- Scroll down for access to other Peace and Security web sites including Peace Women, Human Rights, Reaching Critical Will and international WILPF Disarmament news.
- Details on Disarmament and other Peace and Security issues are accessible from links in this email or from this URL: http://disarm.wilpf.org/JAN-FEB%202007/E-newsMarch07.htm.
DISARMAMENT AND DEMILITARIZATION ISSUES:
Foreign Military Bases
Three WILPFers attend the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR THE ABOLITION OF FOREIGN MILITARY BASES in Quito and Manta, Ecuador, March 5 to 9! The German Section is sending Irene Eckert. Kozue Akibayashi of WILPF-Japan and her friend Suzuyo Takazato from Okinawa will be there, and so will Mary Day Kent, Executive Director of the U.S. Section. Kozue and Mary Day will actually have their way paid by other organizations, but our WILPF members will link up together, and we expect reports back from all three. The presence of foreign military bases is of great concern to many of our Sections.
Kozue suggests a panel by the three WILPFers at the Bolivia Congress this summer. Let's hope it becomes a reality! Kozue also points out that she thinks ". . .it is necessary to ensure wider understanding among participants that it is not only "foreign" military that is problematic to our real security. U.S. miltiary is, of course, the major issue, but any military needs to be examined. (And here, a gender perspective and analysis functions well to reveal the values system of the military system.) In some cases in Japan or Korea, our national militaries replaced the bases from which U.S. military had withdrawn. We are calling not only for U.S. military to withdraw but for closure of the bases and conversion of the militarized security system." Important issues for all of us to work on together!
BANNING CLUSTER BOMBS!
Thank you Norway! On February 22 46 nations jumpstarted negotiations for a treaty banning cluster bombs. This initiative bypasses the official UN channels since nations using and/or producing these weapons are blocking progress there. Follow the links on the Geneva DISARM page for background information on other efforts within the UN to ban or limit cluster bombs. Please report on your efforts in your Section to ban these bombs.
U.S., Russia, China and Israel snubbed the conference. Australia, India and Pakistan also did not attend. Japan, Poland and Romania attended but did not join in the declaration. Obviously plenty of work lies ahead for us in countries where we have sections! Peru, Austria and Ireland were among the signers. Norway and Belgium have already banned the weapons. If anyone has the complete list of countries signing the declaration please send it to this listserve!
Let's move forward on banning DU weapons! Follow the
Abolish Nuclear Weapons. Time to register for the 2007 NPT Prep Com in Vienna, Austria 30 April to 11 May. Can we have reports from British WILPF on resistance to Trident upgrade? Read US WILPF response to Complex 2030, the master plan for upgrading the entire U.S. nuclear weapons stock pile.
Prevent an Arms Race in Outer Space! WILPF representation needed at the Global Network Conference in Darmstadt, March 23-24. Linda Richards and Carol Urner are coming for WILPF from the U.S. and Edel and two others are coming from Norway. Regina Hagen (Germany) and Mary Beth Sullivan (U.S.) of Global Network are also WILPF members. U.S. DISARM committee is still collecting reports on WILPF 2006 Keep Space for Peace actions to present to UNOOSA in Vienna. For information and to include your report click here.
Conference on Disarmament (CD) January 22 to March 30. Follow the 2007 CD disarmament negotiations at the United Nations in Geneva on Reaching Critical Will. Also check the RCW for comprehensive background on disarmament issues, negotiations and country positions. Find your own Ambassador's statements in the General Assembly disarmament debate here.
WILPF International Women's Day Seminar at the United Nations March 7. . This year, the seminar, focused on the issue of military expenditures and discussed gender budgeting and human security approaches to financial decision making inside governments. The seminar looked at the issues related to global arms expenditures, and also at how these issues are being dealt with on a local, national, and international level. The seminar was followed, on 8 March, by a statement to the Conference on Disarmament. For more information about the seminar, please contact Yuki Ojutsi at: yuki@wilpf.ch.
Share news from your country and Section on disarmament issues. Contact Carol Urner and Edwina Hughes, cochairs of the Peace and Security Working Group, or write directly to the listserve.
FROM THE LINKS BELOW ACCESS OTHER WILPF WEB PAGES ON PEACE AND SECURITY ISSUES:
WILPF Peace Women Tri-lingual web site on UNSCR 1375 with e-newsletters, etc.
WILPF International Human Rights Web Pages let WILPF members follow actions in the UN Human Rights Council. Read the report on the Aeotara Conference on Violence Against Women submitted by Edwina Hughes. Do other Sections have reports of similar events?
WILPF Reaching Critical Will, Peace and Security DISARM issues in depth
WILPF International Peace and Security Working Group with program guidelines. WILPF Geneva International Office Disarmament web pages. From here also access Resolutions on Disarmament that lay out WILPF's disarmament policies since 1915.
- Please send your reports on disarmament and Peace and Security issues to carol.disarm@gmail.com and pma@xtra.co.nz.
- To unsubscribe or add additional subscribers click here . If you do not want to receive this newsletter please find someone in your Section who is interested in Peace and Security Issues including Disarmament and Human Rights. Let's build this into a real working group.
WILPF DISARM E-News is a service of the WILPF Peace and Security Working Group. It focuses on the DISARM issues covered by that working group, which also includes Peace Women and Human Rights issues. Edwina Hughes (New Zealand) and Carol Urner (USA) are co-conveners of this group.
Monthly editions are edited by Carol Urner. Please send your reports, comments and suggestions for improvement to her at carol.disarm@gmail.com and copy to Edwina Hughes, co-convener of the group, at pma@xtra.co.nz
