<nettime> (Fwd) BELGRADE 17-NGO APPEAL

["Ivo Skoric" <ivo@reporters.net>]

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------

BELGRADE 17-NGO APPEAL 
( http://www.nodo50.org/noalaguerra/ )
  

Deeply shocked by NATO strikes devastation of our country and the plight of 
Kosovo Albanians, we, the representatives of non-governmental organizations
and the Nezavisnost Trade Union Confederation, energetically demand from
those who have created this tragedy to immediately take all necessary steps to
create conditions for the resumption of peace process. 
For two weeks now the most powerful military, political and economic countries
in the world have been killing people and destroying military and civilian
facilities, bridges, railway lines, factories, heating plants, storage
facilities and
fuel tanks. This has produced an exodus of unprecedented proportions.
Hundreds of thousands of Yugoslavs, primarily ethnic Albanians, are forced to
leave their devastated homes to escape the bombing and military actions of the
regime and KLA, in the hope that they will find salvation in the tragic
status of
refugee. 
It is obvious that all this leads to a catastrophe and that a negotiated and
peaceful solution to the Kosovo problem, which we have urged for years, is now
farther than ever. 
Our effort to develop democracy and a civic society in Yugoslavia and help it
restore its membership of all international institutions have taken place
under
constant pressure by the Serbian regime. 
We, the representatives  of civil groups and organizations, have courageously
and consistently fought against every war-mongering and nationalistic policy,
and for the respect of human rights, and particularly against the
repression of
Kosovo Albanians. We have always insisted on the respect of their human
rights and freedoms and on the restoration of autonomy for Kosovo.
Throughout this period, Serb and Albanian civil society groups were the only
ones to retain contacts and cooperation. 
The NATO intervention has destroyed everything that has been achieved so far
and the very survival of the civic society in Serbia. 
Faced with the current tragic situation, we put up the following demands in
the
name of humanity and values and ideas that have been guiding us in our
activities: 

· We demand an immediate cessation of bombing and all armed operations; 
· We demand the resumption of peace process with international mediation at
the
regional (Balkan) and                        European level, as well as in
the United
Nations; 
· We demand from the European Union and Russia to take their charge of
responsibility for finding a peaceful solution to the crisis; 
· We demand an end to the practice of ethnic cleansing and repatriation of all
refugees; 
· We demand support for peace, stability and democratization of Montenegro and
every possible action aimed at helping this republic alleviate the disastrous
consequences of the refugee crisis; 
· We demand from Serbian and international media to report professionally  and
impartially about current developments, to refrain from participation in
the media
war and from tanning inter-ethnic hatred, hysteria and glorification of
force as
the only reasonable way out of the crisis. 

We are unable to achieve this on our own. 
We expect from you to support our demands and help us realise them through
your actions and initiatives. 
  

- Association of Citizens for Democracy, Social Justice and Support for Trade
Unions 
- Belgrade Circle 
- Center for Cultural Decontamination 
- Center for Democracy and Free Elections 
- Center for Transition to Democracy 
- Civic Initiatives 
- EKO Center 
- European Movement in Serbia 
- Forum for Ethnic Relations and Foundation for Peace and Crisis Management 
- Group 484 
- Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia 
- Students Union of Serbia 
- Union for Truth About Anti-Fascist Resistance 
- VIN: Weekly Video News 
- