During GCOMS 2019, the Global Day(s) of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS)took place from April 13 to May 9, 2019, under this slogan:
Demilitarize: Invest in People’s Needs!
List of actions per countries:
Argentina
April 15 – Buenos Aires, Online campaigning: Instituto Latinoamericano por la Paz y la Ciudadanía -ILAPyC (Latinoamerican Institute for Peace and Citizenship) endorsed the GDAMS campaign and shared its materials via Facebook and Twitter.
Australia
April 11 and May 9 – Sydney, Vigil No Weapons for Saudis: 12 noon to 1pm at EOS Office, 75 Elisabeth St (near cnr with King). Organised by Independent and Peaceful Australia and Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition as a protest for EOS contracts to sale weapons to Saudi Arabia and UAE, directly involved in the Yemen war. During the vigil on May 9, EOS chairman accosted protesters to denied the company’s involvement in the selling of weapons. More info on the events here. Click here and here to see the videos of the demo on April 11.
April 14 – Sydney, peace rally + postcards sending: HSBC stop funding the war in Yemen. Campaign to demand that the bank HSBC stops financing EOS, which sells weapons to Saudis. Postcards were filled in by protesters at a street stall. Organised by Independent and Peaceful Australia and Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition as a protest for EOS contracts to sale weapons to Saudi Arabia and UAE, directly involved in the Yemen war.
Azerbaijan
May 8 – GDAMS Statement: The independent NGO International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) published the GDAMS final statement in their international analytical information gateway Eurasia Diary. You can find it here.
Cameroon
April 15 – Statement from NDH Cameroun and All Women Together to ask for a reduction of military spending and a rechanneling of funds that takes into account social needs of Cameroonians, specifically women and girls, who are more vulnerable to poverty and violence. Full statement in English and French.
April 17 – GDAMS petition signing. NDH Cameroon called on the population to sign a petition against military spending. Human rights activists and NGO representatives also signed the petition after a seminar on access to justice organised together with All Women Together.
April 15 – onwards – Online campaigning. NDH Cameroon contributed to GDAMS with pictures of locals giving their proposals as to where to #MoveTheMoney to instead of military spending. You can see some of them here.
Canada
April 12 – Halifax, Nova Scotia: Members of Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace (NSVOW) joined the Global Day of Action on Military Spending by holding a small rally outside the Halifax Central Library on Thursday. Protesters conducted a penny poll, and participants also took pictures with banners offering alternatives to military spending. NSVOW member Kathrin Winkler spoke with the Chronicle Herald about the significance of the day (you can read the news and see a video here). The protest also appeared in Global News (6pm programme).
April 25 – Toronto, Ontario, Day of Action Against Military Spending and NATO: the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) held a peace vigil outside the NATO Association of Canada headquarters in downtown Toronto corner of Harbour Street and Bay Street. This action was in solidarity with the International Peace Bureau’s Global Day of Action Against Military Spending. This year is the 70th anniversary of NATO, this male-dominated nuclear-armed military alliance and Cold War relic that threatens our security. NATO members are the world’s largest weapons manufacturers and arms companies like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics fund the NATO Association of Canada. NATO puts intense pressure on Canada every year to increase military spending, which diverts public funding away from urgent social and environmental needs. VOW called for the Canadian government to withdraw from NATO and work through the United Nations on disarmament and the Sustainable Development Goals that will bring genuine human security. No to NATO; yes to peace, nonviolence and sustainability! Organized by the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW)
May 3 – Hamilton, Ontario: Call on Government of Canada to “Reduce military spending and re-allocate to urgent social and environmental needs”. In opposition to NATO’s 2% GDP target. Organised by Hamilton Coalition and Canadian Voice of Women.
May 11 – Toronto, Ontario, Voice of Women Gala: intergenerational evening of eating, drinking, dancing, and celebrating the unstoppable women who are working tirelessly to build a more peaceful world. VOW Peace Gala in Toronto, called on Government of Canada to reduce military spending and re-allocate to urgent environmental & social needs, to build affordable housing instead of warships, and to say no to NATO and its 2% GDP target.
