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http://www.enaat.org/news/IsraelGaza.shtml

As the conflict in the Gaza Strip continues to escalate, and the body count continues to increase, the European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT) has called for an immediate end to all European military support for Israel and for the EU to declare a comprehensive arms embargo on all parties in conflict. Pending such an embargo, all EU states must immediately suspend all transfers of military equipment, assistance and ammunitions to the parties in conflict.

Desmond Tutu's makes a surprise appearance at the opening of the Small Actions, Big Movements: The Continuum of Nonviolence conference on the evening of 4th July 2014.

This page will gather text, videos and images from the Small Actions, Big Movements International Conference in Cape Town, July 2014.

The new handbook is available from the WRI webshop, here:

/node/23245

At the 'Small Actions, Big Movements' conference in South Africa, War Resisters' International released the new edition of the 'Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns'. At a launch event, different contributors read from the handbook, described the inspiration behind creating a new edition, and explained their various contributions.

The handbook aims to show how a group can achieve their goals by developing a strategy (a plan as to how they will exert the necessary pressure to make change), before exploring what strategy looks like in reality. The handbook was written by over 30 people from countries all over the world, and aims to reflect and empower nonviolent activists internationally.

War has returned to European soil, and it seems that Europeans are not capable, or not willing, to apply the lessons they try to teach in other parts of the planet. The European Union, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, put Ukraine in an impossible position when it asked it to choose between a political pact with the EU or a close economic relationship with Russia. Ordinary people in Ukraine have some of the lowest wages in the continent, and face one of the highest levels of political and economic corruption, creating hopelessness among many of them - hence the offer from the EU seemed to many like a golden opportunity to take a first step out of the mire.

The use of violence by both sides in the later stages of the Maidan protests created a precedent, and served as a justification for the use of violence in parts of Ukraine where many people disagree with the country's new political course. Also, the presence of neo-nazis in the new official Ukrainian politics, and the rise of the paramilitary units connected with them, encouraged other Ukrainians - in areas where many feel more attracted to and connected with Russia than with the EU - to consider armed struggle a legitimate method of dealing with conflict.

War Resisters International, a ninety-three year old antiwar/pacifist organization, after having gathered from over 60 countries at its Quadrennial conference in Cape Town, South Africa, expresses its deep sorrow over the self-immolation on 29 June of the Japanese man, and its deeper sorrow over the cause of that drastic action.

In the wake of the terrible suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as victims of the world's first, and to date only, use of nuclear weapons in war, the Japanese adopted as Article 9 of their Constitution a prohibition against maintaining army for deployment outside the country's borders.

It seems to us terrible and tragic that, knowing what it collectively knows, Japan is now facing the repudiation of Article 9's prohibition on overseas war, and we entreat the nation and its legislators to reject this move, and maintain Article 9 as a beacon of nonviolence and non-aggression for the rest of the world.

10 July, 2014

On Behalf of the WRI assembly

The Assembly of the War Resisters’ International, gathered in the City Hall of Cape Town, South Africa, strongly condemns the ongoing assault by the Israeli military on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. War Resisters’ International considers all war a crime against humanity, and we therefore call for the immediate end of hostilities, and in particular the repeated aggression by the State of Israel against Palestinians.

As opponents of war, we also oppose the causes of war, and stand in solidarity with oppressed people all over the world. We therefore call for the end of the occupation of Palestine and—especially gathered at the building from which Nelson Mandela made his first speech after release from prison—we call for the end of all forms of Apartheid everywhere.

At the WRI International Conference in Cape Town in July 2014, WRI Assembly appointed Individual Members of WRI Council, and a new WRI Executive.

WRI Council also welcome a new affiliate into membership.

We'd like to announce the Individual Members of WRI Council, and WRI Executive, appointed at the WRI Assembly.

WRI Executive
Chair: Christine Schweitzer Treasurer: Dominique Saillard Cattis Laska Jungmin Choi Hülya Üçpinar Sergeiy Sandler
Individual Council Members     Carlos Barranco, State of Spain     Albert Beale, Britain     Jungmin Choi, South Korea     Moses John, South Sudan     Subhash Chandra Kattel, Nepal     Cattis Laska, Sweden     Lexys Rendón, Venezuela     Miles Rutendo Tanhira, Zimbabwe/Sweden     Igor Seke, Serbia/Mexico     Hülya Üçpinar, Turkey     Sergeiy Sandler, Israel     Stellan Vinthagen, Sweden

WRI Council also includes a representative from each section and a non-voting observer from each associate organisation or publication. See affiliates here.

For more information about the role of WRI's Council, visit: /members/councilduties-en.htm

New affiliate

WRI Council was pleased to approve the application from Peace News Ltd to be an associate publication to WRI. Peace News used to be affiliated to WRI, and only stopped being so when Peace News and WRI worked as the same organisation, so this is a reaffiliation.

The Peace News summer camp is coming up in a few weeks (31 July - 4 August)!

A list of all WRI affiliates is here.

WRI International Conference, co-hosted by Ceasefire Campaign, Cape Town

This July, in an historic conference to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, War Resisters International will be convening a conference on Small Actions, Big Movements: the Continuum of Nonviolence. While we recognize that at times our demonstrations and campaigns start small, they can have wide effects when we work together.

Videos and photos from the conference Conference Reader Calendar of events Practical Information about the conference Conference programme Info on related Events Exhibitions during the conference Resources: prepare for the conference

1. Introduction

In this report, we present the work that War Resisters' International has been involved in since the international conference in January 2010 in India, and the challenges WRI faces. It describes the staffed programmes, the work in the regions and the work of the WRI bodies – executive and council. Last but not least, it deals with WRI’s finances – an issue of continued concern and worry.

PRESS RELEASE

30 June 2014

For immediate release

Cape Town’s City Hall will host an international conference gathering voices and movements standing against violence and conflict from July 4 to 8.

London-based War Resisters International (WRI), founded in 1921 by conscientious objectors to the First World War, will host the conference with local partner Ceasefire Campaign. Other local partners include Embrace Dignity, Goedgedacht Forum and Action Support Centre.