November 6, 2018 | Kalle Sysikaski

Kalle Sysikaski
The PEACE Union of Finland

Probably we all agree our main purpose is to press for an end to the over-funding of military establishments and for the creation of new funds to tackle human insecurity and common threats to the planet. We have to support all efforts to limit and eliminate weapons that impact negatively on communities in conflict zones.

Impacts of military preparations and weapons include deaths, contamination and loss of agricultural lands, loss of employment after attacks , increased health costs for communities affected by war, costs of reconstruction building, infrastructure and so on.

In order to achieve disarmament for sustainable development we need from day to day to build international civil society alliances bringing together not only disarmament and peace movements but also anti-poverty, environmental and development aid organisations working for disarmament and development.

Unfortunately if we watch the mainstream media in Europe today we are spoon fed more and more propaganda and fear of the unknown and we are encouraged to think that our governments are keeping us safe from the unknown.

In Europe the threat by Russia to all-European security is over-estimated because it is in the interest of the arms industry, its loyal politicians and their inability to find new ways of thinking. But Russia is dangerous in the first place to its own citizens and some nearby countries which were part of Soviet Union like we can see today for example in Ukraine. But the very serious problems there are not black and white. Russian elites are behind the war yes, but there are many Ukrainian forces too who want to keep up the violent conflicts, enemy pictures and who economically benefit from the war.

For Russian leaders it is easier to strengthen their authoritarian system if Western Europe wants just to strengthen the enemy picture instead of making persistent proposals for disarmament and peaceful co-operation. Less the Russian leaders can say the West is a threat to Russian national security, more there will be space for Russian progressive civil society. Today this civil society has to face a hostile environment and this cannot be in the interests of anyone who wants to build peace and democracy. That is why we have to strengthen our co-operation with Russian independent peace movements and we have to urge our governments to support that co-operation instead of increasing military spending and with the Ukrainian peace movements.

The refugee and migration crises do not exist in isolation. Those are symptoms of broader problems like conflicts, militarism, extreme nationalism distorted religious beliefs, the failure of governance, the gross inequalities in opportunities in economic and social wellbeing and the failure to accommodate different kinds of diversities. Many of these problems can be solved if the international community and the states fulfil their commitments to achieve the 17 SDGs. This is a very important reason why the peace movement needs to build alliances. When the Trump administration is pushing the US military allies to increase their military spending we have to increase strong alliances to demand redirection of annual military expenditures for better and serious implementation for the SDGs.

In many European countries there are many, many progressive-minded people who say they are tired of protesting everything in an anti-spirit. That is why we have to keep in minds the many achievements of the international peace movement and to get wider attention to those.

The creation of the United Nations was initiated, campaigned and lobbied for by the peace movement in the first place. The NPT treaty and the new UN treaty on banning the nuclear weapons were initiated by the peace movements. The land-mine treaty and the arms trade treaty were achievements of the peace movement. Peace movement or movements have had an important role in ending wars or supporting their ending. Like the Vietnam war, the war in Northern Ireland, the implementation of The UN resolutions in East Timor and many others.

Our Asian friends are bravely supporting the local communities and peace efforts in many conflict zones. And in both, Asia and Europe the level of militarisation and securitisation of security would be even more costly and more restrictive without the peace movements.

In Europe we have developed more new ways of protesting in order not to stick only to the traditional anti demonstrations. It is important in order to keep the peace movement alive and visible; especially the younger generations have been successful in finding new ways.