and discrimination, and we express our admiration and respect for the many Syrian religious leaders who have refused to endorse the use of violence and have dedicated their lives to working for a peaceful solution to this conflict.

We pay tribute to the Patriarch Gregorios III Laham and Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun for their inspirational work for peace and reconciliation for Syria and the Patriarch Gregorios III Laham for his kind invitation to our delegation. Our delegation would like to express to Mother Agnes Mariam and Sheik Sharif Martini our deep gratitude and appreciation for all their commitment to peace and reconciliation in beloved Syria.

As we leave Syria we are filled with hope that the Syrian people will have peace and so be a light of hope to the world.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Mideast

USA Exclusive: Air Force Whistleblowers Risk Prosecution to Warn Drone War Kills Civilians, Fuels Terror

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A video and article from Democracy Now! (abridged)

Has the U.S. drone war “fueled the feelings of hatred that ignited terrorism and groups like ISIS”? That’s the conclusion of four former Air Force servicemembers who are speaking out together for the first time. They’ve issued a letter to President Obama warning the U.S. drone program is one of the most devastating driving forces for terrorism. They accuse the administration of lying about the effectiveness of the drone program, saying it is good at killing people—just not the right ones. The four drone war veterans risk prosecution by an administration that has been unprecedented in its targeting of government whistleblowers. In a Democracy Now! exclusive, they join us in their first extended broadcast interview.


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Video of story

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Since the Paris attacks one week ago, France has escalated bombings of Syria, and the U.S. has vowed an intensification of its war on the Islamic State. With only a small number of U.S. special forces on the ground, Iraq and Syria have become new fronts in a global drone war that has launched thousands of strikes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia.

But now an unprecedented group is calling for the drone war to stop. In an open letter to President Obama, four U.S. Air Force servicemembers who took part in the drone campaign say targeted killings and remote control bombings fuel the very terrorism the government says it’s trying to destroy. The four whistleblowers write, quote, “We came to the realization that the innocent civilians we were killing only fueled the feelings of hatred that ignited terrorism and groups like ISIS, while also serving as a fundamental recruitment tool similar to Guantanamo Bay. This administration and its predecessors have built a drone program that is one of the most devastating driving forces for terrorism and destabilization around the world.”

They continue, saying, quote, “We witnessed gross waste, mismanagement, abuses of power, and our country’s leaders lying publicly about the effectiveness of the drone program. We cannot sit silently by and witness tragedies like the attacks in Paris, knowing the devastating effects the drone program has overseas and at home.”

AMY GOODMAN: On top of the toll on civilian victims, the letter also addresses the personal impact of waging remote war. All four say they have suffered PTSD and feel abandoned by the military they served, with some now homeless or barely getting by. The letter brings together the largest group of whistleblowers in the drone war’s history. Three of the signatories operated the visual sensors that guide U.S. Predator drone missiles to their targets. Two are speaking out for the first time; three in a TV broadcast, they’ve never done it before. The other two have previously raised their concerns about the drone program, including in the documentary, Drone. The film, premiering in New York City and Toronto today, reveals how a regular U.S. Air Force unit based in the Nevada desert is responsible for flying the CIA’s drone strike program in Pakistan.

BRANDON BRYANT: We are the ultimate voyeurs, the ultimate peeping Toms. I’m watching this person, and this person has no clue what’s going on. No one’s going to catch us. And we’re getting orders to take these people’s lives.

MICHAEL HAAS: You never know who you’re killing, because you never actually see a face. You just have a silhouette. They don’t have to take a shot. They don’t have to bear that burden. I’m the one that has to bear that burden. . .

AMY GOODMAN: [The above is from the ] trailer for the documentary Drone, premiering today in New York City and Toronto. In speaking out together, the four former servicemembers risk prosecution under the Espionage Act by an administration that’s waged an unprecedented campaign against government whistleblowers. They also set their sights on a cornerstone of President Obama’s national security policy just as it threatens to escalate in the aftermath of the Paris attacks. After being elected to office on a platform of Iraq War opposition and a vow to bring the troops home, President Obama has quietly expanded the drone war far beyond its size and lethality under President George W. Bush.

