April 27, 2016, published in International Peace Bureau

“The world is over – armed and  peace is under-funded.”

-UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

  • Bringing together a wide variety of experts, advocates and speakers from around the globe;
  • Including talks, presentations, roundtables, panel discussions, workshops, information booths, exhibitions, cultural activities;
  • High point in the recently-launched Global Campaign on Military Spending;
  • Apart from the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (mid-April), preparatory events will be held in major cities around the world over the coming year.

peace-by-bartis

Speakers  will  come  from  a  wide  range  of  disciplines  and backgrounds,  including  both  the  highest  levels  of  society  and grassroots voices, creative thinkers and cultural figures:

  • Nobel and Alternative Nobel Prize winners;
  • elder statesmen/women;
  • the social sciences, economics and politics in particular;
  • the peace movement and other civil society sectors;
  • parliamentarians,  religious  leaders,  journalists,  community organizers and artists…

military-expenditureIn 2014 the world’s governments spent over $1,700 billion on the military sector. We believe this money must instead be spent on:

  • Climate change mitigation/adaptation, preserving biodiversity;
  • Humanitarian programs to support the most vulnerable;
  • Peace:  disarmament,  conflict  prevention  &  resolution,  human security;
  • Public services / Social  justice,  human  rights,  gender  equality and green job-creation;
  • Sustainable  development,  production  and  consumption patterns, anti-poverty programs, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We  strongly  believe  the  absolutely  necessary  ‘great transformation’  of  global  human  society  can  only  be  achieved when also reallocating military expenditure and handling conflict differently. After all, we are facing a crisis of civilization, which is more far-reaching than an ecological and economic crisis alone.

We  are  living  on  one  single  Planet  Earth  but  exploiting  its resources as if we had three. We witness how  our predominant economic and developmental model has failed to provide justice, livelihood  and  human  security  for  all.  We  now  also  face  the resurgence of militarism and confrontational politics.

Hence, we view this priority shift in government spending as one element in a much broader global transformation towards a green, socially just and peaceful society!

The aim of this congress is to bring the issue of military spending, often seen as a technical question, into broad public debate and to strengthen the global community of activism.

Hence, we aim at wide support that goes far beyond peace organizations, such as from development, environment, faith, human rights, social welfare, women, workers’ and youth organizations.

As at January 2016, our partners include:

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS

friends-of-the-earth-internationalFriends of the Earth International itucInternational Trade
Union Confederation		 pax-christiPax Christi International
uni-global-unionUNI Global Union wilpfWomen’s International League
for Peace and Freedom		 peace-and-churchChurch and Peace
epusa-logoEconomists for Peace & Security european-peace-research-associationThe European Peace Research Association european-leftEuropean LEFT
 GRIP
Group for Research and Information
on Peace and Security		  ialanaInternational Association of Lawyers
Against Nuclear Arms		 ICBUWInternacional Coalition to
Ban Uranium Weapons
index
International Institute for Educational Planning		 iforInternational Fellowship of Reconciliation ines International Network of
Engineers and Scientists for
Global Responsibility
muslim-peace-fellowshipMuslim Peace Fellowship  PrintQuaker Council for European Affairs seri

Sustainable Europe Research Institute
sri
SRI Ramanuja Mission Trust		 tniTransnational Insitute wordl-future-councilWorld Future Council

NATIONAL AND LOCAL SUPPORTERS

asta-tu-berlinGeneral Student’s Committee of
Technische Universität Berlin (TU)		 fnfWomen’s Network for Peace ippnwInternational Physicians for the
Prevention of Nuclear War, Germany
kooperation-fuer-den-friedenCooperation for Peace, Germany
natwissInitiative of Scientists for Peace, Germany

Progressive Fraction 
of TU Senate
VDW_Logo_40pxFederation of German Scientists verdi-betriebsgruppe-TU-Berlin ver.di Staff of TU Berlin vs-in-verdiAssociation of German Writers
It is clear: without overcoming militarism, a socio-ecological transformation with the goal of an equitable international social order will be a failure. Thus, let us join hands to create an action agenda in Berlin to roll back militarism in favor of a real transformation, to create together a climate of peace!

picture-first-flyer

Be part of the change!

The IPB World Congress will bring together people from all over the world, creating a space to connect and share knowledge, experience and visions. Become part of making our world a more just and peaceful place. Join us at:

IPB World Congress 2016 Secretariat
c/o INES,
Marienstr. 19-20
10117 Berlin
Germany
+49 (0)30 31 99 66 86
[email protected]

Read the original announcement here.