CONVOCATIONS IN ENGLISH 2016

Gathered in Belgrade, on the 25th anniversary of Women in Black of Belgrade, activists of the network from Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, as well as from the countries of the former Yugoslavia: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia,

We express:

♀ A request to stop the war in Syria and elsewhere – because the responsibility for the war, suffering and destruction shall be borne also by the European countries that are exclusively lead by their geostrategic interests and profits from the sale of weapons;

♀ The deepest indignation against the closure of the borders – wire fences, persecutions, deportation, humiliation of refugees fleeing from war, poverty, repression;

♀ Opposition to shameful decisions and agreements of the EU and other European countries – Turkey and some African countries – because it is a flagrant violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the laws on asylum and foreigners in the EU and other European countries;

♀ The sharpest protest against the racist, xenophobic, fascist campaign against refugees in the media, in the statements of officials, including part of the population…

We use this opportunity to reaffirm:

♀ Solidarity, responsibility, support with women and children who are the most vulnerable part of the refugee population, but also with the men who refuse to be cannon fodder in wars, seeking refuge in European countries;

♀ Welcome refugees – with dignity and equal treatment, integration and regulation of the status of refugees;

♀ We want another Europe – supportive, open, without wires and borders!

We also demand the Spanish government to welcome the refugees it has assumed to; to stop the sales of arms, fences and wires and not to consent racist, fascist and xenophobic campaigns.

Women in Black of Madrid want to denounce the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union and also the foreign policy of Spain.

At this time, we wish to be mindful of the causes for human displacements such as the wars favored by our governors in various countries of the planet for the clear interests of control and dominion, as well as the policies they carry out in support of governors who do not respect human rights. We believe that the real and definitive solution for conflicts must come from a change in the values in policies at all levels, including international, and from the essential participation of civil society, a belief that is clearly confirmed and reinforced in the wake of the disaster of military interventions that have taken place up until now.

We denounce the war economy and the economic interest in the conflicts. To tolerate the suffering of millions of people so that a few companies become even richer is both unacceptable and immoral. It is not acceptable that the defense budgets of many countries, ours included, are maintained and even expand when there are may social needs to cover and which are increasingly reduced.

We are concerned about the world situation, from Turkey to Nicaragua, the war in Syria…the military coups that have engendered violations of human rights where they have taken place. Where the army has taken control by force, violence has become institutionalized and the societies that have been witness to the coups have been dragged into spiral of violence.

We look with great worry upon the growth of nationalism and racism in Europe.

We are hopeful regarding the peace process in Colombia and the involvement of the civil society and women. We are joyful along with our companions of Women in Black of Colombia.

Women in Black of Madrid

♀ Demand an urgent change in the policies for security and defense at the international level. We ask for policies that will permit people to live with dignity and respect for human rights any place on the planet.

♀ We demand that our government and the European Union develop policies regarding migration that are more worthy and humanitarian.

♀ We support the initiatives of the civil society that have as their objective to promote harmonious co-existence and human rights locally, regionally and globally so that these rights may one day become universal.

♀ We declare our support to the NGOs, collectives and individuals involved in support of the migrants.

♀ We express the need to seek actions against racism and xenophobia, integrating a perspective of gender.

♀ We are in solidarity with the pacifists and conscientious objectors of Turkey, who we know are experiencing moments of great pain and frustration.

Translation: Trisha Novak, USA – Yolanda Rouiller, WiB Spain

Facing the painful and shameful situation that we are living through in Europe because of the response of our governments to the drama that refugees are experiencing,

The third Sunday of the month
19 June 2016
in the Plaza Mayor (next to the horse statue) at noon
Women in Black of Madrid
invite you
to a vigil in black and in silence

Women in Black of Madrid, Padua, Torino, Fano, Alba, Ravenna, Rome, Leuven, Copenhagen, Belgrade, Majorca, Santander, Sevilla and Valencia

♀ The WARS backed or provoked by Europe generate death, destruction and the obligation for thousands of people to flee.

