List of actions per countries:

  • Argentina (1)
    Argentina: Rosario: Selfie by Mujeres de Negro
     
    Selfie_Argentina_Rosario

    Women in Black ask to move military budget to ensure public education, ensure complete health care for women who are victims of violence, and public works to ensure the access to basic services.

  • Australia (5)
    Australia: Brisbane March
     

    25th March 2017: Brisbane March
    Almost 200 people marched through Brisbane on March 25 as part of the March in March mobilisation.

    Find out more…

    Australia: Demonstration at Sidney
     

    22th April 2017: Sidney Demonstration, Town Hill Sq.: Move the money to social welfare.

    Organized by IPAN

    Find out more…

    Australia: Move the money in Melbourne
     
    facebook melbourne

    The congregation of the Melbourne Unitarian Church and guests came together on April 23rd at the invitation of the Campaign for International Co-operation and Disarmament (CICD) to hold aloft signs saying ‘Move the Money project –If I had $67 billion I would spend it on HOUSING, REFUGEES,EDUCATION and HEALTH.

    Australia: Speakers, music and more in Camberra
     

    April 19th
    12:30 pm
    Garema Place, Camberra: Speakers, music and more

    Working for an independent Australian foreign policy, a cessation of our current disastrous wars, and diverting greater resources from war and its preparation, to much needed social services like health, housing, climate change, education, NDIS, domestic violence mitigation, childcare, indigenous wellbeing and other urgent social needs.
    Have a look at the flyer!

    Australia: Street Presence in Perth
     

    April 20th
    Wesley Uniting Church corner, Perth, Western Australia
    Global Day of Action Against Military Spending
    Street presence during the busy lunch hour, with all those banners on display. The street presence was preceded by a coffee house briefing on foreign affairs issues from the Greens Senator, Scott Ludlam.

    As well as handing out a flyer, we were also asking people how they would prefer to spend the $67billion which is currently in our defence budget for F35 jet fighter and submarines.  We got some interesting answers, which we will forward to our foreign Minister.  A few people said they totally approved of that spending, but most realised that such huge expenditures on items which suit the U.S. military agenda, and which do not even contribute to the defence of Australia, could be much more usefully spent on things like health, education sheltering homeless people, being kinder to refugees, ensuring that we have a good public transport system and so on.
    Link to Photos (Photography: Desire Mallet): look at them here!
    Organised by People for Nuclear Disarmament – part of the Independent Peaceful Australia Network

  • Bangladesh (1)
    Bangladesh: Seminar on Nuclear Disarmament
     

    On April 7th, Parlamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) spoke about this to 350 university students and representatives of youth organisations at a forum on nuclear disarmament and sustainable development at Dhaka University.

  • Cameroon (1)
    Cameroon, Yaoundé: A Statement on military spending in Cameroon
     

    18th April 2017
    A Statement on military spending in Cameroon will be produced and shared.

    Photo of the selfie campaign:

    Contact: Cyrille Rolande, rolande@ndhcam.org
    Nouveaux Droits de l’Homme Cameroun

  • Canada (4)
    Canada: Hallifax: Arts & Culture, Environment, Health and Education, Military, Peace, and Women & Children
     

    April 28th, 2017 Halifax
    At Halifax Central Library, Spring Garden Road
    Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace (NSVOW)

    At the Halifax event, the public was given the opportunity to identify their priorities for taxpayer spending, by placing 25 cent quarters (supplied by NSVOW) in jars labeled:  Arts & Culture, Environment, Health and Education, Military, Peace, and Women & Children.
    Read more…

    Canada: Toronto: Women, children and war
     

    April 28th, 2017

    Organized by Science for Peace and Voice of Women, Gretchen Roedde was a guest speaker at this event for the Global Day of Action Against Military Spending.

    More info here.

    Canada: Victoria: GDAMS vigil action
     

    April 26th, 2017.

    Canada: Voice of Women for Peace asl for a reduction in Canadian Military Spending at Victoria
     

    3rd March 2017
    On 3rd March the members of the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) wrote a letter to the minister of the defence department Harjit Sajjan, to protest the dangerous and destabilizing Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) overseas operations and to call for a reduction of military spending and a re-allocation to urgent social and environmental needs.

    Find out more…

    Read the full letter…

    Read Voice of Women for Peace news on GCOMS!

  • Chile (1)
    Chile: Actions from Serpaj
     

    April 24th to 28th, 2017

    Recortemos el Gasto Militar Tu decides (1)

    Serpaj Chile will do actions and pression on the gevernament to reduce the military spending.

    More information (in Spanish)

  • Denmark (1)
    Denmark: Public Arrangement on Esbjerg
     

    April 21st, 2017
    Esbjerg Peace Movement will have a public arrangement on Friday, April 21st at the central square in Esbjerg.