Colombia
April 24 – Online campaigning: Acción Colectiva de Objetores y Objetoras de Conciencia Colombia ACOOC (Conscientious Objectors Action Colective of Colombia) endorsed the Global Campaign on Military Spending and shared its materials, putting an emphasis on Colombia being part of the top 30 spenders. Read more here.
May 9 – Medellín, Statement: Corporación Con-Vivamos, an organisation that works for community development and human rights in Colombia, adhered to the GDAMS declaration (here).
Cyprus
May 7 – Nicosia: Online campaigning. Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) and Home for Cooperation (H4C) endorsed Global Days of Action on Military Spending GDAMS via online and took a picture for the #MoveTheMoney campaign.
Filipinas
April 13 – Online Campaigning: Activist Amabella Carumba, from Mindanao People’s Peace Movement, endorsed the Global Campaign on Military Spending via video.
Finland
April 13 – onwards: Online campaigning. Peace Union Finland (Rauhanliitto) endorsed the GDAMS via online, with their own proposals for the #MoveTheMoney selfies campaign and disseminating the campaign’s materials.
April 13 – onwards: Online campaigning + translation. The Committee of 100 (Sadankomitea) of Finland endorsed GDAMS via online, helping disseminate the materials and translating the infographic on global military spending (with SIPRI’s data fro the year 2018) to Finnish, in order to better disseminate the contents of the campaign in their country. You can download the Finnish infographic on military spending here.
Germany
April 29 – Berlin, Press Conference: 11.00 am, Marienstr. 19/20. The International Peace Bureau is holding a press conference with representatives of the German Bundestag and members of the press to discuss the numbers and statistics released in this year’s SIPRI Report on Military Spending. It is important to discuss this report with politicians and the media for raising awareness about the horrendous amounts allocated on an annual basis to the military instead of social development programmes. Especially in Germany, which is continuously being pushed by the NATO and its members to increase their military budget to 2% of the GDP, it is very crucial to make the debate about military spending an omnipresent agenda point for the society and the political sector. The participants of this event will further discuss the challenges and opportunities of a peaceful common security policy détente.
Greece
May 9 – Athens, Online campaigning: Inter Alia, a greek non-for-profit organisation dedicated to improve social participation and collective action, endorsed the Global Campaign on Military Spending by sending pictures for the #MoveTheMoney online campaign.
India
April 24 – New Delhi, Conference Creating Change in International Disarmament: Humanitarian Perspectives and the Role of Civil Society: Lecture by Elizabeth Minor, member of the International Steering Group of the nobel prize winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and of the UK based NGO Article 36. Chairperson: Anuradha Chenoy, retired professor from the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies. It took place at 11:30 at the Ho Chi Minh Conference Room of the Jamia Miillia Islamia of New Delhi.
April 23 to 27 – Kota (Rajasthan): Two workshops, five village rallies and village meetings in connection of Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS), organised by Rural Development and Youth Training Institute. These activities included discussions in detail about India’s military spending in comparision to expenditure in poverty alleviation and programmes such as SDGs, which is very low. Taxes going to warfare preparation should instead go to clean water access, health, nutrition, literacy etc. It was highlighted the need to put pressure on the Indian Government (MPs, MLAs and elected leaders), so that they would reduce the military budget and redirect those resources to Community Development programmes. Three budget experts actively participated in a workshop and village rallies.
Italy
April 11 – Rome, Press Conference for the relaunch of the No F-35 Campaign: At 11.30 am, at the Press Room of the Chamber in Rome (in via della Missione 4) initiatives of the Italian civil society for a mobilization campaign against fighter-bombers with nuclear capacity F-35 were introduced. Despite the purchases already concluded in recent years by several governments, it is still possible to stop the contract for the acquisition of the final lot, saving billions of euros that could be used to defend the territory and the revival of labor and welfare policies.
The relaunch of the Campaign is promoted by the Italian Network for Disarmament (Rete Italiana per il Disarmo), the Peace Network (Rete Della Pace) and the Sbilanciamoci! campaign. During the press conference the promoting organizations presented the objectives and initiatives for the coming months with the aim of pushing Italian Parliament and Government to stop Italian participation in the Joint Strike Fighter program; the alternative uses (more useful for the needs of Italian citizens) of substantial public funds were also illustrated.
