May 22, 2018

Asia Europe Peoples Forum
&
Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation
Vietnam 14 April, 2018
“Peace and Security in Asia and Europe: Challenges Ahead and a Peoples Vision”

Recommendations for ASEM leaders:

1. Sign, ratify and implement the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons thus stopping research, development, production, and use of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. Provide all necessary assistance to Hibakusha, victims of Agent Orange and other war victims in their daily lives and their struggles for justice.
2. Significantly reduce military expenditures and increase budgets for social and public services such as health, education, employment and climate change.
3. Strengthening dialogue and information sharing with all other stakeholders, including academic sector and people’s organizations/CSOs, especially the grassroots movements and organizations for a peaceful Asia, Europe and the world as a whole. Practice transparency and accountability in its relations with civil society organizations and social movements. Follow a rule-based international legal regime.
4. The rights and interests of the disadvantaged and oppressed must be fully protected in the process of tackling peace-security issues. Civil society could and should serve as a channel for the peoples’ voice to be heard.
5. Support the resolution of disputes and tensions by peaceful means. This should include respect for diplomatic and legal means to deal with all South China Sea disputes. We support all efforts towards dialogue and peace building on the Korean Peninsula, including the participation of civil society.
6. Inequalities, exclusions, between groups, races, religions, gender in states and among nations should be addressed by a clear and balanced definition of rights amongst those groups in the light of their constitutions and international laws).
7. Reinforce self-determination and autonomy and all legal support for liberation movements including Palestine, the Kurds and many others in accordance to international law.
8. Stop using or threatening to use force and violence in all setting, contexts and circumstances.

Strategy of people’s organisations/ peace movements

1. Deepening intellectual engagements with progressive movements and partners.
2. Developing independent analysis and arguments.
3. Reinforce support to liberation movements including Palestine, the Kurds and many others for peaceful self-determination and autonomy.
4. Strengthen peace education and the promotion of peace culture and ideology of peace among all people, especially the younger generation. Eliminate all kinds of violence against people.
5. Reviving peace movements, anti-nuclear and alternative movements; linking of movements in rainbow alliances like AEPF, and progressive political formations. Supporting honest and critical alternate media.
6. Enhance exchanges and information sharing, both bilaterally and multilaterally, especially face-to-face and through digital means.
7. Launch solidarity campaigns outside and inside countries and among countries.