Stop the war in Ukraine: rebuilding the space for dialogue and political negotiation

Faced with the events that have been shaking the world for days, the Political Movement for Unity, which draws its inspiration from the experience and ideals of the Focolare Movement, affirms its common commitment to peace, which can only be achieved through concrete ‘doing’.

“If you want peace, prepare for peace” are the words of Igino Giordani, a pacifist politician of the 20th century. Only a daily and multipronged peace effort can stop war. History has already declared too often that war is a crazy choice. The means of confrontation are outdated and open the way to greater insecurity, both locally and globally.

Of this we are convinced, we politicians, officials, citizens and diplomats of the Politics for Unity Movement. From all over the world we express our closeness to the peoples suffering this tragic war, while we strongly support those who, in various capacities, continue to negotiate for peace, the only true solution.

It is never too late to reopen negotiation and dialogue, in the short and long term.

May the imperative of peace guide us.

We single out these three main directions for commitment:

1 – Often the creation of nation states has not been a free choice of peoples, but the result of post-war negotiating tables, legacies of imperialisms. Old and new divisions call for a courageous political effort that gives new meaning to national identities, that challenges continental unions, first and foremost the European Union, beyond their immediate interests.

2- History teaches that economic sanctions leave governments unscathed and impoverish civil society, women, men and especially children. Syria is the latest, most serious example.

The choice of sanctions must be pursued cautiously, so that it does not become part of the logic of war and power struggles. Politics must be able to control the arms and carbon industry circuits, and only in this way can true peace be built.

3- In the face of the resurgence of nuclear weapons and their strategic enhancement, today we appeal strongly to our governments to sign and implement the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted by only 122 states on 7^th July 2017. The political power of the UN must be brought back into action and the voice of governments must be integrated with the voice of the cities of the earth, gathered in a special world assembly, to give more strength to our peoples.

In these times when the naked power of force seems to prevail, we do not hesitate to affirm that we still believe, and will always believe, in peacebuilding, in the processes of dialogue, in the tools of politics.

It is the components of civil society, with the spiritual and cultural strength of their faiths, and with their many good practices, that will bring to light the great ideals that sustain history.

May our representatives silence their weapons as soon as possible and listen to the women and men of peace.

Mario Bruno, president MPPU (Politics for Unity Movement)