The initiating organizations of the Appeal are:
Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation
The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation was formed in 1963 to further the cause of peace, and to assist in the pursuit of freedom and justice. It seeks to identify and counter the causes of violence, and to identify and oppose the obstacles to worldwide community. It was designed to promote research and activity into disarmament, wars and threats of war, and to publish the results. It has consistently laboured to carry on the work of its founder, Bertrand Russell, in a spirit of fidelity to the standards of reason and tolerance which he did so much to advance. Accordingly, it has always struggled for freedom of thought and opinion, and for non-exploitative forms of human association.
Church and Peace
Church and Peace is the European ecumenical peace church network of communities, training centres, peace organisations and peace service agencies. It is a meeting place and a forum for dialogue, it offers its members and friends a space for reflection and is a catalyst for common initiatives and projects. Church and Peace stands for a mosaic of peace church witness and is a face of the Church.
International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility
The International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES) is a multidisciplinary independent professional non-profit organization dedicated to fostering peace and sustainability. It represents scientists and engineers worldwide, either as individual members or through its member organizations.
The primary aims of INES are to facilitate discussions, organize and support campaigns, organize conferences, run projects and offer critical, fact-based evidence in support of international peace and security, sustainability and – as a crucial element of it – intra- and international justice.
International Peace Bureau
The International Peace Bureau is dedicated to the vision of a World Without War. Our current main programme centres on Disarmament for Sustainable Development and within this, our focus is mainly on the reallocation of military expenditure. We believe that by reducing funding for the military sector, significant amounts of money could be released for social projects, domestically or abroad, which could lead to the fulfillment of real human needs and the protection of the environment. At the same time, we support a range of disarmament campaigns and supply data on the economic dimensions of weapons and conflicts. Our campaigning work on nuclear disarmament began already in the 1980s.
IPB has had Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council since 1977. We also have associate status with the Department of Public Information. We are a Nobel Peace Laureate (1910); over the years, 13 of our officers have been recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.
International Trade Union Confederation
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is the global voice of the world’s working people.
The ITUC’s primary mission is the promotion and defence of workers’ rights and interests, through international cooperation between trade unions, global campaigning and advocacy within the major global institutions.
Its main areas of activity include the following: trade union and human rights; economy, society and the workplace; equality and non-discrimination; and international solidarity.
The ITUC adheres to the principles of trade union democracy and independence. It is governed by four-yearly world congresses, a General Council and an Executive Bureau.
The ITUC regional organisations are the Asia-Pacific Regional Organisation (ITUC-AP), the African Regional Organisation (ITUC-AF) and the American Regional Organisation (TUCA). It cooperates with the European Trade Union Confederation, including through the Pan-European Regional Council.
The ITUC has close relations with the Global Union Federations and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC). It works closely with the International Labour Organisation and with several other UN Specialised Agencies.
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi International is a Catholic peace movement with 120 member organisations worldwide that promotes peace, respect of human rights, justice & reconciliation throughout the world.
Grounded in the belief that peace is possible and that vicious cycles of violence and injustice can be broken, Pax Christi International addresses the root causes & destructive consequences of violent conflict and war.
Quaker Council for European Affairs
The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) works to bring a vision based on the Quaker commitment to peace, justice and equality to Europe and its institutions. We seek to build support for humane, non-military policies at the EU level, both inside and outside its borders. We do so in the spirit of peaceful cooperation which forms the foundation of European politics. We have been based in Brussels’ European Quarter since our foundation in 1979.
We currently operate two programmes focused on peace and human rights. Our peace programme works to promote non-violent conflict resolution based on the concept of “shared security,” with a view to challenging the idea that international security can only be guaranteed by military means. Our human rights programme seeks to advance a more humane approach to migration and asylum in Europe, and focuses on less visible migration policy areas such as child immigration detention.
QCEA is a member of advocacy networks EPLO (European Peacebuilding Liaison Office) and HRDN (Human Rights and Democracy Network), as well as a number of Quaker networks. We are an international not-for-profit organisation (AISBL) under Belgian law.
To read our Strategic Plan, which outlines our work now and in the near future, click here.