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Special Report |
LAST UPDATE December 8, 2009
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| November 8, 2009 |
Building alliances for peace |
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| Dancers opened the conference with a traditional Ecuadorean dance. |
Emotions were high at the International Conference for Peace Constitutions for Nuclear and Foreign Military Abolition in Ecuador on November 5-6, 2009. Civil society organizations from Latin America and Japan gathered at the two-day event to discuss the regional and global impacts of foreign military bases and to celebrate the peaceful principles of Ecuador’s new constitution. Hailed as one of the most progressive in the world, the constitution declares Ecuador a territory of peace, prohibits foreign military bases, promotes universal disarmament, and contains numerous other clauses that aim to forge a just, peaceful and sustainable society. The peace conference was co-organized by Peace Boat and a coalition of NGOs in Ecuado
Over 500 persons took part in the conference at the Ciudad Alfaro Civcic Centre in Montecristi and the Eloy Alfaro Lay University in Manta. A former President of Ecuador, Eloy Alfaro remains a national hero because of his efforts to establish and safeguard basic human rights for the country's exploited populations, a concept considered radical at the time. The Conference builds on the momentum of Peace Boat’s ongoing Global Article 9 Campaign calling for a demilitarized world. The Global Article 9 campaign reflects the values of Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, which renounces war as a means of settling disputes and the retention of armed forces. |
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| Speaking at a press conference atomic bomb survivor Nishioka Hiroshi (second left) said he hoped the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings would be the first and last use of nuclear weapons. Mr Nishioka was joined by (from left to right) the Mayor of Montecristi, Washington Arteaga, Peace Boat Executive Member Kawasaki Akira and Ximena Gudiño of NO Bases-Ecuador |
Missing family members, environmental damage, lost livelihood and sexual exploitation topped the list of grievances for Ecuadorian speakers at the conference. The US military established a base in Manta, Ecuador on a ten-year lease which expired in November 2009. During that time, locals say the ecological, economical and social balance of their communities was disrupted. An anti-military movement emerged from dissatisfied citizens. Almost ten years of marches, educational campaigns and an international conference in 2007 culminated in the inclusion of a clause prohibiting foreign military bases in the country's new constitution last year. However, the full impact of the bases on the environment and society in Ecuador remains undetermined. Speaking at a joint press conference on November 5, Ximena Gudiño of NO Bases-Ecuador said that the association was not content with just the removal of the bases, and is calling for an audit committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the effects of foreign military presence in Ecuador. Ms Gudiño pointed out that 40 fishing boats were sank during US military operations in Ecuador, and fishermen lost much income after militarization of the port denied them access to their traditional fishing waters. She said accountability was important to completing the process and an audit was the first step. |
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Veronica Macias of Youth In Movement was one of many Ecuadorean youth who took part in demonstrations against foreign military bases. She said it was important for everyday citizens to be informed and actively involved in shaping national policies |
Odalys Lopez of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Peoples (ICAP) said that Cubans considered the US military base at Guantanamo Bay illegal. She said the Cuban constitution prohibited the base, but that Cubans have been unsuccessful it securing its removal. Ms Lopez said that foreign military bases compromised the sovereignty of a government over its territory. She pointed to the torture of detainees at Guantanamo Bay - in direct contravention of Cuban laws and principles.
Peace Boat’s Nohira Shinsaku agreed that foreign military bases affected a government’s ability to fully control activities within the state. Mr Nohira said that by hosting foreign military, governments enable activities which they may be opposed to. Referring to US military bases in Japan, he said military operations in the Viet Nam and Korean Wars would have been a greater challenge if the United States did not have bases in the Pacific. He went on to say that despite its peace constitution, Japan was indirectly supporting the war in Iraq by accommodating US military activities on Japanese territory. |
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| Three Mayors joined Mayors for Peace at the conference. Mayors for Peace is an international association of mayors committed to nuclear abolition. From left to right are Mayor of Portoviejo, Humberto Guillem, Mayor of Montecristi, Washington Arteaga, Mayor of Manta, Jaime Estrada |
With its new constitution, Ecuador joins a growing list of Latin American countries with a commitment to peace as a fundamental national principle. In1949, Costa Rica made a decisive commitment to peace by abolishing its army as a permanent institution. Costa Rica has recently spearheaded a number of initiatives around Article 26 of the United Nations Charter, which calls for control of armaments and a collective reduction of military spending. Vice President of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA)-Latin America, Carlos Vargas said the abolition of armies was essential to securing lasting peace, but must also be accompanied by a change in values. Mr Vargas said the preoccupation with security through arms should be replaced with a focus on securing a decent existence for the citizens of the world by promoting human rights and protecting the environment. For Peace Boat Executive Committee Member Kawasaki Akira, the time has come to move away from the Cold War mindset where military power was viewed as the only way to balance security. He said peaceful societies today required approaches rooted in respect for humanity. Mr Kawasaki said even as Japan celebrates the 63rd anniversary of its peace constitution, Article 9 is under threat. The hosting of US military bases in Japan, Japan’s reliance on the US nuclear umbrella and the retention and development of war potential are in breach of the constitution. |
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This young participant has her handprint added to a banner collecting sentiments against nuclear weapons. The banner will be showcased at the 2010 Nuclear Weapon Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference at the United Nations. |
Mr Kawasaki said that the non-military outlook of countries like Ecuador and Costa Rica was encouraging, and urged peace advocates to cooperate to protect existing peace constitutions and to encourage more states to adopt the principle of demilitarization. He insisted that peace constitutions have been successful in curbing military activities in territories where they are applied. Mr Kawasaki said the promotion of pacifist legislation was crucial to achieving sustainable peace and he was heartened by the progress being made in Latin America. He added that the success of activists in Ecuador was a victory for civil society worldwide and underscored the power of everyday citizens to effect change.
In 2005, Peace Boat, together with the Japanese Lawyers International Solidarity Association (JALISA) launched the Global Article 9 Campaign to Abolish War. The campaign calls for demilitarization and the purposeful development of a culture of peace. Peace constitutions have become particularly relevant in the wake of the economic crisis that has further compromised the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Excessive military spending has deprived countries of the resources necessary for eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, offering universal education and basic health care and assuring environmental sustainability for their citizens. For Peace Boat, demilitarization and securing a good quality of life for the global population go hand in hand. |
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