On November 21 and 22, the NATO-summit will take place in Prague. As the preparation and mobilisation for the protests and actions in Prague are in full swing, active resistance is growing also in Slovenia, one of the candidate states for NATO membership. From 7th to 10th November demonstrations and actions against NATO and for peace will take place in Ljubljana. Some background information, description of resistance activities, and a call for support.

BACKGROUND: SLOVENIA ON THE WAY TO BECOMING A NATO STATE?

The main topics of the Prague NATO-summit will be the so-called "war on terorrism" and expansion of NATO. Seven Central and East European states, including Slovenia, are expected (and expecting) to be invited to become members of NATO. NATO membership is a favoured project of Slovenia's political elite who have invested much energy and money into its accomplishment. Almost the entire class of contemporary Slovene politicians, regardless of their various positions in the ruling coalition or its opposition, has joined forces to accomplish the "mission" of NATO accession. NATO membership is presented as an integral part of the "democratisation" and (re)integration with "Western civilisation".

For a year or so the pro-NATO propaganda machine has been working full blast, abundantly backed by government financing. It has produced piles of lies, it has manipulated and concealed data, and it has tried to silence and discredit critical voices by accusing them of nostalgia for communism and Yugoslavia, or of right-wing extremism. Two especially infamous moves were the newsletter Natopis and the blacklist of NATO critics. The propaganda newsleter was sent by the government to every household enlightening citizens about the unquestionably magnificent advantages of NATO membership. The blacklist, drawn up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contained the names of journalists and other people (mostly dissident intellectuals) who had written critically of NATO and Slovenia's plans to join it. Pro-NATO propaganda has increasingly been invading the autonomy of the university as well: various faculties have hosted lectures by NATO representatives and domestic NATO advocates with a clearly propagandistic purpose. Recently we were shocked to see how low NATO propaganda can go – in some primary schools we discovered an invitation for an art competition for children aged 6-15 on the theme of "a safer world". In the little story accompanying this invitation the children are talking about NATO as of a hero which would act against any one that would dare to throw a bomb on any one of the states joined in it and as we (Slovenia) will become its friends it will build a safer world for all of us.

Along with this aggressive propaganda campaign, the ruling class also made some legislative changes which removed the "obstacles" to NATO membership. For example, the Defence Law was changed so that it now makes possible the involvement of the Slovene Army in military operations outside of Slovenia. This corresponds to the duty of NATO members to contribute to all its activities, including military operations out-of-area, which lately seem to have become NATO's main purpose. In addition, the Maritime Code was changed as to abolish a ban on nuclear-powered ships and ships carrying nuclear weapons in the territorial waters of Slovenia. This is perceived by many as a first step towards the establishment of military bases and the siting of nuclear weapons in Slovenia, which the public vehemently opposes.

However, the (not very sophisticated) government propaganda has not succeeded in convincing the public to support NATO membership. On the contrary, public support has been falling steadily while resistance is growing. The latest opinion poll (September 27) showed only 38.5% of the population is in favour and 39.4% against, with 22% undecided. The most important reasons for this reluctance are probably the lack of clear answers from the government on what exactly the responsibilities of Slovenia as a NATO member will be (costs, co-operation in military actions around the world, military bases, nuclear weapons stationing), as well as increasing disagreement with the foreign policy of NATO's dominant member, the USA. Recently an article on the lack of public support for the government NATO project with views of government representatives and critical intellectuals was published in the Washington Times, available at http://www.aktiviraj-se.net/recinenato/wary.html.

Some journalists and prominent intellectuals have also expressed their wariness of NATO in critical articles published in the mainstream media. They publicly voice their doubts or openly oppose the government’s NATO project, and highlight the totalitarian character of the government’s pro-NATO campaign. Two important books also marked the public debates: Ne NATO – mir nam dajte ("Not NATO - give us peace / give us a break"), a collection of essays and analyses by twelve well-known Slovene intellectuals critical of NATO, and the civic handbook NATO – pro and con, an exhaustive presentation of supporting and opposing arguments.

RESISTANCE GROUPS AND THEIR ACTIONS

This is an outline of the situation in which the topic of NATO and militarisation was taken on by some existing activist networks, and in which new groups and networks were formed. The common starting point is the rejection of NATO on an ethical basis: we see existence, functioning and expansion of NATO as a part of the logic of war that underlies the system of globalised capitalism and ensures the maintenance of a gravely unjust world order. We regard NATO as one of the instruments of the global neoliberal politics of coercion and exploitation of human beings and the natural environment in the interests of the global ruling class. We believe that this kind of globalisation and the world order it is producing are extemely unjust and destructive and we try to contribute to the global resistance to this process, and to creating alternatives. Our struggles are at this moment centred around the topic of NATO and militarism in general. Among many other things we find it especially appaling that in its new strategic concept (1999) NATO ascribed to itself the "right" to intervene militarily in conflicts outside the territories of its members, according to its own judgement as to which crisis could "affect the security" of its members, even without a UN mandate. In practice this means arbitrary military interventions throughout the whole world where NATO members, and especially the USA as the dominant power in NATO, want to protect or assert their interests. Furthermore, NATO's new military doctrine approved in 2000 allowes for the possible use of nuclear weapons in attacks. We believe that such an organisation is a permanent obstacle to peace and a permanent threat to the environment and the existence of the planet as a whole. It should be dissolved and not expanded!

To express our opposition to NATO and to further encourage the evident growth of critical stance to the NATO membership in the population, we have carried out many actions and we are planning some more. Here is an outline of some actions:

Organised resistance began in October 2001 with placard posting and letter and e-mail sending actions expressing the opposition to war in Afganistan and to NATO, and specifically Slovenia's membership in NATO. As the placards were available on an internet page, many people around Slovenia posted them on their own initiative in their home towns. These actions found some resonance in the mainstream media and also at the top of the political class: Minister of Foreign Affairs Rupel expressed his indignation over the anti-NATO campaign at several press conferences, especially stressing he "has never polished Bush's shoes", referring to one of the slogans saying: Slovene politicians are ecstatic over polishing Bush's bloody cowboy boots.

In March 2002, an action was carried out at the Faculty of Social Sciences (Ljubljana) on the night before the visit of Cristopher Bennett, the editor of NATO Review, who was to hold a lecture about the NATO to the students. Activists wrote graffiti on the walls all around the faculty and hung three banners with strong anti-NATO messages on the glass tower of the faculty (pictures at http://www.aktiviraj-se.net/recinenato/recinenatonafdv.html). The action was accompanied by a public statement and a letter to Bennett which can be read at http://www.aktiviraj-se.net/recinenato/bennet.html.

On the evening of the celebration of the people's uprising against Nazi occupation (April 27, 1941), 40 people with a banner indicating a parallel between an infamous Slovene Nazi collabolator and the present minister of foreign affairs, managed to get inside the hall of the cultural centre where the observance was held and protested against the way Minister of Foreign Affairs Rupel imposed himself as the official speaker and abused the celebration by propagandising for NATO, stating among other things that NATO had grown out of the antifascist struggle.

An anarchist group organised the first Maydays in Slovenia which had its height on May 1 with demonstrations in front of American Embassy and the Governmental building where NATO and domestic political oligarchy were strongly condemned.

In May a pamphlet called Let's recycle Natopiss - parodying Natopis ("Natopaper"), a newsletter sent by the government to every household - was published and distributed. It exposed government's lies about the costs of Slovenia's membership in NATO and other disputable claims.

In June about 140 banners with anti-NATO slogans were displayed on all major road bridges over the highways. Some banners with local content (for example: Maribor won't join NATO!) were hung over local roads.

Shortly after the Slovenia's Independence Day in June a huge banner (15,5m x 4,5m) was hung out from the tower of the Ljubljana castle, a very visible central point in the city. For some three hours the message Ne NATO - mir nam dajte (double meaning: Not NATO - give us peace / Not NATO - give us a break) could be seen from the city in a delightful summer day (pictures and an e-postcard at http://www.aktiviraj-se.net/recinenato/nenatonagradu.html). Recently this banner has been hung in two other towns, Koper and Velenje.

In July a group of young anarhists living and creating their political resistance in the squat Molotov, which also offered a space for many other activists and groups, experienced a violent repression. Thanks to determined resistance by the squaters and the mobilisation of a solidarity network the squat still exists today. Most probably the reason for this repression action was the central role of the squat in the resistance against NATO (more at http://www.aktiviraj-se.net/acmolotov).

