When we, representatives of different sectors of civil societies from all continents, started the www.peaceinsyria.org initiative under the slogan YES TO DEMOCRACY – NO TO MILITARY INTERVENTION we could no t foresee that the nightmare of millions of Syrians could degenerate into a humanitarian catastrophe which not only shakes the whole Middle East, but also threatens world peace on a global level.
It is now more than ever facing the danger of an open military intervention on both sides of the conflict that we want to call on the international public opinion to exercise its influence in order to prevent that the daily figures of hundreds of killed victims turn into the worst hecatomb since World War II. And we also want to repeat to the Syrian political and military actors on the ground and in foreign countries what we have said already one year ago: THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION TO THIS CONFLICT.
• Because the outside forces decided to counteract their adversaries are much more powerful than those who are confronting each other on the battle ground;
• Because the population on either side of the political spectrum is exhausted from suffering bombardments, torture and massive executions like the one which happened in Ghouta;
• Because the millions of refugees and their children have no place anymore to go without being exposed to starvation and life endangering illnesses;
• Because the destruction of bodies and minds, let alone of buildings and nature has extinguished the base for human conviviality creating a culture of hatred and revenge.
Given all these circumstance we urge the international community of States who has missed in the past several opportunities to engage in a political settlement to overcome their differences and indifferences and to put the promotion of a political solution to the Syrian conflict as a top priority on their agendas.
In order to sort out the possibilities for this political solution the platform www.peaceinsyria.org is organizing a Peace Conference for Syria to be held in the near future in Austria, where different sectors of the Syrian civil society are invited to engage in a POLITICAL DIALOG. As an example for other likeminded initiatives this dialog will be facilitated by some renowned personalities from different parts of the world who always believed that there is no alternative to a political solution of the conflict.
A POLITICAL SOLUTION WITHOUT FOREIGN MILITARY INTERVENTION IS NECESSARY AND POSSIBLE!
To this end we call to organise word-wide protest against the imminent attack and for a negotiated settlement!
Vienna, Athens, Paris, Rome, Mexico-City, Managua, Buenos Aires
August 26th, 2013
