Call to Action of the Anti-War Assembly

Call to Action of the Anti-War Assembly
World Social Forum 2005, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 26-31 January 2005

On the day of elections in Iraq, anti-war movements, coalitions and organizations the world over came together in an Anti-War Assembly and called for massive mobilizations on March 19 and 20. Representatives from over 33 countries, including Iraq and Palestine, also discussed strategies and actions beyond March 20. This is the report of the proposals made at the Assembly. To get involved with the different campaigns, please email: info-assembly@riseup.net

Two years after the invasion of Iraq, there is more opposition to the war in the US, in the coalition countries, and all over the world than ever before. The justifications for the war have all been proven to be lies. A widespread and popular resistance has risen up against the occupation forces. Over 100,000 Iraqis and over 1,500 coalition soldiers have been killed. With the global condemnation of the war and the inability of the United States to quell the resistance in Iraq, we stand at a critical moment in which there is a real chance that the war could be stopped.

Now is the time for the anti-war movement to take action, not to retreat. It is time to escalate the protests, not to give up. A defeat for US-led forces in Iraq will be a victory for everybody facing US aggression globally.

We demand an end to the occupations of Iraq and Palestine.

We demand that the US desists from attacking Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela and other countries. We must highlight the dangers of global war especially in Latin America where the US threatens to intervene in many countries. We call for a Global Day of Action against War on March 19/20 demanding troops out of Iraq now, no more wars. We call for a rolling wave of massive demonstrations, civil disobedience, and other forms of protest around the world.

Iraq

We call for the immediate withdrawal of occupation troops and support all efforts to bring them home. We support efforts to organize soldiers, conscientious objectors, and military families against the war. We support the counter-recruitment campaign and demand political asylum for deserters.

We support the right of the Iraqi people to resist occupation while condemning the killing of innocent civilians. We support efforts to understand the full range of civil, political, and armed resistance in Iraq to further strengthen our campaigns. We commit to deepening our links of solidarity with the people of the Middle East.

We demand the closure of US military bases around the world and support efforts towards the abolition of nuclear weapons, the banning of the arms trade, and other moves towards demilitarization.

We support efforts to stop the economic occupation of Iraq by corporations and international financial institutions. And we will escalate our campaign against these war profiteers through boycotts and direct action.

We call for protests against Bush and his allies wherever they go.

Palestine

We support the Palestinian people¹s struggle for justice, self-determination, a sovereign independent state with Jerusalem as its capital and the implementation of the right of return in accordance with UN resolution 194.

We call upon the international community and governments to impose political and economic sanctions on Israel, including an embargo on armaments. We call upon the social movements to mobilize also for divestment and boycotts. These efforts aim to force Israel to implement international resolutions, and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, to stop and take down the illegal wall and end all occupation and apartheid policies.

We support the Israeli anti-colonialist, anti-Zionist activists who share this struggle.

We reaffirm the call for a Global Day of Action on March 19/20 and a wave of protest to stop war and end the occupations.

*To send plans for demonstrations on March 19/20, email: website@march19th.org or office@march19th.org. For more information on campaigns, email info-assembly@riseup.net

Countries demonstrating on March 19/20 (preliminary list): Iraq, Palestine, Argentina, Brasil, India, US (400 cities), Italy, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Britain, Turkey, Macedonia, Cyprus, Philippines, Australia, Thailand, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Poland, Canada, Austria, Mexico, Spain (Barcelona, Madrid), Hawaii, Venezuela, New Zealand, The Netherlands.

Detailed action plan

Proposals for March 19/20:

• Common slogan: Troops Out of Iraq Now! No more wars! Each country is of course free to use their own slogans.
• To hold big demonstrations or other forms of protest in your own countries
• List all cities and countries demonstrating on a common website: www.march19th.org

Proposals for building links with the middle east and strengthening the resistance:

• Organize a roundtable conference outside Iraq inviting all the different groups and anti-occupation forces in Iraq to dialogue with the global anti-war movement
• Support the existing campaigns that build links between civil society in Iraq and other countries.
• Send a team to Iraq to work with Iraqis to produce a multimedia project, Voices of Resistance, that shows all the different forms of resistance in Iraq to serve as a mobilizing tool to get rid of US occupation.
• Make use of all opportunities to link with the Middle East, including the Cairo Conference March 24-27, the Mediterranean Social Forum in June, the World Tribunal in Iraq in 2005 and the World Peace Forum in Vancouver, Canada on June 21-27, 2006.
• Encourage all groups to share contacts and information so as to avoid replication of efforts.

Proposals to oppose other us threats of intervention

• Because George Bush is the symbol of global war, there should be protests wherever he goes: (1) July 2nd-6th: Edinburgh Scotland, Global Action against Bush and the G8. (2) November: Mar del Plata, Protest against Bush and American Summit of Presidents.
• Link our anti-war work to campaigns against attacks or threats of intervention in Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela and other countries.

Proposals against war profiteers and international financial institutions

• Strengthen protests and direct action against the 2 largest war profiteers: Halliburton and Bechtel.
• Encourage people not to buy goods from US/UK multinationals and encourage people instead to buy from local businesses.
• Encourage socially responsible companies to take a stand against the war
• Protest against the World Trade Organization (WTO), especially on the 6th Ministerial on December 13-18 in Hong Kong
• Launch a campaign to stop Iraq from becoming a member of the WTO
• Disseminate materials on the war profiteers in Arabic

Proposals for Palestine

• Send civilian missions to Palestine
• Launch a campaign of sanctions, boycott and divestments
• Launch a campaign for embargo on arms and suspension of economic agreements with Israel

proposals for war resisters

• Organize a gathering of anti-war forces from the countries that support the coalition forces in Iraq to coordinate strategies
• Strengthen efforts to encourage young people NOT to join the military
• Provide support for soldiers who refuse to fight in Iraq including:
1. encourage countries like Canada and individual cities to provide asylum
2. organize speaking tours of dissenting soldiers
3. collect stories from various countries of soldiers who refused to fight

Proposals against military bases and nuclear proliferation

• Support and get involved in the process of building an international movement demanding the closure of foreign military bases around the world Show solidarity with the struggle of the Okinawans to stop the construction of US bases in Henoko
• Support global actions on May 1 to demand the abolition of nuclear weapons
• On the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, call for global actions on August 6-9 to say "No more Hiroshimas! No more Nagasakis".