Category Archives: DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

Demonstration for Peace in Ukraine Held in Budapest

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from World Without War

In defense of Hungary’s peace, independence, sovereignty and self-determination, the Forum for Peace movement held a national unity demonstration on Wednesday in Budapest.

Left and right-wing parties and civil organizations independent of parties, putting aside their ideological and political differences, together declared that the Hungarian people do not want to make sacrifices for the power of the depraved Kiev clique that oppresses the people and uses its compatriots as cannon fodder, nor for those who want to keep it in power!


See below in right column for names of those in the photo

The peace of our country is threatened. Our Western allies, allied with domestic political and military circles, want to force us into a war on the side of Ukraine, against Russia. They blackmail us, interfere in our internal affairs, are considering a coup d’йtat, and want to replace the legitimate government with a puppet government. They want us to give up our pro-peace policy, send weapons and soldiers to Ukraine, and go to war with Russia again, this time together with NATO” – states the Community of Responsible and Creative Hungarians, the Association for the Rule of Law, the Workers’ Party, the Hungarian Anti-Fascist League, the Hungarian Community for Peace, the Let’s go Hungarian for a Better Future Association, the Confederacy 2000, the Conscience’88 Association, the Hungarian Agrarian Association and In a joint statement by the Economic People’s Party, the World Federation of Hungarians, the National Federation, the Foundation of Hungarians Beyond the Border and the Circle of Friends on the Way of our Heroes in their common Call.

Speakers at the peace demonstration on Nyugati Square assured the government of their support for peace efforts against the war policies of Washington and Brussels, but noted that they do not consider it consistent enough. They called on Viktor Orbбn’s government to decide whether to consider Russia an aggressor or whether to recognize the legitimacy of its security demands and pursue an active policy of neutrality for reconciliation with Russia.

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Questions related to this article:
 
Can the peace movement help stop the war in the Ukraine?

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Endre Simo, president of the Hungarian Community for Peace, Miklos Patrubany, president of the World Federation of Hungarians, Gyula Thurmer, president of the Workers’ Party, Gyorgy Benza, president of the Foundation for Hungarians Across the Border, Eszter Forizs, representative of the Community of Responsible and Creative Hungarians, Istvan Balogh, president of the Law and Order Association, Marta Hartai, representative of the National Conquest 2000 Association, Tamas Hirschler, president of the Anti-Fascist League demanded the termination of the financial support provided to Ukraine and the reallocation of the funds intended for Kyiv to support the many millions of Hungarian people who were in a crisis of livelihood due to the unprecedented price increases. They stood up for the protection of the lives of Transcarpathian Hungarians and demanded that the government also stand up, and not finance the Zelenskiys for the sake of NATO.

We are not interested in confrontation, but in good relations with both East and West. Here, in the heart of Europe, on the path of historical wars, peaceful cooperation with the West, with which we conduct 80 percent of our trade, and with Russia, which satisfies 80 percent of our energy needs, is a vital issue for us. All our interests are linked to peace and progress! Let’s not let them take away our future and deny our right to survive!

We must protect our national sovereignty and self-determination as a feared treasure! Let’s demand peace for the Hungarians, East-West reconciliation, and mutual security for Europe” – stated in the joint statement, which was sent to Prime Minister Viktor Orbбn and the members of parliament.

The people of various backgrounds who participated in the demonstration applauded the fact that the members of the Peace Forum overcame their ideological and political differences for the common good of the country and its people, in defense of its peace and sovereignty.

The event began with the National Anthem and ended with the National Word Song. The representatives of the organizations stood next to each other and thanked the audience for standing up for the common national cause with applause.

Pictured in the photo above from July 26 in Budapest:


The Representatives of the Organisations cooperating in the Forum for Peace movement at the Demonstration of the Forum for Peace movement in Nyugati Square in defense of Hungary’s peace, independence, sovereignty and self-determination. From Left to Right: Tibor Bognar, vice president of the For a State of Law Association, Endre Simo, president of the Hungarian Community for Peace, Istvan Balogh, president of the For a State of Law Association, Klara Hars-Kovacs, president of On the Path of our Heroes Association’s representative, Miklos Patrubany, president of the World Union of Hungarians, Gyula Thurmer, president of the Workers’ Party, Eszter Forizs, representative of the Community of Responsible and Creative Hungarians and Mбrta Hartai, representative of the Conquest 2000 Association.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

Top Medical Journals Publish Unprecedented Joint Call for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Jake Johnson in Common Dreams (reprinted according to terms of Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license)

Leading medical journals published a joint editorial late Tuesday (August 1) calling on world leaders to take urgent steps to reduce the risk of nuclear war—and eliminate atomic weapons altogether—as the threat of a potentially civilization-ending conflict continues to grow.

The call was first issued in The Lancet, The BMJ, JAMA, International Nursing Review, and other top journals. Dozens of other journals are expected to publish the editorial in the coming days ahead of the 78th anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

(Editor’s note: As of August 10, 100 medical journals have signed on to the editorial as listed here.


Protesters hold anti-nuclear war signs as they gather in the viewing area at an air base on May 21, 2022 in Lakenheath, England. (Photo: Martin Pope/Getty Images)

The editorial begins by noting that the hands of the Doomsday Clock are closer to midnight than ever before, reflecting mounting nuclear tensions amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Current nuclear arms control and nonproliferation efforts are inadequate to protect the world’s population against the threat of nuclear war by design, error, or miscalculation,” the editorial reads. “Modernization of nuclear arsenals could increase risks—for example, hypersonic missiles decrease the time available to distinguish between an attack and a false alarm, increasing the likelihood of rapid escalation.”

