Tuesday, June 24, 2008


ANTI-MILITARISM:
WORLD HUNGER STRIKE DAY AGAINST STAR WARS:
As Molly has reported on other occasions here on this blog people in the Czech Republic and in Poland are organizing and protesting the placement of components of the US's planned anti-missile system in their countries. Part of this protest has been a series of hunger strikes, especially in the Czech Republic, but also in other countries. The following report from the Polish anarchist news site Centrum Informacji Anarchistycznej describes what happened on the international day of solidarity hunger strikes, last Sunday.
..................................
In feline solidarity, Miaou, my cat, fasted today against the delusional US Star Wars proposal for Poland and the Czech Republic! But he only lasted 10 mins, then started eating a cheesecake, so I took over for him. Why fast today? Well Sunday, June 22nd, was declared by our Czech colleagues as World Hunger Strike Day Against Star Wars - sensibly calling on financial resources to be divested from the US missile defence programme, and militarism in general, and to be directed towards addressing real human needs - food, education, health, sustainable environment, etc.

Please read on to find out more about this initiative, videos against Star Wars, photos and comments from participants in today's fast.

On the 2nd June, after 21 days, Jan Tamas and Jan Bednar suspended their hunger strike. The protest against the proposed US Star Wars system for Poland and the Czech Republic continues, however, in the form of a relay in the Czech Republic with the participation of politicians, scientists and artists, etc.
video message by Jan Tamas

To give more force to this great non-violent protest, the Czech campaigners launched a Worldwide 1-Day Hunger Strike today, June 22nd, proposing a simple but significant gesture: let’s not eat for one day to oppose Star Wars and say to the world powers: “Stop feeding the war machine and start feeding the people!”

The Czech campaigners declared that it’s scandalous one thousand million dollars are destined to military spending, when with different choices this money could solve the problems of hunger, lack of education and the environment.
Here you can look at photos and messages from today's hunger strike participants

If you’d like more information please have a look here:
Contact Us
Campaign in the World
In Italy, Giorgio Schultze started a hunger strike on the 1st of June and suspended it on the 13th of June in Brussels where, together with Jan Tamas, he met with Luisa Morgantini – Vice-President of the European Parliament and many other MEPs (Members of the European Parliament). On the 9th of July, there will be a meeting and press conference in Strasbourg with MEPs opposed to the Star Wars project. He will present the signatures gathered by the on-line petition: A great opportunity to redouble our efforts and reach 200,000 signatures!

Giorgio Schultze and Jan Tamas will participate in the European Humanist Forum “The Strength of Nonviolence” in Milan, Italy on the 17th, 18th and 19th of October where they will be guest-speakers on the Disarmament panel. For more information about the forum see the website: Humanist Forumand download the monthly bulletin here.

The bulletin is also available in French, Spanish and Italian.

Video about “Star Wars” (reduced version of 10 minutes)

Support this campaign by letting your friends know, in your city, among organisations and the media. Only with everyone’s help can we change the future, a future that is today in the hands of a few unscrupulous crazy people.
Adapted from original article by Tony Robinson

No comments: