STOP THE WAR UK

[Guest guest]

http://www.traprockpeace.org/london_peace_10dec05.html

 

Traprock Peace Center has just published to the internet its

comprehensive coverage (audio, photos and video) of the London

International Peace Conference, held on December 10, 2005.

 

1400 conference delegates called for worldwide antiwar demonstrations

on March 18 and 19, 2006 to demand an immediate end to the war and

occupation of Iraq. The conference also called for the release of the

Christian Peace Makers team members who were kidnapped in Iraq. The

conference was organized by the Stop the War Coalition (UK). The full

conference statement is available at http://www.stopthewar.co.uk

 

We have been posting the conference in segments. The latest program

focused on Holding Bush and Blair to Account. http://

www.traprockpeace.org/london_bush_blair_account/

 

Audio is now available of:

 

Tariq Ali, writer and campaigner

Ann Wright, former US diplomat

Paul Ingram, Green Party (UK)

David Swanson, co-founder of AfterDowning Street.org

John Rees, co-founder of the Stop the War Coalition, with a video

Craig Murray, former UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan

Walter Wolfgang, activist who had escaped from Nazi Germany

Amani Deghayes, who spoke of her brother's tragic detention, torture

and maiming at Guantanamo

 

We had published the following just recently:

 

The opening session, with audio of these speakers:

 

Andrew Murray, Stop the War Coalition, http://www.stopthewar.co.uk

Tony Benn, former Labour MP and cabinet minister, giving the opening

address

Lindsey German, convener of the Stop the War Coalition, moving the

conference statement

Kate Hudson, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)

Prof. Elaheh Koolaee (Teheran University, former Iranian MP)

Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies.

Sami Ramadani, Iraqi writer and academic.

Mazin Younis of the Iraqi League.

 

Students met to discuss organizing in the UK and the US, and

international cooperation among students. A video is available of

Suzie Wylie, Peter Leary and Pav Akhtar of the National Union of

Students and the Stop the War Coalition, and Elizabeth Wrigley-Field,

national coordinating committee member of the Campus Antiwar Network

in the US.

 

The Military Families Campaigns section was a centerpiece of the

conference. Andrew Murray introduced Andrew Burgin of Military

Families Against the War and Judy Linehan from Military Families

Speak Out as moderators. Audio is available of these excellent talks:

 

Rose Gentle (Military Families Against the War)

Ann Lawrence (Military Families Against the War)

John Miller (Military Families Against the War)

Ben Griffin (Military Families Against the War)

Kelly Dougherty (Iraq Veterans Against the War)

Chris Nineham (Stop the War Coalition)

Medea Benjamin (Code Pink)

Peter Brierley (Military Families Against the War)

Judy Cuniglio (Dallas, Texas)

Reg Keys (Military Families Against the War)

Cindy Sheehan (Gold Star Families for Peace)

 

Building an International Movement came next. This panel, which

concluded the conference, was moderated by Andrew Murray and Jane

Shallice. Audio is available of this program in its entirety, with a

special audio of the keynote speaker. These people spoke:

 

Ishmael Patel, Friends of Al Aqsa

Herbert Docena, Focus on Global South

Judith LeBlanc, United for Peace and Justice

Sabah Jawad, Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation

Dr. Azzam Tamini, Muslim Association of Britain; Jeremy Corbyn,

Labour MP of Islington North; and Andrew Murray, introducing the

keynote speaker,

George Galloway, Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.

 

Several Iraqis spoke in Arabic. We tried recording the translations

of their talks to no avail. Ayatollah Khalisi of the Iraqi National

Foundation Congress, Hassan Juma, President of the Southern Iraqi Oil

Workers' Union, and Hanna Abrahim of the Iraq organization Free Will

spoke. We link to reports that summarize their comments. The British

government refused to allow entry to a delegate from Iraq, the al

Sadr representative, Hassan al Zargani. We do not have audio of a few

other speakers for technical reasons.

 

There are photo albums of each of the above sessions along with

albums of the groups tabling at the conference and photos of people

meeting and reconnecting at this historic conference. There are

special photos of Cindy Sheehan, George Galloway, Jeremy Corbyn, the

students, and many others, at http://www.traprockpeace.org/

london_peace_10dec05.html

 

 

what is peace

to the people

who work the land

and die in wars?

it was learned in a game

that was played by us all

who held the top of the hill

from the rest was called the king

and I can't believe it all

was good for humankind