Participants: Reiner, Ingeborg, Colin, Lucas, Dave, Lisa, Yayoi, Nathalie, Paul, Victor, Khang, Sarah, Anna.

Reiner introduces current status:

• New political developments: migration/ refugees, continuous confrontation E-W.
• Logistics we have: hotel for speakers/Board, hostel, venue, + support of senate of Berlin, first leaflet, congress website, two promotional videos (www.ipb2016.berlin/registration/why-come/; www.ipb2016.berlin/congress/congress-aim/), draft program (but without “world class speakers”)
• Office in Berlin has a new colleague: Amela Skiljan. She will be one main organizer of the conference
• We have a good list of partners already, but need more.
• What we need: first program published by end of February, Mobilization (videos, use GDAMS, create atmosphere to come to Berlin)

Promotion/mobilisation

• Everybody is asked to invite their friends to the facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/events/1457282777925108/); the more people are invited the better is promotion via Facebook; everybody should also ask friends to invite their friends, etc. …
• Produce videos of people from different sectors and nationalities to promote the event, not only famous people but also activists.
• Livestream with moderated chat this could be a possibility of people/groups from far away to participate in the conference. Also we consider making a film of the whole event. Contact film academy, video masters, journalism schools, UNI media team, Berlin TV crews.
• Partners vs endorsers? Partner=
  • Sb who agrees to concept of conference?
  • Sb who contributes actively to conference?

No decision: unresolved.

• Media strategy: Next meeting should discuss this in detail.
• GDAMS Day: special announcement?
• Ramstein protest events could be a big mobilizer.

Program

RB presented his latest draft. (Please mail to Reiner with suggestions/comments/ changes to program). Diverse comments:

• We re-affirm basic emphasis: Day 1 = analysis of the problem; Day 2: ideas and plans for transformation.
• Need more emotional, visual and cultural elements/breaks in the program
• Forum 5 “Education for Peace” is missing.
• Make Sunday (alternatives) longer. Possible solution is to hold finale after lunch, but continue with further sessions/workshops etc during the afternoon (esp important for those staying for the IPB Assembly Oct 3.)
• Too little on development and alternatives that already exist
• Feature GCOMS more prominently: how to get support for the 10% reductions campaign, link to new SDGs.
• Look at human dimension of our topic: root causes of migration/refugees: climate change, armed conflicts, poverty..
• Outdoor action for the conference; maybe on Friday before the beginning, using bread tank?, move the money symbolic action?
• Congress action plan/declaration: we need to make it ready before the conference, prepared by a good group and presented as a plan by IPB and supporting groups, not a conference summary or outcome as such.
• How to report from workshops? Formal reports are boring and time consuming. Instead, consider ‘sharing groups’, poster sessions, and experimental learning workshops.
• How to focus on the nuclear issue? There are many angles and a wide range of players. Costs of nuclear weapons are an important theme. Agreed we should focus also on nuclear energy. Idea of framing this session as a follow up to Peace and Planet? Discuss with Joseph/others.
• Peace tax session? We are in touch with Conscience and Peace Tax International.
• Final workshop session add: changing the mindset
• A very “masculine” program both in terms of content and the preliminary speakers.

Speakers: see chart

• Paul has contacted Holy See re main speaker. Also following up with other religious groups
• Ingeborg has invited Aude Fleurant, Head of SIPRI Military Spending project.
• Some (other) big names suggested: Bruntland, Soares, Trudeau…
• Youth speakers: look for youth organization partners; suggestion to ask David Adams, IB and CA have contact.

Side-meetings

• Pax Christi tries to arrange a board meeting around the conference; INES will hold its annual meeting (25^th anniversary!) around the IPB conference, also INES offers to conduct a forum in/around the conference on “Science and Militarism”.

Funding (see RB draft budget)

We have promises of grants from: Rosa Lux, Ebert, Böll foundations and Transform [and now ITUC/UNI]

CA to check about SRMT pledge. Possibility of $ from Brot für die Welt.

Some grants are tied to travel and accommodation, so not ‘free money’.

Own income: registration fees, advertising space, individual donations.

CA to write letter of thanks to H Schilinger at Ebert Foundation in Geneva.

Suggestion: request support from J Simons Foundation for the nuclear programme.

Decision: Once the first public draft of the congress program is available (end Feb), we write a special appeal letter to our members and supporters. This is important since we must show funders that we are contributing some money from our resources/network.

PrepComs

CA introduced his chart. We have about a dozen events in various stages of preparation.

• We encourage GDAMS partners to make ‘Berlin’ events. But they should not be labelled ‘Berlin PrepCom’ automatically; they must have an explicit focus on the themes of the Berlin conference
• Financial contributions: refer to Finance Group (IPB Officers).
• How can we use these events for the preparation of Berlin?
  • PrepComms can help initiate a debate on milex and related themes.
  • They can encourage participants to come to Berlin
  • They can produce practical outcomes for Berlin (àthe action agenda, à workshops, videos etc)
• Guidelines for projects should be drafted – CA to do.
• UNESCO PrepCom failed, but PrepCom in Tromso “Education for Disarmament” looks possible. We await funding decision from Norway Foreign Min. Fallback option is Trondheim.
• Tomas has put forward idea of a Scandinavian PrepCom in Gothenburg around GDAMS in April.
• Rachel Julian will bring UK students to Berlin (from the PrepCom) to be volunteers at the conf.

Two meetings with partners:

• GENEVA: late Nov. weekday later afternoon.
• BERLIN: early Dec.

Other opportunities for Program Committee to meet are:

• Board Meeting GENEVA: 22-24 JAN.
• Board Meeting BERLIN: 27-29 MAY.

Plus of course skype calls when needed.