May 9 – Translation of GDAMS infographic: the Italian Network for Disarmament (Rete Italiana per il Disarmo) translated the infographic on military spending (with SIPRI’s data for the year 2018) to Italian, in order to better disseminate it in the Italian context. You can downloaded here.
Japan
April 14 – Nagasaki: To kick off this campaign, a series of events were held onboard the Peace & Green Boat, a regional voyage throughout East Asia bringing together 500 Japanese and 500 Korean participants for a journey for mutual understanding, reconciliation, and regional collaboration for peace and sustainability. As the ship was docked in Nagasaki on April 14, Peace Boat’s Kawasaki Akira, also a member of the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), gave a lecture on nuclear disarmament and GCOMS. Following this, hundreds of participants from both Korea and Japan gathered together on the ship’s deck to display their commitment to reducing military spending and instead investing in people’s needs. You can read more here.
April 27 – Statement by Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Gensuikyo)
Statement on the Occasion of the GDAMS:
“The Global Days of Action on Military Spending, proposed by the International Peace Bureau and now carried out worldwide is a critically important campaign bearing on the lives and rights of 7 billion people and peace of the world. The wealth created by people’s labor is used for destruction and mass killing on the false pretext of peace or “guarantee of security”, of all things, while hundreds of millions of people are suffering from starvation, poverty and poor social welfare.
In Japan, too, in breach of the provision of the war-renouncing Constitution, enormous amount of national budget is being spent on buying state of the art weapons from the U.S. or constructing a U.S. military base. This is not for security but for threatening and ruining security. The system of stockpile and deployment of 14,500 nuclear weapons across the world is the worst manifestation of it.
We are joining with you in achieving a nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and just world and carrying out a campaign for a total ban and elimination of nuclear weapons. Let us work together to go forward.”
Mongolia
April 13 – Online Campaigning: Tur-Od Lkhagvajav, member of the steering committee of the Asia Democracy Network -Mongolia, endorsed the Global Campaign on Military Spending via video.
Nicaragua
May 9 – Managua, Statement: Instituto de Investigaciones y Acción Social Martin Luther King (research and social action instituto) of the Universidad Politécnica (UPOLI) of Managua (Nicaragua), adheres to the GDAMS manifest (here). The IMLK appeals to human conscience in front of the promotion of war and armamentism with accumulation purposes from military industrial complex and big transnational capital. The institute calls on national and international mobilization, both physical and virtual, with a clear denouncing and agitating message. In the particular case of Nicaragua and other Central American countries, the IMLK denounces the nonsense of their arms race, with Nicaragua buying weapons from Russia, seemingly getting ready for a conventional war.
Norway
May 1 – Online campaigning: Norges Fredslag (Norwegian Peace Council) endorsed Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS), sharing the campaign materials and reflecting on newly released data by SIPRI. Read more here.
Pakistan
April 13 – Online Campaigning: Doctor Ammar Ali Jan, doctorate degree in History from the University of Cambridge and currently teacher at Forman Christian College (Lahore, Pakistan), endorsed the Global Campaign on Military Spending via video.
South Korea
April 22-29 – Online Actions: “Demilitarize: Invest in People’s Needs!” and submitting articles to press. A podcast was also published in April 27 regarding disarmament in the Korean Peninsula. You can listen to it here (in Korean): http://www.peoplepower21.org/PeopleTV/1626975
Organised by PSPD (People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy).
April 29 – Seoul Press Conference + Non-Violent Direct Action: at Gwanghwamun Square at 11:00 AM, organised by PSPD. For more info visit: https://www.peoplepower21.org/
Read more here (in Korean).
Spain
April 13 – Andalusia, Campaign ‘Demilitarize Schools, more social spending, less military spending’: In support to GCOMS, the teachers’ union USTEA launches a campaign to claim for de demilitarization of schools in Andalusia, which includes a survey for teachers, in order to map militarism in schools of the region, which at the same time are suffering from intense budgetary cuts. It also includes a “Resistance” manual to confront militarization of schools. More information (in Spanish) here.
April 13 – Madrid, GDAMS Statement: Justicia y Paz (Justice and Peace) endorsed the campaign on military spending on the occasion of the Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS) by publishing an statement (in Spanish).
