Category Archives: Europe

London: ‘We will continue protesting for Palestine, and we will win’

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Shabbir Lakha from Counterfire

Amid the state clampdown on Palestine solidarity, hundreds of thousands marched through London in defiant opposition to the genocide, reports Shabbir Lakha

Recently, The Economist remarked that the “Starmerites thought they had defeated the politics of Palestine. It may defeat them.” To prove how correct this assessment is, on Saturday, [August 9] an estimated 300,000 people marched through central London for the 28th national demonstration for Palestine since October 2023.

Video of march

It was an objectively huge demonstration, but even more impressive considering it was called with two-weeks’ notice, in the middle of August, and despite the police’s best efforts to intimidate protesters and to delay the coalition from announcing the route.

The demonstration was emotionally charged, angry and militant. Along with the usual array of placards taking aim at Starmer and calling for action, there were noticeably more signs relating to the clampdown on our democratic rights and civil liberties. The huge number of banners of local groups from across the country showed the truly national character of the march. The one noticeable absence was any significant presence of trade union flags or banners.

Over 800 people also gathered in Parliament Square to defy the proscription of Palestine Action, and the Met Police arrested 466 people – including a blind man in a wheelchair and a 90-year-old woman. The Met Police had set up field arrest-processing sites at the top and bottom of Whitehall, and swarms of them and their reinforcements from forces around the country trotted about in stormtrooper formations throughout the day.

As Lindsey German, Convenor of Stop the War Coalition said in her speech,
“We are bitterly opposed to the proscription of Palestine Action. It is not terrorism to carry out direct action. It is not terrorism to support the Palestinians… There is something deeply, deeply wrong when a society allows Israel to commit genocide but cannot allow protests on the streets of London… We will continue protesting, and we will win.”

The weekend’s mobilisations come after weeks of horrifying images of Palestinian children starving to death, of seeing desperate Palestinians being shot dead while queueing for aid in cattle-pens, and following Netanyahu’s announcement of his plan to launch a full military invasion and total re-occupation of Gaza.

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Question related to this article:
 
How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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Keir Starmer’s pathetic statement in response offers only the mildest criticism to an open declaration of intent to commit further war crimes and to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people. His ‘threat’ of recognising a Palestinian state rings hollow while he continues to arm the genocidal Israeli state, train its soldiers on RAF bases and provide intelligence from RAF spy flights.

But his meek words are nonetheless a departure from his October 2023 claim that Israel ‘has the right’ to cut off food, water and electricity for Gaza’s civilian population. Starmer is reacting to the persistent groundswell of opposition his government is facing over its role in facilitating genocide.

The backbone of this has been the consistent mass mobilisations that have repeatedly brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets of the capital. Polling shows that a growing majority of the population back a ceasefire, arms embargo and sanctions on Israel. In recent weeks, there has been a noticeable sea change in the coverage and editorial lines of mainstream media outlets, including the Daily Express, the Financial Times and The Economist.

This is coupled by a rapidly expanding list of celebrities and cultural figures speaking out in all forums against the genocide and the British government’s actions. Saturday’s national demonstration was addressed by Bafta-nominated actor Denise Gough, comedian Ivo Graham, and Danni Perry, a dancer who held up a Palestinian flag at the Royal Opera House and successfully campaigned to get the Royal Ballet and Opera to cancel its production in Tel Aviv.

Denise Gough told Counterfire,
“I’m here at the rally because if I don’t spend my time in spaces where people have care for the rest of the world then I feel very, very alone. It’s important for all of us to come here so that we can get re-energised, because genocide is exhausting.”

When the situation in Palestine is as dire as it is, when there is growing support among some of the most influential figures in society for an end to British support for Israel, and when the government is on the backfoot, is precisely the time to escalate the movement to put an end to Starmer’s support for genocide and to defend our right to protest.
Upcoming mobilisations:

Saturday 16 August: Stop Arming Israel – protest at RAF High Wycombe

Saturday 6 September: National demonstration for Palestine – central London

Saturday 27 September: National demonstration at Labour Conference – Liverpool

Sunday 5 October: International Meeting against the War – Paris

Shabbir Lakha is a Stop the War officer, a People’s Assembly activist and a member of Counterfire.

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Europe, Mideast, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY,

France: Thirty Years of Service to Immigrant Women

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article by Geneviève Roy in Breizh Femmes (translation by CPNN)

Immigration today represents 3.7% of the world’s population, or around 300,000 people, 48% of whom are women. Catherine Wihtol de Wenden introduced her topic with a few figures.