    We will hand out flyers and ask people to choose between using taxpayers money to
    1)upgrading of the danish military defence  or
    2)upgrading of danish welfare,

    by placing a vote into to different measure containers representing the two different options.

    There will be peace flags with peace written in different launguages

    You can get chitchat and a cup of coffee/tea and a small bisquit in the cold weather with the never stopping west wind!!

  • Finland (2)
    Finland, Helsinki: Press Seminar on Military Expenditure
     

    April 24th
    Peace Union of Finland and Committee of 100 organize a Press Seminar on Military Expenditure. Speakers: Tarja Cronberg and Timo Mielonen. Cronberg is a chairperson of Peace Union of Finland and a Distinguished Associate Fellow with SIPRI. Mielonen is a chairperson of Committee of 100.
    More information: www.rauhanliitto.fi or tiedotus@rauhanliitto.fi

    Finland: Helsinki: Bikes Not Bombs Fest
     

    April 29th

    Helsinki: 29 April at 14:00–23:00 Rauhanasema Veturitori 3, 00520 Helsinki Bikes Not Bombs Fest!

    Find out more…

    Organized by war resisters finland. Aseistakieltäytyjäliitto AKL

  • France (2)
    France: White Book on Peace
     

    The French Movement de la Paix has published the White Book on Peace (in French)

    Read more!

    France: Translation of the GCOMS Statement
     

    The GCOMS Statement has been translated into French by Mouvement de la Paix

    Read the GCOMS Statement in French!

  • Germany (1)
    Germany: Press Conference in Berlin
     

    24th April 2017

    Berlin: Press conference held on 24 April, as a contribution to GDAMS

    Find out more…

  • Greece (3)
    Greece, Athens: Social versus Military Costs
     

    April 23th

    action 23 04

    ‘Social vs. Military Costs’

    In the context of the international campaign ‘Poetry Against Arms’ http://www.poetry-against-arms.world/ and the Global Campaign on Military Spending (http://archive.demilitarize.org/), we conducted the action ‘Social vs. Military Costs’, in front of the Greek Parliament, organized by:

    -World without Wars and Violence (http://www.kosmosxorispolemous.gr/)

    -Association of Conscientious Objectives (http: //www.antirrisies.gr/),

    -Voluntary Civil Service Hellas (http://sci.gr/)

    -feminist collective The Purple (http://tomov.gr/).

    With a central demand to reduce military spending and increase social spending, we wore white masks emphasizing that we are not invisible, we opened up gigantic ‘There are no money’, we planted flowers in military helmets with the painted sign of peace and play poems.

    More inforrmation: https://www.facebook.com/events/292857114481828/

    Greece, Meeting at Ancient Olympia
     

    April 29th

    Olympia 2904 5

    Meeting in the municipality of Ancient Olympia on  April 29, with the presence of vice minister of Education and local authorities.

    Find out more…

    Greece: PADOP Declaration on the occasion of GDAMS 2017
     

    23th April 2017
    Greece Day of Action 2017

    Athens, 8pm GMT+03

    IMG_0631

    Press conference on the occasion of GDAMS 2017.

    Read the PADOP Declaration on occasion of GDAMS 2017

  • India (4)
    India: Four Village Rallies at Kota
     

    April 18 to 20th, 2017

    Four Village Rallies
    Village Women Rally at Kota – India
    Women rally on Global Military Expenditure 2017 and our drinking water and health problems. The goal is to pressure to our MP, MLA and elected Leaders to attention our government in this regard.

    Yes, we need drinking water, schools for children and not Military Expenditure

    We need seeds for agriculture and irrigation facilities for agriculture and not Weapons.

    We have to mobilize and put the pressure to our elected leaders to reduce our Military Expanses and to use this money for our development activities .

    Rural women participated in GDAMS 2017 Rallies
    Jambu Kumar Jain – Convener
    Organized by RDYTI, the Rural Development and Youth Training Institute

    India: Rural Development & Youth Training Institute: Village Meetings
     

    April 18 to 20th, 2017

    Village Meetings at Kota – India
    Discussion in a village meeting about future plans on the Global days of action on Military Spending. Discussion with village Leaders on global military expenditure and our drinking water and health problems issue. The objective is to pressure our MP, MLA and elected Leaders to focus their attention to these problems.

    Jambu Kumar Jain – Convener
    Organized by RDYTI, the Rural Development and Youth Training Institute

    India: Two Rural Youth Rallies at Kota
     

    The rallies took place in the Mandar-Gar and Jaspura villages in the Kota District, Rajastha. About 175 rural youths, farmers, women, and girls and boys actively participated in the campaign. All the participants made a vow that they will not tolerate armed violence or the misuse of guns in their communities.