April 13 – Bilbao, Street stall: In Plaza Unamuno (downtown) an information point on military spending’s tax objection was displayed. Organised by Alternativa Antimilitarista.
April 15 – Barcelona, Extinction Rebellion International Demonstration: At 18:30 in Plaça Catalunya, ending in Plaça Sant Jaume, members of the GCOMS campaign marched along with young climate protesters and had the chance to talk about climate emergencies from the criticism to military spending. More information on the event here. To see the Extinction Rebellion web click here, and here to check their manifest.
April 13 to May 9 – Lleida (Catalonia), Statement + Online campaigning: The NGOs Coordination Platform of Lleida (Coordinadora de ONGD i de aMS de Lleida) endorsed GDAMS one more year with a statement and several posts on social media, creating their own dissemination materials. You can read the statement here (in Spanish) and see their posts here and here.
April 29 – Barcelona Press Conference: At 11:30, presentation of the Global Campaign on Military Spending on the occasion of GDAMS and the new data on military spending (2018) released by SIPRI. The focus was on the oportunity cost of military spending, mainly in comparision with human needs and the environment. Speakers were Pepe Beunza (renowned peace activist), Luca Gervasioni (LaFede and Novact), Claudia Bosch (Extinction Rebellion Barcelona) and Jordi Calvo (IPB’s vice-president and coordinator of Centre Delàs of Peace Studies). It took place at the conference room LaFede.cat (Carrer de les Tàpies 1, Barcelona).
April 29 – Granada, Conference ‘Reducing military spending to build peace’: at 16h in the “Francisco A. Muñoz” conference room, Centro de Documentación Científica C/ Rector López Argüeta s/n, University of Granada. Organised by Centro Delàs de Estudios por la Paz and Instituto Universitario de la Paz y los Conflictos. With José Ángel Ruiz, Chloé Meulewaeter (Centre Delàs) and Stellan Vinthagen (War Resister’s International). Download the flyer here.
April 29 – GCOMS at the Radio program ‘Peace News for a nonviolent revolution’: A representative of GCOMS was interviewed to present the campaign on military spending on the occasion of GDAMS and comment on the new data on military spending published that day by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
You can listen to the interview (after min. 17′, in Spanish) here.
April 30 onwards – Online Campaigning in Castellón: the UNESCO Chair of Philosophy for Peace of the Jaume I University (UJI) in Castellón is preparing an online campaign to support the Global Days of Action on Military Spending, also trying to raise awareness on the issue at the university.
May 4 – Gijón (Asturias), Conference Tax objection to military spending. “Leave us in Peace: Less military spending and more social investment”. At noon in Conseyu de la Mocedá (Av. Manuel Llaneza 38). With Tica Font and Pere Ortega (Centre Delàs of Peace Studies) analysing military spending in Spain, the EU and globally. Prior to the conference, tax resistance strategies and examples were presented. Organised by Campaña asturiana pola oxeción fiscal al gastu militar (Asturian campaign for tax objection). Download the flyer here.
May 7 – Madrid, Presentation of the Campaign Against the Arms Fair: the platform 
Desarma Madrid (Disarm Madrid) will present in Teatro del Barrio (Zurita street 20) the campaign against FEINDEF, the international fair taking place in Madrid on May 29, 30 and 31 which brings together arms and security companies, armed and police forces and universities and research centers. Speakers will include Itziar Ruiz-Giménez (Prof. at UAM), Mar Rodríguez Gimena (Antimilitarist Assembly of Madrid) and Almudena Izquierdo Olmo (Mujeres de Negro contra la Guerra).
May 9 and 10 – Cádiz and Puerto de Santa María, School Rallies: Two school rallies and a protest took place in Cádiz and Puerto de Santa María (IES Cornelio Balbo and La Arboleda) as part of the campaign ‘Demilitarize Schools: more social spending, less military spending’ with students representing Picasso’s Guernica, symbol of the horrors of war.
Switzerland
April 12-13 – Basel, International Conference Move the Nuclear Weapons Money: This conference brought together legislators (mayors, city councilors and parliamentarians), financial managers, and experts in disarmament and climate change to examine successful divestment policies and support their expansion and replication. The conference also addressed impact investment and built cooperation to advance related nuclear disarmament policies. The organiser, Basel Peace Office, has joined with other partners in launching Move the Nuclear Weapons Money, a global initiative to cut nuclear weapons budgets and investments, and reinvest these in climate protection, peace and key areas of a sustainable economy, such as education, renewable energy, health, job creation and sustainable development. The programme included a presentation of the GCOMS campaign.