The editorial cautions that even a “limited” nuclear conflict involving just hundreds of atomic weapons—a small fraction of the global arsenal—”could kill 120 million people outright and cause global climate disruption leading to a nuclear famine, putting two billion people at risk.”

“A large-scale nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia could kill 200 million people or more in the near term and potentially cause a global ‘nuclear winter’ that could kill 5-6 billion people, threatening the survival of humanity,” the editorial continues. “Once a nuclear weapon is detonated, escalation to all-out nuclear war could occur rapidly. The prevention of any use of nuclear weapons is therefore an urgent public health priority and fundamental steps must also be taken to address the root cause of the problem—by abolishing nuclear weapons.”

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Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

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Chris Zielinski of the World Association of Medical Editors said in a statement that the joint publication is “an extraordinary development” given that medical journals typically “go to great lengths to ensure that the material they publish has not appeared in any other medical journals.”

“That all of these leading journals have agreed to publish the same editorial underlines the extreme urgency of the current nuclear crisis and the need for prompt action to address this existential threat,” said Zielinski.

The editorial was released as parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons convened in Vienna in preparation for the 2026 treaty review conference. Last year, the 10th review conference of the nonproliferation treaty ended without a consensus agreement as Russia opposed a draft summary document.

All the while, the global nuclear stockpile continued to grow.

According to recent research by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the nine nations currently known to possess nuclear weapons had 9,576 working nukes at the start of 2023, up slightly from the 9,490 total in January of last year.

The U.S.—the only country that has ever used nuclear weapons in war—and Russia control roughly 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal.

None of the nuclear-armed countries have backed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a legally binding international agreement that bars signatories from using, threatening to use, developing, stockpiling, or transferring atomic weaponry.

The new editorial argues that must change if the world is to step back from the brink of catastrophe.

“The health community has had a crucial role in efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war and must continue to do so in the future,” the editorial states. “In the 1980s the efforts of health professionals, led by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), helped to end the cold war arms race by educating policymakers and the public on both sides of the Iron Curtain about the medical consequences of nuclear war. This was recognized when the 1985 Nobel peace prize was awarded to the IPPNW.”

Noting that IPPNW and other groups played critical roles in the development of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the editorial calls on health professionals worldwide to “join with the IPPNW to support efforts to reduce the near-term risks of nuclear war, including three immediate steps on the part of nuclear-armed states and their allies: first, adopt a no first use policy; second, take their nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert; and, third, urge all states involved in current conflicts to pledge publicly and unequivocally that they will not use nuclear weapons in these conflicts.”

“We further ask them to work for a definitive end to the nuclear threat by supporting the urgent commencement of negotiations among the nuclear-armed states for a verifiable, timebound agreement to eliminate their nuclear weapons,” the editorial adds. “The nuclear-armed states must eliminate their nuclear arsenals before they eliminate us.”

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

2023 World Conference against A and H Bombs

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Excerpts from the conference schedule from Gensuikyo, The Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs

Theme and Schedule of the World Conference

Main Theme: With the Hibakusha, Let Us Achieve a Nuclear Weapon-free, Peaceful and Just World – for the Future of the Humankind and Our Planet

Conference Schedule:

August 4 (Fri) – 5 (Sat): International Meeting (Hiroshima JA Building)
August 6 (Sun): Hiroshima Day Rally (Green Arena, Hiroshima Sports Center)
August 7 – 9: 2023 World Conference against A and H Bombs – Nagasaki
August 7 (Mon) Opening Plenary (Nagasaki Shimin Kaikan Gymnasium)
August 8 (Tue) Forums/ workshops/ field trips (different venues in Nagasaki City)
August 9 (Wed) Nagasaki Day Rally/ Closing Plenary (Nagasaki Shimin Kaikan Gymnasium)

International Meeting (First day)
Venue: Hiroshima JA Building

Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation is provided.

Format: In-person meeting & Livestreamed by Zoom

14:00-14:40 Opening Session

Opening declaration; Introduction of overseas delegates
Organizer’s speech: Noguchi Kunikazu, Co-Chair, Steering Committee
Greetings on behalf of the Hibakusha: Hamasumi Jiro, Assistant Secretary General,
Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo)
Presentation of messages

14:40-17:00 Session I: “Spreading voices of the Hibakusha to the world”

Speakers:

Kodama Michiko, Hibakusha of Hiroshima
Yokoyama Teruko, Hibakusha of Nagasaki
Special report on the Black Rain: Dr. Tamura Kazuyuki, Prof. Emeritus, Hiroshima Univ.
Lee_Ki-yeol　Korean A-Bomb Casualty Association
Sim_Jin-tae　Hapcheon Branch Chief, Korean A-Bomb Casualty Association
Abacca Anjain-Maddison, Representative of the Rongelap Islanders, the Marshall Islands.

Drafting Committee Meeting
Time: 19:00 – Venue: Hiroshima Road Building (2-9-24 Hikarimachi, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima. Conference room on the 3rd floor); One representative from each organization is invited to take part in the meeting.