The CNRS researcher, political scientist, and lawyer, who teaches at Sciences Po Paris, came to Rennes to shed light on migration on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Déclic Femmes.

An anniversary that the founder, Fatima Zédira, wanted to celebrate by retracing the history of an association directly serving immigrant women, striving to provide solutions that meet each individual’s needs.

Women are leaving their countries in ever-increasing numbers, and they are increasingly doing so alone. In Europe, they are even more numerous than the global average, representing 51% of immigrants. Often invisible in society, they hold undervalued jobs working with the elderly, as caregivers, or in the clothing industry.

For researcher Catherine Wihtol de Wenden, this situation is nothing new. “Migration is world history!” she exclaims, praising the remarkable work that the association Déclic Femmes
has been doing for three decades in welcoming these migrant women to Rennes. “We’re in a very paradoxical context,” she continues, “since in Europe we need immigration in many professional sectors and to increase the demographics of different countries, but at the same time we are pursuing increasingly restrictive policies for welcoming migrants.” Surprisingly, since the 1990s, it has never been easier to leave one’s country, but it has never been more difficult to enter another. In France, for example, the refugee status recognition rate has peaked at 35% of applications.

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(Click here for the original French version.)

Questions for this article

Prospects for progress in women’s equality, what are the short and long term prospects?

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A Priority: Learning French

The global vision of the situation of migrants around the world, provided by the guest expert, allows Fatima Zédira, founder of Déclic Femmes, to situate the history of her association within French society. In 1995, she chose to support immigrant women through “dignity, family, social, and professional autonomy, and access to citizenship.” Drawing on a quote from Gisèle Halimi, stating that women’s economic independence is their freedom, she outlines thirty years of association life largely focused on employment and vocational training.

“The association focused its activities on welcoming and listening,” recalls Fatima Zédira, remembering the small 13m² space on Rue de Picardie in the Villejean neighborhood where women lined up on the sidewalk. Currently, at 7bis rue d’Armagnac, a few blocks from the original location, the premises are much more spacious and allow for a wider range of activities, welcoming more women, and also exhibiting some of their work. At the same time, branches have been established in other neighborhoods—Blosne and Maurepas. Each year, Déclic Femmes welcomes between 300 and 500 women, and in total, more than 90 nationalities have crossed paths at the association.

“Learning French is the key for us to escape isolation, regain self-confidence, and integrate into the host society,” explains Fatima Zédira. It is therefore natural that this learning is at the heart of all the activities offered by the association. From discussion groups to language classes, it has taken a lot of energy from the association’s volunteers and employees over the years to find the right balance. Training sessions are also provided to help people learn how to learn. A Positive

Process of Integration into Society

One of Déclic Femmes’ priorities is to offer individualized pathways that take into account the individual and their background. For example, there’s no question of mixing people with diverse educational backgrounds in French classes. There are those who have hardly ever attended school, those with a primary school education, sometimes a secondary education, and those who already have a university degree in their own language. Some come from French-speaking countries, others not. Some are comfortable speaking, but not at all writing… But none of them have “time to waste.” They often held jobs, sometimes responsibilities, in their countries of origin. They have obtained diplomas that France does not recognize. They need—and want—to return to working lives as quickly as possible in France. Fatima Zédira emphasizes a real “aspiration for emancipation” for all of them.

For all these women, the association has chosen to co-develop its proposals, tailored as closely as possible to each woman’s immediate needs. And in collaboration with numerous partners. Beyond efficiency, the association also strives to foster civic engagement, offering a variety of visits, trips, participation in activist activities, raising awareness of women’s rights, gender equality, political culture, and cultural and artistic initiatives.

It’s difficult to measure the impact of the work accomplished over thirty years. However, when a woman leaves the association fluent in French and with a better understanding of the culture and institutions of the host country, Fatima Zédira believes that “it’s an entire family that is drawn into a positive process of integration into society.”

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Europe, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

European Protests against NATO

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

A survey by CPNN

People took to the streets to protest against the NATO meetings where European countries pledged to increase military spending..

In Rome, a report by the People’s Dispatch, said that “some 30,000 people took to the streets on June 21 to protest war and rising military expenditures. Organized under the banner “Disarmiamoli!” (Let’s disarm them!), the demonstration brought together workers, grassroots trade unions, student collectives, and social movements. Protesters condemned the expansion of military budgets across Europe, coming at the direct expense of public services like healthcare, education, and other public services.”