For more information visit: http://www.nuclearweaponsmoney.org/basel-conference-2019/
UK
April 13 – Bradford: GDAMS/People’s Budget stall at the Yorkshire CND Day of Dance at Victoria Hall, Saltaire, Bradford.
Contact:<colinarcher@ phonecoop.coop>
April 16 – London: Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Quaker Peace and Social Witness did a protest and a letter hand-in at the Ministry of Defence at 11 am. Contact: Daniel Jakopovich <danielj@quaker.org.uk>
April 17, April 24 and May 1 – London: Vigil by Women in Black London at the Edith Cavell statue in St. Martin’s square, Charing Cross, at 6pm. WiB encourages passersby to reflect on military spending and to think of alternatives to rechannel to the 1’74 trillion USD allocated to global military spending last year.
April 18 and 24 – York: GDAMS stall 2-5pm. Both on Parliament Street in York. Contact: <rachel@yorkshirecnd. org.uk>
Uruguay
May 1 – Montevideo: Movimiento de Educadores por la Paz, together with Federación Uruguaya de Magisterio joined the demonstration of the Workers Day in the capital, giving a speech on peacebuilding and military spending, as well as handing leaflets to demonstrators.
April 13 – onwards: In the context of the GDAMS, Movimiento de Educadores por la Paz (Movement of Educators for Peace) promoted a campaign for global peace in Uruguay, together with the National Convention of Workers and the Uruguayan Federation of Teachers & Workers of Primary Education. The campaign aimed to raise awareness about the issue of military expenditure, calling instead for a culture of peace and human rights. The Movement published an article in the magazine Quehacer Educativo (you can read it here – in Spanish), dedicated to educators of the primary and initial levels, addressing the GCOMS’s message and mission. In addition, the Uruguayan organization was also involved in promoting the short film “Alto El Juego”, from the film-maker Walter Tournier, which speaks against weapons and violence.
USA
California
April 14 – Berkeley: 3:00pm. Northern California People’s Life Fund gathered at the BFUU Fellowship Hall (1924 Cedar St., Berkeley—Near North Berkeley BART) and distributed $15,000 in redirected taxes to peace and justice organizations. The program included a potluck dinner and the Granting Ceremony. For more information see, www.nowartax.org or contact nowartax@riseup.net.
April 13 – San Diego Area: 9:30am-2pm. Public Hearing by the People on the Immoral Budget & March to the Border. Event began at Casa Familiar Civic Center (212 W Park, San Ysidro, CA). This event was the last stop on the Emergency Truth & Poverty Tour. Sponsored by the California Poor People’s Campaign. For more information, see their Facebook event page.
Colorado
April 12 – Colorado Springs: 11:45am-1pm. A penny-poll was hosted downtown at the southwest corner of Pikes Peak and Tejon Street.
For more information, contact Mary Sprunger-Froese at firststriketheatre@hotmail.com.
Columbia
May 3-5 – Washington, DC, Conference: The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee had their National Conference under the theme “Divest the Pentagon – Invest in People”. The program included a report back from a recent Code Pink delegation to Iran, a workshop on Building a Peace Economy, an Introductory War Tax Resistance Workshop, and more.
Location: St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton Street NW, Washington, DC 20010.
For more information, here’s a summary of the weekend. See also the flyer and schedule.
Delaware
April 15 – Wilmington: Annual Tax Day Military Budget Demonstration at Rodney Square, Central Downtown Wilmington (1000 N Market Street). Met at the civic center piece from noon to 1pm. Sponsored by Pacem in Terris Delaware.
Illinois
April 15 – Chicago: “Don’t Pay Any War Tax Demonstration.” At Federal Plaza on the Corner of Dearborn & Adams, 11:00am-1pm. Included a public act of Civil Disobedience. Sponsored by the War Resister League – Chicago Chapter. For more information, see www.wrlchicago.org.