August 5 (Saturday):
International Meeting (Second day)
Venue: Hiroshima JA Building

Format: In-person rally & Livestreamed by Zoom

09:30-12:00 Session II: Prohibition of nuclear weapons and achieving a world without nuclear weapons

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(Click here for a version in French.)

Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

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Speakers:

Joseph Gerson, Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, U.S.
Oleg Bodrov, North-West Russia Peace Movement/ Public Council of the Southern Coast of the Gulf of Finland, Russia
Roland Nivet, French Peace Movement
Lee Jun Kyu, Institute for Unification and Peace Policy, Hadfnshin University, ROK
Yasui Masakazu, Secretary General, Japan Council against A and H Bombs

12:00-13:30 Lunch break

13:30-16:00 Session III: A nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and just world – Solidarity and actions of civil society

Speakers:

Margaret Engel, Peace Action New York, US
Kate Hudson, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, U.K.
Reiner Braun, No NATO Campaign, Germany/ Former Executive Director, IPB
Ulla Klotzer, Global Women for Peace United against NATO, Finland
Sean Conner, Executive Director, International Peace Bureau (IPB)

16:00-16:30 Closing Session:

Proposal and adoption of the Declaration of the International Meeting

Closing remarks

August 6 (Sunday):
06:30 Meet at Sejour Fujita; Walk to the Peace Park

08:00-08:45 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (Hiroshima Peace Park)

Hiroshima Day Rally
Venue: Green Arena, Hiroshima Sports Center (4-1 Motomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima.)

Time: 13:00-15:30 (JST) Format: In-person rally & Livestreamed by Zoom

Program:
Opening song; Opening remarks; Introduction of overseas delegates
Presentation of messages
Organizer’s keynote report: Tomida Koji, Drafting Committee Chair
Greetings by Hiroshima Mayor: Matsui Kazumi, Mayor of Hiroshima (TBC)
Greetings from the Hibakusha: Mimaki Toshiyuki, Co-Chair, Nihon Hidankyo
Guest speaker: Wada Shizuka, Writer/ Co-convenor, Signature campaign to urge the
Japanese government to join the TPNW
Greetings of solidarity from political parties/ parliamentarians
– Shii Kazuo, Chair, Japanese Communist Party
Special campaign: “Conveying Hibakusha’s voices to the world”: Hiroshima Shinfujin
– Setsuko Thurlow, Hibakusha of Hiroshima
– Yano Miyako, Hibakusha of Hiroshima
– Makino Kazumi, Chair, Black Rain Sufferers’ Association of Hiroshima
– Abacca Anjain-Maddison, Rongelap Islander, Marshall Islands
Prohibition of nuclear weapons/ achieving a world without nuclear weapons –Movements in nuclear powers and “nuclear umbrella” states
– Ersilia Soudais, Member of French National Assembly, France Unbowed
– Daniel Högsta, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
– Phan Thi Khanh Chi, Vietnam Peace Committee- ICAN (TBC)
– Corazon Fabros, Nuclear-Free Philippines Coalition/ IPB Co-President

Cultural Program: Chorus “Hiroshima – Rivers of Love” and speech by Nakazawa Misayo (wife of Nakazawa Keiji, author of the “Barefoot Gen”) -TBC

Report from the Scientists Forum of the 2023 World Conference “Sending out messages of peace from students, in the midst of stormy nuclear-arms buildup”

People’s campaign to urge the Japanese government to join the TPNW:
– Youth organizing Committee of Kochi Prefecture
– Toyoki Keiko, Kofu Citizens Association to urge the signing/ratification of TPNW
– Murakami Atsuko, Through marcher of Tokyo-Hiroshima course, 2023 Nationwide Peace March

Message from Hiroshima (Hiroshima Organizing Committee)
Adoption of a conference declaration
Closing

(Editor’s note: The program for Nagasaki is similar to that for Hiroshima. For details, go to the source website listed above.)

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) Has Announced its Intention to Nominate Three Remarkable Organizations with a Focus on the Right to Conscientious Objection for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A press release from the International Peace Bureau

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) has announced our intention to nominate three exceptional organizations for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize: the Russian Movement of Conscientious Objectors, the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, and the Belarusian organization “Our House”. The decision to nominate these three organizations is a testament to their unwavering dedication in advocating for the right to conscientious objection to military service and promoting human rights and peace in their respective countries.

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the world’s most esteemed awards, recognizing individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the pursuit of peace and harmony. The nomination period for the 2024 prize will open on 1 September 2023 and the nominations will be promptly submitted for consideration.

The Russian Movement of Conscientious Objectors (https://stoparmy.org/), the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement (http://pacifism.org.ua/), and the Belarusian Our House (https://news.house/) have demonstrated unparalleled excellence and dedication in their efforts as defenders of peace, conscientious objection, and human rights, especially after the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 and despite the considerable stigmatization each organization has faced since.

The fundamental right to conscientious objection to military service is an inherent human right, protected under the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion as safeguarded by Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This right remains inalienable, even during periods of public emergency, as explicitly stated in Article 4(2) of the ICCPR. Embracing conscientious objection is a concrete means of contributing to peace. Hence, it becomes imperative to emphasize and safeguard this fundamental human right, especially during times of war.

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Questions related to this article:
 
Can the peace movement help stop the war in the Ukraine?

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Even in the face of escalating threats, the three movements persist in their dedication to aiding individuals who resist war and military mobilization. Their focus is particularly on supporting those who endure persecution, torture, and imprisonment. This commitment encompasses all instances of forced and violent recruitment into participating armies, as well as the persecution of conscientious objectors, deserters, and non-violent anti-war demonstrators.

