Triennial

International Conference of WRI co-hosted by Ceasefire Campaign, Cape Town, South Africa, 4 - 8 July 2014

On Friday, 4 July 2014, in Cape Town City Hall, the international conference 'SMALL Actions - BIG Movements' will begin. Health-permitting, Archbishop Desmond Tutu will open the conference in an event open to the general public.

Co-organised with our affiliate Ceasefire Campaign, the other supporting organisations in South Africa are: Embrace Dignity, working against the exploitation of prostitution and sex-trafficking, and the Action Support Centre, based in Soweto which is the African regional hub of a global network of organisations and individuals committed to transforming conflict.

Opening speech by Arundhati Roy at the WRI conference on the 22 of January 2010 in Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, India

[video:http://vimeo.com/14272918 width:300 height:225]

War Resisters' International, International Conference Ahmedabad, India, 22 - 25 January, 2010

Background

This was the third International Conference of War Resisters' International held in India, the previous two being in 1960 and 1985. The local hosts were organisations well rooted in the social movement history of India and with whom WRI has had a fruitful tradition of cooperation. They were:

Nonviolent activists from 32 countries denounced development-induced displacement and corporate violence at the War Resisters' International (WRI) conference held at Gujarat Vidyapith this week. WRI, Gujarat Vidyapith, Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal and Sampoorna Kranti Vidyalaya have together organised a conference to investigate the links between militarism, war profiteering and the patterns of development pursued across the world today. Around 175 participants from 32 countries took part in the deliberations during this week.

The War Resisters’ International condemns the arrest on 28 January 2010 of Mohammed Khatib of Bil’in, Palestine.

The War Resisters’ International Council, assembled in Ahmedabad, India, learned of the arrest of Mohammed Khatib by the Israeli military at his home at 1:45 am yesterday. Mohammed Khatib has played a central role in the popular committee planning and coordinating the struggle of the Bil’in village against the Apartheid Wall, constructed by Israel inside the 1967 occupied territories.

END PROSECUTION OF ALBIN KURTI

27 January 2010

To whom it may concern

On 10 February 2007, police of UN Mission in Kosovo opened fire with rubber and plastic bullets on an unarmed demonstration in Prishtina killing two people. The police concerned have since returned to their country, Rumania, without being held accountable for their action. Now EULEX – the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo – has re-opened proceedings against Albin Kurti, the spokesperson of the movement Vetëvendosje which organised the demonstration.

We, members of the War Resister’s International (WRI) and all participants of the Triennial conference held in Ahmedabad from 22-25 January 2010 have, as part of our deliberations, also discussed the current situation in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

1. Abraham Gebreyesus Mehreteab, Eritrea/Germany

Nominated by Deutsche Friedensgesellschaft/Vereinigte KriegsdienstgegnerInnen
Email: abrahamgebr@hotmail.com

My name is Abraham Gebreyesus Mehreteab. I was born in Eritrea on the 9th of February 1971. I studied law in Asmara for my first degree and masters programme in The Netherlands for my LLM on International Law and the Law of International Organizations. Since 2002, I am living in Frankfurt Germany as a political refugee.

Three months ago, the organising committee were desperately looking at how to cut costs for this conference and who could fill gaps in the programme. To be honest, even the outstanding Indian speakers who have not previously attended WRI events - Arundhati Roy and Ashish Nandy at the opening session, P.V. Rajagopal of Ekta Parishad, Samarendra Das from the Orissa anti-mining campaign and Medha Patkar of Narmada Bachao Andolan - were not sure that they could come. Since then, however, everything seems to have fallen into place. Those five Indian speakers have confirmed.

Attached as pdf the Reader for the "Nonviolent Livelihood Struggle and Global Militarism: Links & Strategies". In Ahmedabad, India, 22 - 25 of January 2010.

At War Resisters' International we are in full gear preparing for WRI's forthcoming International Conference: "Nonviolent Livelihood Struggle and Global Militarism: Links & Strategies", to take place in Ahmedabad, India between the 22nd and 25th of January 2010.
If you wish to join us in this important event, now is time to make your travel arrangements and also to register for the conference. With this newsletter we give you all the practical information you need to know about the conference. We also include its work-in-progress programme.

Travel
Ahmedabad (population 3.5 - 4 million) is the biggest city in Gujarat and well connected with all India's major cities, both by air and by train. It is the former capital of Gujarat - the current state capital, Gandhinagar, is about 25 kms away.

Delhi-Ahmedabad: Distance by train 930 kms (takes 14 to 19 hours depending on the train)
Mumbai-Ahmedabad: Distance by train – 500 kms (8-10 hours)