List of actions per countries:
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Philippines (2)
11 April 2015, PHILIPPINES – Manila
Stop the War! Coalition Philippines and ZOTO, co-organized the ‘Youth Leaders’ Forum-workshop on military spending’ and a mural painting for youth and students in an urban poor community. Watch the activity video.
12 April 2015, PHILIPPINES – Santiago City
The Stop the War! Coalition Philippines organized a kite-flying event in northern Philippines. It was such a success that it attracted television news coverage.
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Cyprus (1)
13 April 2015 CYPRUS – Nicosia
Demilitarised Nicosia organised a meeting in Nicosia to highlight the role of military spending in causing and perpetuating the economic crisis in Cyprus.
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USA (23)
13 April 2015, ARIZONA – Tucson
A small group of activists, including members of Veterans for Peace and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom vigiled outside of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base with signs expressing the need for funds to meet human needs, not drones and nuclear weapons.
15 April 2015, CALIFORNIA – Moraga
CODEPINK and the New Priorities Campaign Coalition at St. Mary’s Peace Pole – St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California.
15 April 2015, CALIFORNIA – San Francisco Bay Area
Over 110 volunteers from 37 different organizations distributed around 15,000 SIPRI brochures at 32 subway stations in five neighborhoods. CODEPINK and New Priorities Campaign Coalition leafletting at the light rail station in Walnut Creek.
15 April 2015, MINNESOTA – Portage
During rush hour, about 20 members from Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War gathered on South Westnedge Avenue in Portage for a Tax Day peace vigil, calling for the government to invest the federal budget in human needs rather than war. Read more about it in the local news.
15 April 2015, TEXAS – Dallas
Veterans For Peace members in Dallas, Texas were threatened with arrest this week during their Tax Day actions for GDAMS.
They were quickly confronted by 5 postal police officers and 3 Dallas squad cars while calling for better budget priorities at the main post office center. See more photos.
15 April 2015, TEXAS – Dallas
CodePink and North Texas Veterans for Peace demonstrated after dark using a light display, which read “Pentagon Waste ≠ Security”. They were accosted by a police officer who bullied them to leave and even attempted to physically take the light displays until a postal inspector appeared and calmly explained that they were legally allows to demonstrate in front of the post office.
16 April 2015, COLORADO – Colorado Springs
NWTRCC members displayed a banner and passed out leaflets at the downtown post office; the Colorado Springs Gazette ran a photo of the demonstrators on April 16th.
16 April 2015, MAINE – Ellsworth
Frank Donnelly of the NWTRCC passed out over 150 of these Maine fliers at the local post office.
April 2015, CALIFORNIA – San Francisco
CODEPINK and New Priorities Campaign Coalition in front of Senator Feinsteins office, Downtown San Francisco.
April 2015, CALIFORNIA – San Francisco Bay Area
As part of the Bay Area New Priorities Working Group, American Friends Service Committee, SF Friends Meeting, and The Vigil volunteers distributed 800 Global Day Against Militarism brochures Wednesday morning at Glen Park BART Station. A bit nippy with many hands in pockets, they were generally met with some smiles and many takers at the “Happy Tax Day” greetings. Learn more about the AFSC’s San Francisco Wage Peace program launched.
April 2015, CALIFORNIA – Southern
Jerry Coffin of the NWTRCC as part of his 70th birthday celebration passed out leaflets of the WRL pie charts, as well as leaving them alongside the war tax forms in post offices and libraries throughout the area.
April 2015, IOWA – Iowa City
Peace activists including AFSC gathered in front of the Iowa City post office and demonstrated for the reallocation of income tax revenue away from military spending and into other areas such as education, housing or mental health.
