DRAFT PROPOSAL

INTERNATIONAL CALL TO ACTION

DISARM DSEI: 6-12TH SEPTEMBER 2003
EXCEL CONFERENCE CENTRE
CANNING TOWN, DOCKLANDS
LONDON, UK

This is an invitation to become involved with the co-ordination process initiated by the DISARM DSEi working group for a 7 day event including workshops, small group actions and a mass protest mid-week.

This is a draft proposal and as such, is obviously open to input and alteration at any time.

Shut down DSEi!
DSEi (Defence Systems Equipment International) is the largest European arms fair of 2003. It is sponsored by the government with exhibitors and delegates from all over the world. Exhibitors have included BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Rolls-Royce. Delegates were invited from 79 different countries, with approximately one third of these countries involved in war or conflict. DSEi is a huge event given the availability of land, air and sea equipment (most arms fairs only focus on one area). In previous years illegal anti-personnel landmines have been advertised for sale. Last year a combination of peace and anti capitalist protesters converged on the Docklands to disrupt their business. 2003 must be bigger and better. We will shut it down!!

Shut down the industry!
London and the surrounding areas are home to the offices of most of the major multinational arms companies. There are also a number of UK and US military bases. We aim to paralyse the industry with concerted protests and awareness raising events throughout the DISARM week of action.

Why Target DSEi?
Given that most international protest has centred around government institutions and world policy, why call for an international protest at an arms fair?

1. The arms trade is an international political business made up of multinational companies who kill and maim for profit. Moreover the companies now operate at a transnational level playing a leading role in the global market. Few major weapons systems are made on a purely national basis, with companies forming conglomerates around the world.
2. Many of the issues surrounding global capitalism are intrinsically linked to the arms trade – debt, social instability, displacement, destruction of public services etc. Furthermore, in the 1990s alone approximately four million people were killed in violent conflicts. Civilians made up 90% of these casualties. Arms manufacturers feed conflict worldwide, often arming both sides, for example recent exports to both India and Pakistan.
3. UK arms manufacturers, with the help of massive government subsidies, form the world’s second largest arms exporters, selling weapons to the most notorious regimes.

Organisational Structure
We are proposing this structure to facilitate the involvement of as many different groups as possible with the idea of working together in a tolerant and respectful environment. Representatives from these groups will form a co-ordinating group, meeting fortnightly.

The organisation will be horizontal and non-hierarchical. Decisions will be made on consensus and any group will have a veto over any final decisions. No group will therefore have more importance or priority over another. This will hopefully enable better understanding between various groups.

Whilst some groups may operate in a hierarchical manner outside of the co-ordinating group, they must be committed to working within the group on a non-hierarchical basis.

The fortnightly meetings will be open to one representative of each group that is supporting the event.

Tolerance and respect of different groups, ideas and tactics is asked for at all meetings.

We hope that people will become involved in working groups and that these groups will send representatives to the co-ordinating group. We envisage working groups in the following areas: publicity, media, website, fundraising, accommodation and spaces, social centre, legal and networking. These groups should be open to whoever wants to get involved, regardless of whether they are already members of currently affiliated groups. These working groups will be accountable to the co-ordinating group and no decisions will be finalised without the consensus of the co-ordinating group.

We hope that the co-ordinating group will expand and evolve as more groups support the event.

We propose that each supporting group donates however much they feel they can afford to the co-ordinating group. None of this money will be spent without the consensus of the co-ordinating group. This money will hopefully provide a starting point for producing publicity etc.

We envisage holding monthly public meetings/workshops. These will hopefully enable new/unaligned people to get involved in the process. There should also be an opportunity for groups to give their perspective and for individuals to get involved with the working groups.

We also want to work within the local community from the initiation of this process. To this end, meetings will regularly be held in the Canning Town area.

We hope that a large variety of groups will get involved in order to engage in a wide range of tactics. However the co-ordinating group will not be responsible for organising the demonstrations, but will be there to negotiate different spaces and blocs so that people with different tactics and values have their own space.

The co-ordinating group will not impose guidelines on protests, nor will it be involved in police negotiation. However individual groups/blocs can impose guidelines/negotiate with police as to their needs and aims.

How to get involved:
If your group wants to get involved in the process, please send a representative to the first meeting on 9th September. However if you are unable to attend this meeting, your group can still get involved at any point in the process.

For further information, please contact:
DISARM DSEI working group
Phone – 0781 7652029
E-mail –  disarmdsei@soon.com
Address: c/o 11 Goodwin Street
London N4 3HQ
UK