    India: Two Workshops at Kota
     

    April 18 to 20th, 2017
    On 18th , 19th and 20th April 2017, Two workshops have been organized in connection on the Global Days of action on Military Spending (GDAMS)-2017. Three Budget experts, had also actively participated in our workshop and village rallies.We had discussed in detail about our Military Spending expenses on – Huge Forces, Missiles, Aircraft, Guns etc, Whereas, our Poverty alleviation activities expenses ( Millennium Development Goals etc.) are very low . And therefore, there is no need to heavy expenditure on Military Spending expenses in our country, India.

    GDAMS_Kota_India

    Our all taxes are going on Military expenses, Weapons, Warfare preparation, instead of to solve the drinking water, Health and food problems, Literacy etc., So we are living in very bad condition and we should put the pressure to our Government through Members of Parliament – MP, MLA and elected leaders, that they must deduct (reduce) the Budget of 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 fixing in connection of our National Agenda or Development agenda.

    Our GDAMS –Campaign and workshop news have also published in News papers as well as broadcast in local TV and Radio and due to this efforts, a very good environment have become formed in our region and discussion is continue in educated people , Youths and activist. On Military Spending –GDAMS-2017.

    Our all activities will be continuing in whole week from 18th April to 27th April 2017.
    We have also action plan for whole one year 2017-activities on this issue through our Social activist and well wishers and local NGOs in Rural areas.

    Contact: Jambu Kumar Jain, Convener, Rural Development & Youth Training Institute, 1 K 22 Dadabari , Kota 324009 , Rajasthan – India

  • Iraq (1)
    Iraq: Baghdad
     

    May 1st
    On May 1st Iraqi Social Forum and Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative-ICSSI asked to move the military spending to employment policies based on rights and not on profits.

    Selfie_Bagdad

    And the Iraqi Social Forum activists from Baghdad have many more proposals.

  • Israel (1)
    Israel, Tel Aviv, Technion campus: Letters to the Technion
     

    April 17th
    Letters to the Technion: Stop Teaching Arms Trading
    Organized by Hamushim, Coalition of Women for Peace
    Hamushim activists delivered to the Technion hundreds of letters petitioning against their arms trading course “Defense Strategy for International Markets”.

    GDAMS_Israel_Letter_to_Technion

    The letters read:
    “Israeli military industries fuel conflicts around the world, and their products are key to almost all mass killers, dictators and those involved in genocides today. The industry’s success is in fact based on a marketing system marketing its success in asymmetrical warfare against the Palestinian civilian population, at the expense of the Israeli taxes, the environment, and civil society. Do not cave in to militarism in the academy, do not reopen the arms export course!” (The Technion, Israel’s leading academic institution, now offers this course for arms exporters and defense industry executives, designed to teach them how to form a strategy for defense exports for international markets, to upgrade their knowledge and expertise specifically regarding the international arms trade. After demonstrating at the Tel Aviv campus where the course takes place, today the activists delivered to the Technion this creative act of resistance against the course, on behalf of the hundreds who signed the letter.)

  • Italy (4)
    Italy: Pisa: Italian activists ask for more and better jobs and for civil peace corps.
     
    Selfie_Pisa

    The NGO Un Ponte Per asks to move the money to more and better jobs and to fund the  civil peace corps.

    Italy: Presentation of the 1st Italian report on Military Expenditures
     

    15th February 2017
    On the 15th of February the Observatory on Italian military expenditures presents to the Parliament its firs report on the Italian military expenditures. In this report there is also a focus by Pere Ortega of the Centre of Peace Studies J. M. Delás on Spanish military expenditure. For the year 2017 Italy has destined around € 23,3 million to the military expenditures, equal to over 64 million € a day. In comparison to 2016 a light increase is recorded. These are some of the data contained in the Report Milex 2017 on the Italian military expenditures. The expenditure grows instead for the weapons justified by struggle to the terrorism, to contrast the immigration and crime.

    Find out more…

    Italy: Rete Italiana per il disarmo
     
    C-K1ejfWAAA8Z4K

    The Rete Italiana per il Disarmo is promoting the Selfiecampaign and it is sharing the Infographs with all its partners.

    Italy: Verona
     
    C-NF0geWAAAQ1nL

    The Italian Nonviolent Movement participates at the Selficampaign2017 during the GDAMS2017

  • Japan (1)
    Japan: Peace Boat
     

    April 12th to July 25th, 2017
    Peace Boat’s 94th Global Voyage for Peace will depart from Yokohama, Japan on April 12 and will return on July 25, 2017, taking a northern route around the globe. Participants will learn about the history of modern Europe and the diverse cultures that constitute it. The voyage will also visit the ports of Porto, Rouen and St. Georges for the first time and return to favourite destinations in the Americas, such as Corinto, Nicaragua and Acajutla, El Salvador.