Today, in this Democracy Now! exclusive, these four war whistleblowers join us in their first extended broadcast interview. We’re joined by Brandon Bryant and Michael Haas, who have spoken out to a certain extent before, both former sensor operators for the U.S. Air Force Predator program. Stephen Lewis, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, is also a former sensor operator for the Air Force Predator program and this week is speaking out for the first time. Also going public for the first time is Cian Westmoreland, a former Air Force technician who helped build a station in Afghanistan used to relay drone data. . . .

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Question for this article:

Drones (unmanned bombers), Should they be outlawed?

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JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And I’d like to ask Brandon Bryant—we’ve had you on Democracy Now! a couple of years ago, and these guys here worked with you, as well. Could you talk about the decision to come out as a group, how you came to that and why at this particular point?

BRANDON BRYANT: Well, you know, when I first started talking out about my experiences, it was more to get a bunch of stuff off my chest and to actually try to come clean with what I have done and reveal what exactly is going on. And I’m actually really honored to be with these gentlemen right here, is that I trust them. And this is their decision to come out, and I’m here to support them, because I’ve already been doing this for three years, and it’s time that we just get a bigger coalition of people together to attack this issue.

AMY GOODMAN: Why did you sign this letter? And what are you calling on President Obama to do?

BRANDON BRYANT: We want the president to have more transparency in this issue, and we want the American people to understand exactly what’s being done in their name. And I think that all this fear and hatred that keeps going on is just out of control, and we need to stop it somewhere.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Michael Haas, I wanted to ask you, in terms of your experience in the drone program and the culture that the military basically allowed to flourish in the drone program, you’ve talked about how your fellow servicemembers talked about the children that they were targeting, as well.

MICHAEL HAAS: Yes, the term “fun-sized terrorists” was used to just sort of denote children that we’d see on screen.

AMY GOODMAN: What was it?

MICHAEL HAAS: “Fun-sized terrorists.”

AMY GOODMAN: “Fun-sized terrorists”?

MICHAEL HAAS: Yes. Other terms we’d use would be “cutting the grass before it grows too long,” just doing whatever you can to try to make it easier to kill whatever’s on screen. And the culture is—that mentality is very much nurtured within the drone community, because these—every Hellfire shot is sort of lauded and applauded, and we don’t really examine who exactly was killed, but just that it was an effective shot and the missile hit its target.

AMY GOODMAN: When did you start to have questions?

MICHAEL HAAS: Shortly after I became an instructor and I started to see how much the mentality had shifted since I had been in. And the 11th hadn’t really changed how they had trained their sensor operators from a basic-level standpoint.

AMY GOODMAN: The 11th is?

MICHAEL HAAS: The basic training squadron up at Creech. They train all the sensor operators.

AMY GOODMAN: This is at Creech in Nevada.

MICHAEL HAAS: Yes.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And you were a video game addict as you were growing up. Can you talk about this whole impact of sort of the video game approach to war?

MICHAEL HAAS: The thing that makes the gamers a prime target for this job field is that ability to just multitask and do a lot of things subconsciously and just sort of out of reflex. And you don’t really even have to think about it, which is, you know, paramount to doing this job. But a lot of it is getting used to just seeing something on screen, killing it and then going about your business as though you don’t really—you don’t really pay it a second thought. It was just an objective to be completed.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, North America

Spain: An appeal against NATO military exercises galvanizes demonstrations and civil disobedience actions

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from Tercera Information (reprinted in accordance with the rules of Creative Commons and translated by CPNN)

More than 70 groups and organizations throughout Spain and the rest of Europe have so far made public their support for the “ Call to Action” against the military exercise “Trident Juncture 2015”, the largest exercise by NATO since the end of the Cold War, which from today will mobilize 36,000 soldiers, 4,000 vehicles, warplanes and hundreds of tanks in Italy, Portugal and especially in Spain, where 20,000 troops are deployed (8,000 of them provided by the Spanish armed forces themselves).

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Following this call, groups from different places have engaged in nonviolent actions. In Bilbao and Valencia, they have blocked the path of the military machine by chaining themselves to the tanks that were preparing participate. In the port of Sagunto they have cut off the flow of arms to the prinicipal area of ​​these “war games” in Zaragoza, And in Zaragoza itself they are preparing a human chain of protest against the visit to that city by secretary general of NATO on 4 November which the military organization has defined as “Distinguished Visitors Day”. Demonstrations and civil disobedience actions that have also taken place in Barbate (Cádiz) with the support of the Network Antimilitarista y Noviolenta de Andalucia and the Network Antimilitarista Europea. “The war starts here, let’s stop it here”: that is the main motto for these actions of protest and civil resistance to barbarism, responding to the Call to Action.

All the signatory groups believe that these “super-manoevers” “increase insecurity in the world and particularly our region which is the main stage of their war operations. If we allow them to bring the war “home”, we become collaborators of the violence of NATO, encouraging terrorism, social division, racism, fear … ”

The NATO exercise Trident Juncture has taken over and militarized ports, airports, railways and natural spaces in Valencia, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Navarre, Albacete and parts of Andalucía in order to undertake training for war and to certify the offensive and interventionist capacity and high readiness of the forces of NATO and to display their destructive power.

In the view of the organizations supporting the call, “the NATO maneuvers are designed to protect only a privileged minority, while increasing global military spending at the expense of vital investment in social and humanitarian needs, such as fighting the dramatic consequences of the capitalist crisis, curbing environmental degradation, promoting fair trade, economic solidarity and cooperation for the overall development of the planet.”

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( Click here for the original Spanish version. )

Question for this article:

Can NATO be abolished?

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According to these groups, one can see the policies that prioritize the preparation of war in the fact that only in 2014 world military expenditure was 1.8 billion dollars, while in 2016 the State Spanish consume 25 million dollars in the preparation of war and social control. The Conscientious Objection “Alternative Antimilitarista” draws attention to the fact that only one tenth of the Spanish military and repression budget would provide the amount that Action Against Hunger estimates is needed to end child malnutrition worldwide. In fact, the Spanish State is among the 7 major global arms exporters, and the permanent members of the Security Council of the UN are the largest exporters of military equipment. ”

According to Alternative Antimilitarista, “these policies contribute to increasing tension, insecurity and the arms race in the world. The trip over themselves to make new wars that produce new ‘enemies’, which are, in turn, used as an alibi to justify further military and militarism, thus closing the vicious circle: If you want peace, prepare for peace, not war ”

Further according to Alternative Antimilitarista, “The consequences of these militarist policies of NATO, as well as Russia and its allies, are visible to the public in the form of systematic violation of human rights, destruction and persecution of civilians, extreme violence against women, the plundering of resources, and the exodus of millions of people in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, among other territories. We need to act consistently on the plight of refugees: a truly humane policy would immediately suspend these military maneuvers and invest their budget (the size of which is kept secret) in aid to shelter the population who are fleeing war.”

In the words of members of the anti-militarist network “We must build a culture of peace based on cooperation, justice and nonviolence, not deterrence and force.” “We must change the paradigm of defense and security defined militarily, that leads us again and again to war and violence. Instead, we need “human security” as defined by the United Nations Development Plans, which place at the center the defense of the rights of people and nature.” In this new paradigm, “armies and military structures are actually a threat to those rights and should be abolished and dismantled.”

The appeal was made public for the first time on 1 September and continues to collect new signatures. It will be updated and disseminated again in a second delivery shortly before the “climax” of the maneuvers, when Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, Zaragoza comes to visit on 4 November to witness the “demonstration of land force”.

