No More War in Europe – An Appeal for Civic Action in Europe and Beyond

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Another war in Europe no longer seems improbable or unlikely. For some people of the continent, it has been a reality already in Ukraine, in Georgia, in Nagorno Karabakh and on the Turkish-Syrian border. So are the military build ups and threats of full scale warfare.

European security architecture, set up after World War II and then in the Helsinki agreements, has proven outdated and is facing its most serious challenge in decades.

We, civic activists from states that are signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights, members of the Council of Europe or participating in the OSCE note the urgent need to prevent war in Europe.

We believe that the connection between peace, progress and human rights is inextricable. A strong and free civil society, rule of law and real guarantees for the protection of human rights are key elements of comprehensive security within larger Europe, yet coordinated and purposeful suppression of civil society institutions in a number of countries as a theme is sidelined to the margins of international relations. Authoritarian contagion, as seen in Russia, Turkey, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Poland, Hungary, and in the Brexit and Trump phenomena, is associated with international conflict, social injustice, discrimination and division. It is a threat just as dangerous as the COVID-19 pandemic or climate change.

We are convinced those common challenges should be addressed through international dialogue of which civil society is an integral part. Such international dialogue should include three key pillars that defined Helsinki agreements: (1) security, disarmament and territorial integrity; (2) economic, social, health and environmental co-operation; (3) human rights and the rule of law.

We call upon the goodwill of states to pursue that dialogue and underline our commitment to assist those efforts.

We believe that a joint international civic movement with an anti-war and pro-human rights stance is a necessity and commit ourselves to pursue its formation throughout Europe.

Please join us!

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Еще одна война в Европе более не кажется маловероятной. Для некоторых жителей континента она уже стала реальностью: в Украине, в Грузии, в Нагорном Карабахе, на турецко-сирийской границе. Также реальностью стали и наращивание военной мощи, и угрозы развертывания полномасштабной войны.

Архитектура европейской безопасности, созданная после Второй мировой войны, а затем в рамках Хельсинкских соглашений, оказалась устаревшей и столкнулась с самым серьезными вызовами за последние десятилетия.

Мы, гражданские активисты из государств, подписавших Европейскую конвенцию о правах человека, членов Совета Европы или участвующих в ОБСЕ, подчеркиваем срочность и важность предотвращения еще одной войны в Европе.

Мы убеждены в неразрывной связи между миром, прогрессом и правами человека. Сильное и свободное гражданское общество, верховенство права и реальные гарантии защиты прав человека являются ключевыми элементами всеобъемлющей безопасности в рамках большой Европы, однако теме скоординированного и целенаправленного подавления институтов гражданского общества в ряде стран, увы, придается второстепенное внимание на периферии международных отношений. “Заражение общества авторитаризмом”, которое мы видим в России, Турции, Беларуси, Азербайджане, Польше, Венгрии, а также в феноменах Брексита и Трампа, ассоциируется с международными конфликтами, социальной несправедливостью, с дискриминацией и разделением людей и обществ. Это такая же угроза, как пандемия COVID-19 или изменение климата.

Мы убеждены, что эти общие проблемы должны решаться посредством международного диалога, неотъемлемой частью которого является гражданское общество. Такой международный диалог должен включать в себя три основных элемента, определивших в свое время Хельсинкские соглашения: (1) безопасность, разоружение и территориальная целостность; (2) экономическое и социальное сотрудничество, взаимодействие в области охраны здоровья и окружающей среды; (3) права человека и верховенство закона.

Мы призываем государства проявить добрую волю к продолжению этого диалога и подчеркиваем нашу готовность содействовать этим усилиям.

Мы считаем, что совместное международное гражданское движение с антивоенной и правозащитной позицией является необходимостью и сейчас, и в будущем, и обязуемся добиваться его формирования по всей Европе.

Присоединяйтесь к нам!

Initial signatories (alphabetical order) 

