INTERNATIONAL ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT ANNOUNCES MARCH 15 ACTIONS / El Movimiento Internacional Contra la guerra Anuncia Acciones para el 15 de Marzo
March 3, 2003--More than 120 representatives from the anti-war movement in 28 countries convened in London this weekend to strategize and coordinate international efforts to stop the war on Iraq. The U.S. was represented by a delegation from the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.
The London Meeting issued a statement of international coordination calling for "a massive escalation of action in the next weeks to try to prevent war," and announcing demonstrations, protests and mass actions on March 15 in solidarity with the Emergency Convergence on the White House.
The worldwide anti-war movement is working together in an unparalleled effort of coordination and solidarity as people around the world fight for peace and justice, not just each for themselves, but for each other.
Today's Washington Post features an article on the London Meeting that also discusses the growth of the global peace movement and the important Cairo Conference of last December, at which A.N.S.W.E.R. Steering Committee member Elias Rashmawi was elected Vice President of the International Campaign Against U.S. War on Iraq. As in America, where the peace movement for the first time is representing the breath and diversity of all of the people of the U.S. from different backgrounds and struggles working together, the international movement is recognizing and supporting the struggles for justice of populations throughout the world whose voices must be heard for a truly representative and effective peace and justice movement to emerge. (The full text of the Washington Post article is available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30813-2003Mar2.html )
FULL TEXT OF STATEMENT IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, GERMAN, ITALIAN AND FRENCH
You can help build the March 15 Emergency National Convergence at the White House. Here's how:
THE PLAN FOR THE EMERGENCY CONVERGENCE ON THE WHITE HOUSE is to gather at 12 noon at the Washington Monument (just south of the White House, Constitution Ave. between 15th and 17th Sts. NW) for a rally and march.
Contact information for BUSES, VANS AND CAR CARAVANS traveling to DC -- and an easy-to-use form to sign up to list the transportation options from your city -- go to: http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/m15/m15transp.html
A FLYER for the March 15 Emergency National Convergence on the White House is available on the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition web site. You can easily download a PDF of the national flyer for the Washington DC demonstration, as well as a version for those in New York City planning to travel to DC. Flyers for West Coast events are also available. To download flyers, go to http://internationalanswer.org/campaigns/resources/index.html If you cannot download and print the flyers, you can pick up stacks at A.N.S.W.E.R. offices around the country, or you can call us at 202-544-3389 and request a packet of flyers.
For logistical information -- such as a map of the rally area, directions, public transportation in DC, disability access, housing and more -- go to http://internationalanswer.org/campaigns/m15/logistics.html
El Movimiento Internacional Contra la guerra Anuncia Acciones para el 15 de Marzo
Más de 120 representantes de movimientos opuestos a la guerra de 28 países se reunieron en Londres este fin de semana para diseñar estrategias y coordinar esfuerzos internacionales para detener la guerra contra Irak. Los EEUU estuvieron representados por una delegación de la Coalición A.N.S.W.E.R, (Actuar Ahora para Detener la Guerra y Terminar con el Racismo).
La reunión de Londres emitió una declaración sobre coordinación internacional llamando a "una escalada masiva de acciones en las próximas semanas para prevenir la guerra", anunciando demostraciones, protestas y acciones masivas el 15 de marzo en solidaridad con la Convergencia Urgente a la Casa Blanca en Washington, DC.
El movimiento antibelicista internacional está trabajando conjuntamente en un hermoso esfuerzo de coordinación y solidaridad donde personas de todas partes del globo luchan por la paz y la justicia, no para ellas y ellos mismos, sino para todo el mundo, algo que no tiene precedente en la historia.
En el Periódico Washington Post del 3 de marzo salió un artículo sobre la reunión de Londres donde además habla sobre el crecimiento global del movimiento por la paz y sobre la Conferencia del Cairo de diciembre pasado donde el miembro del Comité Timón de ANSWER, Elias Rashmawi fue elegido vicepresidente de la Campaña Internacional Contra la Guerra de los EEUU en Irak. El texto del artículo puede verlo en http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30813-2003Mar2.html )
Así como en los EEUU, donde por primera vez el movimiento por la paz está representando la diversidad de los pueblos del país, de todas las esferas étnicas y sociales, trabajando conjuntamente, el movimiento internacional está reconociendo y apoyando diversas luchas por la justicia de poblaciones alrededor del mundo cuyas voces deben ser escuchadas para que el movimiento por la paz y la justicia que surja, sea uno verdaderamente representativo y efectivo.
Les urgimos a que endosen y organicen actos contra la guerra conjuntamente a la acción de Convergencia a la Casa Blanca del 15 de marzo. Hasta ahora el movimiento mundial ha prevenido el comienzo de la guerra, tratemos de que NO HAYA UNA GUERRA. Prosigamos los esfuerzos conjuntos. ¡Solidaridad y Lucha!
La acción en Washington será a las 12 del Mediodía. Habrá acciones también en San Francisco y Los Angeles, California.
Para más información: info@internationalanswer.org
http://www.InternationalANSWER.org
http://www.VoteNoWar.org
info@internationalanswer.orgNew York 212-633-6646
Philadelphia 215-724-1618
MORE ON THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING IN LONDON
By John Catalinotto
LondonRepresentatives of the worldwide coalition that called the anti-war demonstrations on Feb. 15 met in London on March 1. Over 100 delegates from 26 countries unanimously agreed to organize popular escalated actions in the coming weeks aimed at stopping Washington from invading Iraq and slaughtering its people.
The group said it would oppose the war "whether it has the backing of the United Nations or not."
Representatives from many countries-among them the United States, Greece, Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Denmark and Turkey-announced mass marches and rallies for March 15.
This and other authorized actions included continuous interference with movements of U.S. troops and war materiel, already started in Italy, and blocking U.S. military bases. International Women's Day meetings will focus on the war.
On the initiative of groups from Greece, Spain and Italy, delegates endorsed coordinated industrial actions, including some national general strikes on March 21.
The group, which brought out an estimated 15 million people on Feb. 15, also announced dramatic actions should the war begin.
In many countries the movement was already in motion. On the conference weekend, mass anti-war protests were underway in Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, Pakistan, India, Qatar and Japan, and activists were stopping war trains in Italy.
The Turkish representative drew loud cheers on two occasions. First, from the podium, he announced a demonstration of 100,000 outside the Turkish parliament in Ankara. Later, after the official conference ended, he was cheered again as he informed the remaining delegates that the Turkish parliament had rejected letting U.S. troops into Turkey to attack Iraq from the north.
This European Coordination Conference grew from the European Social Forum call in Florence, Italy, on Nov. 10, and was spread worldwide by the call at the Cairo Conference Dec. 19 and the January World Social Forum meeting. Delegates came from all over Europe, including all NATO countries except Luxembourg and the Czech Republic. Representatives also came from Israel, South Korea, Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil.
As Angeles Maestro of Madrid, Spain, told the delegates, this group "more than any other in the world represents the overwhelming majority of humanity that wants the war to be stopped." She added that "the war has been decided [by Washington], but we can still stop it."
U.S. movement
A delegation from International ANSWER, including Larry Holmes of New York and Gloria La Riva of San Francisco, represented the U.S. movement. Holmes reported on the rapid growth of the movement inside the United States and how the Feb. 15 demonstrations had spurred activists in the U.S. to press forward.
Holmes told Workers World that "Feb. 15 shows that this movement has a mandate from humanity to take whatever action it sees necessary to stop the march toward war."
La Riva spoke on the right of the Iraqi government to defend itself and to keep track of anyone entering the country at this time of crisis.
Within Europe, people expressed the strongest anti-war feeling in those countries where the government gave the strongest backing to the United States' policy: Italy, Spain and Britain.
Some countries had been able to move from demonstrations to direct action. Italian delegates reported on "train-stopping" actions that slowed down, forced route changes and even stopped some "death trains" carrying military equipment from Italy's north to Livorno on the western coast for shipment to Turkey. Despite government repression, rail workers provided the routes and schedules, activists blocked trains or pulled emergency cords on passenger trains on the route, while passengers overwhelmingly backed the actions.
A delegate from Barcelona spoke of civil disobedience and plans for a March 15 protest there. Another protest was planned that day at the U.S. military base at Rota. The Greek movement timed its March 15 action to coincide with the meeting of the European Union's foreign ministers in Athens.
The British Stop the War Committee, which called out 2 million people in London on Feb. 15, hosted the conference and directed the process of arriving at a final declaration. Since a diverse group of delegates--from social forum, pacifist and anti-imperialist organizations--were present, the organizers focused on producing a minimum declaration that all could support.
Still, there was much support for other issues. A Brazilian delegate representing the Trade Union Congress discussed the importance of bringing up all U.S. attempts to impose hegemony, such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement. A South Korean delegate brought up U.S. threats on the Korean peninsula.
Should the war begin ...
The delegates agreed quickly on what to do should the war begin. Their statement concluded:
"We put the warmongers on notice that if they ignore world opinion and launch a new attack on Iraq, there will be a tidal wave of resistance.
"On the day of an attack we call for mass protests in the center of every town and city in the world.
"The following Saturday we call for mass demonstrations in every capital city.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Iraq in urging everyone, everywhere to play their part in trying to stop this insane war."
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