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Puri Declaration in Solidarity with Nonviolence and Social Empowerment

Representatives of Organisations from twenty countries and six continents meeting at the War Resisters' International/Swadhina Nonviolence and Social Empowerment Conference in Puri, India from the 18th to the 24th of February, 2001;

In solidarity with the nonviolent struggles represented by the delegates to this conference, declare our support for those organisations working for peace and justice and, in particular, those working

Against all manifestations of militarism: the draft; US Navy presence and activities on the Island of Vieques, Puerto Rico; US military intervention in Colombia; military violence against the Palestinian people, the peoples of the Balkans and the Pacific peoples; military spending; among others;
To end the repression and violence practiced against women, justified and supported by judicial, political, and religious structures created by and dominated by men;
For respect of the civil and human rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered men and women as well as other minorities in our societies;
In defense of displaced and marginalized indigenous peoples and the landless peoples of the world;
To promote nonviolent solutions to conflict resolution;
Toward empowerment of marginalised sectors of society to democratise our world through genuine community participation in the decision-making processes that are generally controlled by social and economic elites;
In defence of the environment and all forms of life.

We hereby recognise our responsibility to support the struggles of the sisters and brothers participating in this international conference as our concrete contribution to the work of creating a more just and loving world.

Approved in assembly this 24th day of February in the year two thousand and one in the town of Puri, India.

War Resisters' International
5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX, Britain, tel.: +44-171-2784040, fax: +44-171-2780444, email: info

wri-irg.org; http://wri-irg.org

Swadhina, 34/C Bondel Road, Calcutta 700019, India; tel +91-33-2477944, 2470934, 2406244; fax +91-33-2470934; email mainoffice@swadhina.org; website www.swadhina.org