    Find out more…

    5

    Event onboard Peace Boat at Sea:

    On April 26, a session was held with participants of Peace Boat’s 94th Global Voyage as the ship was at sea, during which SIPRI’s newly released 2016 data on global military spending where presented and discussed, in the context of the level of spending for education and social welfare, as well as current needs for responses to famine, conflict resolution, environment preservation and other global concerns.

    To express their surprise and outrage at the current level of global military expenditures, participants held creative activities, including turning paper bombs into what they believed money should be allocated to. They also took selfies expressing their own ideas on “If I had $1.67 trillion, I would move the money to …” A group photo with the GDAMS banner was taken, in solidarity with the events taking place around the world. Find out more…

  • Kazakhstan (1)
    Kazakhstan: Statement on global military spending
     

    April 24th
    Kazakhstan renewed its call for a cut in global military spending on the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS) in an April 24 statement published by the country’s Foreign Ministry.

    Find out more…

  • Kenya (2)
    Kenya: Disarmament Congress 2017
     

    19th April 2017 from 08h00 to 16h00
    Ufungamano House, Nairobi, Kenya
    The Congress shall be graced by Prof Manas Chatterji from School of Management, Bingamton University, USA. Prof Manas will make presentations on Conflict Management, Peace Economics an Peace Science and Military Expenditure, Development and Concomitant Issues. There will be also presentations of the discussions from previous GDAMS, and further Discussions on the same. Expected participation of Delegates from Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi and remote participation from Netherlands and East Africa. Representatives of Refugees from Burundi, Ethiopia and South Sudan will also attend. The final conclusions of GDAMS 2017 and the disarmament Congress will published into a bulletin that will be Circulated. – Contact: David Calleb Otieno: oticdesq@gmail.com

    Kenya: Meeting on Spending – (Download the Poster of the meeting)
     

    11 April 2017 from 08h00 to 13h00
    Ufungamano House, Nairobi

    As usual since 2011, the Coalition for Constitution Implementation Kenya (CCI Kenya) a member of this International Peace Bureau and host of the Global Campaign on Military Spending Africa (GCOMS Africa), in conjunction Bunge la Mwananchi, the Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya and the Kenyan Peasants League shall be making the Global Day of Action on Military Spending 2017 (GDAMS 2017) on 11 April 2017 at Ufungamano House in Nairobi.  From 08h00 to 13h00 there  shall be a meeting where Military Spending for select African countries shall be released. There shall also be discussions on the Security Interactions and Power Relations in the East and Horn of Africa, the Human Cost of uncontrolled proliferation of Small Arms in the Horn of Africa, the African Regional Security Complex, Economics of Security Regimens in Africa  and the Impact of Regional Conflicts on Women, Children, Disabled and the aged. The event will be attended by representatives of Refugees from Burundi, Ethiopia and South Sudan. A statement will be developed based on the discussions presented during the Disarmament Congress. Remote Skype participation is expected from Netherlands, Kampala Uganda and Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania. Contact: David Calleb Otieno: oticdesq@gmail.com

  • Korea (1)
    Korea: GDAMS 2017
     

    April 18th, 2017
    The GDAMS preparatory committee of Korea (PSPD & World Without War) will issue a Joint Statement and will also translate IPB’s material into Korean. Contact: Sooyoung Hwang: swimming@pspd.org

  • New Zealand (4)
    New Zealand: A second Forum in Wellington
     

    April 28th: A second Forum was held on April 28th, the last day of GDAMS this year.

    gdams17forum

    Room 3, St Andrew’s Conference Centre, 30 The Terrace, Wellington

    A lunchtime forum on government spending priorities – join us for a discussion on social spending, with Paul Barber, Policy Advisor, New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services, vs military spending, with Edwina Hughes, Coordinator, Peace Movement Aotearoa. ~ BYO lunch, tea / coffee available.

    Organized by Peace Movement Aotearoa

    New Zealand: Declaration of Aotearoa on the occasion of GDAMS 2017
     

    April 5th to 18th, 2017
    New Zealand Global Days of Action on Military Spending. Find out more…

    April 24: Declaration on the occasion of the new SIPRI’s data release by Aotearoa New Zealand Campaign on Military Spending.

    Read more here

    New Zealand: Forum in Wellington
     

    On April 17th: The Forum was well attended
    See more on: https://www.facebook.com/events/431770400501676

    New Zealand: Lower Hutt: Waiwhetu Lower Hutt Peace Group meeting
     

    On April 18th, the first Waiwhetu Lower Hutt Peace Group meeting this year was helded on the first day of the 2017 Global Day of Action on Military Spending fortnight of activities, with a presentation by Edwina Hughes, Coordinator of Peace Movement Aotearoa (which coordinates the Aotearoa New Zealand Campaign on Military Spending).

    The pervasive costs and consequences of militarisation in times of peace are often overlooked when compared with the attention given to the tragedy of armed conflict and war. Edwina ‘s presentation provided an overview of those costs and consequences – globally and in Aotearoa New Zealand – in relation to social justice, the environment, climate change, attitudes towards violence as a means of resolving conflict, and the increasing level of militarisation of children and their education here. The presentation concluded with a brief outline of the outcomes of the nationwide consultation with peace and faith groups to develop responses to the World War One centenary which led to the World War One Centenary Peace Project, and some of the peace events that will be held in the Hutt / Wellington region during April.

    Find out more here.

  • Nigeria (2)
    Nigeria: Selfie Campaign
     

    Selfies from Nigeria Trees on Earth GDAMS activities:

    Nigeria: Three Schools
     

    GCOMS Nigeria, hosted by TREES ON EARTH Development Foundation (member of IPB), has engaged THREE SCHOOLS in 2017 GDAMS campaigns namely,
    1) Magongo Community Secondary School- 18 April, 2017
    2) Western Hall College- 24 April, 2017
    3) Peculiar Future Academy- 28 April, 2017

    #GDAMSNigeria2017

    ACTIVITIES:
    1) Inter-House sport competitions.
    2) Interviews with students/Public letures on  GCOMS/GDAMS activities
    3) Advocacy visit to the Mayor/Deputy Mayors of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Council,Kogi State.
    4) Interview with the schools Principals.
    5) Advocacy visit the Traditional Rulers in Ogori/Magongo Local Government Council.

  • Norway (3)
    Norway, Tromsø: GDAMS lecture at Tromsø University
     

    April 28th
    GDAMS lecture at Tromsø University by Fredrik Heldal, Director of the Norwegian Peace Association. In cooperation with Center for Peace Studies at Tromsø University.

    Norway: GDAMS Meeting at Kongsberg Town Hall
     
    Norway_Report

    April 27th
    18:00pm: GDAMS Meeting at Kongsberg Town Hall. Fresh data on world military expenditures will be presented by Alexander Harang, President of the Norwegian Peace Association. The Art Project Annex will also present its work. We will have an open debate on Norway´s military expenditure, and the current political climate for further armaments.


    Norway: Grandmothers for Peace Action in Oslo
     
    Norway_Report_2

    April 26th
    noon, 12:00
    Grandmothers for Peace Action, disseminating GDAMS flyers in front of the Parliament. Click on this image to get a high-res version of the flyers:

  • Paraguay (1)
  • Philippines (1)
    Philippines: GDAMS Events 2017
     

    18th of April 2017
    – April 18 – Street play production in an urban community setting with youth and students culminating the event with jamming with alternative artists. A VTR will be produced. It will be used by other groups during focus group discussions in other communities and schools during the GDAMS days.

    – Two public actions in the Mindanao area: in a farming community of women and with urban youth and students group.

    – Photo streaming and selfies by young people with their own version of messages on military spending

    – Media blast during the GDAMS days.

    Contact: Corazon Valdes: corafabros@gmail.com

  • Singapore (1)
    Singapore: Collect selfies on the Japan Peace Boat
     

    April 21-22th

    We will collect selfies on the Japan Peace Boat in Singapore in April 21-22

  • Spain (8)
    Spain, Barcelona: Colin Archer conference on Military Spending
     

    25th April, 2017
    7 pm, La Fede, Tapies 1-3, 08001 Barcelona
    Conference  with Colin Archer: Militarized States. What can we do from a Global Justice perspective?

    Organized by LaFede.cat (Catalan Federation of Organizations for Global Justice). With the cooperation of Delàs Center for Peace Studies, Novact, Fundipau, Unipau, Justícia & Pau and Escola Cultura de Pau.

    IMG-20170425-WA0012
    Spain, Barcelona: selfie campaign
     

    April 18 to April 25th

    Spain, Bilbao, Barakaldo, Getxo: Bike March
     

    April 22th
    11am
    Spain, Bilbao, Barakaldo, Getxo: Bizi Marxta against military industry
    Bike March, starting at 11am from the Palacio Foral Bizkaia “Diputacion” to go to the Arms Factory Precicast PCB in Barakaldo. Ending at Getxo, at the entrance of Sener, a company involved in arms production.
    This is the 10th Bike March against Military Spending and Military Industry.
    The initiative is promoted and organized by several anti-militarist organizations together with ecologists and internationalist solidarity groups in Bizkaia.

    Read more (in Spanish), here!