Click here for the list of organizations and groups that support the “Call to Action against the NATO maneuvers Trident Juncture 2015”

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

Mozambique: Landmine Clearance Success Shows a Mine-Free World is Possible

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by The International Campaign to Ban Landmines

Mozambique’s completion of antipersonnel landmine clearance shows that a mine-free world is possible. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines hails this major accomplishment that will allow hundreds of thousands of Mozambicans to cultivate their land, walk to school, and access water safely.

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“What might have been considered an insurmountable task just 20 years ago has been done in Mozambique, thanks to political will and the use of adequate methodology,” said Megan Burke, Director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. “This is an impressive achievement. It also shows that if the right resources are employed in the right way, the majority of contaminated states can complete mine clearance within the next ten years.”

During a public event on 17 September 2015, the Instituto Nacional de Desminagem (National Demining Institute) announced the completion of antipersonnel landmine clearance throughout the country. Mozambique is still contaminated by other unexploded ordnance.

The number of landmine casualties in Mozambique is unknown, but the government estimated recently that as many as 10,900 persons throughout the country had been killed or injured by the weapon over time. While donor states have been very supportive of mine clearance in Mozambique, the country struggles to raise funds for assistance to landmine victims and for disability-inclusive development activities.

“After demining is finished, survivors continue to feel the pernicious impact of these weapons for their entire lives,” said Luis Silvestre Wamusse, head of the Rede para Assistência às Vítimas de Minas (Network for Assistance to Mine Victims).

Other sub-Saharan African states with antipersonnel landmine contamination include Angola, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Zimbabwe. Mine clearance programmes in all of these countries — except DR Congo, Mauritania and Zimbabwe — have been rated as performing “poorly” or “very poorly” by Landmine Monitor, the research arm of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

“We hope Mozambique’s success might provide an example and impetus for these countries to dedicate the necessary political support, improve their programmes, and release safe land to communities more efficiently,” said Megan Burke.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a network of non-governmental organizations in some 100 countries, working to end the suffering caused by antipersonnel mines, through the universalization and full implementation of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. The Campaign received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.

(Thank you to the Good News Agency for calling this to our attention.)

Question for this article:
Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

United States: Ad for drone pilots to refuse runs in Air Force Times

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Courage to Resist

On Monday, September 14, the Air Force Times, a weekly newspaper with a circulation of over 65,000 subscribers who include active, reserve and retired U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard and general military personnel and their families, published the advertisement below, carrying a message from 54 veterans urging US drone pilots to refuse to follow orders to fly surveillance and attack missions, citing international law. Courage to Resist is proud to have contributed to this historic effort, which was organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War, KnowDrones.com, Veterans for Peace, and World Can’t Wait.

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Retired and Former U.S. Military Personnel Urge Drone Operators to refuse to fly Missions

As retired and former members of the U.S. military, we urge U.S. drone pilots, sensor operators and support teams to refuse to play any role in drone surveillance/assassination missions. These missions profoundly violate domestic and international laws intended to protect individuals’ rights to life, privacy and due process.

“According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, as of September 1, 2015, up to 6,069 lives have been taken by U.S. drone attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. This figure does not include uncounted lives lost to U.S. drone attacks in Afghanistan before 2015, or in Iraq, Libya, the Philippines and Syria. All were killed without due process. These attacks, which are also terrorizing thousands, are undermining principles of international law and human rights such as those enumerated in the U.N. International Declaration of Human Rights, written in 1948 with the blood of the atrocities of World War II freshly in mind. The United States is a signatory to this declaration.

“Those involved in U.S. drone operations who refuse to participate in drone missions will be acting in accordance with Principle IV of the Principles of International Law Recognized in the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Judgment of the Tribunal, The United Nations 1950: ‘The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him of responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible.’

“So, yes, you do have a choice — and liability under the law. Choose the moral one. Choose the legal one.”

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

Question for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, North America

Trying to Survey Events around the World for the International Day of Peace

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

by David Adams, CPNN Coordinator

There are several websites that invite readers to enter their events for the International Day of Peace (IDP), but it is difficult to get an overall view of what is happening.

idp survey

Let’s start with regular websites? The website http://internationaldayofpeace.org/ has a map of the world with symbols for different kinds of events. After considerable trial and error, since there is no explanation on the page, I was able to separate most of the entries for marches, music, meditation and multiple as of September 21.