♀ We do not know the INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO ARE REFUGEES, especially from Syria, but also from various countries in Africa. Often the women refugees come from a history of violence and mistreatment and on the way they confront more violence, harassment, blackmail, economic exploitation by other refugees, traffickers and the police without the possibility of recourse to justice or protection.

We remember here that on 19 June we celebrate the “International day for the elimination of violence against women in conflict situations” approved by the United Nations.

Let us expel war from history and from our lives

………………………………………………………………………..

♀ THE WARS SUPPORTED or FOUGHT by Europe and the West which produce death, destruction and force hundreds of thousands of people to escape;

♀ THE CLOSURE OF BORDERS, the inhuman treatment of people who seek safety and a future in our countries;

♀ THE EUROPEAN AND NATIONAL SHAMEFUL POLITICS, AGREEMENTS AND DECISIONS: the bilateral agreement with Turkey, then also with Libya and other African countries, forced repatriations , selections within refugees, use of repression, “humanitarian” business, tolerated mafias, in blatant violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

♀ THE IGNORANCE and INDIFFERENCE as to the disparity of conditions and experiences of women and men in these situations, although care and support of the most vulnerable people are actually borne by women;

♀ THE DISTINCTIONS WITHIN REFUGEES, DISPLACED PERSONS FOR WARS and “ECONOMICAL” OR ENVIRONMENTAL MIGRANTS, a senseless forcing because wars, persecutions, global economical crisis and environmental disasters are now closely connected causes that make it impossible for entire populations to survive;

We also want to denounce the RESPONSIBILITY OF MEDIA and POLITICIANS in SPREADING DISINFORMATION, UNJUSTIFIED ALARMISM about a non-existent invasion and an increasing risk of terrorism. Actually the flows of people are manageable, but amplified and manipulated by the various “sellers” of fear, in front of the inability of the ruling class to find appropriate responses.

The ignored fact is the INCREASING NUMBER of WOMEN in the MIGRATORY FLOW in particular from Syria, but also from various African countries. Often refugee women come from experiences of violence and abuse and during their flight – and even after arriving in our countries – they have to confront with further violence, harassment, blackmails, economical exploitation by other refugees, traffickers, police, without the possibility of seeking justice and obtaining protection.

In this connection, we remember that the 19 of June was established as the “International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict” by the United Nations a year ago. The date 19 June commemorates the breakthrough adoption in 2008 of UN Security Council resolution 1820, which recognized sexual violence as a tactic of war and a threat to global peace and security, requiring an operational security, justice and service response. It further recognized that rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity and/or constitutive acts of genocide.

Endorsements

Donne in Nero, Padova (Italy)
Donne in Nero, Torino (Italy)
Donne in Nero, Fano (Italy)
Donne in Nero, Alba (Italy)
Donne in Nero, Ravenna (Italy)
Donne in Nero, Roma (Italy)

Women in Black, Leuven (Belgium)
Women in Black, Copenhague (Denmark)
Women in Black, Belgrade (Serbia)
Mujeres de Negro, Santander (Spain)
Mujeres de Negro, Valencia (Spain)
Mujeres de Negro, Mallorca (Spain)
Mujeres de Negro contra la guerra, Madrid (Spain)

We want to say that we are against war and all militarism because it perpetuates the established patriarchal order that maintains a system of domination that generates injustice and does not guarantee just and sustainable human development. We do not believe in armed struggle because it perpetuates the law of the most powerful.

Militarism transmits and exalts macho values which in no way favor equity and equality of opportunity. It feeds the “naturalization” of violence and devalues caring for life in all its integrity, maintaining a dichotomous vision of the world.

This is why we have always opposed the idea of presenting the incorporation of women into the armed forces or their participation in combat as some sort of advance. From our feminist viewpoint, this constitutes an acceptance of patriarchal values and one more step in the continuing social militarization. The feminist-antimilitarist position aims for a society without gender domination and, by extension, no domination at all.

