*For Immediate Release*
John Judge (citizenswatch@starpower.net)
Richard Forward (archforward@gmx.net) In Munich, Member MAPC
McKinney To Receive Munich American Peace Committee Peace Prize
"Clearly, the MAPC gave more thought to the significance of those whose struggle for peace is based on principle . . . than did the Nobel Peace Committee that rewarded our President for war."
Former Congresswoman and 2008 Green Party Presidential Nominee announced today that she has been invited to participate in an International Peace Conference scheduled to take place in Munich, Germany on February 6 - 7, 2010 while the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meets in the same city to plan war. McKinney, a long-time proponent of abolishing NATO, is scheduled to speak on February 6 at a rally to protest the NATO "security" conference. After the rally, McKinney will participate in the International Peace Conference whose schedule and call to demonstrate against NATO war policies are included below.
Included in McKinney's program is a meeting with the Munich American Peace Committee (MAPC - www.mapc-web.de) which will present to McKinney its third annual award, "Peace through Conscience," during the ceremonies of the Munich Peace Conference on the evening of February 6, 2010. The MAPC Peace Prize is normally awarded by the previous year's winner. In McKinney's case the honors will be done by André Shepherd, a U.S. Army deserter from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and asylum seeker in Germany. Said McKinney of her selection for the award, "I am humbled to be so recognized. Clearly, the MAPC gave more thought to the significance of those whose struggle for peace is based on principle and an unshakeable commitment, despite the personal sacrificies required, than did the Nobel Peace Committee that rewarded our President for war." McKinney continued, "In this way of thinking, peace is now war, lies are now truth, and ignorance is strength."
McKinney calls on Americans across Germany to converge on Munich and protest U.S. and NATO war policies. McKinney will meet with American ex-patriots in multiple meetings while in Munich.
International Peace Conference Call for Protests at NATO Munich Conference:
Call for Protests against the NATO 'Security Conference' on 5-6 February 2010 in Munich
Take action against NATO war policies!
The members of governments of NATO countries, high-ranking officers, military strategists, and arms lobbyists who meet in Munich every year at the so-called Security Conference have one thing in common: they share the responsibility for the illegal wars waged against Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, with many thousands of deaths, for growing terror, torture, and sufferings of refugees.
NATO, and with it Germany, have declared the whole world their area of operation. At the same time, the militarization of the EU is being pushed intensively. The EU is arming so as to be able to wage wars on its own. The new EU treaty specifies that the member states undertake to upgrade their military capabilities, and that a European agency for promoting armament will be created.
Germany is not "being defended at the Hindu Kush"
In violation of our Constitution, and against the will of the majority of the people, the Bundeswehr is taking part in the war in Afghanistan. That war is about geostrategic interests that are supposed to be implemented militarily with the help of NATO: access to markets and raw materials, the hegemony of the rich and powerful NATO states, and their military presence in the region. For the population of Afghanistan, this means terroristic air raids, expulsion, destruction, torture, and death by the thousands.
2010 'Security Conference': New labels on old policies
Now that it is becoming more and more obvious, even to the politicians responsible, that they cannot achieve their goals by military means alone, NATO is trying to change its strategy; and this is also reflected in the Munich Security Conference.
The concept of civilian-military cooperation (CMC) and the instrumentalization of nongovernmental organizations are intended to allow the old NATO goals to be pursued more effectively. The inclusion of commercial firms and energy specialists, as well as topics such as disarmament, resource security, piracy, terrorism, and "human security" in future 'Security Conferences' are part of this.
According to the head of the Security Conference, there is a debate about whether "we should continue to use basically NATO to implement national-security interests, or rather the EU, or both structures with their respective military capabilities". The people of Afghanistan are currently experiencing the results of these "military capabilities".
This is why the 2010 'Security Conference' is another war conference, which we will oppose with our varied and creative protest.
End the NATO war against Afghanistan! Get the Bundeswehr out now!
It is not an immediate withdrawal of all the foreign troops that would make Afghanistan collapse in chaos; on the contrary, it is NATO's terrorist war and the continuing occupation which are causing the lethal chaos in that country.
An immediate withdrawal of the Bundeswehr and all the other foreign troops and mercenaries will not solve Afghanistan's problems; but this withdrawal is an essential precondition for self-determined and peaceful development and the reconstruction of the country.
No to German participation in any war!
