Pressenza editors from 6 different language editions today expressed their endorsement of the Democracy in Europe 2025 campaign on the eve of the official launch of the project to an Italian audience in Rome.  The endorsement, which is published in full below, offers these editors’ support in what ever way can be useful and suggests other essential subjects that must be tackled if Europe is really to become a Union of peoples, democratic and free, in peace and solidarity with its own population and the population of other regions.

According to the endorsement:

From our perspective, we believe that the reception of immigrants and refugees is not just an emergency measure, but rather a fundamental human right. It is therefore vital to open borders – both land and sea – and demilitarise them.

Moreover, the statement highlights the need for nonviolence as the only valid methodology for social change, and notes the emergence of a new sensibility that “today again manifests itself in different latitudes personally, socially and spiritually.”

Statement in full

Dear friends of DiEM25,

At Pressenza International Press Agency (www.pressenza.com), a news agency committed to Humanism, Nonviolence, Human Rights, Disarmament and Non-Discrimination, we pay special attention to people and movements that question this violent system and make proposals that put human beings as the central value and concern.  We are run by volunteers and we publish in seven languages every day.

From this position, we are following with great interest the birth and development of DiEM25, and are grateful for your efforts to offer an alternative to this Europe that is moving towards disaster.

We were present at the launch of DiEM25 in Berlin and, since its announcement, we have published news and interviews in different editions.

We strongly agree with the urgent need for transparency and democracy, as has been raised by DiEM25, just as it seems essential to speak about and respond to the dramatic situation in which hundreds of thousands of refugees find themselves.

From our perspective, we believe that the reception of immigrants and refugees is not just an emergency measure, but rather a fundamental human right. It is therefore vital to open borders – both land and sea – and demilitarise them.

We know it is not possible to solve this problem in its root if the issue of wars and the arms trade are not addressed.

Therefore, we believe that civil society should be urgently promoting:

  • An embargo on the European government-supported arms trade.
  • A strong commitment to total nuclear disarmament, starting with the nuclear weapons present in European countries.
  • The dissolution of NATO: an organization that promotes and prioritises military conflicts and has historically been an obstacle to dialogue and peace.
  • The withdrawal of European troops from occupied territories.
  • The renunciation of war as a means of conflict resolution.

From our point of view, it is fundamental – if we want to create a real revolution – to use nonviolence as a form of relationship between individuals and peoples, as a methodology for solving conflicts and as a lifestyle: a sensibility that we have seen emerging all over Europe, most dramatically with the 15M movement in Spain.

And finally, it seems of great interest to pay attention and enhance this new sensibility that we recognise in individuals and peoples throughout history and today again manifests itself in different latitudes personally, socially and spiritually.

We hope that these issues will seem important to you so that they may be included as key themes.

We remain available and open to support DiEM25 in whatever way possible.  As an international news agency we shall continue to echo this initiative which can help open the future for the peoples of Europe.

With our best wishes for peace, force and joy.

 

Pressenza Editors

Marianella Kloka, Athens, Greece, athens@pressenza.com, Greek edition.

Olga Pateraki, Athens, Greece, olga.pateraki@pressenza.com, Greek edition

Gabriela Amaya, Madrid, Spain, gabriela.amaya@pressenza.com, Spanish edition.

Silvia Swinden, London, UK, silvia.swinden@pressenza.com, English edition.

Tony Robinson, Budapest, Hungary tony.robinson@pressenza.com, English edition.

Anna Polo, Milan, Italy anna.polo@pressenza.com, Italian edition.

Reto Thumiger, Berlin, German reto.thumiger@pressenza.com, German edition.

Ricardo Arias, Paris, France ricardo.arias@pressenza.com, French edition.

Didier Gay, Paris, France didier.gay@pressenza.com, French edition.