Indiana
April 15 – South Bend: Vigil at Corner of Jefferson and Main – 204 S Main Street, from 4:30 to 5:30pm. Sponsored by Michiana Peace and Justice Coalition (http://www.michianapeacejustice.net/). For more information, contact Peter Smith at psmith@saintmarys.edu or (574) 532-3720.
Iowa
April 15 – Des Moines: Rally at the Des Moines Federal Building – 210 Walnut at 1:30pm. A petition against taxes for war was delivered to Senators Ernst and Grassley. Petition to sign can be found here. Sponsored by Catholic Peace Ministry, Iowa Citizen Action Network, Iowa Peace Network, Methodist Federation of Social Action, Progress Iowa, STAR*PAC and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
April 15 – Des Moines: “Tax Justice, Where Should our Taxes Go? Presidential Candidate Forum” at Northwest Community Center (5110 Franklin Ave), 6:00-8:00pm. Catholic Peace Ministry, Iowa Citizens Action Network, Progress Iowa, Methodist Federation of Social Action, STAR*PAC, and WILPF Des Moines invited all presidential candidates to answer three questions, one focused on reducing military spending, one on climate crisis priorities, and one on shifting the tax burden to the wealthy.
Maine
April 17 – Belfast: Free Screening of “An Act of Conscience” at the Belfast Free Library (106 High St.) at 6:00pm. A post-film discussion was led by former NWTRCC Administrative Committee member Jason Rawn. Sponsored by Waldo County Peace & Justice (https://www.facebook.com/WaldoPeaceandJustice/). For more information, contact Cathy Mink at (207) 323-5160.
April 15 – Brunswick: Leafleting outside the Brunswick Post Office from 11am to 1:00pm. Sponsored by PeaceWorks of Greater Brunswick (www.peaceworksbrunswickme.org/index.html)
April 16 – Portland: Let’s talk taxes! Over Pizza: Presentation, Conversation & Action at Abromson Community Education Center, Room 216 at 4:00pm. Free and open to the public, to reflect on federal budget and values. Sponsored by Peace Action Maine, with Devon Grayson-Wallace, former FCNL lobbyist and board member of Peace Action Maine. Flyer here. For more information call 207-772-0680 or visit the Facebook event here.
Massachusetts
April 17 – Boston: Tax Day March & Rally at Uphams Corner in Dorchester at 4:30-8pm. Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action. For more information, Massachusetts Peace Action at (617)354-2169, info@masspeaceaction.org or http://masspeaceaction.org/event/tax-day-2019-dorchester/
April 25 – Walpole: from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, the Walpole Peace and Justice Group held a tax day rally as part of the GDAMS, calling for a reduction in military spending and a redirection of those funds to human services. A 40 foot budget banner was displayed, showing where the Federal discretionary budget is spent today. The banner was comprised of colored cloth segments, each proportional in length to the budget category. The 2020 federal budget as proposed by the President transfers tens of billions of dollars from education, affordable housing, climate protection, medical care, hunger assistance, and social security directly to the military budget. The People’s Budget in Congress as a positive alternative.The vigil took place at the Walpole Common on the corner of Main and West Streets. For more info contact info@walpolepeace.org. Read an article on this action here.
Missouri
April 17 – St. Louis: Penny Poll and Distribution of WRL Piechart Budget 2020 at 4 South Central Clayton from noon to 1pm. Sponsored by Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom & Peace Economy Project. For more information, contact Chrissy Kirchhoefer at 314.660.2300 or outreach@nwtrcc.org.
New Hampshire
April 15 – Concord and Manchester: Members of New Hampshire’s office of American Friends Service Committee met with staffers from U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan in Manchester, and with Congresswoman Anne McLane Kuster’s District Director in Concord.
New York
April 15 – Brooklyn: Peace Action Bay Ridge Tax Day Action: MOVE THE MONEY! Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying $8.36 million for Total Cost of Wars Since 2001. Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying $2.19 million for nuclear weapons. This is unacceptable! Distribution of flyers to the neighbors. Location: Fort Hamilton Post Office, 89th St and 5th Avenue, Bay Ridge, from 9:30 to 11:00 am.. For more info: bayridgepeaceaction@yahoo.com; (917) 579-6860 or this link.
