European Meeting in Defense of Peace
Dokumentation, 05.10.2007
The European Meeting in Defense of Peace took place on the 28th and 29th September, in Lisbon, a co-organization of Portuguese Council of Peace and Cooperation, the World Peace Council and GUE/NGL.
In this Conference participated 100 people, of whom 35 international guests from 14 countries representing 20 organisations and 5 GUE/NGL members (Athanasios Pafilis, Pedro Guerreiro, Jaromir Kohlicek, Willy Meyer and Tobias Pfluger).
The main issues discussed in this Conference were:
- The Europe and the World - the war strategy and the Europe militarization;
- On Peace Defence - Against the militarization and the war;
- The international political order. Solidarity with Peoples under aggression and foreign occupation, blockage and interference. The Peace Movement.
From their speeches the GUE/NGL members would like to highlight the following:
Athanasios Pafilis:
"These two meetings [our meeting and the informal Meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the EU] and their different agendas constitute a distinctive example of the two worlds that are in conflict nowadays.
On one side the imperialistic European Union co-operating in harmony with the USA and NATO, organises interventions in all the continents, develops plans for further militarization. At the same time attempts to take part in the division of markets in order to secure its share in the profits of the European capital
On the other side, the peace movements and the people of Europe resist and reject this imperialist policy. The peace movements are called to participate in this fight of resistance along/ together with the social movements of the working class, the youth and women."
Pedro Guerreiro:
"Contrary to the institution of rules embodied in the articles of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, the Portuguese Presidency of the European Council behaves in a subservient manner towards the great powers, has in its priorities to conclude a proposal for a militarist Treaty, the continuation of the militarization of the EU, the promotion of the interference, interventionism and the reinforcement of the EU as a European pillar of NATO.
This is a policy which promotes an arms race, the militarization of international relations and the affirmation of the EU as an imperialist block.
The defence of peace makes the need to clarify the real aims of the Treaty being prepared imperative, as well as to put the democratic demands for the consultation of public opinion through a referendum in the various countries of the EU."
Jaromir Kohlicek:
"Radar? No thank you
Peace movement has to develop two types of activities. First in the sphere of "big politics" and second in the sphere of real activities with the people.
1. United Nations are the most prominent organisation in the sphere of peaceful solution of the world problems. At the moment there is an important task, i.e. to enlarge the Security Council by including the most important representants of Africa, South America and Asia.
2. Actually we are facing a great pressure of the US administration to enlarge its military presence i.e. in the European Union under the trade mark Protective Shield. In the Czech Republic a broad movement against US Military Base with a Radar facility appeared in the last two years. This activity is supported by local lordmayors, intellectuals and many different groups of Czech citizens. 70% of the population requires a Referendum on the installation and clearly says NO to Radar. An international support is for this movement essential."
Willy Meyer:
"The proposal of two mini treaties that the EU aims to approve towards the end of this year continues to link the security policy of the Union to the policy of the United States. This is a fundamental obstacle so that the European Union has its own foreign policy, detached of the North American interests.
With respect to the security policy there are two ways of tackling it by the Member States: the "strong thought", and the "weak though". An example of first one would be the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa. Once elected, he showed his intention to review the bilateral treaty Ecuador-United States by which USA have the military base of "Manta" on Ecuadorian territory. Correa requires a treatment of equality, that is to say, if USA have bases in Ecuador, Ecuador must also have bases in the United States. This is clearly an example of a strong thought, of demand an equal to equal treatment between two sovereign States.
On the other hand, an example of weak thought is that of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who, being protected by his "alliance of civilizations", keeps a bilateral treaty with the United States that allows them to have two bases in Spanish territory, Rota and Morón, from which attacks and air offensives are launched without the possibility to Spain to say anything about what it occurs there.
These are two really clear examples on two very different ways of approaching the security policy by sovereign states. It is the moment now to the EU to decide what of these two is going to follow."
Tobias Pfluger:
"The military build up of the EU has been the core of the EU Constitutional Treaty and as it seems now also of the new Reform Treaty. The number of EU military mission all over the world is almost exploding. From Congo to Chad and the Central African Republic the EU is sending its troops. Africa seems to become a sort of testing ground for EU combat troops in order to back up the interest of former European colonial powers. So for the future there could be even more of this kind of post-colonial missions with the label of the EU.
At the same time the EU is sending EU police troops to Afghanistan in close cooperation with NATO and the US and is planning its so far biggest mission of the so called European Security and Defence Policy to Kosovo. The Plan is that European paramilitary Police troops will provide the security for an EU Protectorate in Kosovo. There is a very dangerous move from the US and the big EU member states to support the unilateral recognition of the independence of Kosovo. This would be a dangerous breach of international law and could have globally terrible consequences for the further escalation of other conflicts.
The ongoing militarisation of the EU and a foreign and security policy escalating conflicts worldwide has to stop. We should say NO to the EU Reform Treaty and its enshrined militarisation by EU law."