“We are humbled and honored to nominate these three remarkable movements for the Nobel Peace Prize. Their courage in championing the right to conscientious objection and their tireless efforts to promote peace and human rights serve as an inspiration to us all,” said Philip Jennings, Co-President of IPB.

By nominating these three movements, we seek to raise awareness about the importance of the right to conscientious objection, fostering peace and human rights. Furthermore, we hope that the announcement of this intended nomination will remind and pressure governments and nations across the globe to respect the right to conscientious objection in their own countries and provide alternatives to military service for those that object. This includes the right to asylum for conscientious objectors forced to flee their own countries in order to avoid military service.

We call other organizations and particularly Nobel Peace Laureates from across the globe to support this nomination. Together our voices in support for conscientious objection can protect those who are selflessly putting their lives on the line to defend their beliefs and their compatriots who reject war and violence.

The selection process for Nobel Peace Prize laureates is highly competitive and is conducted by esteemed committees dedicated to recognizing peace efforts worldwide. We firmly believe that these three movements stand among the most deserving candidates for this prestigious recognition.

About IPB

The International Peace Bureau is dedicated to the vision of a World Without War. Our current main programme centres on Disarmament for Sustainable Development and within this, our focus is mainly on the reallocation of military expenditure.  We are a Nobel Peace Laureate (1910); over the years, 13 of our officers have been recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
International Peace Bureau
info@ipb-office.berlin
+49 (0) 30 1208 4549
Marienstraße 19-20 10117, Berlin – Germany

(Editor’s note:To publish a comment on this article, send to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with title, “comment on IPB”.)

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

Hiroshima Peace Declaration 2023

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from the City of Hiroshima

Every year on August 6, the City of Hiroshima holds a Peace Memorial Ceremony to pray for the peaceful repose of the victims, for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and for lasting world peace. During that ceremony, the Mayor issues a Peace Declaration directed toward the world at large. As long as the need persists, Hiroshima’s mayor will continue to issue these declarations calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons from the face of the earth. This is part of Hiroshima’s effort to build a world of genuine and lasting world peace where no population will ever again experience the cruel devastation suffered by Hiroshima and Nagasaki.


Video de la Declaration par mayor Matsui

Peace Declaration (2023)

“I want the leaders of all countries with nuclear weapons to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki and, using their own eyes and ears, learn the realities of the atomic bombings―the lives lost in an instant, the bodies charred by heat rays; lives lost in agony from burns and radiation, tended to by no one. I want them standing here to feel the full weight of the countless lives lost.” The hibakusha making this plea was eight years old when the bomb exploded 78 years ago. He always remembered that day as a living hell.

The heads of state who attended the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May this year visited the Peace Memorial Museum, spoke with hibakusha, and wrote messages in the guestbook. Their messages provide proof that hibakusha pleas have reached them. As they stood before the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, I conveyed the Spirit of Hiroshima underlying its inscription. Enduring past grief, overcoming hatred, we yearn for genuine world peace with all humanity living in harmony and prosperity. I believe our spirit is now engraved in their hearts. And in this spirit, the first G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament reaffirms their “commitment to the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all,” and declares that their “security policies are based on the understanding that nuclear weapons, for as long as they exist, should serve defensive purposes….”

However, leaders around the world must confront the reality that nuclear threats now being voiced by certain policymakers reveal the folly of nuclear deterrence theory. They must immediately take concrete steps to lead us from the dangerous present toward our ideal world. In civil society, each of us must embrace the generosity and love for humanity embodied in the hibakusha message, “No one else should ever suffer as we have.” It will be increasingly important for us to urge policymakers to abandon nuclear deterrence in favor of a peaceful world that refuses to compromise individual dignity and security.

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(Click here for a version in French.)

Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

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Mahatma Gandhi, who pursued independence for his native India through absolute nonviolence, asserted, “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” The Un General Assembly has adopted, as a formal document, a Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. To end the current war as quickly as possible, the leaders of nations should act in accordance with Gandhi’s assertion and the Programme of Action, with civil society rising up in response.

To that end, it will be vital to build a social environment in which our dreams and hopes come alive in our daily lives through contact with or participation in music, art, sports, and other activities that transcend language, nationality, creed, and gender. And to create that social environment, let us promote initiatives to instill the culture of peace everywhere. If we do, elected officials, who need the support of the people, will surely work with us toward a peaceful world.

The City of Hiroshima, together with more than 8,200 member cities of Mayors for Peace in 166 countries and regions, intends to promote the culture of peace globally through citizen-level exchange. Our goal is an environment in which our united desire for peace can reach the hearts of policymakers, helping to build an international community that maintains peace without relying on military force. We will continue to expand our programs to convey the realities of the atomic bombings to young people around the world so they can acquire the hibakusha’s passion for peace, spread it beyond national borders, and pass it on to future generations.

I ask all policymakers to follow in the footsteps of the leaders who attended the G7 Hiroshima Summit by visiting Hiroshima and sharing widely their desire for peace. I urge them to immediately cease all nuclear threats and turn toward a security regime based on trust through dialogue in pursuit of civil society ideals.