April 15 – Manhattan: Protest Tax Dollars for War! Vigil and leafleting in front of the Internal Revenue Service at 290 Duane Street (at Broadway) in lower Manhattan from noon to 1 pm. Protesting tax dollars being spent on U.S. wars and the military and supporting those who openly refuse payment for these wars but, instead, reroute their tax dollars from the IRS to groups promoting peace and supporting human needs. Location: 290 Duane Street, at Broadway (2 blocks north of City Hall). Initiated by: NYC War Resisters League; Co-sponsors: Brooklyn For Peace; Bronx Peace Action; Code Pink NYC; Granny Peace Brigade and others; Facebook event here.
April 18 – Brooklyn: How the Pentagon Robs Our City! 7 to 9 pm. With Bill Hartung, Jan R. Weinberg and Christine Lewis. Discussion on how the war economy drains NYC resources, and ways we can get active to turn it around, as well as two active campaigns: “Move the Money” & “Divest from the War Machine.” Then, working groups formed to plan actions.
Location: Brooklyn Friends Meeting Hose, 110 Schermerhorn St, corner of Boerum Place.
Co-sponsors: Brooklyn For Peace, Peace & Social Action Committee of Brooklyn Friends (Quakers), Fort Greene Peace; Granny Peace Brigade; Park Slope United Methodist Church Social Action Committee; Pax Christie Metro New York (list in formation). A summary of the event and pictures on this link.
For more info, email bfp@brooklynpeace.org
May 4 – Manhattan: International Conference Growing Nuclear Risks in a Changing world: New Thinking and Movement Building. 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Initiated by American Friends Service Committee; Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security; International Peace Bureau; Peace Action (New York and New Jersey); Western States Legal foundation; Peace and Planet; Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung; International Trade Union Confederation. At Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square. Download the flyer here. Registrations at: bit.ly/may4conference
May 6 – Albany: Women Against War’s “Pathways to Peace Committee” met on the outside steps of the LOB in Albany at noon, standing in conjunction with fellow citizens around the world during the Global Days of Action on Military Spending to draw attention to the pressing need “to push governments to invest money in the sectors of health, education, employment and climate change rather than military.”
A press conference was held at 12:30 at the LOB, to denounce how the billions spent annually in the guise of defense rob government, including NYS, of the capacity to adequately support human needs.
Following the press conference, where Assemblyman Phil Steck was a speaker, protesters moved inside the Capitol to vigil and leaflet on the issue of our militarized budget outside the Assembly Chamber as members arrived.
You can read the full speech that was read here.
An article was also published on Times Union (here) and a radio interview to Maureen Aumand aired on The Focus on Albany Show (here). For further information contact: aumandmaureen@gmail.com
Oregon
April 15 – Eugene: Taxes for Peace Not War, along with Community Alliance of Lane County, 350 Eugene, Oregon Women’s Action for New Directions, & Extinction Rebellion rallied at the old Federal Building at 211 East 7th Ave (location of IRS office). At 4pm they delivered a signed letter to the IRS. Then they marched to the new Federal building at 405 East 8th Avenue to deliver copies of the letter to federal representative Peter DeFazio and federal Senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden. The event included signs, chants, songs, and speeches. People interested in signing the letter or needing more information can call Sue Barnhart at 541-731-1189 or suebarnhart2@gmail.com.
April 15 – Portland: 7:30-9am. Sign-holding on Portland bridges (Burma Shave Style). Meet at E. Burnside and MLK Jr. Blvd. Sponsored by War Resisters League – Portland. For more information, Email: jgrueschow@comcast.net.
Vermont
April 15 – Brattleboro: WTR Information Tabling outside of the Brattleboro Food Coop, 2 Main Street, from 10am to 3pm. Sponsored by Pioneer Valley War Tax Resistance. For more info, contact Daniel Sicken at 802-387-2798 or dhsicken@yahoo.com.
Washington
April 15 – Seattle: Leafleting in front of the Federal Building in Downtown Seattle, 915 2nd Ave, from 11:30am to 1pm. Sponsored by the Seattle Anti-War Coalition. (seattleantiwarcoalition.blogspot.com/ https://www.facebook.com/SeattleAntiWarCoalition/)
Wisconsin
April 15 – Madison: Peace Vigil in front of the Dane County courthouse in Madison (215 S Hamilton St.) from noon to 1pm. This was a collaboration with Madison’s Monday Peace Vigil, which has been hosting a weekly Monday Vigil for Peace for the last 38 years.
