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Global Day of Action on Military Spending


Peace, development and environmental groups around the world will challenge huge military budgets and argue for a major shift of resources towards meeting human needs on 14 April, the Global Day of Action on Military Spending World military spending stands at $1.7 trillion with UK military spending at £38 billion. The UK has also committed to spend about £100 billion in total on the replacement of Trident, the UK's nuclear weapons system

This global day of action was initiated in 2011 by the International Peace Bureau, to coincide with the release of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) annual figures on world military expenditures.

In the UK a coalition*, which includes Christian groups Pax Christi, the Columban Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation, Christian Ecology Link, National Justice & Peace Network, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Quaker Peace & Social Witness, Northern Friends Peace Board and Student Christian Movement have actions planned in Bradford, Bristol, Reading, Oxford, Leeds, Newbiggen by Sea and London ranging from information stalls to street-theatre and visits to various government departments.

In London the Coalition plan to visit four government departments to 'redistribute' a share of the £38 billion to overseas development, energy and climate change, health and international cooperation. At each ministry they will present a cheque and a letter inviting each department to work with them to help make the case for reallocation of military spending towards investment in human needs and sustainable development

In their Call to Action the UK GDAMS Coalition say: "We come together now, as people concerned with peace, social justice and environmental justice, to call for a new approach to our common security that will tackle the real problems of our world; an approach which addresses the root causes of conflict, including environmental problems, inequality and access to resources. Military responses, with their real and hidden costs, do not help; they threaten human security.

London action on 14 April

Meet 11am @ DFID, 22 Whitehall, then to Department of Energy and Climate Change, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Department of Health, Ministry of Defence Horseguards Avenue at 12.30 There will be speakers at each stopping place: War on Want, Scientists for Global Responsibility, MEDACT, Pax Christi and CND and cheques sharing the £38 billion military budget will be presented at the first four departments. A 'cancelled' cheque will be presented to the Ministry of Defence.

*Members of the GDAMS Coalition : Action AWE, Article 36, Bangor & Ynys Môn Peace & Justice/ Heddwch a Chyfiawnder Bangor & Ynys Môn, North Wales, Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, Campaign Against Arms Trade, Campaign for Accountability of American Bases, Christian Ecology Link, CND, CND Cymru, Columban Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation, Conscience , Drone Wars UK, Ethical Consumer Magazine, Faslane Peace Camp, Fellowship of Reconciliation (England), Friends of Lebanon ,Green Party, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Kingston Peace Council/CND, Medact, Movement for the Abolition of War, Musicians without Borders, National Justice and Peace Network, Network for Peace, Northern Friends Peace Board, Nuclear Consulting Group, Pax Christi, Quaker Peace & Social Witness ,Radical Statistics, Scientists for Global Responsibility, Scrap Trident Coalition, Scottish WILPF, South Somerset Peace Group, Stop the War, Student Christian Movement, Transition Heathrow, Trident Ploughshares, War on Want, War Resisters International, Woodcraft Folk, Wool Against Weapons, World Development Movement.

See more here: www.demilitarize.org.uk

www.paxchristi.org.uk
https://twitter.com/paxchristiuk

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