EQUIPO NIZKOR |
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03Jun11
Mobilizing to Stop NATO from Bombing Libya
The African Union has been doing all it can to find a solution to the crisis in Libya—meeting with NATO leaders, talking with officials in the US, drawing peace plans at summits, attempting to persuade both sides to the conflict, and many others. We read of 30 former African heads of state asking that NATO ends its hostilities against the government of Libya. All of these attempts went unheeded by the military alliance, and NATO rather escalates its aerial bombardments, increases its support for the rebels, and affirms its resolve and agenda on Libya.
Most recently, President Zuma of South Africa noted, “It is a very strong view within AU members that Europe doesn’t respect the AU,” Zuma said in an interview with Johannesburg-based broadcaster SAFM. “I think that, in a sense, undermines the integrity of the African Union. This, in a sense, reminds them of colonialism.” The way NATO continues to ignore the African Union peace plan and the desires of ordinary Africans across the world for Libyan solutions to the Libyan problem clearly proves President Zuma’s frank observation.
How can we Africans strengthen our power with NATO on the Libya civil war when the powerful European and American alliance continues to ignore the voice of Africans?
We the ordinary people of Africa need to remind NATO member governments that the voice of each African counts in the world. By using the Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. method of nonviolent protests, we can make an impact on and change the views of European and American governments about the need for peace in Libya.
We need to mobilize our grass-root members nation by nation to organize peaceful demonstrations in front of the embassies of Britain, France, and the US until these nations begin to pay attention to Africans. The nonviolent demonstrations against the continued NATO aggression will need to continue until NATO stops bombing Libya.
We need to identify groups that may lead the nonviolent demonstrations—students, grass-root pan-African organizations, churches, mosques, synagogues, governmental organizations, or nongovernmental organizations, and political parties across the continent—nation by nation. Use word-of-mouth, cell phones, text messages, emails and others to send word around to stage nonviolent protests even if it is for one hour a day.
If groups of two or three or hundred continue to demonstrate peacefully and daily in front of the embassies of Britain, France, and the US, newspapers, televisions, and radios across the world will broadcast the concerns of Africans about stopping the bombing in Libya. The message will be clear that ordinary Africans want NATO to end hostilities against the government of Libya. With placards, signs, and flags, let us begin our peaceful protests in front of their embassies as soon as possible as NATO continues its determined military adventure on the continent. The world will take notice of us.
[Source: By K. Kuada, Vibe Ghana.com, 03Jun11]
 | This document has been published on 06Jun11 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |