In recent months, we have been observing with worry the intensification of many conflicts: the conflict between Palestine and Israel, Russia and Ukraine, the civil war in Syria, increase in tensions in Iraq… conflicts which also are engaging the interest of the media because these conflicts affect the West and Spain in particular.
Despite the seriousness of the conflicts listed above, we want to remember they are not the only ones; there are many forgotten conflicts that cause suffering and destruction, but which are unnoticed by public opinion: open conflicts such as in Sudan, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Congo, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Mali, Libya, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar… in addition to other countries not experiencing open conflict but where there is a high degree of violence.
Women in Black against War of Madrid:
Denounce the violations of human rights, war crimes and crimes against humanity in all places involved these conflicts. We demand that such violations not go unpunished regardless of who has committed them.
We want the West, NATO and especially Spain to assume their responsibility for action or omission in the current conflicts.
We want that political or economic interests not take priority over the life and dignity of people, above human security and above peace.
We denounce the war economy and the economic interests in the conflicts. It is immoral and unacceptable that the suffering of millions of people be tolerated to permit the increasing enrichment of a few companies. It is not acceptable that the defense budgets of many countries, including our own, be maintained as they are, or increased, when there are many social costs to cover that are being diminished daily.
We want to be able to say “neither these nor those”, that we do not support any band or party. There is a third political path without armed confrontation, and we reject the militaristic speeches that polarize society into friends and enemies.
We are on the side of the civil population, which is the one that suffers the consequences of war. We believe that a real and definitive outcome to the conflict should emerge from a change of values and the involvement of civil society.
We stand in solidarity with the women who live in the countries in conflict. When the entire social and human structure fails, it is they who sustain life, who maintain the links of union and are the agents of reconciliation.
We support the initiatives of civil society that have as their objective fomenting harmonious co-existence and human rights locally, regionally and globally, so that one day these qualities become universal.
Madrid, 28th of September 2014.
Translation: Trisha Novak with the collaboration of Yolanda Rouiller