    Bilbao Kem-MOc
    Spain, Donosti: Conference on Military Spending
     

    April 27th
    Donosti, Spain
    Conference of Pere Ortega on Military Spending and the Business of War
    Organized by SETEM

    Spain, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Peace News on the radio
     

    April 24th
    9pm, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
    Peace News on the radio

    Listen the podcast at this link!
    Discussion on Military Spending during a “slow coffee”, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

    Spain, Madrid: Statement on Military Spending
     

    April 26th

    The statement claims for the right of World’s people to live in peace and for the necessary and immediate changes in immigration policies that now sentence to death millions of people who simply try to scape from war, persecution and hunger.

    Read the statement (in Spanish) here

    Spain, Navarra: The Navarra Parliament against Military Spending and Weapon Investments
     

    4th April, 2017
    The Parliament of Navarra approved a Statement against Military Spending and Weapon Investements.

    Read more (in Spanish)

    Spain, Vitoria: Conference on Military Spending
     

    April 26th
    Vitoria, Spain
    Conference of Pere Ortega on Military Spending and the Business of War
    Organized by SETEM

    IMG_-5f8ft4
  • Sri Lanka (1)
    Sri Lanka, Colombo
     

    April 27th

    Fund peace and reconciliation, not the military!

    C-q49ehVoAAsUZj

    On April 27, as Peace Boat called to Sri Lanka, a delegation of A-bomb survivors travelling as part of the “Peace Boat Hibakusha Project – Global Voyage for a Nuclear-Free World” visited the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation and held an exchange with youth from the organisation Sri Lanka Unites on the themes of reconciliation, justice, forgiveness, and inter-ethnic/inter-faith understanding at various levels of society. As part of a joint exercise on the kind of future they want and the transformative role they can plan, the group made clear that the level of global military spending does not reflect their priority of achieving peace and reconciliation.

  • Switzerland (1)
    Switzerland, Bern: Letter to the UN representatives
     

    April 18th

    Letter to ban treaty delegations calling for a prohibition on nuclear weapons financing

    On the occasion of the first day of the Global Days of Action on Military Spending  2017 (GDAMS), three organisations (Basel Peace Office, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, and UNFOLD ZERO) sent a letter to the UN representatives of governments participating in the United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons (ban treaty), calling on them to support the proposal that the ban treaty include a prohibition on financing nuclear weapons. This would include a ban on investing in corporations that manufacture nuclear weapons and their delivery systems. The letter notes that ‘Most of the global nuclear weapons budget of $100 billion goes to about a dozen powerful corporations, all of which spend lavish amounts of money lobbying to keep the nuclear arms race going. If the nuclear prohibition treaty includes a ban on investing in these corporations, it could put a big dent in their lobbying power, and give support to legislators and civil society in nuclear-armed States who are trying to cut nuclear weapons budgets.’

  • USA (21)
    U.S., Walnut Creek, San Francisco Bay area: distribution of flyers
     

    17th April, 2017

    6:30 am – 8:00 am PDT
    Members and friends of the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center distributed flyers at all of the Contra Costa County BART stations.
    55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek, State

    U.S.: Bangor: Earth Day Celebration
     

    22th of April, 2017
    11am to 2pm, Earth Day Celebration

    U.S.: Bay Ridge Brooklyn, NY : Tax Day Rally
     

    18th April 2017
    Tax Day Rally on Tuesday, April 18 from 8:30 AM till 12 noon at the Fort Hamilton Post Office, 88th St. & 5th Ave., Bay Ridge Brooklyn, NY
    Organized by Peace Action Bay Ridge
    Find out more…

    U.S.: Beach at Santa Monica pier: A cemetery on the sand
     

    Sunday, April 16, 2017
    At 2:30 PM
    Beach north of the Santa Monica Pier, Site of the Veterans for Peace Project called “Arlington West” – a cemetery on the sand.

    Read more…

    You will see a sea of white crosses just to the right (north) of the pier, in the sand,  with several tables and exhibits set up by Veterans for Peace detailing the costs of war.  Our group, the Southern California War Tax Resistance, will have our own table there, with full support of VFP.

    We will gather at 2:30 PM and at 3 PM  will host a public event of war tax redistribution to give out checks of resisted war taxes to local groups supporting peace and justice.  We’ll have lots of information on where your taxes are going now, and ideas on where you might rather spend them.

    For more information, reply by email to cathydeppela@gmail.com or call Cathy at 408-206-7992. – And information on War Tax resistance:  www.scwtr.net

    U.S.: Bellingham, Washington : Day of Action on Military Spending
     

    18th April 2017 from 5 to 6pm.
    Where is Your Money Going? Day of Action on Military Spending

    Lottie and Grand Avenue in Bellingham, WA.

    Event hosted by the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center and Veterans for Peace Chapter 111.

    Read more on the action and watch the video!

    U.S.: Buffalo, NY: Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center – Special Rev Dr King edition (Read more)
     

    April 4th, 2017

    Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center – Special Rev Dr King edition
    When: 10am-6pm Tuesday, April 4th
    Where: 91.3FM WBNY, livestreaming at wbny  and/or tunein.com

    U.S.: Cambridge, Ma. : Tax Day 2017 Mobilization
     

    Saturday, April 15th at 1pm
    Cambridge Common, Ma.

    About 3,000 people attended the demo and Tax Rally in Cambridge Common, emceed by State Representative Mike Connollly.
    Link to the pictures flickr stream. Look at them!

    With speech from Joseph Gerson. Read it!

    Find out more…

    U.S.: Cambridge: Friends Meeting
     

    22th of April, 2017
    Noam Chomsky
    Prospects for Democracy and Survival
    Cambridge, Ma. Friends Meeting
    For more information contact JGerson@afsc.org or 617-661-6130

    Find out more…

    U.S.: Cleveland: Tax March
     

    15th April 2017
    Cleveland Tax March for People Peace and Planet

    GDAMS_Cleveland_Plain_Dealer

    Soaked marchers deal with rain and wind as the walk south on East 9th Street during the tax-day protest in downtown Cleveland on April 15th, 2017

    Find out more…

    Look more in Facebook…

    U.S.: Duluth, Minnesota: Rally and March
     

    Saturday, April 15th, 2017
    Noon at the Federal Building in Duluth. MN, USA
    Theme: Local Needs Matter.
    Sponsored by Veterans for Peace, Chapter 80, and Grandmothers for Peace Twin Ports

    U.S.: Maine: Multiple Actions on Military Spending (Read more)
     

    4 to 11th April, 2017
    UMaine, Orono, Hope Fest: April 8, 11am-3pm, Includes workshop on WTR. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
    Waterville Castonguay Square: April 8, Noon-5pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
    UMaine, Machias: April 4 and April 11, 11am-2pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

    U.S.: Maine: Action on Military Spending (Read more)
     

    March 31st, 2017
    Bar Harbor College of the Atlantic Cafeteria
    At breakfast and lunch. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

    U.S.: Maine: Multiple Actions on Military Spending (Read more)
     

    15th April, 2017
    Bangor: April 15, 2am to 4pm. Resist War Action, Federal Building in Bangor, Me. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
    Belfast Food Coop: 
    April 15, 11am to 5pm (may continue longer). Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
    Bethel Post Office: April 15, 10am to 12:30pm, Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
    Blue Hill Food Coop: 
    April 15, Noon-2pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
    Rome – Youth Activism Gathering: 
    April 15, Weekend. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

    U.S.: Maine: Multiple Actions on Military Spending (Read more)
     

    17th April, 2017
    Brunswick Post Office: April 17, organized by PeaceWorks
    Damariscotta Post Office: 
    April 17 and 18, 11pm-4pm, sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

    U.S.: Maine: Multiple Actions on Military Spending (Read more)
     

    18th April, 2017
    Portland – Monument Square: April 18, 8am-5:30pm, Gathering with numerous organizations begins at noon. Organized by Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center, PeaceWorks and PeaceAction
    Damariscotta Post Office:
     April 17 and 18, 11pm-4pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
    UMaine, Machias: April 18, 11am-2pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center
    UMaine, Orono, Memorial Union: April 18, 11am-2pm. Sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

    UMaine, Farmington, Student Center: April 18, 10am-2pm, sponsored by the Maine War Tax Resistance Resource Center

    U.S.: New York City: Tax Day Protest
     

    18th April 2017
    Noon
    IRS office
    290 Broadway at Duane Street, NYC
    Organized by Grannies for Peace and the War Resisters League
    Contact Nydia Leaf nyleaf13@gmail.com or Ruth Benn rbenn@eclipsewar.net

    U.S.: Northampton, MA: Pat*RIOT’s Day Rally
     

    17th April, 2017

    11 am
    Join our Pat-RIOT’s day march, April 17th at 11am at Bridge St School.
    We will Meet-up at 11:00am. Speak Up and Sing Out in front of First Churches (129 Main Street). 12:00 noon is the Anti-war Peace “Riot”.
    Organized by the American Friends Service Committee, Western Massachusetts Program.

    Find out more…

    U.S.: Oakland, CA: Public Participatory Readings of Martin Luther King’s “Beyond Vietnam” Speech
     

    Tuesday, April 18, 2017
    Public participatory readings at 12 noon, 2 pm and 4 pm
    Federal Building, 585 14th Street, Oakland, CA

    Link to photos from the event. Look at them!

    April 2017 is the 50th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”. In it, Dr. King confronted the deeply rooted racism, militarism and materialism in the U.S., describing our government as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world. Fifty years later his analysis and call to action is as relevant now as it was then.

    Sponsored by the National Council of Elders and Western States Legal Foundation, and Co-sponsored by Ecumenical Peace Institute/CALC, Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center, Nafsi Ya Jamii, Physicians for Social Responsibility (SF-Bay Area Chapter), Tri-Valley CAREs, Women for Genuine Security, West County Toxics Coalition, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, East Bay Branch and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, San Francisco Branch.

    U.S.: Seattle: Tax Day Action
     

    18th April 2017
    11:30am-1:30pm
    Federal Building-915 2nd Ave, Seattle, Washington
    Sponsor:  Veterans For Peace

    Find out more…

    U.S.: Walpole, MA: Tax Day Rally – Redirect Military Spending to Fund Human Needs
     

    Saturday April 15th, 2017 10:00 am, Walpole Common

    GDAMS_Walpole_TaxDay

    Over 30 people gathered on the Walpole Common on Saturday, April 15, 2017, at a peace vigil standing in solidarity with the Global Campaign on Military Spending and the Tax Day 2017 Mobilization, calling for a reduction in military spending and a redirection of those funds to human services.  Sponsored by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group, a 40 foot banner was held showing where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today based on the 2017 budget.  The banner consisted of colored panels, each representing a budget category like military spending and education, with a length proportional to the size of each budget. The U.S. military spending is more than 50% of the Federal discretionary budget. It equals the combined military spending of the next eight countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Kingdom, and India. The vigil was also calling for President Trump to release his tax returns and  was opposing his proposed 2018 budget cuts to human services like housing, senior programs, the National Endowment of the Arts, and the EPA.

    The Walpole Peace and Justice Group  hold a Rally  on April 15, joining with the Global Campaign on Military Spending and the Tax Day 2017 Mobilization in calling for our federal government to redirect military spending to fund human needs and to stop military interventions. We call for:
    – President Trump to release his tax returns
    – Stopping the new “big, big” tax cuts for corporations and the 1%
    – Opposing President Trump’s “Death Budget” released on March 16
    – Re-directing money from the Pentagon to families and climate protection
    – Supporting the Peoples Budget in Congress

    The Pentagon’s budget equals the combined total of the next eight largest  military spenders, including China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Kingdom, and India!   We will have a 40 foot budget banner that shows where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today. We will also have a couple of brief speeches  and will pass out an informational  leaflet urging people to call our U.S. Senators and Representatives. We may also have some drummers!

    U.S.: Wilmington, Delaware: TaxDay vigil/demonstration
     

    18th April 2017 from 12 noon to 1pm.

    Tax Day Vigil and Demonstration

    At the Wilmington, Delaware Post Office, 500 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, DE 19801
    Promoted by MoveOn.org

  • UK (5)
    UK: Calling for an End to Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Edinburgh
     

    19th April, 2017
    Edinburgh, UK
    8:00am – 1:00pm
    Calling for an End to Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Edinburgh
    Scottish Parliament Edinburgh, Edinburgh

    Find out more…

    UK: GCOMS event at Menwith Hill with CAAB
     

    18th April 2017
    Demonstration at Menwith Hill Main Gates on Tuesday 18th April 2017 at 6pm.
    Focus on the true costs of military spending.

    Find out more…

    UK: Hereford GDAMS event
     

    22th of April 2017

    Hereford Peace Council  are organising an event in High Town, in the centre of Hereford. Contact person is Jenny Maxwell on 01547 540 748 or  07711 788 506

    Find out more…

    UK: Taxes for Peace at Hendon
     

    20th April 2017

    At St Joseph’s School and site of Pax Christi office in Hendon London, staff and pupils of the school came along to cast their vote for a safer world. As well as showing curiosity about what was going on, 94 people took part in the vote and you can see the results in the photograph.

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    Read the results of the survey.

    Morevover, GDAMS Supporter Conscience  have a new date for their  Taxes for Peace  Bill: it was  rescheduled for the 24th of March 2017!  In preparation, they had a public meeting at Friends House, Euston Road on 27 February 7 – 9 pm.

    Find out more…

    UK: Women in Black GDAMs vigil, London
     

    19th of April 2017
    6:00pm – 7:30pm
    Women in Black GDAMs vigil, London
    Edith Cavell Statue, London

    And, on 26th April, From 6 to 7 pm next to Edith Cavell statue – Women in Black asked citizens where they would move the military money.

    Find out more…

  • Uruguay (1)
    Uruguay: Fair with children toy exchange actions
     

    21th April, 2017

    On April 21, the Peace Educators Movement will organize, together with the Cultural institution Space Mixtura, a Fair in the framework of the Days of Action Against Military Spending. The Fair will include an exchange of war toys by books, for the children.

    Contact: Victor Brindisi, vbrindisi@yahoo.com

    Find out more…