Frame from the video of anti-NATO protest in Brussels published by the Times of India.

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Questions related to this article:
 
How can we be sure to get news about peace demonstrations?

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In The Hague, where NATO was meeting, Euro News reported that “hundreds of people gathered on Sunday to protest against NATO, rising military spending, and the risk of war with Iran. The protest comes two days before a summit of the alliance in The Hague, where leaders are expected to discuss increasing defence budgets. “Let’s invest in peace and sustainable energy,” Belgian politician Joe d’Haese said addressing a crowd in a park near the summit location.”

A video of anti-NATO protest in the Netherlands was published by DRM News.

Is it a problem of censorship by the Western media? In order to find videos of the anti-NATO demonstrations Belgium and additional videos from the Netherlands, we had to go to media based in India.

A video of anti-NATO protest in Brussels was published by the Times of India.

A video of the anti-NATO protest in the Hague was published by the Hindustan Times.

There was an article about the Hague protest in The Guardian, but its subject was mainly the arrests of protesters, rather than the purpose of the demonstration.

And there was also an article about the Hague protest in Reuters, but its subject was mainly about protesting the attack of Israel and the US on Iran, rather than the rearmanent agenda of NATO.

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Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

The Hague: Rally against Gaza genocide June 15

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article from the New Arab

Tens of thousands of people dressed in red marched through the streets of The Hague on Sunday (June 15) to demand more action from the Dutch government against Israel’s ongoing atrocities in Gaza, calling it a genocide.

(Editor’s note: the following video of the three-mile march supports claims that there were 150,000 people and that it was the largest demonstration in the Netherlands in this century.)



Video copied from twitter account of Rutger Bregman

Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Oxfam organised the demonstration through the city to the International Court of Justice, creating a so-called “red line”.

Many waving Palestinian flags and some chanting “Stop the Genocide”, the demonstrators turned a central park in the city into a sea of red on a sunny afternoon.

Protesters brandished banners reading “Don’t look away, do something”, “Stop Dutch complicity”, and “Be silent when kids sleep, not when they die”.

Organisers urged the Dutch government – which collapsed on 3 June after a far-right party pulled out of a fragile coalition – to do more to rein in Israel.

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Question related to this article:

How can war crimes be documented, stopped, punished and prevented?

How can a culture of peace be established in the Middle East?

How can we best express solidarity with the people of Gaza?

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“People in Gaza cannot wait and the Netherlands has a duty to do everything it can to stop the genocide,” they said in their call to action.

Dodo Van Der Sluis, a 67-year-old pensioner, told AFP: “It has to stop. Enough is enough. I can’t take it anymore.”

“I’m here because I think it’s maybe the only thing you can do now as a Dutch citizen, but it’s something you have to do,” she added.

A previous protest in The Hague on 18 May drew more than 100,000 people, according to organisers, who described it as the country’s largest demo in 20 years.

Police did not give an estimate for that demonstration.

Israel began waging a war on the Gaza Strip on7 October, 2023, in response to a surprise attack launched by Hamas. Israel’s actions have been decried globally over the months, with many experts labelling it as a genocide against the Palestinian people.

Israel’s military operation has killed at least 55,207 people, the majority of them civilians.

The International Court of Justice is currently weighing a case brought by South Africa against Israel, arguing its actions in Gaza breach the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

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Europe, HUMAN RIGHTS, Mideast,

Paris: Peace Concert – Saint-Sulpice Church

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An announcement from Mouvement de la Paix

In furtherance of our commitment to peace, the Mouvement de la Paix is organizing a Peace Concert on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 8:45 p.m., at Saint-Sulpice Church in Paris. Led by conductor Hugues Reiner, with the participation of the Hugues Reiner Choir and the Choir of 400, the concert will bring together works filled with emotion and meaning: Dvořák’s New World Symphony and the “Donkey” Mass.

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(Click here for the French version of this article)

 

Question related to this article:

What place does music have in the peace movement?

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Anne-Cécile Laurent, soprano; Yana Boukoff, mezzo; Joachim Bresson, tenor; Richard-Alexandre Ritelmann, baritone

Choir of 400, Paris, International Hugues Reiner Choir & Orchestra

Conductor/ Hugues Reiner

The concert is sponsored by the Nihon Hidankyo organization, Japan, Nobel Peace Prize winner, 2024, and will be addressed by Mr. David Adams (2025 Peace Manifesto).

