Webinar with Agir pour la Paix : The coming security wave
We were pleased to see you on Friday 19 for a webinar organised in partnership with Agir Pour La Paix and debated security.
In the current atmosphere of increased militarisation, police violence, the Covid-19 pandemic, climate emergency, Europe is preparing massive economic recovery plans and the arms industry is keeping a close eye on its interests. Its lobbyists are already presenting the military sector and its technology as a ‘must-have’ to sell us more security in a more uncertain world. We ask ourselves, what kind of ‘security’ are we talking about?
The current capitalist, neo-colonial economic and social system has security implications that tend to increasingly restrict the freedoms and rights of the population: « between police state, the deadly borders of Fortress Europe and environmental emergency ». We discussed all these issues with you.
Anniversary Campaign 25 March 2020 – 5th anniversary of the beginning of Yemen’s war
Five years ago, the coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched the first bombs against Yemen. It was the beginning of the armed conflict. The United Nations qualifies this war in Yemen as « the worst humanitarian crisis caused by humans ». Hundreds of thousands of civilians have died because of this war.
Air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition are one of the main causes of civilian casualties. The attacks have hit hospitals, schools, buses and residential areas. European arms companies are profiting from the war in Yemen and the suffering it has caused by supplying arms to members of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Arms exports are authorised and supported by European governments, even when they violate Article 6 of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
March 2020 marked the 5th anniversary the war; peace groups spoke with one voice to national governments, to the European Union, and armament companies. Stop fuelling war in Yemen! ( link to Facebook photo album https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1385276448321066&type=3 ).
We created a photographic campaign targeting you. Many of you answered our call by posting a photo of yourselves calling for an end to European arms sales to Saudi Arabia! So, thank you for your participation and support!
Kirchentag
Stop Fuelling War hosted and spoke at an event at the 2019 Kirchentag in Dortmund, at the International Peace Centre.
The event was called “Building Peace by not fuelling conflict - How to shine our light on the arms trade”.
Holly Spencer from Stop Fuelling War and Olivia Caeymaex from QCEA gave key notes speeches, followed by a panel discussion with Dr Anthea Bethge, Director of EIRENE and Wendela de Vries, co-founder and coordinator of Stop Wapenhandel and the European Network Against Arms Trade.
