A Report of the European Peace
Conference in Prague on 21st---23rd March 2003
Around 200 people from Czech Republic, Ukraine,
Germany, UK, United States, Russia, other Eastern European countries attended the European
Peace Conference at Klub Techniku in Prague.
The plenary session in the morning was
addressed by Dr. Filip and Kohlicek-both members of Czech Parliament, Cora Weiss-President
of International Peace Bureau, Vijay Mehta-representing Movement For The Abolition Of
War,Yetsenko Ivan-President European Peace Convention. It was ably chaired by Dr.
Stanislav Patedji Mazurska & Dr jana Hodurova of Czech Peace Society.
Most of the speakers spoke about the illegal,
unjust and immoral war in Iraq. There was condemnation of Bush & Blair policies and
suggestions for permanent and sustainable peace were put forward.
In the afternoon most of the delegates went
to National Gallery in the centre of Prague for the opening of the memorial of Bertha
Kinsky-Suttner. She was born in Prague and in 1905 was awarded THE Nobel Peace Prize for
her work on disarmament. She advocated conflicts among states to be solved by
International Court of conciliation. She founded Peace Societies in Prague & Austria.
She lectured extensively and wrote books, which were translated in other languages.
Next day there were workshops on 1) Present
International crises and its causes 2) Peace Education 3) How to achieve permanent peace
in Europe.
In the afternoon of 22nd all of us
went to attend the March and demo which was attended by many thousands of people in the
centre of Prague. I spoke at the march and told them about what actions the UK peace
movement was taking against the war. The conference and the demo were well covered by TV
and the press.
At the end of the conference an Appeal to end
the war and a resolution “ Uniting For Peace”—(No.377 a 1950) of United
Nations was unanimously agreed and sent to President of the General Assembly, The
Secretary General, Heads of States and Deputies of European Union
It was a successful conference and an
opportunity to network with the peace organisations of Eastern Europe.
Vijay Mehta