We Women Reject –  NATO, its Wars, its Militarism
We Women Further – Understanding, Peace, Non-Violence
We Transcend Borders – Women Make Progress

Throughout Europe women are active against US bases. We fight against NATO training grounds: what is taught here turns into bloody reality in other parts of the world. We stand up against atomic bombs, missile defence and space control installations. We support the implementation of UN resolution 1325, which states that women must play an important, autonomous role in preventing wars, peacefully solving conflicts and building a peace order.

Following the end of the Cold War, women once again overcome dividing lines between ethnic groups and countries, boundaries of hate. Everywhere they build bridges of understanding, i.e. in divided Ireland, between Bosnia, Serbia and the other former Yugoslav states, between Chechnya, Afghanistan and Russia, Israel and Palestine, Kurdistan and Turkey. These are our experiences. Therefore we know: a peaceful, peace promoting Europe is possible.

NATO is a significant barrier to our aims. It is based on images of hostility, which are renewed according to its fashion. NATO members go to war, defend their interests in the world with military threats, start a new arms race.

We say: 60 years of NATO are enough! We want to overcome power politics, in mutual respect, understanding and peaceful conflict resolution. Instead of the rich dominating the poor countries we want to overcome hunger and poverty together. Only with us women this political change will happen.

In classical antiquity, Lysistrata, in order to prevent the war, called upon the women of Athens and Sparta to rebut their menfolk. She was successful. We deny the myths presented by warmongers. They say: wars are fought for women's rights, we must fight terrorism with military means, atomic weapons protect us. What a bunch of lies!

As daughters of Lysistrata we refuse to share responsibility for warring, in that we fight for

- a nuclear-free Europe,
- closing down of US bases,
- an end to Star Wars programmes,
- abolishing images of hostility,
- the acknowledgement of women's role in preventing wars and founding peaceful settlements.

Initial Signatories:
Lidia Menapace, Italy, ex-Senator, Pacifist, Feminist; Arielle Denis, France, Mouvement de la Paix; Maria Hagberg, Sweden, Network against Honour Crimes, Women for Peace, IFE-EFI; Fee Striefler, Germany, Ramstein Appeal; Lita Malmberg, Denmark; Ellen Diederich, Germany, Womens’ Peace Archive Fasia Jansen; Josette Rome Chastanet, France, IFE-EFI; Christiane Reymann, Germany, el-fem, LISA; Gudrun Tiberg, Sweden, Women for Peace; Ingrid Ternert, Sweden, Peace-Coalition Gothenburg; Rebecca Hybbinette, Sweden, Network against Honour Crimes; Imma Barbarossa, el-fem, Forum Donne (Rifondazione); Bärbel Blumenthal, Germany; Christel Buchinger, Germany, el-fem, LISA; Kirsten Tackmann, Member of Parliament DIE LINKE.

Please mail the signatories with name / region, country / group, function to: Christiane Reymann at reymann(at)t-online.de or Rykestr. 39, 10405 Berlin (Germany)

For more information about the international NO to NATO campaign visit http://www.no-to-nato.org/