The European Meeting in Defense of Peace took place on the 28th and 29th September, in Lisbon, a co-organization of Portuguese Council of Peace and Cooperation, the World Peace Council and GUE/NGL.
In this Conference participated 100 people, of whom 35 international guests from 14 countries representing 20 organisations and 5 GUE/NGL members (Athanasios Pafilis, Pedro Guerreiro, Jaromir Kohlicek, Willy Meyer and Tobias Pfluger).
The main issues discussed in this Conference were:
- The Europe and the World - the war strategy and the Europe militarization;
- On Peace Defence - Against the militarization and the war;
- The international political order. Solidarity with Peoples under aggression and foreign occupation, blockage and interference. The Peace Movement.
From their speeches the GUE/NGL members would like to highlight the following:
Athanasios Pafilis:
"These two meetings [our meeting and the informal Meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the EU] and their different agendas constitute a distinctive example of the two worlds that are in conflict nowadays.
On one side the imperialistic European Union co-operating in harmony with the USA and NATO, organises interventions in all the continents, develops plans for further militarization. At the same time attempts to take part in the division of markets in order to secure its share in the profits of the European capital
On the other side, the peace movements and the people of Europe resist and reject this imperialist policy. The peace movements are called to participate in this fight of resistance along/ together with the social movements of the working class, the youth and women."
Pedro Guerreiro:
"Contrary to the institution of rules embodied in the articles of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, the Portuguese Presidency of the European Council behaves in a subservient manner towards the great powers, has in its priorities to conclude a proposal for a militarist Treaty, the continuation of the militarization of the EU, the promotion of the interference, interventionism and the reinforcement of the EU as a European pillar of NATO.
This is a policy which promotes an arms race, the militarization of international relations and the affirmation of the EU as an imperialist block.
The defence of peace makes the need to clarify the real aims of the Treaty being prepared imperative, as well as to put the democratic demands for the consultation of public opinion through a referendum in the various countries of the EU."
Jaromir Kohlicek:
"Radar? No thank you
Peace movement has to develop two types of activities. First in the sphere of "big politics" and second in the sphere of real activities with the people.
1. United Nations are the most prominent organisation in the sphere of peaceful solution of the world problems. At the moment there is an important task, i.e. to enlarge the Security Council by including the most important representants of Africa, South America and Asia.
2. Actually we are facing a great pressure of the US administration to enlarge its military presence i.e. in the European Union under the trade mark Protective Shield. In the Czech Republic a broad movement against US Military Base with a Radar facility appeared in the last two years. This activity is supported by local lordmayors, intellectuals and many different groups of Czech citizens. 70% of the population requires a Referendum on the installation and clearly says NO to Radar. An international support is for this movement essential."
Willy Meyer:
"The proposal of two mini treaties that the EU aims to approve towards the end of this year continues to link the security policy of the Union to the policy of the United States. This is a fundamental obstacle so that the European Union has its own foreign policy, detached of the North American interests.
With respect to the security policy there are two ways of tackling it by the Member States: the "strong thought", and the "weak though". An example of first one would be the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa. Once elected, he showed his intention to review the bilateral treaty Ecuador-United States by which USA have the military base of "Manta" on Ecuadorian territory. Correa requires a treatment of equality, that is to say, if USA have bases in Ecuador, Ecuador must also have bases in the United States. This is clearly an example of a strong thought, of demand an equal to equal treatment between two sovereign States.
On the other hand, an example of weak thought is that of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who, being protected by his "alliance of civilizations", keeps a bilateral treaty with the United States that allows them to have two bases in Spanish territory, Rota and Morón, from which attacks and air offensives are launched without the possibility to Spain to say anything about what it occurs there.
These are two really clear examples on two very different ways of approaching the security policy by sovereign states. It is the moment now to the EU to decide what of these two is going to follow."
Tobias Pfluger:
"The military build up of the EU has been the core of the EU Constitutional Treaty and as it seems now also of the new Reform Treaty. The number of EU military mission all over the world is almost exploding. From Congo to Chad and the Central African Republic the EU is sending its troops. Africa seems to become a sort of testing ground for EU combat troops in order to back up the interest of former European colonial powers. So for the future there could be even more of this kind of post-colonial missions with the label of the EU.
At the same time the EU is sending EU police troops to Afghanistan in close cooperation with NATO and the US and is planning its so far biggest mission of the so called European Security and Defence Policy to Kosovo. The Plan is that European paramilitary Police troops will provide the security for an EU Protectorate in Kosovo. There is a very dangerous move from the US and the big EU member states to support the unilateral recognition of the independence of Kosovo. This would be a dangerous breach of international law and could have globally terrible consequences for the further escalation of other conflicts.
The ongoing militarisation of the EU and a foreign and security policy escalating conflicts worldwide has to stop. We should say NO to the EU Reform Treaty and its enshrined militarisation by EU law."
Tobias Pflüger - 2007/10/05 10:13
Trackback URL:
https://tobiaspflueger.twoday.net/stories/4321273/modTrackback