April 2015, NEW JERSEY – Princeton
The Coalition for Peace Action conducted a Penny Poll in front of the post office. The results are as follows:
Education – 28%
Health Care – 26%
Environment – 21%
Housing – 9%
Military – 16%
April 2015, NEW YORK – New York
About 20 people from War Resisters League, Raging Grannies, Mennonites and Peace Action gathered with banners, charts and signs in front of the stealthy new IRS location near City Hall in Manhattan and demonstrated for a long line of people awaiting entry to the building.
April 2015, OREGON – Eugene
Lane County Taxes for Peace not War, Community Alliance of Lane County, Women’s Action for New Directions and Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network gathered at the downtown post office to hold a Penny Poll and pass out signs proclaiming “I’d rather pay for ___________ than war”, which participants could fill in and take home or use for demonstration. Raging Grannies followed with a rally in which they redirected taxes in the form of personal checks to about 25 groups, one of which was the Wellspring Friends School, from which a student performed a song about homelessness.
April 2015, OREGON – Portland
riends in Portland had their annual Redirection program ‘re-route’ thousands of dollars to five different groups including St. Luke’s Veteran’s Bridge Fund, which helps returning vets get on their feet financially (“something the federal government fails to do)”.
April 2015, PHILADELPHIA – Media
Paul Sheldon of the NWTRCC handed out pie charts denoting the federal budget allocation to military spending in front of the post office.
April 2015, PHILADELPHIA – Pittsburgh
AFSC and several other groups held a Tax Day Penny Poll outside of a post office in a busy pedestrian neighborhood which over 300 people participated in, many of whom they engaged in conversation about Pentagon spending and where else they would like to see that money going. The polling results for what they believed needed more funding were as follows:
Education: 110
Health Care: 75
Food: 58
Transit: 56
Housing: 52
Veterans: 30
Military: 15
April 2015, RHODE ISLAND – Providence
AFSC marched to several locations in Providence on wage theft and minimum wage increase, while also making a few stops to discuss tax day and military spending.
April 2015, TEXAS – Austin
CodePink Austin reprised their Human Penny Poll in the entertainment district, dressing in costumes representing five of the government spending categories and performing a street theatre scene in which the categories clamored for more funding. Participants voted for the categories they felt needed more funding while engaging in spirited conversation about the current budgetary setup and how or why its so contrary to public wishes.
April 2015, VERMONT – Brattleboro
Pioneer Valley War Tax Resisters played live music while passing out information on refusing war taxes in front of the Brattleboro Food Coop.
april 2015, WASHINGTON – Seattle
About a dozen people, mostly from Veterans for Peace, at the downtown post office passing War Resisters League Flyers, covered by Channel 13 Fox News.
April 2015, WASHINGTON, DC
Youth working with the American Friends Service Committee created a public action in Washington, DC after making 14 different visits on Capitol Hill to deliver the SIPRI report. The youth wore shirts color-coded to represent the current discretionary budget distribution, with ~60% of the youth in red shirts denoting military spending. With their backs to passersby, the shirts spelled out MILITARY BUDGET ≠ SECURITY. Then they turned to face the crowd and the message changed to reveal the things that they think DO equal security: peace, equality, unity, justice, etc.
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Australia (4)
13 April 2015, AUSTRALIA – Perth
On Monday 13th, over lunch hour, the People for Nuclear Disarmament in Western Australia hand out almost 300 leaflets in Perth. The venue, thanks again to Uniting Church in the City, Perth, was outside Wesley Church in Perth.
They managed some good discussions and signatures for the letter they wrote to Julie Bishop, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, to urge her to look a fresh at Australia’s military spending.
13 April 2015, AUSTRALIA – Brisbane
Just Peace Queensland screened a documentary produced by Academy Award nominee David Bradbury. It is called Waging Peace and is a window into the passions and politics of the modern Australian peace movement. Read also MP Terri Butler’s ‘New Military Spending Data a Reminder of the Importance of Peace’ media release.
14 April 2015, AUSTRALIA – Darwin
The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) condemned the arrival of the US Marines in Darwin. Learn more here. Read the IPAN media release for GDAMS.
