Disarm! IPB World Congress 2016
“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.
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…
In 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
NATIONAL AND LOCAL SUPPORTERS
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!
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
info@ipb2016.berlin
For our young participants in particular, we can offer accommodation at a special rate in one of Berlin’s most popular neighborhoods — Feel free to contact us.
Download the leaflet: Second announcement for the IPB World Congress 2016.pdf
International Peace Bureau
The oldest global peace network, founded in 1891/92;
Nobel Peace Laureate 1910; over the years, 13 of our officers have been recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize;
Consultative Status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council since 1977;
More than 300 member organizations in over 70 countries;
Our vision: a world without war!
Our current main program centers on Sustainable Disarmament for Sustainable Development. We believe that by reducing funding for the military sector, significant amounts of money could be released for social projects, leading to the fulfilment of
real human needs and the protection of the environment.
Main highlights in this are the Global Campaign on Military Spending (GCOMS) and the Global Day of Action (GDAMS).
With our network of member organizations and individual members, we form a global community, bringing together knowledge and experience, experts and advocates in a common cause.
International Peace Bureau
41 rue de Zurich
1201 Geneva
Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)22 731 6429
www.ipb.org
mailbox@ibp.org
Copyright notice (front page image):
“Peace” by Bart is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License: http://bit.ly/1NCbPUH