Resistance against War, Militarism and Violence
We have to resolutely oppose and resist the global war politics. Radical criticism is directed against any war, against disfranchisement, torture, and violence that is used and normalised in order to extend imperialist, neo-colonial, and patriarchal power relations. We reject models of thinking and explaining that are only based on simple comparisons. Because they imply the lack of alternatives and they are destructive. Such models are: competitive economy or poverty, democracy or terror, state or chaos, perpetrator or victim, active or passive. One of the bases and one consequence of wars is the hierarchical understanding of sexes. There is the hero who defends the nation and his counterpart the subordinated woman, be it as a vulnerable object of defence or as a rape victim in the war or as a prostitute for soldiers. Militarisation is strengthening patriarchal structures. Thus, it is suggested that it is possible to defend vulnerable people by the use of direct military force and dominion. An anti-capitalist and anti-patriarchal position against war overcomes such models and shows other ways of thinking, explaining, and living together.
Germany is at the forefront of wars and war preparations. German military is presently deployed in ten areas world wide. Furthermore, Germany implements amongst other things military reconnaissance and transports. Crucial war logistics are operated through German airports (e.g. troops and material for Iraq and Afghanistan). Germany is masterminding the set-up of military intervention capacities in the EU and the German contribution to the NATO is exemplary. The airport in Ramstein has had an essential importance for the success of the operation ”Enduring Freedom” in Afghanistan and for the war in Iraq according to the US military. The German minister of defence officially declares for what EU-troops should be deployed: It is also about the interests of the German economy and the prevention of ”streams of refugees” (http://www.imi-online.de/2006.php3?id=1380).
Troops of the USA and the EU again are openly deployed for imperial interests. A local example: the military using of the airport Halle-Leipzig. Every day up to 400 US-soldiers are having here a stop-over on their way from or to the war zones. The Antonov planes, which are transporting heavy war arms to any destination in the world (Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan), are stationed here. This airport is one little stone in the mosaic of military bases.
At the BUKO 30 we want to show, strengthen and offer resistance against militarisation. We are planning workshops on local, national and global war politics and its criticism, together with international activists of the resistance against militarisation. Furthermore, we are planning a protest march on Easter Sunday around the airport in Halle-Leipzig. and further surrounding actions and happenings. We will discuss the ongoing mobilisation, reflect on previous experiences, and discuss further aims. Additionally, we will find practical forms of expression during the congress. The BUKO 30 is timed between the anti-war demonstration against the NATO Conference on Security in February in Munich and the anti-G8 Days of Action in June at the Baltic Sea. In June during the Days of Action one of the central issues for action will be ”Militarisation and War”.