Irish Peace Groups Question Peace Award to John Kerry

Press Release

27th Oct 2016

Five peace groups have come together to oppose the awarding of the Tipperary International Peace Prize to US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday next (October 30th). Galway Alliance Against War, the Irish Anti-War Movement, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Shannonwatch and Veterans for Peace also intend to hold protests at Shannon Airport and at Aherlow House Hotel in Tipperary where the award ceremony will take place.

Speaking on behalf of the five organisations, Edward Horgan of Veterans for Peace posed the question: “What peace has John Kerry achieved and where?”

“The award of peace prizes should be based on truth, integrity and justification” continued Dr Horgan. “Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded in the past to several people who were guilty of starting or being complicit in wars of aggression and human rights abuses. Henry Kissinger is a case in point. Another example is Barack Obama who was awarded his Nobel Peace Prize just before he began authorising targeted assassinations and bombings that killed thousands of innocent civilians.”

“John Kerry and the United States of America claim to be defending the civilised world against Islamic terrorists and dictators” said Jim Roche of the Irish Anti War Movement. ”Yet the reality is that the United States has killed many multiples of the numbers killed by Islamic terrorists in its so-called War on Terror. US led wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria were all initiated without UN approval and with appalling consequences.”

The Irish Anti-War Movement will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 26th November 2016 in The Club Parnell Square Dublin starting at 13:00. For details of who can attend and submit resolutions at the AGM see below. A full agenda will be available soon.
Who can Attend and Vote at The AGM

1. All members may attend the annual general meeting provided that the current membership fee has been paid in advance of the meeting. All affiliates may send one delegate to the annual general meeting provided that the current affiliation fee has been paid in advance of the meeting.
2. All members and delegates have one vote each at annual general meeting.
3. A decision of annual general meeting of the IAWM is binding on the steering committee (SC) and overrides any previous decisions. This constitution may only be amended by annual general meeting. However, amendments to this constitution may be made by the next quarterly delegate meeting held after the annual general meeting of 08 May 2004, which adopted this constitution.
4. A steering committee shall be elected at each AGM.
5. Draft resolutions and nominations for the steering committee should be submitted to the Secretary at least 14 days beforehand. The secretary shall publish draft resolutions at least 7 days beforehand.
6. Please use the email Subject "AGM Motions 2016" for all mails concerning the AGM

 
Submitting Resolutions
Resolutions may be submitted in the following ways:

IAWM BULLETIN 18 OCTOBER 2016

IAWM PROTEST AT DÁIL EIREANN RE SYRIA – STOP THE BOMBING

WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER from 5.30PM.

• STOP THE BOMBING - CEASEFIRE NOW!
• HUMANITARIAN AID - NOT BOMBS
• ALL FOREIGN MILITARY OUT OF SYRIA
• LET THE REFUGEES IN

The IAWM totally condemns the continued bombardment of Aleppo, and other Syrian centres of resistance, by Russian and Syrian army forces.

We equally condemn the continued bombing, logistical support, arming of rebels, etc. by the US, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, Turkey et al. The recent ceasefire was broken by the killing of over sixty Syrian soldiers by a US air strike, possibly with British involvement.

The descent into a living hell for Syrians has been fueled by a number of factors including western governments’ insidious interference for their own imperial interests, the logistical support to rebel groups from the regional petro-Princedoms and Turkey, the rise of Da’esh (Isis), which is a direct result of the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the violence of the Assad Government helped by Iran, Hizbollah and of course Russia in order to protect, like the US, its imperial interests.

The Syrian people are now being sacrificed by a struggle between world (Russia and the US mainly) and regional powers in a geopolitical sandwich in what looks like becoming an imperial carve up of their country fueled by an obscene multi-national arms industry with its insatiable demands for increased profits.

The IAWM says: STOP THIS WAR NOW!

Stop the bombing of Aleppo. Agree an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Open the channels for humanitarian aid to assist the besieged, starving, wounded and dying people of Syria. Let those refugees who are fleeing this carnage come to the west for sanctuary if they wish to. Stop flooding the region with arms. All foreign militaries should announce their intentions to get out of Syria.

Fintan O Toole article re silence on Aleppo including silence by IAWM:

http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-why-the-silence-what-s-outrageous-in-gaza-is-no-less-so-in-aleppo-1.2817360

and letter response by John Molyneux, Secretary IAWM: