War Profiteers Theme Group

War profiteering has been a permanent feature of the military landscape. It is not just that the search for profits can foment war. Military rivalry has also gone hand in hand with industrial and technological mobilization for war, reaching new heights in the second half of the 20th century. Those who profit from war form a powerful lobby in favour of military expenditure and war preparations. To combat their influence requires identifying and exposing their activities and their interests and developing campaigns that oppose their activities.

The War Profiteers Theme Group will be an important opportunity to analyze the situation, exchange and develop strategies for opposing war profiteers,and explore how the WRI network can coordinate global initiatives against war profiteers.

Day 1: Description of war profiteers and analysis of strategic opportunities to stop them

• Arms Manufactures: Companies that profit the most from war, which is not only a market that consumes their wares, but also free advertising for their products.
• Outsourcing the military: Private companies which provide services which were traditionally core army activities
• Reconstruction: Companies that are hired to re-build what the bombs have destroyed
• Private Financial Institutions and Export Credit Agencies: Involved in giving credits for making arms trade deals. Some also have shares on weapons manufactures

Day 2: Learn from case studies of campaigns against war profiteers

exploring strategies that have been successful and challenges that the campaigns face.

Some of the campaigns that will be looking at are:

• Shareholders Campaign Against Daimler-Chrysler
• My Money Clear Conscience: Forum voor Vredesactie
• Campaigns against arms trade
• Campaign against Honeywell Corporation

Day 3: Develop strategies for initiatives against war profiteers

Using a participatory process, we will work together to identify strategies for grassroots campaigns.

• What is "success" against war profiteering?
• How do we develop campaigns to reach those goals?
• What resources do we need engage in nonviolent campaigns?
• How do we strengthen this work through a global network?

Day 4: Setting new steps and report back

How to continue the process started at this conference. What can the WRI Nonviolence Programme do through WRI's Global Initiative Against War Profiteers, how do we build this network?

• Preparing the report back of the four days of work