14 April 2015, AUSTRALIA – Sydney
On April 14th, The band Draw released the video clip of their song “Wave Rider Blues” which contains footage from the nuclear weapon test operation Tumbler-Snapper. It is their response to ‘the threat of nuclear war’ and a call to ”work together to stop nuclear proliferation and protect life on this planet from annihilation.’ Links to the Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR).
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Belgium (1)
13 April 2015, BELGIUM – Brussels
Agir Pour la Paix (Belgium) posted 1500 letters from a pseudo-government agency called ‘Department of National Expenditure’. In the letter, the ‘agency’ demanded money for the purchase of fighter planes from the people of Brussels. The activists then interviewed the recipients of the letter asking whether they would give to the ‘agency’s’ appeal and most of them answered ‘no’ and would prefer to spend money on social costs instead.
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Pour la Journée Mondiale d’Action sur les Dépenses Militaires, Agir pour la Paix a réalisé cette vidéo d’action contre le remplacement des F16 belges. L’association a posté à Bruxelles 1500 fausses lettres de la Défense Nationale, ici rebaptisée la « Dépense Nationale ».Read this article (French)
Pax Christi – Vlaanderen issued a statement of support for GDAMS (Flemish).
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Canada (2)
13 April 2015, CANADA – Nova Scotia – Halifax
Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace took to the streets to conduct the survey– “What would you do with the $1.75 trillion being spent globally each year on the military?”
13 April 2015, CANADA – Ontario – Toronto
Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) was there at Yonge and Dundas in Toronto taking action !
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Finland (1)
13 April 2015, FINLAND
Two War Resister’s International-WRI affiliates and Rauhanliitto-Peace Union of Finland came together to display a banner which read, “If we had $1.8 trillion, we’d #movethemoney to education, renewable energy, healthcare” in multiple languages.
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Germany (1)
13 April 2015, GERMANY- Berlin
The International Association of Lawyers against Nuclear Arms (IALANA), the World Future Council, and the International Peace Bureau circulated an ‘Appeal to Members of the German Bundestag: Stop the new arms race – disarmament for a sustainable future!’
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Ireland (1)
13 April 2015, IRELAND – Dublin
Members of the Triratna Buddhist Community and AFRI held a street meditation to raise awareness about how vast military spending makes the world a more dangerous place as well as diverting resources away from tackling real issues such as poverty, health care and protection of the environment. This street meditation demonstrates that there is a more radical way to deal with conflict – a way that is simple, mindful and peaceful.
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Japan (1)
13 April 2015, JAPAN
The delegation of Hibakusha (survivors of the atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki) set off to sail on Peace Boat‘s 87th Global Voyage. They joined GDAMS, calling for the reallocation of resources from the military, creating a world free of nuclear weapons and for lasting peace. More details here.
‘In addition, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) Northeast Asia, for which Peace Boat acts as secretariat, issued a statement expressing concerns about the increase in military spending and ongoing military buildup in the region and making recommendation for the peaceful resolution of the current tensions in the region. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and of the division of the Korean Peninsula. Yet full peace and reconciliation is far from being achieved in Northeast Asia.’
Please read and sign the online petition about GDAMS: Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict-Northeast Asia reiterates “the important role Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution has played as a foundation for peace and stability in Northeast Asia.”
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Kenya (2)
13 April 2015, KENYA – Nairobi
On 13 April, the Coalition for Constitution Implementation in conjunction with Global Campaign of Military Spending or GCOMS-Kenya released the 2015 Military Spending Survey Report entitled ‘I Would Plant Trees to Combat Climate Change.‘ The title was a quotation from a survey respondent who said that if he had his way, he would reallocate money to plant trees to combat climate change instead of spending the money on the military. Then the group proceeded to Freedom Corner for a tree-planting activity. You may also read the report in Cidi Otieno’s blog.
13 April 2015, NIGERIA – Kogi state
‘The birth of GCOMS West Africa and Nigeria chapter was launched by Trees on Earth Development Foundation, a national non-governmental organization operating to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, environmental pollution and poverty through sustainable development practices in the communities of in Nigeria and Africa.’
Local participants and visitors from Lagos, Abuja, Lokoja, Edo state staged dramas and a debate for students on the topic: #MOVE THE MONEY! FROM WARFEARE TO EDUCATION (SUPPORT OR AGAINST).
Sixty-three students and and 11 teachers were interviewed including the principal of the school. Part of the plan is to establish GCOMS Clubs in schools in Edo and Kogi states.
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New Zealand (1)
13 April 2015, NEW ZEALAND – Wellington
Peace Movement Aotearoa published a press release : « Global military spending remains shockingly high ». Global and national military spending, as well as the other costs and consequences of militarism, were the topic of the opening presentation of their National Peace Workshops.
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South Korea (2)
13 April 2015, SOUTH KOREA – Jeju Island
Not only in Seoul but also in Ganjeong village, Jeju island which have struggled to maintain their peace against the construction of a Jeju naval base, activists and villagers conducted campaign with same slogan ‘Welfare Not Warfare’. Jeju island is located at the southern part of the Republic of Korea.
13 April 2015, SOUTH KOREA – Seoul
The GDAMS Preparatory Committee of Korea organized 4 major projects and activities in the context of GDAMS on behalf of 32 peace organizations in Korea.
1. GDAMS Korea Official Website launch
GDAMS Korea official website was launched on April 13. The site explained global military expenditure, military spending in Korea and what could be done instead of purchasing weapons.2. Joint Press Conference by Parliamentarians and Civil Society
A joint statement was issued by parliamentarians and civil society in South Korea on the Global Day of Action on Military Spending entitled ‘Welfare Not Warfare’. Fifteen MPs and 32 NGOs endorsed this statement and had a joint press conference in front of Parliament.It was significant given that this year was 70th anniversary of the partition of the Korean peninsula and Sewol Ferry a year memorial. The press conference suggested the way toward the safety of the citizens, not national security and toward peace and cooperation, not military expansion.
3. SNS Campaign
A campaign through SNS was hold titled ‘If I had 3.7 billion won, I would #move the money to…’ from April 13th and 30th. Lots of citizen shared their ideas what they would do.4. Media Campaign
Series of articles on GDAMS campaign were issued through the online media ‘Ohmynews’ in order to show views of peace activists on military spending. Three columns were published, so far.
1. Can’t end the Korean War with military expenditure in Korea.
2. The careless purchase of war weapons without validity.
3. Cutting college tuition in half for F-35, and public children’s homes for Global Hawk.Organisers: People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and GDAMS Korea.
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Spain (2)
13 April 2015, SPAIN – Catalunya
Centro Delàs d’Estudi per la Pau came out with drawings and infographics which compared military spending with social spending. It also published the article Global Day of Action on Military Spending in its website.
14 April 2015, SPAIN – Andalucia
“En 2015, como viene ocurriendo cada año, el presupuesto militar español carece no solo de transparencia sino también de realismo. En un contexto permanente de crisis económica, en el que las necesidades sociales son una prioridad para la ciudadanía, se vuelve a aumentar el gasto militar, retrayendo recursos de las políticas que persiguen el bien social”.
Read the Red Antimilitarista y Noviolenta de Andalucìa (R.A.N.A) GDAMS media release (Spanish).
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UK (9)
13 April 2015, UNITED KINGDOM -Leeds, Yorkshire
In Leeds, the Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament activists held up banners outside the office of Jacobs UK, the engineering firm that is involved in production and maintenance of British nuclear weapons. Read about Jacobs and their waste of British tax dollars.
13 April 2015, UNITED KINGDOM – Abingdon
The Abingdon Peace Group decided to do a ‘People’s Ballot: NHS Not TRIDENT’ poll as a choice of how the Trident money could be otherwise spent – 5 marbles to distribute between 5 containers – Health, Education,Nuclear Weapons, Renewable Energy, Housing and Other. They thought that was a more meaningful way of engaging with passers- by. They also had the Trident Quiz and various handouts as additions/alternative ways of engaging. More details on this action.
13 April 2015, UNITED KINGDOM – Cornwall – Penzance
More than two dozen people linked arms in the centre of Penzance on Monday to show solidarity for the blockade of the Faslane Nuclear Weapons base in Scotland. Organising the event were members of the West Cornwall branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom who were joined by local politicians – including parliamentary candidates, Tim Andrewes (Greens) and Cornelius Olivier (Labour), and members of the public in the campaign to end the Trident nuclear weapon system.
13 April 2015, UNITED KINGDOM – London
Women in Black London organized their Wednesday Vigil in central London. The vigil was an anti-Trident/nuclear weapons vigil, and they made a GCOMS banner for each side of the Edith Cavell statue where they stand. The vigil was well received, and they gave out about 250 of their Trident leaflets, and about 40 of the GCOMS Call to Action to those people who stopped or appeared particularly interested.
13 April 2015, UNITED KINGDOM – London – Euston
Pax Christi UK and the Quakers ran a ‘Give peace a budget’ ballot where people were requested to vote for their spending ‘priorities’ to make the world a safer place. Here are the results: Health & education (115); tackling climate change (81); international cooperation and development (61); and military spending (14) as the least important.
Prior to GDAMS, they also conducted an online survey and asked the same questions. One of the respondents said that: “Security is a fundamental part of Government responsibility. However, I think we will achieve a more secure and safe world by working with other countries to help them develop, tackle climate change and generally reduce the tensions that grow out of huge disparities in wealth between countries.”
13 April 2015, UNITED KINGDOM – Scotland – Faslane Naval Base
The Scrap Trident Coalition‘s ‘Bairns Not Bombs’ followed an anti-nuclear blockade of the Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde. The demonstrators aimed to shut down the base and they succeeded. Faslane is home to the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system. More from BBC News and the Scrap Trident Coalition’s video channel.
13 April 2015, UNITED KINGDOM – Westminster, Ministry of Defence
Organizer : Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
13 April 2015, UNITED KINGDOM – Wimbledon
Edwin Cluer’s striking handpainted poster board caught the eye of passers-by. Alison Williams of the United Nations Association and Joanna Bazley join him in campaigning for GDAMS. Organizer : Wimbledon Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
18 April 2015, UNITED KINGDOM – Basildon
The Campaign Against Arms Trade campaigners in Basildon have called on the government to invest in public services rather than spend on the military. The South Essex Campaign Against the Arms Trade held a people’s ballot, asking the public to vote on how they wanted public money spent. During two hours in Basildon Town Square, people used colored balls to choose, with the NHS emerging as the most popular option. They landed in the news.
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India (1)
13 to 15 April 2014, INDIA-Rajasthan
On 13th , 14th and 15th April 2014, two workshops, four village Rallies and village meetings were organized in connection with Global day of action on Military Spending (GDAMS).-2014. They had discussed in detail about India’s Military Spending expenses on Huge Forces, Missiles, Aircraft ,Guns etc in comparison with poverty alleviation activities expenses (Millennium Development Goals etc.) which are very low. And therefore, it was insisted that there is no need for heavy Military expenditure in India.
It was mentioned that taxes are spent on Military expenditure, Weapons, Warfare preparation, instead of solving the drinking water, Health and food problems, Literacy problems etc. So it was insisted that there needs to be increased pressure on the Government through Member of Parliament – MP, MLA and elected leaders, that they must reduce the budget for Military Spending and this money should be used in Community Development activities – MDG activities, Energy Crises, Creating of new jobs for youths or tackling poverty and climate change problems and other social issues. Priorities must be fixed in connection of the National Agenda or Development agenda.
Secondly, Budget experts had also actively participated in the workshop and village rallies in connection with GDAMS. The GDAMS Campaign and workshop news have also been published in News papers as well as broadcast in local TV and Radio and due to this efforts, there is increased discussion among educated people, Youths and activists, on Military Spending.
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Colombia (1)
14 April 2015, COLOMBIA – Bogotà
Las Mujeres por la Paz, hemos ayudado a liderar los Plantones contra el Gasto Militar en Colombia desde hace 3 años. Venimos trabajando muy fuerte desde cuando se anunció en el 2009 la apertura de las 7 bases militares de Estados Unidos en Colombia.
Las mujeres estamos convencidas de la búsqueda de la Paz sin armas. Nuestro país Colombia ha sufrido el incremento del Gasto Militar y la disminución de inversión para la paz. La educación y la salud las más afectadas en este progreso militar, en pro de un conflicto armado que nos carcome a todos los colombianos.
Mujeres por la paz, es una plataforma de más de 100 organizaciones de Mujeres que trabajamos por la paz en el país. Nacimos en el marco de este nuevo proceso de paz, cuando se anunció el inicio de conversaciones de Paz entre el Gobierno de Santos y las guerrillas de las FARC. Nos unimos las mujeres preocupadas de ver que quienes hemos sido las más afectadas en este conflicto no tuviéramos espacio en la mesa de conversaciones. Los 8 negociadores de ambas partes eran hombres. Así que tratamos de incidir para estar también visibles en la paz.
(Mujeres por la Paz believes that women are convinced of the search for peace without weapons. Their country Colombia has suffered increasing military spending and decreasing investment in peace. Education and health are the most affected in this military progress towards a conflict that affects all Colombians. Mujeres por la Paz is a platform of more than 100 women’s organizations which work for peace in the country.)
Organiser: Mujeres por la paz
Facebook: Observadores De Derechos Humanos y Para-Política
Blog de la Parapolítica
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France (1)
14 April 2015, FRANCE
The Mouvement de la Paix issued a press release entitled ‘Un fardeau insupportable et inadmissible pour les peuples!’ (An unbearable and unacceptable burden for the people!) and distributed flyers.
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Chile (1)
15 April 2015, CHILE
Servicio e Paz (SERPAJ-Chile) organised a national GDAMS day with many actions all over the country, in order to launch a Latin-American movement promoting the culture of peace and opposing excessive military spending. They published the following (very impressive) report, highlighting the activities that took place in different cities. (Text in Spanish with many photos).
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Norway (1)
9 April 2015, NORWAY – Oslo
Breakfast meeting with the media at the Peace house in Oslo 9th April with the title : “Excessive military spending. Why do we not talk about it? “
In the panel were from the media: Truls Lie, editor Ny Tid, Mari Skurdal, head of editorial team, Klassekampen and Truls Lie, editor Norwegian Le Monde Diplomatique.
Alexander Harang, Norges Fredsråd, Borghild Tønnessen-Krokan, Forum for Environment and Development and Ingeborg Breines, IPB, represented civil society.
Ny Tid presented the same day a feature article by Ingeborg Breines on why the media is not bringing more to the forefront the excessive military spending that hinders development and peace building and contributes to the warming of the planet.
Alexander Harang had made a fact sheet for the occasion showing recent developments in military costs. The Grandmothers for Peace made a GDAMS-flyer that they distributed outside the Parliament.
Organizers : The Norges Fredsråd/Norwegian Peace Council, Grandmothers for Peace International, International Peace Bureau, The Norwegian Peace Alliance, Changemakers, Doctors against Nuclear Weapons, Norway
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Italy (1)
April 2015, ITALY
Rete italiana per il disarmo created a Un “bellissimo” F-35 oppure… video series to promote the campaign “Taglia le ali alle armi” (roughly translation: ‘Cut the wings of weapons’ ).
