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Stop the War Cymru established

16 Feb 2024 2 minute read
Palestinians look for survivors after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip. Photo Anas-Mohammed

A new organisation has been established in response to the continuing crisis in the Middle East.

Stop the War Cymru has been created to help coordinate anti-war efforts and messages of peace across Wales.

The organisation represents various peace movements across Wales who wish to see an end to war.

Stop the War Cymru will be organising and supporting public meetings, marches, and demonstrations to promote an anti-war and anti-imperialism message.

Peace movements

Its immediate focus is demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and working towards a just peace in the Middle East.

The group aims to make spokespeople available to the media in order to provide an alternative view and comment on the wars across the world.

“International condemnation”

Stop the war Cymru Convenor, Dominic MacAskill said: “People in Wales have now marched for peace in Gaza and an end to the slaughter every week since the Hamas massacre of Israelis and the taking of hostages on October 7.

“Witnessing the developing genocide in Gaza we believe that Wales has a duty to join the international condemnation of Israel’s atrocities and the calls for a just peace in the region.

“Wales is waking up to that duty. Last year, in opposition to the Welsh government and in response to grassroots pressure, a motion was passed in the Senedd in favour of an immediate ceasefire to the war in Gaza.

“Each week we are seeing more and more people on marches across Welsh cities calling for peace. It is time that our governments woke up.

“We hope that Stop the War Cymru contributes to the continued pressure on our leaders to support an immediate ceasefire and guarantee the rights of the Palestinian people to statehood, peace, and dignity.”


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Neil Anderson
Neil Anderson
8 months ago

In the proud tradition of the women of Wales’ petition of a century ago, our status as a nation of sanctuary and the recent ceasefire motion in the Senedd, an independent Cymru could adopt neutrality and work with other like-minded nations to achieve ceasefires everywhere. Cymru could act to mediate, resolve conflicts, and become a world centre of diplomacy working towards peace and reconciliation and the abandonment of militarism in all its forms. Both my parents served their country, but I suggest there is much more honour in working for peace than creating weapons that can only be used to… Read more »

Another Richard
Another Richard
8 months ago
Reply to  Neil Anderson

What do you mean when you suggest an independent Cymru might “adopt neutrality”? Would that mean withdrawing from participation in NATO, while continuing to rely on it for our security, as Ireland has freeloaded for decades? How would that signify moral authority? It’s all very well to suggest that an independent neutral Cymru might become a world centre of diplomacy but that position is already occupied by Switzerland, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries – though all but the Swiss have recognised that neutrality is no longer a practical option, and even the Swiss find it an awkward stance to… Read more »

Mawkernewek
8 months ago

Can you explain exactly how Ireland is ‘freeloading’? This is quite hostile rhetoric against a country that simply exercises its right to choose its foreign policy.

hdavies15
hdavies15
8 months ago
Reply to  Mawkernewek

As I recall Ireland was one of the first to put troops into the line of fire during the Congo crisis of the early 60’s. Brits, US and other imperial European powers backed the Belgian interference in Congolese internal affairs after Lumumba was elected P.M. To their credit Irish troops confronted various rebel and mercenary groups. That’s a sign of healthy interventionism rather than freeloading.

Neil Anderson
Neil Anderson
8 months ago

‘Would not join NATO’, Another Richard. The world divided into hostile camps can never preserve lives and conserve life and living things. Unless we all learn to live together, we will fail as a species and become extinct. Moral authority is not found in producing killing machines supposedly for our European defence but in actuality, projected into Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and no doubt elsewhere to come in endless resource wars more driven by commercial imperatives than any worthy principle. The world is again re-arming. There has never been a time when that has occurred without a war ensuing, notwithstanding ‘defensive’… Read more »

Another Richard
Another Richard
8 months ago
Reply to  Neil Anderson

In case you hadn’t noticed, a European war is already under way, despite decades of efforts to try to build relations of trust with Russia. Your naivety is touching but we would be very unwise to leave ourselves defenceless, and selfish if we were to expect others to defend us. “Si vis pacem, para bellum”, as the saying goes.

Neil Anderson
Neil Anderson
8 months ago

Sadly, deterrence has not worked and will not work. There is and can be no defence against a nuclear attack. There would be no limit to the extensive devastation, horror and enduring pain wrought only by agents of states acting well beyond their licence and without public consent, against peoples of foreign states. Who are men, women and children – like us. Families and communities must unite against the nuclear menace, in all its forms, in the name of peace. What could be a higher virtue than to seek well-being for all at a sustainable cost to the environment? We… Read more »

Another Richard
Another Richard
8 months ago
Reply to  Neil Anderson

Deterrence – in the form of “mutually assured destruction” – has so far worked against the threat of nuclear attack. If it hadn’t I wouldn’t be typing this.

Do you honestly think we would be safer if we dismantled our nuclear inventory while the Russians (and others) held on to theirs? Or, conversely, that we could persuade the Russians to dismantle theirs simultaneously? Are you even aware that decades of arms control talks were held with a view to just that end?

Rob
Rob
8 months ago

I do hope ‘anti-imperialism’ includes Putin’s designs on Ukraine, the Baltic states, Finland, and (who knows?) Poland.

Gareth Westacott
Gareth Westacott
8 months ago

Why did Hamas wait until after they had finished their massacre of innocents on Oct 7 before calling for a ceasefire?

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
8 months ago

Good to hear. Never has there been a time in history where those wanting to stop the mass murder of civilians, who call for a ceasefire and a two state solution, are referred to as supporters & sympathisers of Hamas by the right-wing for doing so while they themselves defend, bankroll and weaponize the aggressor Israel, who as I speak have slaughtered over 38,000 innocient men , women & children? We live in a sick twisted world, really we do. 😐 #FreePalestine 🇵🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #StopTheKilling 🇮🇱

Last edited 8 months ago by Y Cymro
Gareth Westacott
Gareth Westacott
8 months ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

You’re not a supporter of Hamas if you call for a ‘two-state solution’. They don’t want one!

Last edited 8 months ago by Gareth Westacott
Gareth Westacott
Gareth Westacott
8 months ago

If you’d like to see a ‘2-state solution’ then you’re more on the Israeli side than the Palestinian ….. because the Israelis have been the only ones who were for it and accepted it. Hamas has said it themselves … they don’t want a Jewish state next to them, period. They want nothing less than the extermination of the Jewish people.

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