Easter March Heidelberg 2024 - For peace, disarmament and international solidarity, against "war-mongering" and social austerity

We have received a report from Care Revolution Rhein-Neckar on the Easter march in Heidelberg, in which (according to the police, at least) 200 people took part on Holy Saturday.

Peace must be actively prepared and organised! Wars and arms deliveries promote the old confrontational way of thinking. They kill people and are among the biggest destroyers of the environment. Wars are aberrations that only strengthen those who make money from war. (Excerpt from the appeal: https://www.friedensbuendnis-heidelberg.de/)

We need a fundamental shift away from the logic of war and militarisation. Germany must become "capable of peace and capable of peace", not "capable of war".

Jörg Götz Hege, representing the GEW, referred to conflict resolution concepts and strategies in schools: "The common feature of all of them is summarised in one word: Empathy! - Until I can empathise with and 'understand' the motives and motivations of the other person, no dispute resolution can take place. But 'understanding' means neither understanding nor accepting what I have analysed. That is a completely different matter. No, it is about finding starting points in the conflict parties in order to bring about a successful dispute resolution. ....... I need to know the interests and motives of the other side. Only then can a conflict be resolved."

"Hands off war training in schools! - We are promoting a culture of peace there, not war in the minds of young people."

Instead of throwing money down the throat of the arms industry, we need investment, money for daycare centres, schools, for active climate protection, the energy and transport transition, for adequate pensions, social housing and for health and care.

With determination and all our strength, negotiations and diplomacy, a struggle for joint solutions to problems must take centre stage. Alleviating suffering and destruction instead of winning at all costs. "It is about our common survival as one humanity on one planet under one sun......." (Franz Alt).

Care Revolution Rhein-Neckar is an active member of the Heidelberg Peace Alliance, the organiser of the Easter March.