Beeld: Mohammed Hassona
In recent years Israel has been confronted with a new phenomenon : a very active international solidarity movement defending the rights of the Palestinians. The international BDS movement – boycott, divestment, sanctions - feels inspired by the campaigns against then apartheid South Africa.
(c) Vador - Belgian Air Component
press communique June 30, 2011
In a very selective reading of the recent trans-Atlantic history former High Representative of the EU Javier Solana affirmed that “defence of values as democracy, human rights, freedom and the rule of law” have marked NATO's policy. According the official European Security Strategy(2003) Europe has to be “prepared to take its part of responsibility for a better and safer world”.
Beeld: Latuff
The war against Afghanistan started as a reprisal for the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers of New York in 2001. The main aim of this American revenge against Al Qaeda and their Afghan protectors, the Taliban, was to 'get' Osama Bin Laden. Almost ten years later Washington succeeded.
Press communiqué of Vrede vzw,
March 10, 2011
With the violent developments around Libya's rebellion a familiar image is emerging. Western leaders and media join in a chorus of great moral indignation and calls are heard to protect the Libyan population from greater calamity. The déjà-vu level goes still up when we see where it all comes from.
Beeld: Latuff
The uprise against the dictatorial regime in Libya caused special commotion in Belgium. Was the Qadhafi government using Belgian arms and ammunition against demonstrators? Indeed, the regional government of Wallony issued in 2009 an export licence for a weapons deal with Libya for some 11.5 million euro.
Democracy and waging war do not go together well. As the number of military operations abroad is increasing, democratic and public control is diminishing, dangerously diminishing. This is occurring in stages. International organisations like NATO are only equipped with a fake parliament that by far doesn't meet the standards of a normal democratic control structure.
Beeld: 475847394d347339 on Wikipedia Commons
Norway is strategically located. We are allies with the superpower USA and members of NATO, and we border to the former Soviet Union, today Russia. Therefore, Norway has always been an important bayonet against the socialist world.
The US phased adaptive approach for missile defense in Europe:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/FACT-SHEET-US-Missile-Defense-Policy-A-Phased-Adaptive-Approach-for-Missile-Defense-in-Europe/
The Russell Tribunal on Palestine this morning announced its verdict after weekend deliberations. The jury said it had been presented with "compelling evidence of corporate complicity in Israeli violations of international law".
APPEAL against NATO towards its summit in Portugal 2010
The World Peace Council and the Portuguese Council for Peace and
Cooperation (CPPC) salute the peace loving people of the world and the peace
movements which stand up and continue denouncing imperialist wars, illegal
Humanity is at a dangerous crossroads. War preparations to attack Iran are in "an advanced state of readiness". Hi tech weapons systems including nuclear warheads are fully deployed.
There is no World Social Forum in 2010. Instead, about 40 events are taking place all over the world in order to broaden the alterglobalist movement, to reflect on the crisis – whether it is called economic and social or ‘civilisational’ – and in order to prepare for the WSF in February 2011 in Dakar, Senegal.
Beeld: Vrede
More Peace Actions for the End of War in Afghanistan are needed
As we approach the ninth anniversary of the disastrous invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, we call for decentralized international days of action October 7-10 to bring U.S. and NATO troops home. We call for a ceasefire, negotiations and the withdrawal of foreign forces.
March 19, 2010 the Belgian government - which resigned in the meantime - decided to prolong the presence of Belgian soldiers in Afghanistan until the end of 2011. This decision wasn't discussed but ten days later in a joint session of the Parliamentary Commissions of External Affairs and Defence.
In recent weeks, the subject of the boycott on the products of settlements has again become prominent on the Israeli public agenda. The Gush Shalom movement is calling such a boycott for a decade and more already.