War Resistance, Nonviolence and Peace in ESF Workshops and Seminars

This is only a selection of ESF workshops and seminars related to antimilitarist issues. You may find more information in the complete ESF list, especially in the War and Peace section. www.fse-esf.org
Please note that times and venues may be subject to change after the publication of this issue.

Friday, October 15th

Workshop 719

13.00 - 15.00
Nonviolent Direct Action against nuclear weapons in Europe: Bombspotting and citizens' inspections of Weapons of MassDestruction
Nuclear weapons can also be found in Europe and they are as illegal as elsewhere.
Find out how you can prevent war crimes by carrying out "citizens weapons inspections" of nuclear sites. "Bombspotting XL" (16th April 2005) will be an inspection action at 3 places in Belgium. We look for partners to make this a European action. We will also discuss plans for the non-violent direct action against the British Trident nuclear weapons on 4th July (date to be confirmed) at Faslane naval base in Scotland.
Speakers: Hans Lammerant (Forum voor Vredesactie - Bomspotting), David Heller (For Mother Earth), a speaker from Trident Ploughshares
Venue: Bloomsbury NATFHE, Argyle

Workshop 1943

16.00 - 18.00
Youth, Students and the Anti-War movement
The opposition to war on Iraq and Bush's ongoing war drive have been marked by the involvement of young people on a massive scale. This seminar will provide an opportunity to bring together young people and students from across the world to share experiences about building peace/anti-war campaigns and to discuss ideas around future initiatives against war and occupation for peace and disarmament.
Speakers: FOSIS; Youth CND; Stop the War; Spanish anti-war movement; WFDY; Chairs: Student CND, Stop the War
Venue: Alexandra Palace, Cochabamba

Workshop 1893

19.00 - 21.00
The Arms Trade is Out of Control
This seminar will be divided into three parts: a general presentation of the global Control Arms Campaign and how to get involved; a more detailed presentation on the International Arms Trade Treaty; and a presentation of the 'community safety' side of the campaign. Q&As will follow the three parts.
Speakers: Anna Macdonald (Control Arms Campaign Manager, Oxfam GB); Brian Wood (Military Security and Police Campaign Manager, Amnesty International); Holger Anders (European Information Officer, IANSA)
Venue: Alexandra Palace, Seoul

Seminar 2000

13.00 - 15.00
No to the militarization of Europe: Kick out US bases
This seminar will discuss the current situation regarding military bases in Europe and the continent's growing militarisation. The seminar will also be paricipatory and action orientated, developing stratgeies for opposition to the bases.
Speakers: Sissy Vavou (Assembly of Chania, Greece); Stergios Lalidis (Activist at Litoharan base, Greece); David Heller (For Mother Earth, Belgium); Arielle Denis (Mouvement de la Paix, France); Rae Street (CND, UK); speaker from BastaGuerra; chair: Kate Hudson (CND, UK)
Venue: Alexandra Palace, Woomera

Saturday, October 16th

Workshop 2107

9.00 - 11.00
The New Nuclear Danger: the urgency of global abolition of nuclear weapons
The nuclear weapons states are researching and developing new nuclear weapons designed to be used in further illegal pre-emptive wars - in Britain we believe this is taking place at Aldermaston. This seminar will look at current developments and the global political context in which they are taking place - an increasingly aggressive US militarism - and discuss campaigning strategies to prevent these developments taking place. These will include action through the European Union relating to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference and others.
Speakers: Pol D'Huyvetter (Abolition 2000 Europe); Arielle Denis (Mouvement de la Paix, France); Bruce Kent (Movement for the Abolition of War, UK); Tony Staunton (Nuclear Free Coalition Plymouth, UK); Caroline Gilbert (Christian CND, UK); Jill Evans (CND Cymru, Wales); Jenny Jones, Mayors for Peace
Venue: Alexandra Palace, Chiapas

Workshop 825

9:00 - 11.00
Nonviolent Campaign against War profiteers
Responding to Arundhati Roy's call to shut down corporations that profit from war, War Resisters' International invites participation in campaign development. Based on a tradition of nonviolent strategies, we will explore what resources and action is needed for an international network to stop these corporations from promoting war for profit.
See also: "A Europe that refuses war?"
Speakers:Joanne Sheehan, Andreas Speck
Venue: Bloomsbury ULU 2b

Workshop 1332

9:00 - 11.00
Refusing to kill
Bringing together men (and women) who refuse to kill for the military-industrial complex. Working with the Global Women's Strike to demand that society Invests in Caring not Killing. Campaigning for justice with refuseniks, veterans, and military families made ill, disabled and/or suffering in other ways, because of war and occupation
Speakers: No information
Venue: Bloomsbury NATFHE, SL

Workshop 868

9.00 - 11.00
What do we mean by Nonviolence?
Turning the Tide resource people
Nonviolence is a word that means different things to different people. This workshop will explore a range of understandings and consider how collective nonviolent resistance can be effective.
Speakers: Turning the tide resource people
Venue: Bloomsbury Birkbeck 541

Workshop 827

11.30 - 13.30
Nonviolence and Globalisation from below
How can nonviolent action - the power of the people - strengthen our movement? Nonviolence is a form of action that affirms life and speaks out against oppression.What nonviolent theories,techniques,strategies and practical tools can help us create successful campaigns and reach the victories needed to further our agenda?
See also: "A Europe that refuses war?"
Speakers: Joanne Sheehan, Stellan Vinthagen
Venue: Bloomsbury Birkbeck 541

Workshop 424

11.30 - 13.30
Arms Reduction: a perquisite for fruitful relationships among Mankind
Discuss proposal for countries to agree and implement a legally binding instrument, to reduce the amount of resources spent on arms by between 1 and 5 percent for a period of between 10 and 25 years, and to spend the resources saved on programmes that benefit humanity and the earth.
Emphasize that it is paramount to prevent resources being wasted on producing weapons; rather than trying to control arms after they have being produced; as arms are made to and do kill people.
Speakers: Karl Miller. Vijay Mehta
Venue: Bloomsbury Birkbeck 540

Workshop 845

11.30 - 13.30
Working Towards Social Change in Israel
Deep internal social changes are going on inside Israel, which create great opportunities, but also great dangers, for the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A vibrant and rapidly growing, though still greatly outnumbered, social movement is developing in Israel, aiming to transform the Israeli society into one capable of sustaining a just peace with the Palestinian people. Supporting this movement is perhaps no less important than acting directly in solidarity with Palestine for the defence of Palestinians' basic human rights and for the ultimate political goal of attaining peace in the region. The workshop will present the movement itself, its aims, the challenges it is facing and the possible outcomes of its success or failure in the coming years to attain some of its central goals.
Speaker: Sergey Sandler
Venue: Bloomsbury ULU 2b

Workshop 1429

14.00 - 16.00
Nonviolence and Latin America
This group will present nonviolence as a concept and its application to Latin America as a form of resistance, drawing on the experience of different organizations and academics from Latin America and Europe.
Speakers: Professor Marío Lopez Martínez, Instituto de la Paz y los Conflictos, Univerisdad de Granada, España. Dr. Maria Carmen Roldan, España. Professor Alejandro Bendaña, Centro de Estudios Internacionales, Nicaragua.
Adam Baird MA, England.
Venue: Bloomsbury

Workshop 858

14.00 - 16.30
Dealing with the Colonial Past
The past shapes the present and the future. The legacy of a colonial past is still very vivid and determines basic structures of injustice, racism, exploitation, discrimination, human rights violations and lack of empowerment so as to contribute to new ways of living and taking a more participative role in society.
Speakers: Roberta Bacic (WRI), Jan van Criekinge (Forum voor Vredesactie)
Venue: Bloomsbury ULU 2c

Workshop 1913

16.30 - 18.30
Militarization, violence against women and women's activism
Particular attention will be given to the impact of small arms on women; the construction of militarism and masculinities; Palestinian women struggling against occupation; militarization and women's activism in Nigeria; militarization and trafficking for forced prostitution in Kosovo.
Speakers: Cynthia Cockburn (Women in Black); Rebecca Peters (Director, IANSA); Alice Ukoko (WILPF); Sian Jones (Amnesty International); Amneh Badran (Palestine Solidarity Campaign)
Venue: Alexandra Palace, Gleneagles

Workshop 456

16.30 - 18.30
Weapons of Mass Destruction in Europe
There are US nuclear weapons in Belgium, England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, plus British weapons in Scotland and the French arsenal. The workshop will be for sharing information on how to oppose WMD. We will consider lessons from past campaigns, current opportunities and future plans for disarmament.
Speakers: No information
Venue: Bloomsbury, Birkbeck 35