1. Anthony Barnett, Co-founder openDemocracy
2. Pedro Bacelar de Vasconcelos, Chairperson of Portuguese Delegation at Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
3. András Bozóki, Professor of Political Science, CEU
4. Luis Braga da Cruz , former Minister of Economy Portugal
5. Ingeborg Breines, consultant, former co-president International Peace Bureau and former director of UNESCO
6. Luke Cooper, academic and co-founder Another Europe Is Possible
7. Guilherme d’Oliveira Martins, former Minister of Finance and Education of Portugal
8. John Feffer, Director, Foreign Policy In Focus
9. Ana Gomes, former MEP Portuguese Socialists and 2021 presidential candidate
10. Renato Janine Ribeiro, former minister of education of Brazil
11. Mary Kaldor, Professor Emeritus of Global Governance, LSE
12. Dmitri Makarov, Council Member of the Moscow Helsinki Group
13. Paul Mason, journalist and author
14. Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties (Kyiv)
15. Attila Mesterhazy, Hungarian Parliament, Vice -Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee
16. Niccolo Milanese, Director of European Alternatives
17. Lena Nemirovskaya, School of Civic Education
18. Kalypso Nicolaïdis, Professor at the School of Transnational Governance (EUI) and Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford
19. Isabel Pires de Lima , former Minister of Culture, Portugal
20. Artur Sakunts, Head of Vanadzor office of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Armenia
21. Saskia Sassen, Professor, Columbia University, New York City
22. Yuri Senokosov, School of Civic Education
23. Narcís Serra, former deputy prime minister and former defence minister of Spain
24. Rasha Shaaban, Cultural Activist, Feminist, board member European Alternatives
25. G.C. Spivak, Professor Columbia University
26. Alvaro Vasconcelos,  Founder of Forum Demos , former Director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies ( EUISS)
27. Idoia Villanueva Ruiz MEP, Unidas Podemos
28. Gert Weisskirchen (prof. ret.), MP 1976 – 2009; Spokesperson SPD Parliamentary Group 1999 – 2009
29. Ruth Wodak, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Lancaster University/Universität Wien

Additional signatories (alphabetical order) 

