War Starts Here - CAMP - 2013

After the successful attempt last year, we are planning another international camp from the 21st – 29th of July, to discuss and take action on international and anti-military matters. Like last year, the camp will be located at the Gefechtsübungszentrum (GÜZ).

The GÜZ is one of the biggest and most modern military troop training facilities in Europe. Here, different forms and facets of militarization, war and counter insurgency meld together. Not only do we want to disrupt and attack them, but we want thier activities to be visible to the wider community. At the facility, which is over 230 km 2, war is practiced and prepared with an arsenal of high-tech and laser-simulated weapons. Here, all German soldiers prepare for their foreign assignments, e.g Afghanistan and Kosovo.

Since Autumn 2012 a whole city is being built in the area. This so-called “urban fighting centre Schnöggersburg”, open to soldiers from different NATO-states, will be the future training area for urban war and counterinsurgency tactics.
Let’s again turn this center of European war preparation into a center of international anti-military resistance! Let’s show them, that we can stop the war, where it starts!

WAR STARTS HERE – BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Where is “here”? and what does war mean in a world, where the civilian and military areas cannot be distinguished as easily as one may think?

Is “here” where warfare is taking place?
Is “here” in Mali, where the first combat aircrafts were circling?
Is “here” the NATO-headquarters, where strategies are designed and orders given?
Is “here” in the media that legitimizes war and strengthens racist and colonial structures?
Is “here”, where the consequences of war disappear into silence?
Is “here” every day life, where war becomes nothing but a side dish and where it seems possible to live in peace?
Is “here” in the schools, job centers and the market place, where the state’s war and security policies are promoted?
Or is “here” at the GÜZ where “civilians” are employed as support staff to soldiers.

WHERE IS THE WAR THAT BEGINS HERE?

Is it anchored in every aspect of society, in every corner and every spot, which is completely imbued with the state, capitalism and the prevention of power and rule?
Is it “our” prosperity, which is secured through the protection of resources and the defending of trade routes?
Is it already where weapon research and development is being conducted and the organisations that sells them?
Is it in the patriarchal circumstances and conditions that make it seem attractive for men, especially young men, to prove themselves as “real men” in the field of combat?
Does war start, where women’s rights protection is used to legitimize war, even though everybody knows that war always includes rape.
Is civil-military co-operation already war?
Are academics, that collaborate with the army, already soldiers?
If so, does that include teachers, Churches, working places, hospitals that give soldiers a platform to spead thier ideology?
And where do we fight against it?

WAR STARTS HERE - WE ARE SURE

On the last camp, we had different discussions. We had a lot of questions and even some answers. Both are incomplete. War starts here, in the name of human rights and democracy – in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Libya and Mali… War starts here, in our fights for resources. War starts here at the European borders and its racist defense tactics against refugees. War starts here, where gender roles are (re)produced and create a military male identity. War starts here also means military thinking in everyday institutions – at schools, in the job center, universities. War starts here also means civil-military co-operation in disaster relief and development assistance. War starts here where counter insurgency tactics are planned, practiced and put in place. War stats here, where the command centers are operating drones and war robots by remote control.

War is portrayed as a urban war, where it is necessary to control, manipulate and attack the population before and after riots and social unrest.

RESISTANCE STARTS HERE

This short enumeration is at the same time an appeal for you to ask your own questions, bring them to the camp or discuss them in other contexts before the camp.

Therefore we make the suggestion that you go and re-evaluate the discussion. With this call we want to ask questions and to not get ahead of ourselves. Instead we want to exchange different ideas and views. The aim is not to create a complete analysis, but to create a space, where things can be clarified and different approaches analyzed and discussed.

During all these questions, we shall not forget, that sitting and discussions alone will not stop the militariy routine. We need more theoretical clarity in order to find practical approaches for a successful anti-military policy.
What we already know is that the GÜZ is the right point of attack. What they dont realise is that by constructing the Schnöggerburg, they also give us a place to make our anti-militay policy become reality.

To make that come true, there will be, beside the discussions, trips and another action day on the 27th of July in and around the GÜZ.

LET'S SHARE THE EXPERIENCES OF OUR STRUGGLES!

Militarization, “comprehensive approach”, counter insurgency and finally war eventually include an attack against all social emancipatory movements and therefore against all people fighting for a free society. So let’s connect internationally in order to discuss, make actions and form a resistance against the militarization.

We will – while acknowledging all our differences – mark, block and sabotage the GÜZ again; for that we welcome all forms of action.

Come to the antimilitaristic action and discussion camp this summer! 21st til 29th of July 2013 in the Altmark