The hot and active summer was concluded with the NoBorderCamp in the last days of August. The main topics were migration, ecology, civil disobedience, but there was also an anti-NATO component including planning of further resistance and carrying out some actions (materials distribution, anti-NATO concert).

In autumn the materials presenting the arguments against NATO and Slovenia's membership (the English version of one leaflet with these arguments can be read at http://www.aktiviraj-se.net/recinenato/nonatoleaflet.html) are being distributed in major towns with the accompainment of street theatre, drummers and jugglers. A recent visit of NATO lecturers at the Faculty of Social Sciences was interrupted by singing, drumming and a speech denouncing this kind of misuse of the university facilities for purposes that have nothing to do with higher education and the development of knowledge. Several protest letters were sent out, condemning breaches of university autonomy by military propaganda, expressing opposition to militarisation of the university in general, and protesting against the militarisation of the Port of Koper ("visits" of NATO military ships – also nuclear-powered ones – in the port are getting more and more frequent). When the state president hosted a NATO delegation in the beginning of October, the Network of Associations, Groups and Individuals for Peace sent him a public letter asking for a meeting with the NATO delegation in order to present views opposed to NATO – held by a significant segment of the Slovene population – and the alternative of neutrality. There was no reaction to this request, but later a letter from the president's office suggested that the claims of the Network for Peace about the prevalence of support for neutrality of Slovenia were misleading and that the President has always pleaded for a discussion on the basis of arguments.

The activism has also an internet component: numerous webpages have been created. The central information point about activities against NATO, and including many political analyses and commentaries is http://www.aktiviraj-se.net/recinenato/.

Other important pages (unfortunately most of them are only in Slovene):

http://www.aktiviraj-se.net/acmolotov/noborder

http//www.dostje.org

http://exeat.com/politics/andrej1971

http://kreativni_upor.tripod.com

http://members.fortunecity.com/nato5/

http://www.ruleless.com/portal/nato/nato.php

At present the energies of active and critical people are concentrated in the preparation and mobilisation for demonstrations against NATO and for peace that will take place in Ljubljana between the 7th and 10th of November. They will be created and carried out by many groups and individuals from different spheres of society so that they will be a very colourful and widely dispersed event. They will include street parties, political-artistic spectacles, concerts, street theatre and performances, direct actions and a march for peace on November 9.

A clear NO! from the people of Slovenia to the invitation to join NATO would demonstrate to NATO and its dominant member the USA that they are not irresistible, that there actually exist people who do not want their country to be incorporated into their global military machine and do not want to bend to their economic, political and military dominance. Additionally, this NO! would show people in other countries endangered by NATO's expansion plans that it is possible to say NO and that there do exist alternatives outside of NATO. This could encourage them to refuse the invitation themselves as well.

CALL FOR SUPPORT

We believe that our struggle against the NATO is a small but nevertheless important contribution to the struggles against the militarisation of world politics and the logic of war.

We are asking you, resistant people all around the world, to support our struggle! You can do this by
· sending us a statement of support and expressing your comments and opinions at http://www.aktiviraj-se.net/acmolotov/nonato/
· spreading our message into your activist network and if possible to local and alternative media.
· joining us November 7-10 in Ljubljana at the demonstrations against NATO and for peace.

Thank you for your solidarity!

Acitivist network of resistance against NATO and militarism

PEACE ACTIVISTS FROM SLOVENIA ON A TOUR AROUND EUROPE:

A MESSAGE FROM HOMO LUDENS TO HOMO MILITARIS

We are a part of the network of resistance against NATO and militarism in Slovenia. We are a part of a global network of resistance against the logic of war, militarism and neoliberal globalisation. We are a part of the peace- and freedom-loving people that are searching for and creating alternatives to the existing world order.

We are resisting against the efforts to integrate the country where we live into the global military machine that has the aim of defending and expanding the power and interests of today's global ruling class.

We see existence, functioning and expansion of NATO as a part of the logic of war that underlies the system of globalised capitalism and maintains the gravely unjust world order. We regard NATO as a permanent obstacle to peace in the world. That's why we are saying:

Ne NATO - mir nam dajte! Not NATO - give us peace / give us a break!

With our actions we want to make the destrucive homo militaris face the creative homo ludens, a being capable of immagining and building a different world - a peaceful world of manifold worlds.