[E-rundbrief] Info 1803 - Intl. Conference Against US/NATO Foreign Military Bases

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief Info 1803 - Press Communiqué of the First International 
Conference Against US/NATO Foreign Military Bases, Dublin, November 2018.

Bad Ischl, 20.11.2018

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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Press Communiqué of the First International Conference
Against US/NATO Foreign Military Bases

The first International Conference against US/NATO Military Bases was 
held on November 16 -18, at the Liberty Hall in Dublin, Ireland. The 
conference was attended by close to 300 participants from over 
thirty-five countries from around the world. Speakers representing 
countries from all continents, including Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, 
Colombia, United States, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, 
Turkey, Poland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Czech Republic, Israel, 
Palestine, Kenya, D. R. Congo, Japan and Australia, made presentations 
at the conference.

This conference was the first organized effort by the newly formed 
Global campaign against US/NATO Military Bases, created by over 35 
peace, justice and environmental organizations and endorsed by over 
700 other organizations and activists from around the world. What 
brought all of us together in this International Conference was our 
agreement with the principles outlined in the Global Campaign’s Unity 
Statement, which was endorsed by the Conference participants.

The participants in the Conference heard from and shared with 
representatives of organizations and movements struggling for the 
abolition of foreign military bases from around the world about the 
aggressions, interventions, death, destruction, and the health and 
environmental damages that the military bases have been causing for 
the whole humanity along with the threats and violation to the 
sovereignty of the “host” countries.

The participants and organizers of the conference agreed as a matter 
of principle that while they oppose all foreign military bases, they 
consider the close to 1,000 US/NATO military bases established 
throughout the world, which constitute the main pillars of global 
imperialist domination by US, NATO and EU states, as the main threat 
to peace and humanity, and must all be closed. The NATO states’ 
military bases are the military expression of imperialist intervention 
in the lives of sovereign countries on behalf of the dominant, 
financial, political, and military interests, for the control of 
energy resources, transport roads, markets and spheres of influence, 
in clear violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.

The participants in the Conference call upon the organizations and 
movements who agree on the above to work closely with each other in a 
coordinated manner as a part of the Global Campaign to organize and 
mobilize the public around the world against US/NATO military bases.

While we call for the closure of all US/NATO military bases, we 
consider the closure of bases and military installations in certain 
countries and areas as needing special attention by the international 
movement. These, for example, include the Guantanamo US base in Cuba, 
the US bases in Okinawa and South Korea, the US Base in 
Rammstein/Germany, Serbia, the old and new US/NATO bases in Greece and 
Cyprus, the establishment of the new US African Command (AFRICOM) with 
its affiliated military bases in Africa, the numerous NATO bases in 
Italy and Scandinavia, the Shannon airport in Ireland, which is being 
used as a military base by US and NATO, and the newly established 
bases by the United States, France and their allies on and around the 
Syrian soil.

In order to continue our joint Global Campaign in solidarity with the 
just causes of the peoples in their struggle against foreign military 
aggression, occupation and interference in their internal affairs, and 
the devastating environmental and health impacts of these bases the 
participants agreed to recommend and to support coordinated actions 
and initiatives in the coming year (2019) which shall strengthen the 
global movement to expand the actions and cooperation while moving 
forward.

As a step toward this goal, the conference supports the global mass 
mobilizations against NATO’s 70th anniversary Summit in Washington DC, 
on April 4, 2019 and respective protests in the NATO member states and 
worldwide.

We declare our solidarity with the Cuban people’s decades-long efforts 
to take back their Guantanamo territory, illegally occupied by the 
United States, and declare our support for the Sixth International 
Seminar for Peace and the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases, 
organized by MOVPAZ for May 4-6, 2019, in Guantanamo, Cuba.

The participants express their most sincere thanks and gratitude to 
the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) Ireland, for their generous 
hospitality and support in hosting this historic Conference.

Adopted by the participants at the
First International Conference Against US/NA TO Military Bases

November 18, 2018

Dublin, Ireland

Sent via ActionNetwork.org.


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     Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
     Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
     Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
     Wolfgangerstr. 26, 4820 Bad Ischl, Austria,
     fon: +43 6132 24590, Informationen/ informations,
     Impressum in: http://www.begegnungszentrum.at