The NATO warmaking alliance and the impending military great power EU are a threat to all mankind. The warmaking alliance NATO should be abolished. - Therefore, we also demand:
Get out of NATO - Get out of all EU military structures - Abolish the Bundeswehr!
The billions spent on armaments and war must be redirected to social needs!
At present, more than two-thirds of the worldwide military expenditures of about 1.4 trillion dollars a year are spent by the NATO countries. At the same time, world poverty continues to increase. The number of people going hungry grew to more than a billion last year. The policies of the rich and powerful nations - the USA and the EU countries in particular - are also largely responsible for the plundering of natural resources, the increasing destruction of the environment, and the climate catastrophe. These policies serve the profit interests of the big banks and corporations, and the arms manufacturers, above all.
While billions are being spent here in Germany on new weapon systems and the global military interventions of the Bundeswehr, the Federal government is demolishing our social-welfare systems. The burden on the unemployed and the employed, young people, pensioners, and welfare recipients is growing constantly. The rich get richer, while the poor get poorer.
Refugees and immigrants are presented as the scapegoats - not only by the nazis
War, hunger, torture, environmental destruction, and no hope for the future are the causes of the misery of millions of refugees. So we oppose the sealing off of the borders of 'Fortress Europe', Frontex military missions against refugees, any kind of exclusion of immigrants, discriminatory laws for foreigners, the virtual abolition of the right of asylum, deportations, and every form of racism.
- Combat the causes of their flight, not the refugees! - No camps - No barbed wire - No deportation!
Munich must not become a police fortress!
With our demonstration against the so-called 'Security Conference', we are also standing up for the unrestricted right to the freedoms of assembly, opinion, and demonstration.
Under the pretext of a growing danger of terrorism, fundamental democratic rights and our Constitution are being undermined systematically. The unconstitutional mixing of the responsibilities of the police and state security bodies (Verfassungsschutz), online searches of private computers, the required storage of data on everybody's telecommunications, biometric registration of all citizens, preventive detention, and the restrictions on the right to demonstrate mark the way to an authoritarian state with constant surveillance of the people. The Bundeswehr is already being used to support the police at home, in violation of the Constitution.
Armament and war, demolition of the welfare state and growing poverty require joint action by all emancipatory movements.
We oppose the capitalist system that will stop at nothing for the sake of profit, and advocate disarmament and a world without exploitation, war, and occupation.
Let us show the self-appointed world rulers and armchair warriors: You are not welcome here in Munich or anywhere else! We will resist your policies of neoliberalism, re-armament, and war.
Let us demonstrate jointly and creatively against the NATO war meeting on
Friday and Saturday, 5-6 February 2010, in Munich.
No to racism and war!
Abolish NATO!
Another world is possible!
Schedule and location for the International Peace Conference:
8. Internationale Münchner
- Friedenskonferenz
- February 5 to 7, 2010
Creating Peace and Justice – Saying‘No’ to war
Short Concept (Version 2)
International Forum, Saturday, February 6, 2010, 6.00 p. m.,
location: Altes Rathaus, Munich
Content of the presentations (proposal – still to be agreed and co-ordinated with the speakers) – each 20 minutes
| Cynthia McKinney, USA Former congress representative and candidate for the US-presidency in 2008, Green Party | Chances for a civil and nonviolent foreign policy of the US from the point of view of an oppositional politician Assessment of the US politics in relation to the topics
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| Alejandra Londono, Columbia, Youth Network “Red Juvenil | Work for demilitarization, conscientious objection and against recruitment by force in the civil war of Columbia History of Red Juvenil, The most important parts of their operating range: recruitment by force, antimilitarism, nonviolence How does Red Juvenil contribute to the ending of the war and to peace and justice? What is the reaction of Red Juvenil to the actual international development in South America – observers esteem that the US upgrade Columbia to be their military base against the neighbour countries with left-wing governments. What should do the governments or the politicians who are present at the Security Conference to promote peace and justice? |
| Michael Henderson, author of “Forgiveness – Breaking the chain of hate.”, Great Britain | Michael Henderson speaks about remarkable people of different nations who are on a journey together. He will draw on the experience of black and white in South Africa, Christians and Muslims in Nigeria and Protestants and Catholics in Ireland and on sixty years experience of the center of reconciliation in Caux, Switzerland. He will focus on the qualities needed by peacemakers. |
Discussion Fora, Sunday, February 7, 2010, 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p. m.
Discussion and exchange with all 3 speakers – if possible to schedule in 1 forum.
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