April 13 – Milwaukee: Vigil to protest federal tax dollars for war and environmental harm, U.S. Army Reserve, 5130 W. Silver Spring Dr. Sponsored by Milwaukee War Tax Resistance, Casa Maria Catholic Worker, & Peace Action of Wisconsin from noon to 1pm. For more info, contact Lincoln or Mikel, Casa Maria at usury_sucks@hotmail.com or (414) 344-5745.
Venezuela
May 9 – Caracas, Statement: Laboratorio Ciudadano de Noviolencia Activa, a Venezuelan organization that works to promote democratic nonviolent action and reflection, joined the Global Campaign On Military Spending and endorsed the GDAMS final statement (here).
Vietnam
April 13 – Online Campaigning: Bui Lien Huong endorsed the Global Campaign on Military Spending by sending a support video.
List of other GCOMS actions, out of the GDAMS period:
Australia
February 20, Sydney: The Government announced that they would be selling weapons to the Saudis via a company called EOS. We demonstrated outside their Sydney offices! Click here to see the pictures – Watch the video!
Nepal
April 4 – 6, Kathmandu International Conference on Universal Protection and Labour: Organised by Asia Europe People’s Forum, Social Justice and Peace and Security Clusters and Integrated Development Society Nepal. The conference intends to achieve a stocktaking of the situation in Europe and Asia with unemployment, poverty and inequality, migration and climate crisis, as well as its consequences for democracy with the emergence of rightwing populism. The programme includes a presentation of the GCOMS campaign. More info here.
USA
April 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Washington DC: International Peace Movement Conference: “No to NATO, 
No to war Network, Yes to Peace and Disarmament. Speakers include Reiner Braun, Anna Ochkina, Medea Benjamin and Peter Kuznick. At St. Stephen & the Incarnational Episcopal Church 1525 Newton St., N.W., Washington, DC.
See the agenda here and click on the image to download the full Flyer.
April 4: Multiple public readings of Dr. Martin Luther King speech: April 4, 2019 will mark the 51st anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s tragic and untimely assassination, and the 52nd anniversary of his prophetic speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”. United for Peace and Justice encourages you to honor Dr. King’s full legacy by organizing a public reading of the speech in your community. We have prepared a “kit” to help you organize a reading. And you can download some printable posters here. When Dr. King gave this speech, the United States was embroiled in the Vietnam War. The country was in turmoil as peace activists resisted the draft, and anti-war and civil rights protesters took to the streets. King’s speech laid bare the relationship between U.S. wars abroad and the racism and poverty being challenged by the civil rights movement at home. And it was controversial in some parts of the civil rights movement. Dr. King’s words were both precautionary and prophetic, providing both a diagnosis and a cure – “a true revolution of values” – for our society’s gravest illnesses, “the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism.” And they have never been timelier. In his “Beyond Vietnam” speech, Dr. King declared: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
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This year, we join with the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, in working to achieve Dr. King’s “revolution of values”. And we associate ourselves with the upcoming Global Days of Action on Military Spending to demand: “Demilitarize: Invest in People’s Needs!” Click here for more Martin Luther King, Jr. resources. Thanks for all you do for peace and justice! – The UFPJ Coordinating Committee. Read more…
May 23: Screening of documentary Colis Suspect (Suspicious Package) – Premiere at NYC School of Visual Arts (209 E 23rd St209, New York). Colis Suspect (meaning Suspicious Package in French), wants to answer the following question: What’s behind Europe’s Fortress? The documentary, mainly shot in France, focuses on the EU system of borders and migration, as well as the persuasion and influence of the security industry lobby. The film counts with ten interviews with experts in law, migration, security, defense industry and international relations. In addition, our analysis is articulated together with the story of Mohammed, a poet and activist for the rights of the undocumented and a refugee from Sudan living in Paris. The documentary explores how the idea of security has been reformulated in the current context of economic crisis and terrorist alert. Why is Europe fortified? What does it affect and who does it benefit?
For more information visit their website and facebook event.