Here is what I found, separated by region of the world.

Marches: North America 20; Europe 7; Latin America 4; South Asia 4; East Asia 3; Africa 2; Middle East 1

Music: North America 23; Europe 15; East Asia 4; Middle East 3; Latin America 2; Africa 2

Meditation: North America 55; Europe 53; Africa 14; East Asia 10; South Asia 4; Middle East 5

Multiple: North America 35; Europe 30; Latin America 15; East Asia 10; South Asia 3; Africa 3; Middle East 1

This adds up to 328, while website gives a figure of 1369 events.

In many cases one can obtain information about the event by clicking on the symbol.

How about Facebook? As of September 21 the Facebook page #PeaceDay has dozens of entries every day beginning on September 10, but most of the entries do not indicate the country concerned. One of the entries #iplayforchange carries a map of 295 events in 51 countries. By clicking on the map you find photos from musicians around the world, but no detailed listing of the events. Another facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/events/461780550660626/, where today (September 21) one finds entries listed from Lebanon, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Argentina, Turkey, Libya, Luxembourg, etc., etc.

I get the feeling from “surfing the internet” that the IDP is being celebrated around the world to a far greater extent than we can measure. Is it increasing from one year to another? Does it mark a growing anti-war consciousness? Unfortunately, I see no way to measure this from the available data.

Question for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

Kashmir: KPN to celebrate International Day of Peace at Nageen today

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Reyaz Rashid, Kashmir Images

In bid to give peace a chance to prevail in Kashmir and make people aware about benefits of using methods of non-violence to achieve peace with justice, Kashmir Peace Network (KPN) – which had made Srinagar city a member of International Cities of Peace with 120 members around the world – is celebrating International Day of Peace at ‘Samad’s Island of Peace’ in Nageen on Monday.

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As part of 4th annual celebration of UN mandated ‘Peace One Day’ on September 21 – the International Day of Peace — KPK like other 120 member cities around the world would gather people, particularly students from high schools, colleges and universities to participate in the event in which one billion people around the world will participate.

“We have seen enough violence and bloodshed, let us give peace a chance here. We want to make people aware of the benefits using non-violence to accomplish peace with dignity, prosperity and justice,” said Executive Director KPN, Bashir Ahmed Ghakhroo, grandson of Abdul Samad Ghakhroo.

During the ‘Peace One Day’ event, students will speak on peace-related topics and peace-building measures in conflict zones like Kashmir. The students would also deliberate upon topics like ‘The Right of People to Peace’, ‘Our Individual Responsibility Towards Peace in Kashmir ‘, ‘Towards Peace and Prosperity in Kashmir’, the organizers said.

“Our organization endeavours to involve people in seminars, workshops on peace leadership training so that people can become ambassadors of peace,” added Ghakhroo.

“KPN wants to put forth real image of people of Kashmir who basically believe in peaceful and non-violent means of resolving issues and problems. The organization wants to develop Samad Peace Academy,” informed the organizers.

“We want to sow the seeds of peace in Kashmir by our small peace-building efforts and we hope our efforts would bear fruit of peace in future,” added Ghakhroo.

The organization has appealed the people to join in the Peace One Day celebrations to give peace a chance.

Question for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, South Asia

Ahead of International Day of Peace, UN chief appeals for cease-fire on 21 September

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from the United Nations News Centre

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for the laying down of arms and a 24-hour cease-fire on 21 September, which is observed around the world each year as the International Day of Peace.

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The United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Peace in 1981 as an opportunity for people around the world to promote the resolution of conflict and to observe a cessation of hostilities.

“On this day, in the lead-up to the Day of Peace, I am asking all partners to lend their voices to this call for a laying down of arms, and to work non-stop in the days to come to bring about a 24-hour cease-fire on September 21st,” Mr. Ban said in a statement issued on Thursday.