Workshop 803

16.30 - 18.30
Military Research, Science and engineering
This meeting will expose the strong influence that the military has on scientific research and technological development, and argue for major changes in the way science and engineering are run. It will include new, up-to date research on this issue. There will be 4-5 speakers from UK, France Germany and eastern Europe.
Speakers: Ottfried Nassauer (Director of the Berlin Information Center on Transatlantic Security (BITS), Germany); Dr. Stuart Parkinson ( Director of Scientists for global responsibility (SGR) UK); Alexis Vlandas (Nanotechnology, Materials Department University of Oxford, UK); Reiner Braun (International Network of Engineers and Scientists for global responsibility, Germany). Moderator/ Chair: Prof. Jean-Paul Laine (SNESup, France)
Venue: Bloomsbury NATFHE

Workshop 720

16.30 - 18.30
Stopping the next war: an action strategy for the peace movement
Europe will continue to play a role in the US military intervention policy and hosts foward deployed US troops. Also the next war will take off from Europe.
During the Iraq war mobilisation for demonstrations on a global scale was succesfull. Direct actions against the American war mobilisation, like blocking military trains, were more dispersed. An internationally coördinated nonviolent action strategy against the war mobilisation, similar to the German anti-Castor actions, gives added strength to the peace movement.
Speakers: Hans Lammerant (Forum voor Vredesactie)
Venue: Bloomsbury ULU 3b

Sunday, October 17th

Workshop 1902

9.00 - 12.00
Militarisation of the European Union
We will examine the EU constitution and armaments policy, the European arms industry; the privatisation of military services; military influence on science, engineering and technology; EU military strategy and operations; the effects these policies on the global South; and what we can do to counter the growing militarisation of Europe.
See also: "A Europe that refuses war?"
Speakers: Tobias Pfluger (DFG-VK, WRI); Ann Feltham (CAAT, ENAAT); Ippy Dee (Aldermaston Women's Campaign, WRI); Stuart Parkinson (SGR, INESS); Hans Lammerant (Forum, WRI)
Venue: Alexandra Palace, Seoul

Workshop 1268

9.00 - 12.00
Building Peace, Opposing War: Women's Activism
Activists discuss and analyse ways women work to build peace and oppose militarism and war, from Greenham, Aldermaston and Menwith Women's Peace Camps, through vigils and non-violent direct action; by working across divisions as in Palestine and by using the United Nations process with Security Council Resolution 1325.
Speakers: Imma Barbarossa (Women's Convention Against Wars, Italy); Olga Tsakiridr (Women's Campaign Genoa 200, Greece); Anna-Lisa Bjorgeberg (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Sweden); Patricia Tough (Women in Black, Italy); Sian Jones (Women in Black, Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp); Helen John (Womenwith Peace Camp); Anjie Zelta (International Women's Peace Service); Cynthia Cockburn (Chair - Women in Black, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom)
Venue: Alexandra Palace, Woomera

Workshop 1894

9.00 - 12.00
Nonviolent Civilian Responses to Violent Conflict: The work of Peaceworkers
This workshop will look at how nonviolent civilian responses to violent conflict provide a real alternative to military intervention. It will specifically look at the work of Peaceworkers UK and the Nonviolent Peaceforce in promoting civilian strategies for the prevention, management and resolution of conflict. We will be specifically looking at the work of Peaceworkers to train and prepare civilians to work in the peace and conflict field. We will also be looking at work of the Nonviolent Peaceforce in placing civilian peaceworkers in the field and their current project in Sri Lanka.
This will be an interactive workshop with time for discussion and debate.
Speaker: Tim Wallis, Director of Peaceworkers UK and Co-chair of the Nonviolent Peaceforce
Venue: Bloomsbury ULU 2c

Beyond ESF Space

16.00 - 18.00
Trauma and Activism
This workshop takes place on the "Day of Dissent" during the Beyond ESF Space. For further information about this and other events run parallely to the ESF, please see www.wombles.org.uk/auto
Venue: Middlesex University, Holloway Road

DEMONSTRATION

Time to Go - Bush Out! - Troops Out!
International ESF demonstration called by Stop the War Coalition and the Trade Unions Congress. The demonstration is assembling on Sunday 17th October at 13.00 o' clock in Russell Square. The demo route will go through Westminster and finish with a concert and rally in Trafalgar Square starting at 15.30 o' clock.
Nearest Tube: Russell Square