I further urge the national government to heed the wishes of the hibakusha and the peace-loving Japanese people by reconciling the differences between nuclear-weapon and non-nuclear-weapon states. Japan must immediately join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Tpnw) and establish common ground for discussions on nuclear weapons abolition by attending, at least as an observer, the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Tpnw to be held in November this year. The average age of the hibakusha now exceeds 85. The lives of many are still impaired by radiation’s harmful effects on mind and body. Thus, I demand that the Japanese government alleviate their suffering through stronger support measures.

Today, at this Peace Memorial Ceremony commemorating 78 years since the bombing, we offer heartfelt condolences to the souls of the atomic bomb victims. Together with Nagasaki and likeminded people around the world, we pledge to do everything in our power to abolish nuclear weapons and light the way toward lasting world peace.

August 6, 2023
Matsui Kazumi

Mayor

The City of Hiroshima

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia

Russia-Africa Summit Held Amid Worsening Global Security Situation

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by Abayomi Azikiwe of the Pan-African News Wire as published by Transcend Media Service

Despite the tremendous pressure by the western imperialist governments placed upon the African Union (AU) member-states and the Russian Federation, the second Russia-Africa Summit was held on July 27-28 in St. Petersburg. Many of the African heads-of-state present came from the leading countries across the continent of 1.4 billion people.

(Editor’s note: According to Transcend, “African Union member-states put forward their peace plan for ending the conflict in Ukraine and received a positive response from Moscow.” And according to Al Jazeera, Russian President Putin said that the African proposal could be the basis for peace in the Ukraine.


Frame from the officlal video of the Summit

Heads-of-state such as Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa, Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Adel-Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, Felipe Nyusi of Mozambique, Macky Sall of Senegal, Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo-Brazzaville, among others, were present and intensely engaged in the proceedings. The Summit consisted of open plenary sessions along with one-on-one meetings between African leaders and President Vladimir Putin.

Media reports in the United States made much of the fact that 17 heads-of-state attended the Russia-Africa Summit compared to 43 at the previous meeting in 2019. However, there were 49 delegations which attended representing a majority of African governments on official ministerial levels as well as regional organizations such as the African Union (AU), Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the New Development Bank (NDB), headed by former Brazil President Dilma Rousseff.

The Summit took place during an intensification of the military conflict in eastern and southern Ukraine as the United States and the European Union (EU) has pledged in excess of $100 billion to continue its efforts to maintain the dominant status of the imperialism throughout the globe. U.S. President Joe Biden has focused heavily on the foreign policy imperatives of weakening the Russian Federation through sanctions and the recruitment of Eastern European states into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

In Africa, the impact of the Ukraine war is resulting in high rates of inflation triggered by the shortages in agricultural products. Rising prices and a deteriorating security crisis in several West African states has prompted military interventions in political life and the attempted realignment of domestic and foreign policy away from France and the U.S. towards Russia and China.

This is the first full meeting of the Russia-Africa Summit since the inaugural gathering in 2019. Over the last four years the world underwent a global pandemic whose magnitude has not been experienced for a century. The commencement of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 grew out of the reemergent Cold War initiated by Washington and Wall Street against Russia and the People’s Republic of China.

Over the last year-and-a-half since the beginning of the special military operation, the administration of President Joe Biden has sought to pressure AU member-states to support its position in Ukraine. U.S. Congressional figures drafted a bill designed to punish African states who maintain cordial political and economic relations with Moscow. The government in the Republic of South Africa led by the African National Congress (ANC) was accused by the U.S. ambassador of supplying arms to the Russian Federation to utilize in the Ukraine theater.

Russia has been subjected to widespread sanctions aimed at bringing about the collapse of its economy. During the Summit in St. Petersburg, Putin announced the cancellation of $23 billion in debt owed by African countries.

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Questions related to this article:
 
Can the peace movement help stop the war in the Ukraine?

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Outcomes of the Russia-Africa Summit   

Consequently, the proceeding of the recent gathering provided an opportunity for both Russia and the AU to present their views on a myriad of issues impacting the international situation. Both the host, President Vladimir Putin and the AU delegates emphasized their interests in building closer relations in the cultural, economic and political spheres.

In a report on the Summit published by Tass news agency it says:

“The global importance of the second Russia-Africa Summit, held in St. Petersburg on July 27-28, continued to reverberate over the weekend. On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held meetings with several counterparts from the continent. As well, St. Petersburg native Putin hosted four African leaders at his hometown’s annual Navy Day parade on July 30 along the Neva River, Vedomosti writes. Putin said at his final press conference on July 29 that, ‘in general, the African continent is friendly and positive towards Russia.’ A 74-point declaration was the principal document to come out of the summit, where the signatories spoke out in particular against ethnic and racial discrimination and announced plans to coordinate a range of joint political activities, including within the United Nations Security Council.”

Russia and its relationship with the African continent have been mutually cooperative since the era of the imperialist conquest when the country under the monarchy provided military assistance to Ethiopia during its war against Italy in the late 19th century. During the period of the Soviet Union, the official foreign policy position of Moscow was to aid the national liberation movements struggling for freedom and independence. The post-colonial years in Africa were marked by solidarity with the newly independent states through the granting of educational opportunities, trading projects along with military training.

A continuing pledge of security assistance was made clear during the Summit. In addition, scholarships for education will be enhanced for African students in Russia.

The Russian government acknowledged the legacy of colonialism, imperialism and neo-colonialism and pledged to stand in solidarity with the African people in their struggle for genuine independence and sovereignty.

