CONVOCATION 24 February 2008: IN VIEW OF THE UNCONTROLLED GROWTH OF VIOLENCE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY

The last Sunday of the month in the Plaza Mayor (next to the horse statue) at 12:00 noon
Women in Black
invite you to a vigil in black and in silence.
24 FEBRUARY 2008

IN VIEW OF EL ENQUISTAMIENTO OF VIOLENCE IN BASQUE COUNTRY

We denounce politics of violence and tension that move us further away of possibility of peace.

WOMEN IN BLACK AGAINST WAR - FROM MADRID

We declare our opposition to culture of violence from where the use of violence is defended as political tool and it is given an incentive to systematic hate.

We denounce electioneering use of the conflict that through manipulation and harassing increases confrontation: is another way of violence.

We always will affirm that peace is the way and between everybody must do possible the day which
we expel violence and war of the history and of our life.

C/ San Cosme y San Damián, Nº 24, 2º
28012 – Madrid

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IN VIEW OF THE UNCONTROLLED GROWTH OF VIOLENCE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY

We denounce the politics of violence and tension that moves us further away from the possibility of peace.

We declare our opposition to the culture of violence, which defends the use of violence as a political tool and incites systematic hate.

We denounce the electoral use of the conflict, which through manipulation and harassment increases confrontation: another way of violence.

We reject and condemn murder, extortion, threats, and kale borroka (street violence) as tools that are totally reprehensible. We will never consider the use of these practices a legitimate way to obtain any goal.

We insist that the State Organizations never use abusive treatment, torture and illegal detentions. We denounce the fact that ideas are being converted into something considered criminal and illegal. We believe the necessary alternative is that the Basque society, and Spanish society in general, learn to utilize resources that do not support any policy that generates violence or exclusion.

We call on the media to be transparent and courageous and to inform in an impartial manner, so that the public can trust in their work. The media must not hinder the way. Citizens deserve and need media that offer us, not confrontation, but accompaniment in the search for harmonious coexistence.

We encourage women to continue speaking of repercussions that violence has in our lives. And we encourage women to listen to and give support to victims, as well.

We say to representatives of government that is necessary to open a new process of peace and to ETA that they must disappear.

We always will affirm that peace is the way, and everybody must make possible the day that we expel violence and war from history and from our lives.

Madrid, 24 February 2008

Translation: Trisha Novak, USA