Statement of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement
Translations to Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish, Finnish, Hungarian available online.
(February 1, 2022) — The people of our country and the entire planet are in mortal danger due to the nuclear confrontation between the civilizations of East and West. We need to stop the build-up of troops, the accumulation of weapons and military equipment in and around Ukraine, the insane throwing of taxpayers’ money into the furnace of the war machine instead of solving acute socio-economic and environmental problems. We need to stop indulging the cruel whims of military commanders and oligarchs who profit from bloodshed.
The Ukrainian Pacifist Movement condemns the preparation of Ukraine and NATO member states for war with Russia.
We demand global de-escalation and disarmament, the dissolution of military alliances, the elimination of armies and borders that divide people.
We demand an immediate peaceful settlement of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, around Donetsk and Luhansk, on the basis of:
(1) absolute compliance with a ceasefire by all pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian combatants and strict adherence to the Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements, approved by UN Security Council Resolution 2202 (2015);
(2) withdrawal of all troops, cessation of all supplies of weapons and military equipment, cessation of total mobilization of the population for war, cessation of propaganda of war and hostility between civilizations in the media and social networks;
(3) conducting open, inclusive and comprehensive negotiations on peace and disarmament in the format of a public dialogue between all state and non-state parties to the conflict with the participation of pro-peace civil society actors;
(4) enshrining neutrality of our country by the Constitution of Ukraine;
(5) guaranteeing the human right to conscientious objection to military service (including refusal to be trained for military service), in accordance with Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and paragraphs 2, 11 of the General Comment № 22 of the UN Human Rights Committee.
War is a crime against humanity. Therefore, we are determined not to support any kind of war and to strive for the removal of all causes of war.
VETO NATO Sing-Along
To the tune of the African-America Spiritual, “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho”
LYRICS:
We say NATO’s got to go,
Got to go, got to go!
We say NATO’s got to go!
So the people can live in peace
From Kosovo to Afghanistan
To Africa’s Libyan shores
The bureaucrats of NAT
Just keep making war
They say that we’re in danger
So we need to buy more arms
But the threat of climate chaos
Doesn’t seem to raise alarm
They’re in Poland and Romania
And they’re spreading to Brazil
It’s a scheme to sell more weapons
And leave the whole world with the bill
We can’t afford good housing
We can’t afford healthcare
We can’t afford clean water
Cuz the military took our share
NATO has been sowing
Fear and death and pain
When we get rid of NATO
The people can only gain
Remember what happened at Jericho
The trumpets began to sound
Joshua commanded the people to shout
And the walls came tumblin’ down.