Testimony by African leaders were recorded in a Tass news report saying that:

“Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera underscored that Russia’s support helped save democracy in his country. ‘Fearing no geopolitical problems, Russia provides aid to our country, our armed forces and security agencies in their fight against terrorist organizations,’ he said. Mali was able to reinforce its armed forces and ensure its security thanks to Russia’s aid, said Interim President Assimi Goita. ‘Mali has a military partnership with Russia, and we thank it for support and friendship. […] The Malian Armed Forces are currently on the offensive; we have significantly reduced the number of [terrorist] attacks on [our] military bases, we were able to ensure security in many places,’ he noted.”

AU Leaders Emphasize Peace Plan

An underlying theme throughout the concluding phase of the Summit was the quest for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. The withdrawal of Russia from the Black Sea Grain Deal was based on the failure of the imperialist states to lift their sanctions against Moscow.

The actual volume of grain produced and exported by Russia far exceeds that of Ukraine. Putin offered to supply grain to several African states free of charge in an effort to meet the current challenge of burgeoning food insecurity.

Tass summarized the discussions on the African Peace Initiative for Ukraine as follows:

“South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that ‘negotiations and dialogue, as well as commitment to the UN Charter are necessary for a peaceful and fair resolution of conflicts.’

‘The African initiative deserves the greatest attention, and it should not be underestimated,’ President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso said, calling to ‘end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. This conflict affected the entire world in a negative way, African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said. ‘Of course, we are concerned over the grain supply issue,’ he said, adding that it is ‘necessary to immediately and promptly resolve the problem of food shipments to countries in need.’”
Putin reiterated to the African delegations that Russia has been willing to hold constructive negotiations with Ukraine. However, Moscow has been met with refusals by Kiev which is operating at the behest of Washington and the NATO states.

Overall, the Summit further revealed the escalating conflict between the proponents of western imperialist domination and those advocating for a multipolar world system. This ideological and material conflict could very well be resolved in a protracted global conflagration which would portend much for the long-term stability and sustainable development of the majority of peoples and nations of the globe.

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe,

Ukraine: Saudi Arabia, UN, 40 Other Countries Hold Peace Talk In Jeddah

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article byAbdulyassar Abdulhamid from Daily Trust

National Security Advisors of over 40 countries converged Saturday (August 5) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for consultations and exchange of opinions in order to build a common ground that will pave the way for peace in Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, as tension between the two countries escalated.

The meeting was chaired by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State and Member of the Council of Ministers, National Security Advisor Dr. Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban.

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Questions related to this article:
 
Can the peace movement help stop the war in the Ukraine?

(Continued from left column)

During the meeting Dr. Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban said the meeting was a continuation of the efforts by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, has been exerting in this regard since March 2022.

The participant countries agreed on the importance of continuing international consultations and exchanging opinions in order to build a common ground that will pave the way for peace.

They also emphasized the importance of benefiting from views and positive suggestions made during this meeting.

They also commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for calling and hosting the meeting.

The countries and organizations that participated in the meeting include Argentina, the Commonwealth of Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Comoros, Czech, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, and the European Commission.

Others are the European Council, the Finland, France, Germany, India, the Republic of Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Korea, Romania, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the United States of America.

(Editor’s note: A more detailed description of the Jeddah meeting, including Ukraine’s 10-point peace proposal, can be found in an article published by The Guardian, but we have no right to reproduce the article here. Also the Russian news agency TASS quoted the DPA News Agency as saying that Saudi Arabia presented a peace proposal differing from that of the Ukraine. We could not find the DPA source, but it was also quoted by media in Macedonia and Iran.)

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global, Mideast,

Russian War Opponents: The Diaspora

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An webinar report made available by Nonviolence International

David Cortright’s Notes of Webinar on Russian war opponents Nonviolence International webinar, June 26, 2023

On June 26, Nonviolent International convened a webinar to provide a space for Russians who have fled the war to speak out about the situation of war resisters and evaders today.

Moderated skillfully by American University Professor Barbara Wien, the program featured a report by NVI Ukraine Director Andre Kameshikov, who recently traveled to several of the countries to which Russian war evaders and conscientious objectors have fled.

Kameshikov has worked as a civil peacebuilding activist in conflict zones throughout the ex-USSR, including as the founder of Nonviolence International–CIS, a civil society organization operating in post-Soviet states for 22 years. Andre works from Kyiv with the local civil society sector to support peace and democratic development in Ukraine. He is now focusing on supporting the anti-war diaspora and movement in Russia.

Hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled the war to neighboring countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany. The Russian diaspora consists of three categories: those who were temporarily abroad when the invasion started and did not return, activists in Russia who fled as repression intensified after the invasion, and a large group that left the country at the time of the September 2022 military draft mobilization announcement when hundreds of thousands fled. A conservative estimate of those who fled after the war would be 700,000.

In his travels through the Russian diaspora community, Kameshikov did not meet anyone supportive of Russia’s decision to wage war in Ukraine. Those he met who favor peace said they would like to do something to bring the war to an end.

The first Russian speaker in the webinar was Konstantin Samoilov. He studied in the United States years ago and then returned to Russia to create his own company in thermal electric power production. Now the company he helped to build for 20 years and the entire industry no longer exists. After the war started, he fled to Uzbekistan. His children and family are with him now in Tashkent.

