Online offline Conference October 23-24, 2021

„Militarism and Peace in Latin America and the Caribbean“

Trade Union Building
Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 69-77,
60329 Frankfurt/Main (near main train station [HBF])
Germany

Organized by:

Frieden- und Zukunftswerkstatt e.V. | International Peace Bureau (IPB) | Netzwerk Cuba – informationsbüro – e.V., Deutschland | Österreichisch – Kubanische Gesellschaft (ÖKG) | Vereinigung Schweiz-Cuba (VSC)

Read the whole program LAK-EN-program-militarism-and-peace.pdf

Ideas to think about

Latin America is part of the militarization and armament trends in the world, which has continued to grow since the 2014 NATO summit in Wales. This should be the focus of the first part of the Conference:

• NATO’s partnership agreement with Colombia and Brazil as “global partners”.
• Expansion of the US military bases in Peru, Columbia, Honduras, Costa Rica, Chile, Paraguay and Guantanamo in Cuba; Military bases of Great Britain, France and the Netherlands.
• Use of the military infrastructure of other Latin American countries (e.g. Ecuador, Galapagos Islands).
• New military bases in Colombia, Guyana and the ABC Islands.
• Increase in military maneuvers by US and NATO troops in Colombia, Brazil and off the coasts of Venezuela.
• Mercenary operations in Venezuela financed by CIA.
• Training of Latin American military personnel in the US, in other NATO countries or by Latin American representatives.
• Growing arms exports from Western countries to Latin America.
• Exercise of government functions and economic power by high military personnel.
• Increasing subordination of civilian tasks to military leadership (fighting the drug mafia, opposition and emancipatory movements and in Corona policy).
• Policy of sanctions and blockades against Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.
• Military cooperation with paramilitary groups, organized crime and transnational corporations.

In the second part of the Conference, counterstrategies against the growing militarization and militarism in Latin America and possible alternatives will be worked out:

• Connection between progressive political change and an independent and peaceful foreign policy (mass protests in Chile and work on a new constitution, election of a left-wing president in Bolivia, women’s protests in Argentina, Chile and Mexico, release of the former Brazilian President Lula).
• Peace policy on an international scale:
  • Growing number of ratifications of the Tlatelolco Treaty for a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.
  • Proclamation “Zone of Peace” by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Havana.
  • The participation of Latin American countries in UN peace missions.

 

Saturday 23^rd October 2021

11:00 h Opening and welcome

11:15 – 13:30 h ” Militarism and resistance in Latin America and the Caribbean – a historical-strategic description “

Leo Gabriel, Austria, journalist, peace activist, Intern. Council of World Social Forum: Overview of the societal situation in the region: history, strategic situation, developments and perspectives.

Dr. C. Alberto Prieto Pozos, Cuba, Historian: Historical Overview

Prof. Dr. Raina Zimmering, Germany, political scientist:
War and Peace: internally – Mexico as an example of the militarization of societies in the region.

Heike Hänsel, Germany, MP die LINKE. (Left fraction):
Role of the USA / NATO / EU in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

13:30 – 15 h lunch break

15:00 – 17:00 h Parallel working groups on individual topics
Content: Current balance of power, strategies, discourses, actors, progressive movements, action orientation.

• History, colonialism, imperialism, anti-imperialism
  Round table: Kerstin Sack, Alemania (tbc) and Reiner Braun, Germany, IPB
• Militarization of Societies and the Peace Process in Colombia
  Impulse and moderation: Julieta Daza, Juventud Rebelde, Colombia/Venezuela | Saul Lozano, Unidos por La Paz Alemania | Jessica Pardo, Colombia, IPB | Raina Zimmering
• Role of the USA / NATO in Latin America
  Impulse: Heike Hänsel; Ingar Solty, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation | Moderation: Kristine Karch, No to NATO & EcoMujer
• Sanctions and blockades as military interventionism
  Impulse: Julia Eder, Austria, ÖKG; Wiebke Diehl, Germany, freelance journalist & academic staff member of the federal parliament | Moderation: Edgar Göll, researcher on the future, Vice Chairman Netzwerk Cuba e.V.

17:00 – 17:30 h break

17:30 – 18:30 h evening lecture:
Monica Valente (Brazil), General Secretary of the Foro Sao Paulo

19:00 – 20:00 h informal network meeting
„Peace in Latin America and the Caribbean “, information booths: various groups

Afterwards: Get together with local activists and initiatives

Sunday, 24^th October 2021

Action orientations and options for action “Peace and Liberations”

09:00 – 10:30 h Opening lectures:

• Subcomandante Insurgente Galeano (formerly Marcos): Zapatistas and militarism, peace and liberation (tbc)
• Julieta Daza: Orientations for action and options for action for peace and liberation
• Ruth Kries, Physician, Chile/FRG: The constitutional debate in Chile – a new start
• Reiner Braun: European perspective on peace and justice in LAC
• Consul General Jimmy Chediak, Venezuela, Consulate General Venezuela in Frankfurt/M. Germany

10:30 – 11:45 h Four parallel working groups on the same question:
„How does peace work in Latin America? What are the courses of action and opportunities? What are the next steps? “

11:45 – 12:00 h coffee break

12:00 – 13:30 h Round Table:

Özlem Demirel, Germany, MP Die LINKE. (Left fraction) | Leo Gabriel | Kristine Karch | Julieta Daza | Moderation: Natalie Benelli, Switzerland, VSC

13:30 h Final words and thanks: Reiner Braun

Additional Information

The conference is supported by: EcoMujer e.V. | Friedens- und Zukunftswerkstatt, Frankfurt/M. | Gesellschaft für Frieden und internationale Solidarität (GeFiS) | Netzwerk InterRed Cooperación e.V. | Netzwerk „No to war – no to NATO“ | Unidas por la Paz / Defendamos la Paz Internacional | Institut „Welttrends“.

Media partnership with: amerika21.de | Granma | Zeitschrift „Welt-trends“ | junge Welt | Marxistische Blätter | pressenza | Lateinamerika anders.

Venue: Frankfurter Gewerkschaftshaus, Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 69-77, 60329 Frankfurt/Main (near main train station (HBF)).

Online registration: for the zoom conference via https://bit.ly/3z3B8Ne (zoom Link).

Registration for Frankfurt: Due to the expected limited attendance (Corona conditions), registration is necessary at .

Internet: The link to the live stream (youtube) will be published on the website shortly before.

Participation fee: Depending on self-assessment between 5,00 to 15,00 € and can be paid on site. Online participants are kindly asked to make a donation according to their self-assessment.

Donation account: Frieden- und Zukunftswerkstatt e.V. IBAN: DE20 5005 0201 0200 0813 90 BIC: HELADEF1822 Keyword: “LAC Conference” (Donation receipts can be issued.)