Based on these premises, we want to denounce the situation of the areas in conflict and that the measures taken by the international community are ineffective if not inexistent. While these measures go from arming the various factions in the conflict to organizing useless summit meetings to establish the basis of a hypothetical negotiation that never takes place, the civilian populations of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Yemen, etc. continue to suffer the consequences of the war, militarization continues to expand and we see increasing silencing of voices that opt for nonviolent solutions to conflicts.

The situation becomes even more flagrant when we see how civilized Europe imposes policies comparable to those of any dictatorial regime regarding the refugees in the concentration camps of Greece and Turkey and, further, washes its hands [of responsibility] leaving the dirtiest measures to others (in this case, Turkey).

For all these reasons, we declare that:

♀ It is necessary and urgent to generate other policies to welcome and show solidarity with the people who are suffering in zones of conflict.

♀ Urgent measures should be taken towards the eradication of research, manufacture and sale of arms in order to cease this commerce that feeds violence and the conflicts that are devastating humanity.

♀ We denounce the patriarchal and militarist character of the United Nations Resolution 1325 and other similar ones that depict war and military conflict as natural and inevitable.

♀ We invite you to declare fiscal objection on the income tax form (Objecion Fiscal en la Declaracion de la Renta)* in the service of peace. By doing that, it is hoped that “Not one euro, not one woman, nor one man, nor any thought be for war”; that no euro be destined to manufacture/research weapons that kill human beings.

Translation: Trisha Novak

*Further information about this campaign (in Spanish):
www.nodo50.org/objecion fiscal/
www.educarueca.org/

Political and social crises always present themselves to us as matters that are difficult to understand and to resolve. They tell us that all conflicts are “complicated” and all wars “inevitable”. It is a strategy to silence the voice of the civil population. No one, no government nor parliament in Europe is listening to the opinions and sentiments of their people. The upper echelons do not represent us.

Our “Western” governments (in Europe as in the USA, Russia…) have always been involved issues relating to the Middle East. Let us not forget the responsibility of our government for the invasion of Iraq. They have supported, and even installed, mercenary or dictatorial governments. They have supported various political factions, even armed groups. They have established their businesses and interests there, including petroleum and weapons.

Our governments have intervened with impunity without measuring the consequences of their actions on the people of those countries or of their own people. Now both are suffering because of terrorist attacks. Although we are still expressing our grief regarding the attacks of recent years, which could result in arguments for islamophobia, we should remember that terrorism has no borders nor does it differentiate between nationalities and religion: 80% of the deaths owing to terrorist attacks have occurred in just five countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria.

And we see that these actions have other consequences:
– There are millions of people displaced by wars in which we have been involved, millions of people without any possible refuge. And we are responsible for those who arrive at the doors of Europe as much as for those who cannot even escape the wars.
– Resolutions and agreements are approved that later are not carried out. The agreed number of refugees to be welcomed is shameful, but we don’t even accept anywhere near that number. How many refugees have been welcomed by the greatest world economic power, that is to say, Europe? How many refugee families should Spain accept and how many has it welcomed?
– Embarrassing agreements are arranged, such as the millions to the government of Turkey, which according to denouncements made by humanitarian organizations, has started shooting Syrian children on their borders, bombing Kurdish villages in Syria and repressing their own population without any consideration for human rights.

Another responsibility concerns us: the increase in racism and xenophobia in Europe. We cannot avoid taking seriously the rise of the ultra-right and Neo-nazism. Governments must take measures to dismantle the dangerous reasoning that these factions promote.

Women in Black of Madrid demand

♀ To urgently prioritize a worthy and deserving welcome to refugees.

♀ Welcome and support deserters and conscientious objectors to war.

♀ Rescind agreements made with Turkey.

♀ Act to combat and eradicate fascism, racism and xenophobia.

♀ Renounce military responses in our region and elsewhere.

♀ Initiate measures so that actions that originate in the current situation do not remain in impunity and responsibility is assumed.

♀ Immediately draw a halt to commerce in weapons in the region.

Translation: Trisha Novak, USA – Yolanda Rouiller, WiB Spain