From the World Peace Council
Thousands of people walked the streets of Lisbon on January 18th, demanding an end to the war and a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, for Peace and Cooperation between peoples, for social progress.
Around 100 organizations from across the country signed the appeal and participated in the demonstration, adding strength to these demands.
Upon arrival at Rossio, presented by Leonor Teixeira, from the Women’s Democratic Movement, the Amigos de Abril spoke, with a cultural moment, and on behalf of subscribing organizations, Inês Reis, from Projecto Ruído, Ilda Figueiredo, from the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation, Carlos Almeida, from the Movement for the Rights of the Palestinian People and for Peace in the Middle East and Tiago Oliveira, from the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers National Interunion.
APPEAL
All together for Peace!
It is urgent to put an end to war!
It is urgent to put an end to war! It is urgent to defend Peace! We urgently need to mobilise for this cause, which is so timely and crucial to safeguard the present and future of Humanity.
The worrying developments at international level and the dramatic reality faced by millions of people who are victims of war, the risk of a conflict of great and tragic proportions, prove the need and the urgency of putting an end to confrontation and the arms race, doing everything in our power to open up paths to peace, dialogue and the political solution of conflicts.
We call on all those who want Peace to unite in this great Demonstration and affirm the urgent need to:
• put an immediate end to the genocide of the Palestinian people and the escalation of war in the Middle East carried out by Israel, and ensure the materialisation of the national rights of the Palestinian people and Peace in this region;
• put an end to the conflicts, whether in Lebanon, Syria, Western Sahara, Sudan or Ukraine, and the tragic consequences and serious dangers they entail;
• put an end to the militarist escalation and the increase in military spending and promote general, simultaneous and controlled disarmament, and, from the outset, advocate the abolition of nuclear weapons;
• reject the idea that funds that have to be used to increase wages and pensions, to guarantee and promote the rights to healthcare, education, social security, housing and to improve living conditions, should be spent on armaments and war;
• put an end to the blockades and sanctions that undermine the sovereignty of countries and hit hard the living conditions of workers and peoples;
• give way to diplomacy and the political solution of conflicts, rejecting the threat or use of force in international relations, and uphold these and other principles of the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Conference Final Act;
• demand that the Portuguese government does not contribute to the worsening of conflicts and militarism, and complies with the principles of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, among others, the right to self-determination of peoples, non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, the dissolution of political-military blocs and the establishment of a collective security system;
• promote cooperation, solidarity and friendship among peoples and defend their right to peace, which is an essential condition for development, social justice and progress, for the security and well-being of Humanity.
