Campaign for Peace and Democracy & Coalition Partners – 2010-08-03 20:32:38

http://www.cpdweb.org/

(August 3, 2010) — Earlier this year, a continental campaign against the establishment of US military bases in Colombia and military activities in the region was initiated by the Hemispheric Social Alliance-Alianza Social Continental at the meeting of social movements in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The goal of the continental campaign is to make Latin America a region of peace.

The recent increase in US military activities is taking place simultaneously with a new US push to sign “free trade” agreements beginning with South Korea and Colombia. This appears to be a major military-economic offensive. In response the Mingas Network has joined a number of other US organizations and individuals to start a Continental Campaign Against Military Bases US Working Group. We are working together on the basis of Points of Unity pasted below.

The Continental Campaign Against Military Bases will take an important organizing step at the Continental Campaign Against Military Bases Plenary Meeting on August 14th, 2010, at the Americas Social Forum in Asunción, Paraguay.

We plan to send our Points of Unity, already signed by 12 organizations in the US, as a message of solidarity to the Plenary Meeting in Paraguay to let our friends in Latin America know that we in the United States support their efforts.

• Action: If you are in agreement with the views expressed in the Points of Unity,
we ask that you add your signature to them in the next 7-8 days if possible. You may do so by sending your message of support to rafernan@uci.edu

Thank you,
Raul Fernandez

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CONTINENTAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST MILITARY BASES
US WORKING GROUP
Points of Unity

Who: The Continental Campaign US Working Group represents and coordinates the efforts of diverse US-based organizations supportive of Latin American social movements; the maintenance and promotion of peace in all countries in the hemisphere; the defense of sovereignty; abolition of foreign military bases and enclaves and demilitarization of US policy; the strengthening of democracy; the improvement of labor and living conditions; and better relations between the United States and Latin America. Our organizations embrace the pursuit of political change through nonviolent means.

What: The Continental Campaign US Working Group opposes a number of recent developments such as the reactivation of the US Fourth Fleet (deployed to the Caribbean), the military coup d’etat in Honduras, and very importantly, the agreement between the US and Colombian governments granting the US access to seven military bases in Colombia for ten years.

We support the efforts of Latin American grassroots organizations committed to a just peace for a civil, democratic, and massive mobilization to make Latin America free of foreign military bases and enclaves. And we commit ourselves to play a strategic support role in that struggle.

Why: Because we believe that Latin America should be a region of peace. Militarism and violence are obstacles to the development of a just society. We oppose the Colombia-US bases agreement because it will lead to the exacerbation of the internal armed conflict in Colombia, and weaken Colombian sovereignty and democracy.

This treaty also allows the US to use Colombia as a platform to serve its military interests, and will intensify tensions and destabilize the region. Thus we would like to become part of the effort to organize a continental campaign against these and other military bases used by the United States.

We believe that the use of these bases and the increased US military profile support attempts to
a) maintain and support through intimidation the status quo neoliberal economic model promoted by the United States and multinational corporations and
b) guarantee them control over the region’s energy, mineral resources and biodiversity.

The presence and activities of US forces and other militaristic developments are a threat to peace, national sovereignty, democracy, and stability.

How: Through grassroots actions at the local, national, and international levels, and in direct coordination with the Continental Campaign, the working group will: conduct advocacy, organize events, workshops, and speaking tours, seek media coverage, carry out research, participate as possible in hemispheric strategy meetings, etc.

Endorsed by:
• Environmentalists Against War
• Fellowship of Reconciliation
• US Peace Council
• Mingas Network
• Across the Americas
• School of the Americas Watch
• Marin Interfaith Task Force on the Americas
• Alliance for Global Justice
• Chicago Religious Leadership Network
• Campaign for Peace and Democracy
• Colombia Vive (Boston)
• Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
•
Peter and Gail Mott, Co-Editors, INTERCONNECT

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GRUPO DE TRABAJO ESTADOS UNIDOS –
CAMPAÑA CONTINENTAL CONTRA LAS BASES
Puntos de Unidad

Quién es: El grupo de trabajo en Estados Unidos de la Campaña Continental representa y coordina los esfuerzos de diversas organizaciones de los EEUU cuya misión incluye: el apoyo de los movimientos sociales en América Latina, el mantenimiento y promoción de la paz en todos los países del hemisferio, la defensa de las soberanías nacionales, la abolición de bases y enclaves militares extranjeros y la desmilitarización de la política de los Estados Unidos. Igualmente, nuestras organizaciones propenden por el fortalecimiento de la democracia, el mejoramiento de las condiciones de vida y de trabajo de la población y en particular, por mejores relaciones entre los Estados Unidos y Latinoamérica. Nuestras organizaciones tienen como principio buscar el cambio político a través de medios no violentos.

Qué hace: El grupo de trabajo en Estados Unidos de la Campaña Continental se opone al desarrollo de actividades tales como la reciente reactivación de la 4a Flota (desplegada en le Caribe), el golpe militar en Honduras y muy especialmente, al acuerdo entre los gobiernos de Estados Unidos y Colombia para permitir el uso de siete bases en Colombia durante 10 años por Estados Unidos. Apoyamos los esfuerzos de las organizaciones de base comprometidas con el logro de una paz justa y con la movilización civil y democrática para hacer de Latinoamérica una región libre de enclaves y bases militares. Nos comprometemos a jugar un papel de apoyo estratégico en esa lucha.

Porqué: Porque creemos que Latinoamérica debe ser una región de paz y que el militarismo y la violencia son obstáculos para el desarrollo de una sociedad justa. Nos oponemos al reciente acuerdo entre Colombia y los Estados Unidos porque conducirá al agravamiento del conflicto armado interno en Colombia y debilitará la soberanía y democracia colombianas. Este tratado también permitirá a Estados Unidos usar el territorio colombiano como una plataforma para servir a sus intereses militares e intensificará las tensiones causando inestabilidad en la región. Es por esto que queremos hacer parte de los esfuerzos para organizar una Campaña Continental contra éstas y otras bases militares utilizadas por Estados Unidos. Creemos que el uso de estas bases y el incremento del perfil militar de los Estados Unidos tiene como objetivo: a) apoyar y mantener, a través de la intimidación, el modelo económico neoliberal promovido por las corporaciones multinacionales y por el gobierno de Estados Unidos y b) garantizarles el control sobre la biodiversidad y los recursos minerales y energéticos de la región. La presencia y actividades militares de Estados Unidos son una amenaza a la paz, la estabilidad, la democracia y la soberanía nacional.

Cómo: A través de acciones populares a nivel local, nacional e internacional y en coordinación directa con la Campaña Continental el grupo de trabajo se compromete a participar en lo posible de reuniones internacionales de planeación y coordinación de actividades; realizar investigación sobre temas concernientes a la campaña; hacer difusión en los medios, y a promover la campaña a través de giras, talleres y otros eventos.

Respaldan esta declaración:
• Environmentalists Against War
• Fellowship of Reconciliation
• US Peace Council
• Mingas Network
• Across the Americas
• School of the Americas Watch
• Marin Interfaith Task Force on the Americas
• Alliance for Global Justice
• Chicago Religious Leadership Network
• Campaign for Peace and Democracy
• Colombia Vive (Boston)
• Presbyterian Peace Fellowship

Peter and Gail Mott, Co-Editors, INTERCONNECT

Campaign for Peace and Democracy
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