The annual NATO summit takes place this year in the Polish capital, Warsaw and anti-NATO and anti-war campaigners across Europe are mobilising to make a symbolic protest against the increased militarisation of Europe which is leading to unnecessary tensions with Russia.  The No-to-war, No-to-Nato campaign has launched the following call to peace campaigners everywhere to attend their events.  Pressenza publishes their latest communication below.

Dear friends and colleagues,

Please find below information on the alternative summit and demonstration against NATO in Warsaw from July 8-10.

If you are not already coming, please consider doing so. Also please help us with the mobilization and spread the invitation and information in your networks.

You will find all relevant information on www.no-to-nato.org.

The actions against NATO in Poland this summer are of importance in many ways. This is the context: an aggressive military deployment towards the East of Europe, the 2% GDP goal with so many consequences in our countries as well as for a new arms race, missile defense, nuclear weapons strategy and a new deterrence… There is also the location of Poland and Warsaw: a very neoliberal country, with a high acceptance of NATO by the people, a small peace movement and social movements in general… and last but not least: Warsaw is a beautiful and inexpensive city and we have wonderful partners and a good program.

So, we hope to see you in Warsaw. If you have questions, feel free to contact us and please mobilize!

Greetings,

Kristine Karch
Lucas Wirl

Alternative Summit and Demonstration

Friday July 8th

12:00 opening of the alternative summit

Piotr Ikonowicz Poland│Kristine Karch, No to War – No to NATO

12:15 – 14:00 Plenary: Why we are against Militarism

Magda Qandil, Poland (tbc)│Ludo de Brabander, vrede, Belgium│Kate Hudson, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, GB│Joseph Gerson, American Friends Service Committee, USA│Yves-Jean Gallas, Mouvement de la Paix, France│Claudia Haydt, Information Centre Militarization, Germany│ Jan Majicek, Czech Republic│Vitaly Mahinko, Ukraine

LUNCH

15:00 – 17:00 Working groups (additional workshops are possible, changes to the workshops are possible)

  • Military spending (responsible: Ludo de Brabander)
  • Nuclear weapons and weapons in space (responsible: Kate Hudson)
  • How to overcome the war against terror? (responsible: Piotr Ikonowicz)
  • Militarization and women rights (responsible: Kristine Karch)
  • Refugees and War (responsible: Gavin Rae)
  • European Union and NATO (responsible: Tobias Pflüger, Claudia Haydt)
  • Imperial rivalry in Eastern Europe (responsible: Filip Ilkowski)

19:00 Public event: Peace politics in Europe

For a Europe of peace and social justice, for a common security

Barbara Lee, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, USA (video message)│Ann Wright, former Colonel of the US army, USA │ Maite Mola, Vice President of the European Left, Spain │ Reiner Braun, International Peace Bureau/ IALANA, Germany│ Filip Ilkowski, Stop the War Initiative Poland│ Ilya Budraiskis, Russia│Tarja Cronberg, former MEP, Green Party, Finland│ Wolfgang Gehrcke,  Die LINKE, Germany

Saturday July 9th at 12:00 City center of Warsaw

International Demonstration Warsaw 09-06-2016

Money for the hungry not for tanks

No to War and NATO Bases
Moscow Has Already Been – We Do Not Want Washington

Yes to Refugees and international solidarity

With Polish and International Speakers of the Alternative Summit

Sunday July 10th

11:00 – 13:30 Roundtable with open microphone:

Future of Peace and Anti-War Movement in Poland and the world
Introduction: NN Poland │Lucas Wirl, No to War – No to NATO

13:30 END

Registration & information: info@no-to-nato.org │ alterszczytnato@gmail.com

Further information: www.no-to-nato.org │ www.facebook.com/NotoWAR.NotoNATO

The location of the conference of 8/10 July will be announced soon.