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For more information:John Feffer: [email protected];
202-294-9128Visit us at www.demilitarize.org.Find us on Facebookand
follow us on Twitter @GlobalDay412
Global Day of Action on Military Spending: April 12
On Tuesday, April 12, people in more than 35 countries, as well
as Columbus, Dallas, Kansas Cityand dozens of other cities
throughout the United States will participate in the first Global
Day of
Action on Military Spending.
Actions will include a protest in front of the White House at
noon. Other U.S. cities include SanFrancisco, New York, Boston,
Fairbanks, San Juan, and Honolulu (click here for a full list).
Therewill be actions at the United Nations offices in Geneva, a
march in Kampala, a demonstration inDhaka, a women's peace
gathering in Seoul, and much more.
The Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DCand the
International Peace Bureau in Geneva,Switzerland are the event's
co-organizers. More than100 organizations, including Religions for
Peace,
Scientists for Global Responsibility, the AmericanFriends
Service Committee, Win Without War, andFellowship of Reconciliation
have endorsed it.
This global action will come one day after the releaseon April
11 of the 2010 figures for global militaryexpenditures by the
Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute. In 2009, the world spent more than $1.5
trillion on the military. Even in themiddle of a global economic
crisis, military spending has increased, with the United
Statesresponsible for nearly half of all expenditures.
"With the U.S. government in a budget crisis, it's urgent that
we move from military deeds to humanneeds," says John Feffer of the
Institute for Policy Studies and a Global Day organizer.
"Meanwhile,other crises have put a great strain on the world's
resources: climate change, earthquakes, globalpoverty, nuclear
proliferation, and the threat of health pandemics. Ever greater
funds are necessaryto repair the societies that have been damaged
by war and conflict, including the latest war in Libya."
"In the wake of the global economic crisis, some governments
especially here in Europe arebeginning to cut military spending.
But they won't allocate the savings made by these reductions
tosocial/environmental needs or to combat poverty unless we
pressure them to do so," says Colin
http://twitter.com/globalday412http://www.demilitarize.org/action-eventshttp://twitter.com/globalday412http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=100733129991763http://www.demilitarize.org/mailto:[email protected]
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Archer of the International Peace Bureau and a Global Day
organizer. "This is why we areundertaking a serious worldwide
mobilizing effort beginning on April 12 to make visible ourdemands
to feed the people, not the military-industrial complex."
The White House action, which will take place at noon, will
feature poetry, puppets, and graphic
representations of military spending. Representatives of
national and local peace and human needsorganizations will present
"flash facts" that vividly demonstrate how our military dollars can
be usedmore effectively to create jobs, address climate change, and
reduce poverty.
Please visit our website, demilitarize.org, for more information
about the Global Day of Action onMilitary Spending, the endorsing
organizations, and the specific actions.
The Institute for Policy Studies is a community of public
scholars and organizers linking peace,justice, and the environment
in the United States and globally. The International Peace Bureau
is aNobel Peace Laureate (1910) with 320 member organizations in 70
countries.
www.demilitarize.org
http://www.demilitarize.org/