This concert is an act of cultural resistance, an affirmation of the link between art, humanism, and peace. The funds raised will help support the actions of the Mouvement de la Paix. Reservation: €20 by clicking here
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EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe

Tens of thousands protest in The Hague against Gaza war

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article from Reuters (reprinted by permission)

Video on Instagram

Tens of thousands of protesters marched through The Hague on Sunday (May 18) demanding a tougher stance from the Dutch government against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Organiser Oxfam Novib said around 100,000 protesters had joined the march, most dressed in red expressing their desire for a “red line” against Israel’s siege on Gaza, where it has cut off medical, food and fuel supplies.


Video on Instagram

The march also passed the seat of the International Court of Justice, which is hearing a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide and last year ordered Israel to halt a military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

(continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

How can war crimes be documented, stopped, punished and prevented?

How can a culture of peace be established in the Middle East?

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Israel dismisses accusations of genocide as baseless and has argued in court that its operations in Gaza are self defence and targeted at Hamas militants who attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

Oxfam Novib said the Dutch government had ignored what it said were war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza, and urged protesters to demand a tougher line.
Dutch Foreign Affairs minister Caspar Veldkamp earlier this month said he wanted the EU to reconsider cooperation agreements it has with Israel.

But the Dutch government has so far refrained from harsher criticism, and the leader of the largest party in the government coalition, anti-Muslim populist Geert Wilders, has repeatedly voiced unwavering support for Israel.

Wilders called Sunday’s protesters “confused” and accused them in a post on X of supporting Hamas.

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Europe, HUMAN RIGHTS, Mideast,

100,000 Documented Deserters from Ukraine and Russia — and the Invisible Army for Peace

. DISARMAMENT & SECURITY.

An article received at CPNN from Olga Karatch* published on the no-to-nato riseup list.

Dear friends,

Yesterday, an important update came from the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection. They shared a striking article from Belgian national radio RTBF:

Guerre en Ukraine: près de 50.000 personnes arrêtées pour avoir tenté de fuir le pays depuis 2022

This means that 50,000 Ukrainian men have been arrested for trying to flee the country — in other words, 50,000 Ukrainian deserters.

When we add the 49,000 documented deserters from the Russian army (as reported earlier), we arrive at a staggering total: 100,000 named and documented individuals who have refused to fight in this war from both sides (+including Belarusian men).


Frame from video of soldiers who refused to fight for Russia – See article from 2023 here.

As someone who has spent years building databases of victims of political repression, I can tell you: compiling verified lists of names is no easy task. The fact that 100,000 names are now on record means the real number is much higher — possibly five, eight, or even ten times more.

That would mean up to a million Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian men who are actively trying to avoid participating in war, who do not want to take up arms, who are looking for a different path. That is, quite literally, a massive army for peace — and yet, no one is paying attention.

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Question related to this article:

“Put down the gun and take up the pen”, What are some other examples?

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Worse: many of these men are being systematically criminalized. Across the region — including in EU countries like Lithuania — conscientious objectors and deserters are often labeled as “national security threats” and sent back to the countries they fled. Even men who have refused to commit war crimes and openly rejected violence are treated as criminals.

This is not just a tragedy. It is Orwellian. Everything is reversed.

Those who choose peace are punished — those who choose violence are armed.

We are talking about an enormous, invisible force of men across three countries who are resisting this war — not by force, but through refusal. And yet they are completely ignored.

There is hope in these numbers. But it will mean nothing unless we recognize, protect, and support this invisible army of conscience.
 
Our coalition and our work together — small but dedicated — is doing what we can. But we are few, compared to the scale of this humanitarian and moral crisis.

We need recognition. We need protection. And above all, we need to make these people visible again.

Warmly and with determination,

Olga
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* Olga Karatch is one of the most active Belarusian dissidents and is the founder and director of the civil rights movement “Nash Dom”, or “ Our House.

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DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

Turkey: Peace Mothers to mothers of soldiers and police officers: “Let there be no tears on either side”

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Bianet

Following the PKK’s decision to disband and lay down arms, the Mothers for Peace Assembly issued a statement regarding the “Peace and Democratic Society Process.”

The announcement, made at the Diyarbakır branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD), was attended by numerous lawyers and human rights defenders alongside the Peace Mothers.


