Editorials

 


 

European churches against the arms trade

Taking steps against lethal violence

July 18, 2009

prohibition sign against weapons

"We want a world without weapons - but we know that we still have a long way to go." That is how Rev. Dr Lennart Molin, Director of the Christian Council of Sweden, describes the aim of the Gothenburg Process. At a hearing on the subject of arms exports in the course of the 13th Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), Molin said on Thursday in Lyon, "As an initial step we are trying to establish a dialogue between all involved in the international arms trade: those who manufacture arms, those who purchase arms, monitoring agencies and experts." In the Gothenburg Process, churches and church-related institutions have been working together since 2001 to increase public awareness of the international arms trade and related ethical challenges. The expanding armaments market and the rapid restructuring of the European arms industry were the stimulus for the first ecumenical conference, which took place in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2001. A second conference was held in 2004, this time with a clearly stronger focus on the arms trade beyond Europe. The third conference (Gothenburg III) took place in Kenya in November 2007.

"Sometimes we are asked whether the process is not radical enough, because in fact we bring to the table arms manufacturers," says Peter Brune, who, as managing director of the Swedish Life and Peace Institute, is one of the organizers. People ask whether there is not a danger that some arms manufacturers seek to improve their image by participating in a church conference. Lennart Molin admits that the danger does exist, but that in that area it is difficult to draw a clear dividing line between good and evil. That is why dialogue is essential. For him it is clear that "Manufacturers and purchasers have a responsibility for their weapons. It is our intention to include everyone involved in a debate on the moral implications."

At the present time, the organizers of the Gothenburg Process are actively promoting the adoption of an International Arms Trade Treaty, or ATT. It will lay down basic rules for the international trade in conventional weapons. According to the organizers, the treaty will be based on "the simple principle that arms dealers and purchasers have a responsibility not to supply weapons the use of which could constitute a serious breach of international law."

Molin and Brune admit that they are looking to the churches of Europe to devote more attention to this issue. "Our activities are perhaps still aimed too much only at experts. But we are making efforts to make ourselves better known through books, pamphlets and our website."

In Germany arms exports in the past year rose 13 percent. Germany is the number 1 arms exporter in Europe and ranks third globally, after the United States and Russia. The chairperson of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) Bishop Wolfgang Huber, on Good Friday this year, pointed out that Germany's role as the arms exporting champion of Europe could have paradoxical consequences. "One day, soldiers in the federal army deployed abroad will conceivably have to ward off violence caused by German weapons." Rather, our task must be "to prevent the deadly violence inflicted by the use of lethal weapons, not to contribute to it."




 


 

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