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A
one day international peace conference to bring people together who are
working to resist militarism, nuclearism, and NATO. Saturday
5th March 2005 Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess St, central Manchester
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A militarised, nuclear armed Europe? Or a Europe which promotes peaceful, non-military solutions to conflict?
This year sees the 60th Anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States in 1945. Despite all the consequent death, devastation and suffering the world has not yet achieved a ban on nuclear weapons. Although as recently as 2000, at the UN Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, the nuclear weapons states made an ‘unequivocal undertaking’ to take positive steps to nuclear disarmament, very little has happened. This year we must press governments to carry out their legal obligations to achieve global nuclear disarmament.
NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the military alliance which includes the USA and Canada, has been expanded to 26 states across Europe. Yet NATO is a block to the furthering of the aims of the N.P.T. as it still holds policies of retaining nuclear weapons, of using nuclear arms first and a policy of nuclear sharing so that the US can store nuclear weapons at bases on the land of non-nuclear weapon states. NATO’s total military budget is over $400 billion.
The new European Constitution includes articles which support a European army, support for selling more arms from Europe and recommendations that member states should spend more on defence.
The above issues are urgently in need of public debate, because there is no doubt that people are seeking ways to achieve peace and human security.
Will they find it through military
security? Can governments still threaten the use of nuclear weapons?
What is the effect of the spending of huge amounts of money on more advanced
technological, including nuclear, weapons? If we are to change hearts and minds,
how will we do it?
We will raise these questions in
the workshops at the conference where every participant will have a chance to
contribute.
Jointly organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (UK) and Mouvement de la Paix (France)
Cost: £6 / €8.50 unwaged, £12 / €17 waged or £20 / €28.50 solidarity (includes lunch and refreshments)
A programme of tours of the city will be organised on Sunday morning for visitors from overseas and other areas of the country. This will include a 'peace walk' and visits to places / museums in Manchester which will be of interest from a peace and social justice perspective. Click here for more information
9.00 Doors
open for organisers
9.30 Registration Refreshments
10.15 Open Welcome to the City Councillor Bill Risby
10. 20 Chair opening remarks
10.25 Opening speakers:
Jeremy Corbyn MP (UK)
Caroline Lucas MEP
Tobias Pflueger MEP (Germany)
Arielle Denis Co-President Mouvement de la Paix
11.25 Plenary – questions and comment from the floor
11.45 Workshops - Focusing on exchange of information –
where are we currently?
a) International Law, the United Nations and the OSCE (Mouvement de la Paix)
b) NATO and Nuclear Disarmament across Europe (Rae Street CND, Ollie Little
Y&S CND)
c) EU Constitution (John Boyd (Campaign for Euro-Federalism), Ann Feltham (Campaign
Against Arms Trade)
d) Europe and Missile Defense (Dave Knight, Global Network against Weapons and
Nuclear Power in Space, and Regina Hagen International Network of Engineers
and Scientists Against Proliferation)
e) Europe in a Global Context (Jenny Clegg, University of Central Lancashire
/ CND)
1.00-2.00pm Lunch (provided)
2.00pm Opening speakers:
Kate Hudson Chair CND and Roger Cole, Peace and Neutrality Alliance (Republic
of Ireland))
2.45pm Workshops - Campaigning for Change
a) Working for the Principles
of the UN Charter (Mouvement de la Paix)
b) Moving to A Nuclear Free Europe (Joss Garman, Trident Ploughshares and Lea
Launokari, Women for Peace Finland)
c) Tackling the challenges of the EU Constitution (Ann Feltham, Campaign Against
Arms Trade)
d) Resisting NATO/US Foreign Military Bases ((Pol d’Huyvetter, For Mother
Earth Belgium)
e) Europe – providing Human Security or Military Security? (Colin Archer
Secretary International Peace Bureau)
3.45 Refreshment
break
4-4.15 Workshops’ feedback
4.15-4.45 Final Plenary
4.45-5pm Closing Speeches