ISP VIENNA

A call for peace

We condemn the illegal Russian invasion in Ukraine. We are fully aware of NATO’s co-responsibility for this long-term conflict as one of many examples of violations of international law. At the same time, we are affected by the consequences this war and all wars have on societies – from injuries and deaths to the long-term deprivation striking the women who are providing vital care even in times of war, fighting for livelihood and peace despite violations of human rights. It is destroying the country’s environment and infrastructure, causing rising food and energy prices around the world, exacerbating poverty and hunger – especially in the global South – and threatening the entire world with a nuclear war.

It is time for the weapons to fall silent and for diplomacy to begin to resolve the conflict. We must counter the logic of war with the logic of peace.

Let us gather to discuss the state and the wider context of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the positions of our various governments, the efforts, obstacles, and opportunities of the various peace movements and most importantly, how we can work more effectively to promote a ceasefire and negotiations, and peaceful solutions as the alternative to war.

Peace is not only the task of states and diplomats but nowadays more and more also of the global civil society. What is urgently needed now is a global movement demanding that all parties stop fighting and start talking. The international support garnered by the International Peace Bureau’s Christmas ceasefire appeal, the appeals at the UN General Assembly and by many governments, even comments from some political leaders of Russia and Ukraine show that a window of opportunity may be opening.

Why Vienna?
Austria is a neutral country. It is a “UN City” and the home to the Secretariat of the OSCE (the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), which had been monitoring the situation in the Donbas since the signing of the Minsk II agreement.

Join the Peace Summit!
It is the responsibility of peace movements all around the world and of all peace-loving peoples to strengthen these efforts. The Vienna Summit for Peace in Ukraine can be a powerful sign of hope and a catalyst for more and stronger peace actions globally.
The future of humanity hangs in the balance; we must seize the moment before it’s too late.
Contact: International Peace Bureau, Marienstraße 19-20, 10117 Berlin, viennaconference@ipb-office.berlin