Campaign for Peace and Democracy-NY: Czechs Launch Online Petition Against Planned U.S. Military Base
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2008
11:38 AM
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CONTACT: Campaign for Peace and Democracy-NY
Joanne Landy, Co-Director
Tel (212) 666-4001 Cell (646) 207-5203
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Czechs Launch Online Petition Against Planned U.S. Military Base
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NEW YORK - March 25 - Members of the Humanist Movement in the Czech Republic have launched an online petition against the planned deployment of a U.S. military base on their territory. The petition is located at address www.nonviolence.cz to stress the nonviolent nature of the protest, and the fact that it is related to the Czech Republic.
"Originally we were only planning a local petition, but I have just come back from the United States and people there liked the idea so we have decided to ask for international support as well," said Jan Tamas, member of the Humanist Movement and one of the spokespersons of the movement against the planned base. During his stay in the U.S. he met with MIT professor Noam Chomsky, U.S. Representative William Delahunt and members of several U.S. peace organizations. Together they started preparing for his next trip to the United States in April. "We would like to reach one million signatures worldwide within the one next month, with half them coming from people living in the Czech Republic," he added.
The declaration accompanying the petition states the fact that the Czech government continues the negotiations in spite the fact that 70% of Czechs disagree with the plan as shown by polls. Therefore it does not consider the possible treaty valid and binding. The U.S. is seeking to install a new military base in the Czech Republic and another one in Poland. Neither of these two countries currently hosts a U.S. base.
Opposition to the bases in both the Czech Republic and Poland is much higher than the number of supporters. The Czech government refuses to have a national vote on the issue. Both governments are rushing to a deal before the change in the U.S. government this fall. A vote is expected in the Czech parliament to take place during the next two to three months.
The Humanist movement is a worldwide movement of volunteers working together for a nonviolent change towards a more just world. It originated in the late 1960s in Argentina and since that time has spread across the world.
Contact in the Czech Republic: call tel. +420 776 785 839, e-mail: info@nonviolence.cz, web: www.nonviolence.cz
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