“Let’s make this International Day of Peace a day without violence, and a day of forgiveness. If, for one day, we can live in a world without aggression and hostility, we can imagine how much more is possible,” he added.

The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All,” which aims to highlight the importance of all segments of society to work together to strive for peace.

The work of the UN would not be possible without the thousands of partnerships each year between governments, civil society, the private sector, faith-based groups and other non-governmental organizations that are needed to support the Organization in achieving its goals.

Celebrations for the International Day of Peace will include a Peace Bell Ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York, featuring senior UN officials and Messengers of Peace, as well as a student videoconference. UN offices worldwide, including peacekeeping operations, will also be holding events with local communities.

(Click here for a version of this article in French or here for a version in Spanish.)

Question for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global, United Nations,

Palestine: Breaking the Silence Tour in Hebron

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Jamie Stall, Holy Land Trust

Earlier this month, we had the chance to visit Hebron and participate in a city tour with Breaking the Silence, an organization founded by former Israeli combatants who served in the Occupied Territories. The aim of the organization is to raise awareness about the daily realities of those living under occupation and stimulate public discussion of these issues among Israelis.

hebron

We started off the tour near Shuhada Street, where we gathered in a hidden room behind a souvenir shop. Our tour guide, Shai, began by giving us a view into his personal experience as an IDF combatant in the West Bank. He recounted several of his experiences for the group, including being ordered to chase a young child while holding a loaded firearm because the kid was playing near a security fence, and searching Palestinian households at random for the purpose of “making the IDF’s presence felt” within the community.

After the introduction, we began walking through an almost entirely deserted “ghost town.” As it turns out, this abandoned street is called Al-Shuhada Street and was the bustling commercial center of Hebron until about 20 years ago. Shay explained that in 1994 all its businesses were closed by the army “for security purposes” following the murder of 29 Muslim worshipers at the Cave of the Patriarchs by the Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein. As we walked down the street, we encountered several placards that told a very different story about the street’s closure. According to the signs, “these stores were closed by the IDF for security reasons after the Arabs began the ‘Oslo War’ [aka The Second Intifada] in September 2000, attacking, wounding and murdering Jews on this road.” A quick fact check proves this to be false as the reason for the street’s closure, not to mention that The Second Intifada began six years after the stores were closed. There is no doubt that the Jewish settler community in Hebron did experience many detestable acts of violence, including several murders, but that does not change the fact that the sign’s claims are nonfactual propaganda meant to mislead its readers and evoke a negative opinion of the city’s Palestinians.

As we continued up Al-Shuhada Street, passing a military base and several settlements, we encountered a pedestrian checkpoint separating the settler communities and a Palestinian commercial area. As we were finishing our tour near the checkpoint, a young Palestinian man began to walk through the checkpoint while singing a song to himself. One of the Israeli soldiers on duty told him “shtok!” (“shut up!”), but he continued walking, singing to himself as before. At this point he was stopped, searched, questioned and prevented from leaving for about ten minutes, all because he was singing.

Seeing and listening to the history and present-day reality of this small slice of Hebron was not easy. Frankly, nothing in Palestine has been easy. There is so much suffering and resentment on both sides of the separation wall that it can put a damper on your hopes for a better future. But hearing courageous testimonies and messages of hope from people like Shai and Breaking the Silence bring some of that hope and optimism back. I’m so appreciative of what they are doing. May there be more people and communities like them, willing to speak out against the occupation and work for truth, peace and reconciliation.

Questions for this article:
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Mideast

Strong outcome of 1st Review Conference of Convention on Cluster Munitions 

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY ..