1. Itty Abraham, academic and writer
2. Françoise Alamartine, Attac France
3. Heinz Allgäuer-Hackl, Prof. (FH) – FH Campus Vorarlberg/Austria
4. Laura Alonso Cano, WILPF España / President
5. Eleni Andreouli, The Open University
6. Rowinda Appelman, Dutch Research Council
7. Jordi Armadans Gil, FundiPau / Director
8. Vojkan Arsic, Center E8, Serbia / Executive director
9. John Austin, former UK Labour MP (1992-2010)
10. Ana Barrero Tiscar, Director, Fundación Cultura de Paz
11. Ana Barrero Tiscar, Asociación Española de Investigación para la Paz (AIPAZ)
12. Ana Benavente, sociologist
13. Wolfgang Benedek, retired prof., University of Graz
14. João Bettencourt Relva, researcher and university professor
15. Tim Beyer Helm, Co-Founder, WorldWide Wednesday
16. Leyla Binici, Militante écologiste
17. Oksana Briukhovetska, MFA Candidate, University of Michigan
18. Sally Brooks, honorary fellow, University of York
19. Georg Blokus, Grassroots Organizer, European Alternatives
20. Claudia Brunner, Associate Professor in Peace Studies, University of Klagenfurt
21. Joanne Callaghan, Chair of Weaver Vale For Europe
22. Tânia Cerqueira, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto
23. Vasyl Cherepanyn, Head of the Visual Culture Research Center / Kyiv Biennial
24. Anna Chiara Forte
25. Patricia Chilton
26. Paul A. Chilton, Professor Emeritus, Lancaster University, Assoc. Fellow, University of Warwick
27. Arlene Clemesha, university professor São Paulo
28. Richard Corbett, former leader of the UK Labour Party MEPs
29. Leonardo Costa, researcher and university professor
30. Eva Czermak, Caritas Austria
31. Giuseppe De Marzo, Coordinatore Nazionale, Rete Dei Numeri Pari
32. Monica Di Sisto, Journalist, Vice President of Fairwatch Observatory
33. Bernard Dreano, Chairperson of the CEDETIM Center for international solidarity studies and initiatives (Paris)
34. Zsolt Enyedi, Central European University
35. Anna Falcone, Giurista e attivista politica
36. Eugenio Fatigante, journalist, Avvenire
37. António Ferrari, university professor
38. Alexia Gardner
39. Lévy Gérard, Europe Écologie Les Verts
40. Gian Giacomo Migone, former member of the Italian Senate
41. David E Gibson, Peace Home Campaigns, Organizing Director
42. Jérôme Gleizes, Conseiller de Paris Écologiste
43. Daniel Guerrier, Journaliste Honaraire, Éditeur Spartacus
44. El Haite, Liberal International
45. Odile Hélier
46. Judith Herrin, Professor Emerita
47. Lars Hochmann, Professor for Transformation and Entrepreneurship at Cusanus Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung
48. Bjørn Ihler, The Khalifa Ihler Institute
49. Mikhail Ilyin, political scientist and semiotician
50. Isabelle Ioannides, researcher and activist
51. Jose Javier Olivas Osuna, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia and LSE
52. María Jesús Luna, Fundación Seminario de Investigación para la Paz
53. Lubomila Jordanova
54. Ben Kim
55. Gerhard Kofler, AbFaNG – Aktionsbündnis für Frieden & Gewaltfreiheit
56. Judith Kohlenberger, Institute for Social Policy, Vienna University of Economics and Business
57. Nomiki Konst, Matriarch, USA
58. Kristijan Kovačić, Croatian Platform for International Citizen Solidarity
59. Remzi Lani, Director, Albanian Media Institute
60. Juha Leppänen
61. Louis Mackay
62. Denis MacShane, former UK Minister of Europe
63. Carmen Magallón, Fundación SIP (Seminario de Investigación para la Paz /Presidenta)
64. Walter Manoschek, University of Vienna, Professor for Political Science
65. Jean-Louis Marolleau
66. Lorenzo Marsili, author and director of Studio Rizoma
67. Jean Marc Salmon, social scientist, Paris
68. Kevin Martin, President, Peace Action (USA)
69. Teemu Matinpuro, Executive Director, Finnish Peace Committee
70. Josep Mayoral i Antigas, Ayuntamiento de Granollers
71. Elena Mazzoni, Transform! Italia
72. Maria Mayrhofer, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Aufstehn.at
73. Heidi Meinzolt, WILPF
74. Manuela Mesa, Director CEIPAZ
75. Fabienne Messica, Ligue des Droits de l’Homme
76. Irene Messinger, Professor Social Work, FH Campus Wien
77. Jéssica Moreira, researcher Universidade Lusófona do Porto
78. Sotiris Mousouris, Maragopoulos Human Rights Foundation
79. Wolfgang Müller-Funk, Univ. Vienna Diplomatische Akademie
80. Selvije Mustafi, Romano Avazi
81. Eduarda Neves, professor, curator and researcher
82. Arno Niesner, ARGE Gemeinwohlcontrolling
83. András Nyirati, Power of Humanity Foundation, president
84. Walter Oetsch, Cusanus Hochschule fuer Gesellschaftsgestaltung Koblenz
85. Frieder Otto Wolf, Freie Universität Berlin
86. Pere Ortega Grasa
87. Martin Pairet, Baker
88. Stephan Panther, Cusanus Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung, Koblenz
89. Haris Pasovic, East West Centre, Sarajevo/artistic director
90. Sandy Paul, activist
91. Andrea Pisauro, researcher and activist
92. Patrizia Pozzo, Activist and co funder Studio Rizoma
93. Bert Preiss, University of Vienna
94. Anne Querrien, CEDETIM
95. Elisa Reis, Professor of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
96. Philippe Revault, EAPLV
97. Ana Rodrigues, jurist and researcher
98. Fátima Ribeirinho, teacher
99. Andy Roberts
100. Alexander Rusetsky, CIU
101. Birgit Schlager
102. Thomas Schmidinger, University of Vienna
103. Luiza Schmidt, Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa
104. Edgar Seca, Cooperativa Árvore
105. Rahul Sethuram
106. Martin Shaw, University of Sussex and Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals
107. Marcel Siguret, Citoyen
108. Elise Sijthoff, ChildPress.org
109. Jacques Soncin, Journaliste – Président de Fréquence Paris Plurielle
110. Igor Štiks, writer and political theorist
111. Katharine Stinson
112. Catherine Smallwood, Senior Emergencies Officer, WHO/Europe
113. Norman Solomon, Director, RootsAction.org, based in USA
114. Andy Stirling, Professor SPRU, University of Sussex Business School
115. Carme Suñé Minguella, FundiPau
116. David Swanson, Executive Director, World Beyond War
117. Seema Syeda, Communication and Campaigns Officer, Another Europe Is Possible
118. Fernando Vasco Chironda, Comitato 3 Ottobre – Italy
119. Vesna Teršelič, Documenta – Center for Dealing with the Past
120. Marcela Uchôa, researcher
121. Yury Urnov, Wilma Theater, Philadelphia, Co-Artistic Director
122. Viviana Valastro
123. Isabel Valente, university researcher
124. Tiago Veloso Dias
125. Roberto Veneziani, Professor, QMUL
126. José Vitor Malheiros, science communication consultant
127. Ingrid Vorwahlner, Research Coordinator
128. Cat Villiers, Filmmaker
129. Olha Voropai, NGO Poruch
130. Hilary Wainwright, co-founder, Red Pepper magazine
131. Julie Ward, former MEP and Another Europe NC
132. Robin Wilson, journalist and researcher
133. Josef Weidenholzer, former MEP, em. Prof. University of Linz/Austria
134. Shoshana J. Wodak, Prof. VUB-VIB Center for Structural Biology, Member of EMBO
135. Kasia Wojcik, artist and activist, IIPM