The United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs made a statement on the occasion of GDAMS in support of our efforts to demilitarize for development. “In her message to mark the Global Day of Action on Military Spending, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane, highlighted the vast hidden human cost of excessive [...]
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI, has published its annual calculations of global military spending. This year there is some reason for hope, as the slight increase in military spending around the world marks a major slowdown compared to global trends since September 11, 2001. Nevertheless, spending did go up from 2010, and modest cuts will not be enough to free up the resources necessary to reach the millennium development goals, nor to mark a true reversal of priorities from militarism and corporate greed to human needs and environmental sustainability.
John Feffer’s recent article entitled “Death and Taxes” was distributed to the dozens of newspapers throughout the country that make up the McClatchy network of media outlets. After more than 50 actions took place across the US yesterday, this coverage is a great boost to the impact of the GDAMS message in the largest military [...]
John Feffer from the Institute for Policy Studies published this piece on military spending and GDAMS in his weekly column, World Beat.
He focuses on the global interconnections in military spending, stating, “Any demilitarization plan must begin with the United States. As the number one military spender and arms exporter in the world, the United States is the heart that pumps the blood that keeps the military-industrial complex functioning worldwide. U.S. arms manufacturers have gamed the system to maintain their dominance. They have set up their manufacturing in as many states as possible in order to buy the support of Congress.”
David Franco from SCRAP – the Strategic Concept for the Removal of Arms and Proliferation – penned this piece on the occasion of GDAMS, in which SCRAP will host a webinar with speakers from SIPRI, Reaching Critical Will and more. It begins at 4 PM UK time and will last two hours, so if you’re unable to attend a GDAMS action, this would be a great way to get involved! Find more info at their facebook page.
“When I was a child, Costa Rica endured a war of its own, though it did not receive any attention in the pages housed in this building. When the war ended in 1948, Costa Rica made a voluntary decision that no other country had ever undertaken: to abolish its army and declare peace to the world. By doing this, my country promised me, and all its children, that we would never see tanks or troops in our streets. My country promised me, and all its children, that it would invest, not in the weapons of our past, but in the tools of our future; not in barracks, but in schools, hospitals, and national parks; not in soldiers, but in teachers, doctors, and park guards. My country promised to dismantle the institutions of violence, and invest in the progress that makes violence unnecessary. Quite simply, my country invested in its people.”
“This resulted not only in a healthy, educated, and free society. It resulted in concrete gains for national and regional security.”
Check out Nobel Laureate (and GDAMS endorser) Oscar Arias’ inspiring speech to the Newseum in Washington about the promise of demilitarization at FPIF.
St. Louis journalist Sylvester Brown Jr. at OpEd News has written a great piece tying GDAMS into the urgency of the ongoing budget debates, and the presidential elections in the U.S.
Sylvester, who will be participating in the Peace Economy Project’s action in St. Louis, writes:
In America, the Global Day of Action should also be a day when politicians are forced to obey the will of the people. On that day vast constituencies of conscientious Americans ought to send a message to war hungry political candidates and a Congress stubbornly intent on slashing America’s safety nets for the poor and disadvantaged while refusing to trim a military budget gone drastically awry.
EVENT REPORTS & PHOTOS
Photos, videos, and reports are coming in from all over the world. Check out our Event Reports page to see the worldwide success of GDAMS 2012!
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