Join us in Barcelona for days of Peace and Resistance

We are pleased to announce our international gathering in Barcelona: “Disarming Militarism: Resisting War, Building Peace”, a meeting point for our wide and diverse network of antimilitarist and pacifist activists from across the world. 

Public events

In the evenings of 27th and 28th November we will be joined by activists from Palestine, Colombia, Western Sahara, Australia, and Russia, who will share their experiences of resistance in their own contexts and discuss the strategies they use to continue building peace in an increasingly militarised world. These events will take place at Pati Manning (Carrer de Montalegre, 7, 08001 Barcelona) from 6pm to 7:30pm (both days) and are open to the public, but we would appreciate it if you could register beforehand here.

Our speakers on Thursday 27th November will include:

• Zaira Zafarana
• Juliano Ovalle (Colombia)
• Jungmin Choi (South Korea)
• Sergeiy Sandler (Israel)

Our speakers on Friday 28th November will include:

• Ali Awad (Palestine)
• Rawan Mahmoud (Palestine) 

On 29th November, a documentary exposing the violence within the barracks of the Spanish state Army during the mandatory military service will be screened: a critical and necessary look at the military structures we continue to challenge at a time when conscription is back in the agenda in many countries around the world. The screening of ‘Et faran un home’ will be followed by a round-table discussion with  the director of the documentary, Joan Torrents, and experts on the topic. It will take place at Casa Golferichs (Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 491, 08015 Barcelona), from 10:30am to 1:30pm.

Other events

On 26th November, War Resisters’ International will hold its annual Council meeting. This will be a space to continue strengthening our international network.

On 27th and 28th November, from 10am to 4pm, we will hold strategy discussions on Climate and Militarism and on Conscientious Objection to Military Service. If you are interested in joining WRI’s annual Council meeting and/or the strategy discussions, please email info@wri-irg.org for further information.

War Resisters’ International and Centre Delàs d'Estudis per la Pau have been working together since last year to organise this gathering, with the aim of connecting and linking all kinds of movements that are resisting war, but most importantly, are building peace.

This gathering in Barcelona is not only about analysing the world we live in today, but about continuing to reimagine it. “Disarming Militarism” does not only mean opposing weapons, but dismantling the logics of power, fear, and domination that sustain them. It means learning to respond to conflict with nonviolence, to insecurity with justice, and to fear with mutual care.