Photo: Diyarbakır İHD / X

Who are the Peace Mothers?

The Peace Mothers are a women’s civil rights group in Turkey, mainly Kurdish women, who advocate for peace between Turkey’s different ethnic groups, especially regarding the conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Many of these mothers have lost children or other relatives in the conflict, or have children in prison, and they use non-violent means like protests and vigils to call for an end to the fighting.

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Questions related to this article:

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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“No more dead bodies”

Havva Kıran, spokesperson for the Mothers for Peace Assembly, called for a bilateral ceasefire: “A ceasefire cannot be one-sided – it must involve both parties. As mothers, we appeal to the state, the president, and leaders – everyone must act. This process has given hope to both Kurds and Turks. Let their planes stop bombing Kurdish lands. No more dead bodies. Let the tears of Turkish and Kurdish mothers cease.”

“Let there be no tears on either side”

Kıran noted that “the state has yet to take a promising step” and addressed mothers of soldiers and police, urging them to join hands for peace:

“Only the Kurdish side has taken steps. They’ve laid down their arms, held their congresses. They’re ready for peace. As Peace Mothers, we call on the mothers of soldiers and police – hold hands with us. Let no more mothers’ hearts ache. Let us hold hands and bring peace.  Let there be no tears on either side. Let us bring peace to Turkey and live together. Let us strengthen those who are willing to shoulder the responsibility for peace.”

“You too must take a step”

“The end of war is now peace. War leads nowhere. There’s no alternative – peace must prevail. A grieving mother doesn’t say, ‘I’ve given one child, I’ll give another.’ Let us live freely and in peace in this country. Everyone has the right to live and speak their own language – but Kurds are denied this right. We opened the path for this process – now you must take a step. We want not war, but calm and peace.”

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DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Kurdish language at the forefront of Turkey’s peace process: Recognition demands intensify

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Medyanews

Kurdish Language Day, observed annually on 15 May, was commemorated throughout Turkey with an array of political, cultural and grassroots events calling for formal recognition of Kurdish in education and public life. The occasion mobilised political parties, human rights organisations and community groups across a wide range of cities, from metropolitan centres to Kurdish-majority regions.

The central message was clear: Kurdish must be granted official status and incorporated into Turkey’s education system and administrative institutions as part of the broader democratic transformation that is now under discussion  following the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).


Click here for video

Statements released by the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, the Human Rights Association (İHD), and the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) collectively framed the absence of Kurdish in public policy as a legacy of cultural repression. These groups underscored that constitutional reforms should guarantee linguistic rights and reflect the multicultural reality of Turkey.

The DBP characterised state policy as institutionally exclusionary:

“The refusal of education in the mother tongue is the clearest manifestation of this century-long hostility,” the party stated, asserting that linguistic justice is fundamental to democratic life.

Similarly, the DEM Party’s Commission on Language, Culture and Arts cited the imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s writings, which conceptualise language as central to both personal and collective identity.

“Language is not merely a vehicle for expression—it is foundational to the continuity and evolution of a people’s political and cultural existence,” the Commission declared.

From the parliamentary floor, DEM Party Group Deputy Chair Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit reinforced this position, pointing to past and present restrictions on the public use of Kurdish. She remarked: “A people’s language is the embodiment of their dignity. Repression of linguistic diversity obstructs democratic development and perpetuates inequality.”

Public commemorations were held in cities including Adana, Diyarbakır (Amed), Iğdır (Idîr), Urfa (Riha), Mersin, Ankara and Istanbul. These events featured speeches, music, community statements and visual displays, with participants carrying banners that read “No life without language” and “Our language is our identity”.

In Diyarbakır (Amed), a notable cultural initiative was unveiled: classical Kurdish poetry by figures such as Melayê Cizîrî and Feqiyê Teyran was inscribed on paving stones along a major thoroughfare. The project, coordinated by the municipality’s Department for Language Protection, was intended to bring Kurdish literature into public view and assert its place in the collective urban landscape.

(Continued in right column)

Question for this article:

What is the relation between peace and education?

(Continued from left column)

The Human Rights Association (İHD) marked the day by referencing international human rights standards, asserting that linguistic repression constitutes a violation of cultural rights. In their statement, they recalled the case of Vedat Aydın, a leading Kurdish politician who was assassinated after publicly using his native language, highlighting the risks historically faced by defenders of linguistic freedom.

