Seminar Programme

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Sunday 23 March

9:30–12:30

The military landscape in Europe

All over Europe the military is transforming into intervention armies. This changes the role of institutions like NATO and EU and of military bases and infrastructure. In this workshop an overview is given on the military landscape in Europe.

Hans Lammerant (Bombspotting): NATO as framework for military interventions and the role of US bases in Europe. Tobias Pflüger (MEP - tbc): EU as framework for military intervention. The German military in its intervention role. Xavier Renou (author, activist of Les Désobéissants): French military interventions and the integration of French neocolonial policy into EU policy.

13:30–16:30

War starts from Europe: how does it work

We do a mapping exercise of where the military bases are and what their role is. We will use the collected information on mcmilitary.org. We look into past and present mobilisations for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as an example of how military intervention works in practice.

Speakers: Andrea Licata (Vicenza), Hans Lammerant (Bombspotting), Wilbert van der Zeijden (No Bases / TNI)

16:30–18:30

Research on military activities for actions and campaigns

The military institutions are not the most transparant. How do you find out what is happening? A presentation of research done by action groups for their actions and campaigns. Contributions by Nukewatch (transports of nuclear weapons), Bombspotting (military transports during Iraq war), Castor-campaign (nuclear waste transports), ...

20:00–22:00

parallel workshops of participating groups

Monday 24 March

9:30–12:30

International Campaigning

We use the evaluation of the NATO—Game Over-action, the experiences of anti-nuclear weapon campaigns in Belgium, UK and Germany and the experiences of actions in Europe during the Iraq war as a starting point for a discussion of international campaigning strategies. The focus is on the tension between campaigning on a national level and international co-operation. We will compare strategies: what did they focus on, what role did the international context play, ... What worked, what was useful and what were the obstacles?

We also look into the experience of the Block G8-campaign and the Castor-campaigns as a forerunner. What was done? How do you co-ordinate, organise and mobilise on such a scale?

13:30–18:00

Planning discussion

How can we react to upcoming wars? We look into some war scenarios and brainstorm some possible responses.

How do we react to the further development of the military intervention framework and other military policies? Concrete planning starting from an inventory of ideas and the campaigning agendas of the participating groups.