Axis for Peace
The Axis for Peace "movement" is "an alliance of politicians, lobbyists, analysts and intellectuals from across the globe." At the end of a two-day conference held November 2005 in Brussels, Belgium, "organised by the Paris-based Voltaire Network, a non-profit organisation that lobbies for peaceful solutions to international disputes, ... participants signed a declaration that would be presented to the United Nations Security Council." [1]
"More than 150 prominent politicians, authors, musicians, journalists and peace activists from South America, Europe, Asia, the United States and the Arab world took part in the conference ... debated questions such as the war in Iraq and the threat against Syria, neo-colonialism, the role of the United Nations, the nature of terrorism, intervention by democratic states, economic and popular sovereignty." [2]
From the Axis for Peace website:
- A military coalition has launched itself into an unbridled exploitation of the world’s resources and energy reserves. Fuelled by neo-conservatives, it has increased its attacks, practicing all forms of interference, from forcing changes in regimes to colonial-style expansionism. This coalition continually violates the principles of international law as they were established by the conference of the Hague and laid out in the San Francisco Charter.
- This group masks its ambitions by intoxicating the media and by deceiving international organizations. It practices a double standard by unjustly accusing those who stand in their way of not respecting the rules whilst violating them themselves. The coalition betrays democratic ideals when claiming to serve them through military occupation.
- To justify their thirst for conquest, they form terrorist groups with the aim of manipulating them, create pretexts for military action, propagate theories of an international Muslim plot and fuel conflicts between civilizations. They seize power for themselves and contribute to pushing humanity toward ruin and disorder.
- To stop this process, we appeal to the well-intentioned permanent members of the UN Security Council. We ask them to enforce the respect of the sovereignty of nations, which forms the basis of international law and constitutes a precondition for the development of democracy in its genuine form. We deplore that France, initially opposed to the invasion of Irak, has joined the ranks of those who proffer menaces against new targets.
- We salute the mediation of Russia who stands by the application of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and the presumption of innocence in international relations. We call upon the UN General Assembly to support Russia’s efforts in favor of the re-establishment of a multilateral dialogue; to support its strong stance against financing terrorism, double standards in international politics and the interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.
- On our behalf, we engage ourselves, similarly to that which has been done in Latin America, to continue to mobilize public opinion in order to combat hatred and propaganda and to reject all projects of global domination and exploitation.
- It is time to unite and to ensure peace.
External links
- Mohammed Almezel, "Axis for Peace declares war on hawks," Gulf News, November 20, 2005. "Voltaire Network for the Freedom of Expression (Reseau Voltaire) is an international association founded by Thierry Meyssan in 1994."