Please enjoy this short report from the streets of Glasgow during COP26!
It was an amazing experience! We met so many inspiring people, including from different parts of the peace movement, as you can read more about in this story.
Because even though it’s not widely spread information, the military has an ennormous carbon footprint. This is being largely “swept under the carpet” when countries discuss how to reduce their CO2 emissions.
Here our teacher Mel tells about her experience...
Our last days in Glasgow
Joining big marches and demonstrations always boost our spirits. We have joined 2 marches in the last 2 days we were in Glasgow. Here I will tell you about how it felt like to join these marches and the people we met.
Being part of a Fridays for Future march with 30.000 others was indeed a great experience. We decided to join Code Pink after noticing their stickers in the first march we were part of on Wednesday.
Friday started by us meeting with Code Pink- Women for Peace organisers. We met around an hour before the march started and got acquainted. Code Pink is a NGO based in USA, who has started its work in 2002 fighting for peace and social justice - a movement working to end the United States funded wars. They challenge the military globally but have their focus on U.S. The NGO defends that the funds spent on military actions of any kind should be redirected completely to things that truly matter – education, healthcare and mitigation of GWCC.
About Code Pink
You might be asking why is it called Code Pink.. I certainly was! Well, as they explained it is based on the US Homeland Security colour code alerts: Code Orange and Code Red signify the highest levels of danger. They chose the name Code Pink as a metaphor for a code that doesn’t exist, but should be the demilitarisation code.
Code Pink has been involved in a huge amount of actions. They have been part of demonstrations, have brought light into issues that people do not know enough about, have webinars and presentations about social and war issues, they also have held summits regarding the use of Drones and the civilian casualties caused by it, and has sent delegations to offer help and support to Cuba and Gaza (the latest never happened as everyone sent was deported in Cairo and one of the CP founder was assaulted resulting in a dislocated shoulder, so they never arrived to Gaza). Code Pink has sent thousands of syringes to Cuba as they did develop their own Covid19 vaccine but did not have enough resources to give it to its people. They have most recently sent 18.000 pounds (around 9 tons) of food to Cuba, as the people continue to suffer from the cruel U.S. embargo. Code Pink is a supporter of The Palestinian cause as well.
The many actions and campaigns of Code Pink could continue for a couple of pages more but I think you get an idea. Here you find their website: https://www.codepink.org/
We had the pleasure to meet Jodie Evans (co-founder of Code Pink) as well as Nancy Mancias (Code Pink Member, and their friend Neta Crawford.
Hidden facts: the costs of war
Neta Crawford is a professor of Political Science and currently chairs the department of political science at Boston University. Her teaching focuses on international relations theory, international ethics, and normative change. It was quite inspiring to meet her and see what she stands for as well as getting to know what she teaches about. Neta is the Co-founder of “Costs of War project”. This project seeks to document the direct and indirect human and financial costs of U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and related counterterrorism efforts. It is an extensive and comprehensive public accounting of the cost of post-September 11 U.S. military operations compiled to date.
Neta is the author of Accountability for Killing: Moral Responsibility for Collateral Damage in America's Post-9/11 Wars and Argument and Change in World Politics: Ethics, Decolonization, and Humanitarian Intervention – two books I am looking forward to read. Neta has also written a paper regarding the Pentagon Fuel Use, Climate Change and the Costs of War… she connects the dots in a very easy to understand way. I would advise you to read the article here CostsOfWar
Having met Neta and Code Pink and the women behind it has been extremely inspiring. Marching side by side for so many things we defend was quite empowering.
What a feeling! Marching for our future with 100.000 people!
After marching together on Friday we decided we would join again on Saturday for the Global Action day Demonstration. This Demonstration was made of over 100.000 people (some sources say 200.000!!). It was absolutely amazing to see and be part of it. The whole thing was extremely well organised – before you joined you could see where the different groups would meet up and the order they would take in the march. There were 19 groups (each with many groups inside). We joined the Peace and Demilitarisation Group.
There were really all kinds of people – Socialist and Communist party, faith groups, feminist groups, Extinction Rebellion, workers and trade unions, youth groups and you name it… all those groups, with different views in many things could all agree in one thing – we want change and we want it now cause the Environmental crisis is big and we need solutions. The people we talked to and marched were extremely nice and inspiring, we shared views and opinions and it felt really good that we were so many and so many people do their part, grow organically, use public transport, work with outreach information and education about climate and sustainability….. it felt right!