Kurdish Language Day commemorates the publication of Hawar magazine on 15 May 1932, edited by the Kurdish intellectual Celadet Alî Bedirxan. The magazine marked a pivotal moment in the codification and standardisation of the Kurdish language and helped promote Kurdish as a literary and educational medium.

Hawar was the first publication to use a Latin-based alphabet for Kurdish, a decision that played a key role in modernising the language and expanding its use in both cultural and political spheres. The date has since become a symbolic occasion for asserting the linguistic and cultural rights of the Kurdish people. The magazine played a formative role in the standardisation of the Kurdish language, building upon earlier efforts such as the 1898 newspaper Kurdistan. These publications laid the groundwork for a modern Kurdish literary and political consciousness.

The 2025 observances took place within a newly developing political context. The PKK declared on 12 May that it would dissolve its armed structures and transition towards non-violent democratic engagement. This historic decision has effectively dismantled one of the Turkish state’s main justifications for restricting Kurdish cultural rights—namely, the association between Kurdish identity and insurgency.

With this pretext removed, Kurdish political actors argue that the continued ban on Kurdish in public education and administration is no longer tenable and must now be seen for what it is: a form of cultural exclusion. Legal recognition of the Kurdish language has since emerged as a central demand within the redefined peace framework, alongside broader calls for structural reform.

Following the PKK’s declaration that it would dissolve its armed structures and seek a democratic resolution, the peace process has become a renewed focus for Kurdish political and civic initiatives. Legal recognition of the Kurdish language has since emerged as one of the central demands accompanying calls for structural reform.

Cities in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast—commonly referred to by Kurds as North Kurdistan (Bakur)—continue to be hubs of cultural production and mobilisation. Local institutions and activists have played a pivotal role in preserving Kurdish heritage and resisting assimilationist policies.

Despite these efforts, Kurdish remains effectively excluded from the formal education system and is not employed in state institutions. While limited elective courses and symbolic acknowledgements exist, the absence of structural guarantees has sustained what many describe as a regime of cultural erasure.

Linguists, educators, and community leaders have argued that this undermines linguistic vitality, intergenerational transmission, and collective memory.

Kurdish political actors and civil society organisations are now placing increased pressure on the Turkish government to abandon restrictive policies and embrace a model of inclusive governance.

Within the scope of the peace process launched in October 2024, they assert that cultural recognition must be prioritised. For them, recognising Kurdish as a constituent part of the country’s national identity is not only a question of justice but a prerequisite for sustainable peace and coexistence.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, EDUCATION FOR PEACE, Europe

Joint Statement on Palestine by Seven European Countries

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .

A press release from the Ireland central website for government services and information

May 16: We will not be silent in front of the man-made humanitarian catastrophe that is taking place before our eyes in Gaza. More than 50.000 men, women, and children have lost their lives. Many more could starve to death in the coming days and weeks unless immediate action is taken.

Photo by © Abood Abo Salama / SIPA

We call upon the government of Israel to immediately reverse its current policy, refrain from further military operations and fully lift the blockade, ensuring safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian aid to be distributed throughout the Gaza strip by international humanitarian actors and according to humanitarian principles. United Nations and humanitarian organizations, including UNRWA, must be supported and granted safe and unimpeded access.

We call upon all parties to immediately engage with renewed urgency and good faith in negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of all hostages, and acknowledge the important role played by the United States, Egypt and Qatar in this regard.

(article continued in right column)

Question related to this article:

Presenting the Palestinian side of the Middle East, Is it important for a culture of peace?

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

(article continued from left column)

This is the basis upon which we can build a sustainable, just and comprehensive peace, based on the implementation of the two-State solution. We will continue to support the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, and work in the framework of the United Nations and with other actors, like the Arab League and Arab and Islamic States, to move forward to achieve a peaceful and sustainable solution. Only peace can bring security for Palestinians, Israelis and the region, and only respect for international law can secure lasting peace.

We also condemn the further escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with increased settler violence, the expansion of illegal settlements and intensified Israel military operations. Forced displacement or the expulsion of the Palestinian people, by any means, is unacceptable and would constitute a breach of international law. We reject any such plans or attempts at demographic change.

We must assume the responsibility to stop this devastation.

Kristrún Frostadóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland; Micheál Martin, Taoiseach, Ireland; Luc FRIEDEN, Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; Robert Abela, Prime Minister of the Republic of Malta; Jonas Gahr STØRE, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway; Robert Golob, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia; Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain

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