Let’s disarm

“He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up swords against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore”. (Isaiah 2, 4)

Rome (NEV), November 2, 2019 – On the occasion of the International Week of Disarmament organized by the United Nations Organization, from 24 to 30 October, the Globalization and Environment Commission (GLAM) of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI) invited to reflect and take a position on this issue, on which it has been committed for years.

“This year the week of disarmament falls shortly after the Turkish invasion of Syria – said GLAM coordinator, Antonella Visintin – while the international campaign to stop the export of weapons destined to hit Yemen continues. As we know in Italy the economic contribution of the armaments sector is an important item of the Gross Domestic Product and a relevant sector of employment. In this week, therefore, as GLAM, we believe it is essential to focus on Law 185/1990, which regulates the control of export, import and transit of weapons and prohibits the export of arms to countries at war. On the other hand, we believe it is essential to reflect also on the conversion of production sites and on an economy based on the production of weapons”.

In a note released by the Italian Network for Disarmament (RID), of which GLAM is a part, this yearly appointment was re-launched with the initiatives and campaigns already underway to promote disarmament actions and policies.
“A relaunch – the note writes – that comes from the New York Glass Palace, were also RID was present to participate in the Forum on Humanitarian Disarmament of civil society and in some debates of the “First Disarmament Commission of the 2019 General Assembly’. RID participation was an opportunity for discussion with other disarmament and arms control organizations and with diplomats from around the world”.

RID also stressed – joining the United Nations declaration – that “only by reducing resources and the political centrality of arms and armies will it be possible to face the real problems of our time, in particular the climate emergency”.