An article from Artistes pour la Paix

The 1st Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions is wrapping up in Dubrovnik, Croatia. For the most part, this meeting has been full of good news. Colombia ratified the Convention, Cuba issued a surprise announcement that it is working towards joining the treaty as well and a number of states announced that they have finished destroying their stockpiled cluster munitions. These successes show that the treaty is working and the norm against cluster munitions is growing.

minesaction

Amidst all this success, Canada joined the United Kingdom and Australia in an attempt to weaken the norm against cluster munitions by objecting to the Dubrovnik Declaration‘s condemnation of all use of cluster munitions. For these three states, the idea that they would have to condemn all use of cluster munitions was not acceptable despite being states parties to a treaty banning cluster munitions. Mines Action Canada staff and campaigners from around the world in partnership with friendly governments lobbied hard for the declaration to stay strong. In the high level discussion state after state took the floor in support of a strong declaration condemning all use of cluster munitions.

Again and again states passionately defended the Declaration as it was and to reaffirm that any use of cluster munitions by any actor was unacceptable. In the end, the Declaration was adopted without amendment. We were thrilled to see our hard work pay off. The norm against use remains strong and so does the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

We were able to prevent Canada, the UK and Australia from weakening the declaration this time but we need your support to ensure that we will be ready next time someone threatens the norm against these inhumane weapons.

Mines Action Canada [info@minesactioncanada.org] would appreciate your support

Their site contains the following crucial information:

151 financial institutions worldwide invested US$27 billion [27 milliards de $!] in companies producing cluster munitions from 2011 to 2014, according to a report launched by Dutch peace organization PAX. The report, “Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions: a shared responsibility,” details the scale of investment in companies producing this banned weapon by banks, pension funds and other financial institutions around the world. Two Canadian financial institutions were singled out for their investment in cluster munition production in the report’s Hall of Shame.

While Canada and the majority of states have banned cluster munitions due to the humanitarian risk to civilian populations, production of the weapon continues in a limited number of countries yet to join the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions.

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Question related to this article:

Can cluster bombs be abolished?

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“Cluster munitions are currently killing civilians in Syria and eastern Ukraine and they continue to claim lives in Laos fifty years after they were used. Yet financial institutions have invested US$27 billion—more than twice the GDP of Laos—in producers of this inhumane weapon. Canada has banned cluster munitions and during the lengthy discussions about the legislation government officials and parliamentarians frequently stated that investment in cluster munition producers is in fact considered aiding in their production and is illegal,” said Paul Hannon, Executive Director.

The new report from PAX shows which financial institutions have invested in cluster munition producers between June 2011 and September 2014. The report’s “Hall of Shame” shows the majority of investments come from financial institutions in states that have not yet joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Yet financial institutions from countries like Canada that have joined the treaty are also still involved.

Royal Bank of Canada and Sun Life Financial appear on the “Hall of Shame” list for their investments in cluster munition producers. These investments are falling foul of the treaty’s prohibition on assistance in the production of the weapon and of the recently passed legislation implementing the Convention in Canada which criminalizes aiding and abetting cluster munition production.

“Cluster munitions are banned by international law; a majority of the countries in the world has recognised that this weapon is unacceptable. And yet cluster munition producers are still able to fund their activities. Financial institutions should introduce robust policies to ensure they are not supporting companies involved in the production of this banned weapon,” said Suzanne Oosterwijk, co-author of the PAX report.

While the number of financial institutions investing in companies producing cluster munitions remains high, the report shows an increase in financial institutions with policies to prohibit this practice. Seventy-six financial institutions are listed in the 2014 report as having cluster munition policies in place.

Recent use of cluster munitions in Syria and eastern Ukraine further demonstrates the urgent need to eradicate this weapon. Last month Cluster Munition Coalition member Human Rights Watch documented widespread use of cluster munitions in eastern Ukraine, in fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels. In Syria, civilians account for 97% of recorded deaths where cluster munitions have been used over the past two and a half years.

This report follows a similar report released by PAX on investment in nuclear weapons. The Don’t Bank on the Bomb report found that numerous Canadian financial institutions are investing in nuclear weapons production [La Financière Sun Life en tête]. Mines Action Canada calls on all Canadian financial institutions to adopt strong policies prohibiting investment in banned and indiscriminate weapons.

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article)

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global