Hawai'i Involvement in Foreign/US Military Bases Movement
Hawai'i participates International Conference for the Abolution of Foreign Military Bases in Quito and Manta, Ecuador
The construction of foreign military bases in Afghanistan and Iraq; the cases of torture at the bases in Guantanamo and Diego Garcia; the construction of new bases in Okinawa; the "realignment" of military alliances in Asia; and the dramatic increase of joint military exercises as part of the so-called "global war against terror" have highlighted how foreign military bases, other forms of military presence, and militarization of whole societies are used to secure certain states and corporations interests at the cost of democracy, justice, and sovereignty around the world.
Another world will not be possible without abolishing these bases and demilitarizing global and national societies.
Over the past two years, we have been building up an international network to achieve this aim. Many of us have come together for the first time at the World Social Forum and other meetings as to form a global community. Our approaches vary, our concerns are multi-faceted, but our objective is the same: the closure of foreign military bases around the world. The times demand that we escalate our actions and improve our coordination. The next step in consolidating our community is to organize an inaugural Conference for our network. After much communication and deliberation we decided to hold this conference in Ecuador in March 5-9, 2007.
Resources
March 9, 2007
Declaration: International Conference for the Abolition of Foreign Military
Base
Quito and Manta, Ecuador
We come together from 40 countries as grassroots activists from groups that
promote women's rights, indigenous sovereignty, environmental justice,
human rights, and social justice. We come from social movements, peace
movements, faith-based organizations, youth organizations, trade unions,
and indigenous communities. We come from local, national, and international
formations.
United by our struggle for justice, peace, self-determination of peoples
and ecological sustainability, we have founded a network animated by the
principles of solidarity, equality, openness, and respect for diversity.
Foreign military bases and all other infrastructure used for wars of
aggression violate human rights; oppress all people, particularly
indigenous peoples, African descendants, women and children; and destroy
communities and the environment. They exact immeasurable consequences on
the spiritual and psychological wellbeing of humankind. They are
instruments of war that entrench militarization, colonialism, imperial
policy, patriarchy, and racism. The United States-led illegal invasions and
ongoing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan were launched from and enabled
by such bases. We call for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops
from these lands and reject any planned attack against Iran.
We denounce the primary responsibility of the U.S. in the proliferation of
foreign military bases, as well as the role of NATO, the European Union and
other countries that have or host foreign military bases.
We call for the total abolition of all foreign military bases and all other
infrastructure used for wars of aggression, including military operations,
maneuvers, trainings, exercises, agreements, weapons in space, military
laboratories and other forms of military interventions.
We demand an end to both the construction of new bases and the
reinforcement of existing bases; an end to and cleanup of environmental
contamination; an end to legal immunity and other privileges of foreign
military personnel. We demand integral restauration and full and just
compensation for social and environmental damages caused by these bases.
Our first act as an international network is to strengthen Ecuador's
commitment to terminate the agreement that permits the U.S. military to use
the base in Manta beyond 2009. We commit to remain vigilant to ensure this
victory.
We support and stand in solidarity with those who struggle for the
abolition of all foreign military bases worldwide.
Foreign Military Bases Out Now! Manta Si! Bases No!
Hawai'i participates in the Asia-Pacific Consultation
of Movements against U.S.
Military Bases, Tokyo
November 25 - 28, 2006
The Asia-Pacific Consultation of Movements against U.S. Military Bases, Tokyo—A significant step toward the creation of regional anti-base movement linkages—On November 25-28, 2006, around fifty peace activists from the Southeast-East Asia and
Pacific region in struggle against U.S. military bases gathered in Tokyo in the first subregional
encounter ever held on the specific topic of American military bases. Titled the
Asia-Pacific Consultation of Movements against U.S. Military Bases, Tokyo, the gathering
was called to facilitate exchange of experiences in anti-base struggles and to work out
common strategies to resist and defeat the U.S. defense transformation process that is
being carried out to further militarize this region violating the interest of the local grassroots
people. It was held also as a sub-regional preparatory step toward the inaugural conference
of Global Network to Abolish Foreign Military Bases scheduled in March 2007 in
Ecuador.
The Consultation was convened jointly by an ad hoc Japanese national organizing committee
composed of about 40 groups and individuals, the Stop the War Coalitions Philippines,
and the Focus on the Global South. The Japanese committee comprised anti-base
groups based in communities affected by the U.S. base reorganization plans as well as
national peace networks. Among the organizing committee members are the progressive
trade union-based Peace Forum, National Christian Council of Japan, Catholic Justice and
Peace Commission, and the Asian Peace Alliance-Japan.
The participants were from Australia, Guam, Hawaii, Okinawa, mainland Japan, Korea,
the Philippines, and Mindanao, all dedicated activists fighting against the U.S. military
presence. The presence of activists fresh from struggle scenes in Pyongtaek (South Korea),
Okinawa, Kanagawa prefecture (Camp Zama, Yokosuka), Yokota (Yokota airbase),
Hiroshima-Iwakuni (Iwakuni airbase), and Yufuin (Hijudai exercise ground) as well as
Mindanao and Australia made the discussion concrete and down to earth.
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