CONVOCATION 25 October 2015: LET'S STOP THE WAR BEFORE IT BEGINS

Let's stop the war before it begins

The area between the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Caspian is becoming a powder keg. Because of the entry of Syrian refugees in Turkey and the recent attack in Ankara, this country is in the news, but the authorities appear to not give any importance to the conflict that is developing: the armed conflict between the regular Army and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), in both cases involving party interests, and having the people closeted between the bullets and hate speeches. All this is aggravated by the growing Islamization of the country, which mainly affects women, and the presence of ISIS.

Further, tension is also mounting at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with bombings, civilian deaths and more hate speeches calling both sides to arms.


Women in Black Against War (of Madrid):

Demand that these and other conflicts be intercepted through diplomacy before they continue to grow and that international organizations assume their responsibility for action or inaction in these conflicts.

Denounce the passivity of the international authorities, who once again are going to wait until open war is declared.

Denounce the economy of war and economic interests in the conflicts. It is immoral and unacceptable that the suffering of millions of people is tolerated to permit a few enterprises to become even more enriched. It is not acceptable that the defense budgets of many countries, ours included, are maintained or even enlarged when there are many social needs to cover, budgets for which are increasingly reduced.

We want to be able to say “neither these nor the others”, that we do not support any side in the conflict. We understand that there is a third path through politics without armed confrontation and abjure the militaristic speeches that polarize society into friends and enemies.

We are on the side of the civil population, which is the one that suffers the consequences. We believe that the real and definitive cessation of conflict must come from a change of values and involvement of the civil society.

We support the initiatives of the civil society that have as its objective to encourage living together peacefully, as well as respect for human rights locally, regionally and globally, so that these rights will one day become universal.

We are in solidarity with the Turkish pacifists and conscientious objectors, who we know are experiencing times of great pain and frustration.

We are also in solidarity with the Women in Black of Armenia, who like Cassandra of Troy, sense beforehand and denounce what will happen if nothing is done to stop the escalation of hate and violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Let us remove war from history and from our lives

Translation: Trisha Novak, USA – Yolanda Rouiller, WiB Spain

Further information:
Official Statement of The Armenian Initiative of the Women in Black International Peace Movement
Declaración de las Mujeres de Negro de Armenia ante la escalada del conflicto en la frontera con Azerbaiyán (in Spanish)