Given the situation in our country, with the imminent publication of the judicial sentence against political and independentist activists, the climate of political tension, exacerbated by a campaign initiated prematurely, before the displeasure and discomfort of much of the citizenship; exercising our responsibility as an organization that wants to be at the service of society and of peace, we made the following statement.
We find that:
- In our country they have always coexisted different feelings of belonging and different political and social projects, all legitimate and respectable. A democratic society should welcome and protect all of them.
- Tensions never come from these differences or from the necessary political dispute between them, but from the blockade, sustained for years, to any attempt to accommodate them or to solve them by democratic means.
- The polarization of positions and tensions are threats to the present and future coexistence, make dialogue difficult, and move away any scenarios of possible solutions.
- Freedom of expression and association, the right to peaceful protest and popular mobilization are unquestioned and they can not be criminalized under the pretext of security.
- There has been, and still being, an irresponsible abuse of language. From different positions, in an attempt to discredit the adversary, words like fascism, treason or coup d’état has been trivialized. Political and juridical speeches and media have introduced terms like tumult, violence, sedition, rebellion and ultimately terrorism, with the intention to judicially penalize these protests. All this only misinform and increase fears and tensions.
- Repression does not solve the problem, but aggravates it and makes it stagnant, with the risk of carrying it to dangerous and uncontrolled limits. In this regard, the sentences will be experienced by much of the population as a severe and deterrent punishment, extended to the millions of people who supported the protests, always peaceful and nonviolent, for the right to self-determination, culminating in autumn 2017.
- The lack of responsible governance and policy proposals that provide horizons of credible and satisfactory solutions generate frustration, fatigue and discouragement.
In this situation, we express above all, our solidarity and support for those suffering firsthand the painful consequences of this conflict, in prison or in exile, and their families.
And we propose political and social leaders and all citizens, to guide their words and future actions by the criteria of the Culture of Peace and Nonviolence expressed herein.
- Truth. You cannot build anything from falsehood. We know that no one has the whole truth. This, force us to put “our truth” in doubt, and be open to other truths, with honesty, fairness and self-criticism, but above all and foremost, to renounce intentional lying as a propaganda weapon. Unfortunately we have seen too often “build stories” without any interest to discover more truth.
We call on our fellow citizens to be, as Gandhi said, tireless seekers of truth.
- Justice. No justice without truth. Justice is not revenge nor punishment. Justice is not the imposition of force against each other. Justice seeks the good for all parties.
We call on our fellow citizens to demand justice and be fair.
- Respect. All human beings have the same dignity and should be respected in all their rights. So proclaims the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in a broad consensus reached by the different, humanistic, cultural, religious and ethical traditions. We must learn to keep it, with friends —with whom sometimes it is even complicated— and also with adversaries, especially when their actions make it more difficult for us.
We should understand that respect for people does not mean respect for their actions if they are grossly unfair, abusive or do not respect others. Fight injustice and abuse while maintaining respect for the individual is the essence of nonviolence.
We call on our fellow citizens to free themselves from hatred, to respect the opponent and combat acts or unfair purposes.
- The end does not justify the means. Rather cruel or evil, means spoils, perverts and discredit any noble end. Means contain the seed of the target they want to reach. So who preach for justice must seek it through fair and respectful means.
We call on our fellow citizens to reject the use of violence as it is incompatible with respect, justice and truth.
- The strength of nonviolent struggle. The consequence of all this is under no circumstances passivity or surrender, on the contrary, armed internally with the force of truth, justice and respect, we can take the tools of the more radical non-violent struggle and be more effective than any other in defense of any fair project or cause.
Finally, we call our political and social leaders and all citizens, to fight for truth, justice and respect, in an active and civic way, provided with the tools of democracy and nonviolent struggle, and become in Peace Builders, a peace that must learn how to live with conflict and to transform it in a constructively way.
Barcelona, October 9th, 2019