He decided he had to do something to oppose the war. “I consider myself a patriot,” Samoilov said. In working for peace “I found a sense of purpose.”

He is host of the Inside Russia YouTube channel and the creator of the Tashkent International Breakfast Club where Russians and Ukrainians meet to heal and make amends.

There are tens of thousands of fellow Russians in Uzbekistan, Samoilov estimates. He is trying to create a sense of community among them. He has an online digital network of 225,000.

(Continued in right column)

Questions related to this article:
 
Can the peace movement help stop the war in the Ukraine?

(Continued from left column)

He and his colleagues are reaching out to Ukrainians. The goal is to have Russians and Ukrainians sitting together to speak out against the war. They want to stop Russian aggression in Ukraine, to promote future transformation of Russia, to help Ukraine, and to create online and offline international communities where repentance, healing, and forgiveness takes place.

Also speaking was Evgeni Lyaman, a 25-year old civil activist from Moscow, now living in Tbilisi, Georgia. He is the founder of Emigration for Action and is a former media literacy trainer, organizer and editor. Some of his colleagues from the organization are still in Russia. He and others left after the February 2022 invasion.

His group is providing medicines for Ukrainian refugees. So far they have helped some 7000 Ukrainian refugees.

He and his colleagues also helped the many Russians who fled to Georgia after the September 2022 mobilization. A massive wave of people flooded the roadways and caused a major backup
at the tunnel on the border between Georgia and Russia.

“We are working to build a large coalition of Russian groups that oppose the war,” he said. In July they will announce the creation of a new initiative of 150 Russian groups around the world. “The world will hear the voice of anti-war Russians.”

Nikita Rakhimov is a psychologist-psychotherapist with eight years of practice. He fled Russia in September, 2022, at the time of the mobilization and is living now in Kazakhstan. He said he and other Russians there are trying to define their identity. “We are not immigrants. We are not refugees,” he said. “What are we?” He said that they are unable to plan for the future. “We can’t imagine a scenario for the end of the war. We want to return to Russia, but we don’t know how or whether that will be possible.”

Rakhimov said that many of the Russians in Kazakhstan have problems of work, finances, and families that are still back in Russia. They are safe now in Kazakhstan, he said, but their status is not secure. Many are trying to find another country to enter. The problem is that they have no travel documents. It was possible to enter Kazakhstan with a Russian internal passport (Armenia, Belarus and Uzbekistan also accept these internal passports), but few Russians have international travel passports.

Alexei Prokhorenko also spoke. He said he is a Reserve Lieutenant in the army but did not support the war. He described the atmosphere of fear in Russia after the invasion began. “I posted anti-war stickers in the subways and on buildings, but I was afraid of being arrested.” When the September 2022 mobilization occurred, he saw government authorities grabbing people randomly off the streets, and he decided to leave. “I fled to Istanbul and then got a humanitarian visa to enter Poland.”

He said that the diaspora community in Warsaw is small and not very active. “The Russian community here is atomized,” he said. There is a great deal of apathy and fear.

He also said there is “a problem with the perception of Russians here and in the West.” There is a great deal of animosity towards all Russians. “We need people to discern between Russians who support the war and those who oppose it.”

As Kameshikov said at the end of the webinar, “tens of millions of Russians oppose the war. We need to set up communications networks among them in order to share critical perspectives on the war with the people of Russia.” We also need to communicate with the rest of the world to urge support for Russian war resisters and evaders.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, Europe

US prelates lead ‘Pilgrimage of Peace’ to Japan seeking abolition of nuclear weapons

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article by John Lavenburg in Crux

A “Pilgrimage of Peace” to Japan led by two U.S. archbishops will soon depart, with advocacy for the elimination of nuclear weapons worldwide and for the creation of a peaceful global environment chief among their priorities.

Led by Archbishops John Wester of Santa Fe and Paul Etienne of Seattle, and joined by organizations and archdiocesan officials dedicated to nuclear disarmament advocacy, the delegation also hopes to strengthen ties with the bishops of Japan.


John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe, speaking at a recent forum held by Department of Energy officials at the Santa Fe Convention Center. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

“During this Pilgrimage of Peace to Japan, I hope to encourage conversation about universal, verifiable nuclear disarmament and walk together towards a new future of peace, a new promised land of peace, a new culture of peace and nonviolence where we all might learn to live in peace as sisters and brothers on this beautiful planet, our common home,” Wester said in a statement.

Etienne, in a statement of his own, added that to build a community where humanity can flourish, it’s important to “keep educating ourselves, praying for peace, and appealing for verifiable nuclear disarmament, which reflects Catholic teaching and is the path for the common good.”

The delegation will depart for the pilgrimage on July 31, with an itinerary that includes stops in Tokyo, Akita, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. They will return to the States on August 12. The trip is funded by grants and personal contributions; according to organizers, no diocesan funds were used.

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Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

Religion: a barrier or a way to peace?, What makes it one or the other?

(Continued from left column)

The trip follows a May open letter from Wester, Etienne, Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura of Nagasaki and Bishop Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama of Nagasaki, where they implored leaders of the Group of Seven countries to take concrete steps towards nuclear disarmament.

The letter came as G7 leaders met in Japan from May 19-21. Out of that meeting leaders from the G7 countries committed to working towards a world absent of nuclear weapons, and called on Russia, Iran, China and North Korea to cease nuclear escalation. Beyond the joint statement in support of nuclear disarmament, G7 leaders took no concrete steps towards that goal.

As of 2022, Russia and the United States have far and away the largest nuclear arsenals. According to data published in March by the Federation of American Scientists, Russia and the United States have 5,899 and 5,244 nuclear warheads, respectively. Third on the list is China with 410, followed by France (290), the United Kingdom (225), Pakistan (170), and India (164). No other country has an arsenal of more than 90 nuclear warheads, the data shows.

Both the Santa Fe and Seattle archdioceses, led by Wester and Etienne, have ties to nuclear weapons. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe is the U.S. diocese with the most spending on nuclear weapons per capita, and contains two weapons laboratories and the nation’s largest nuclear weapons depository. The Archdiocese of Seattle is the U.S. diocese that has deployed the most strategic weapons.

Meanwhile, two of the dioceses the delegation will visit on the pilgrimage, the Dioceses of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are the only two dioceses in the world that have suffered from atomic attacks when the United States bombed both cities during World War II.

As part of the pilgrimage to Japan, the delegation will pray a novena for peace from August 1 to August 9, the anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki in 1945.

Wester has been especially outspoken about the need for nuclear disarmament in recent years, prompted both by a 2017 trip he took to Japan, and the reality of his diocese’s involvement in the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal. In his statement on the upcoming pilgrimage, he said he holds out hope that one day nuclear threats can be a thing of the past.

“I hope one day, we will stop building these weapons, disarm our state and our world, and embark on a new future without the fear and terror of the nuclear threat,” Wester said.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia, North America,

11th World Peace Forum held in Beijing

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article in PR Newswire from china.org.cn

The 11th World Peace Forum, organized by Tsinghua University and the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, concluded in Beijing on July 3. The forum, themed “Stabilizing an Unstable World through Consensus and Cooperation,” gathered former political leaders, diplomatic envoys, experts, and scholars from around the world to shed light on promoting world peace and win-win cooperation.


China’s Vice President Han Zheng delivers a keynote speech at the 11th World Peace Forum opening ceremony on July 3, 2023.

China’s Vice President Han Zheng delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. Han said that in the face of profound changes in the international situation, China has put forward a series of major initiatives, such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, constantly enriching the connotation and practical path of the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, and injecting strong positive energy into world peace and development.

Han stressed that Chinese modernization follows the path of peaceful development, and China will unswervingly advocate, build and uphold world peace.

The future lies in dialogue and consultation

In the panel discussion titled “Security in the Asia-Pacific: Challenges and Solutions,” Singapore’s Ambassador to China, Peter Tan, emphasized the importance of dialogue and consultation when discussing Sino-U.S. relations. “It is, therefore, in our view, critical for China and the United States to have regular, peaceful, and constructive engagements. This will help stabilize the relationship,” he said.

Tan believed that the two countries should maintain open and effective channels of communication and interaction, whether conducted in the public domain or behind closed doors. Tan said that dialogue is the basis for building mutual understanding and bridging differences.

Pankaj Saran, former deputy national security advisor for strategic affairs of India, proposed during the same panel discussion that countries should address issues through dialogue and negotiation rather than force, abide by the rules-based order, and respect sovereignty and territorial integrity to foster interconnectivity.

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Questions for this article:

Does China promote a culture of peace?

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During the panel discussion titled “Major-Power Collaboration in Managing Global Problems,” Jia Qingguo, a professor from the School of International Studies at Peking University, underscored the importance of consultation and dialogue in managing major-country relations. Jia noted that encouraging dialogue and negotiation to find common political solutions is especially crucial to the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.

We must allow those pragmatic and kind people to make their voices heard in international exchanges and interactions, and they have to join together to deal with some extremist voices in the international arena, Jia said.

Multilateralism needs to deliver mutual benefits and win-win results

The world today is undergoing complex and profound changes. How can we restore stability to this unstable world through harmonious and multilateral cooperation? How should multilateralism adapt to the realities and needs of the 21st-century international system?

Igor Ivanov, president of the Russian International Affairs Council and former secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, underscored the importance of multilateralism at the major plenary session titled “The Evolution of Multilateralism.” According to Ivanov, multilateralism serves as a mechanism for fostering more open and transparent international relations and for interactions between countries with different political systems, ideologies, histories, and cultures. The multilateralism of the 21st century can only be universal and effective if it is suitable for a world of value, political and economic pluralism, Ivanov said.

In addition, countries must learn to recognize the equality of all actors in the multilateral format to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. “Cooperation can be successful if it is mutually beneficial, meaning that it can prove its effectiveness of multilateralism for the individual actors in the international system,” Ivanov said.

Multilateralism also took center stage in a panel discussion about climate change. Siddharth Chatterjee, the U.N. development system resident coordinator in China, pointed out that the world is facing unprecedented risks due to climate change that extend beyond the environmental sphere. Only multilateralism can effectively address this crisis and ensure a sustainable existence for future generations.

Global cooperation is required to mitigate these risks and aid vulnerable regions. This necessitates a commitment to multilateralism, as no single country can resolve the climate crisis on its own, added Chatterjee.

This year marked the first in-person edition of the forum in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum consisted of four major panel discussion sessions and 20 panel discussions, covering topics such as the international order, relationships between major countries, the evolution of multilateralism, nuclear non-proliferation, and artificial intelligence security.

The forum attracted worldwide attention, bringing together more than 150 journalists from more than 50 countries.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, East Asia, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION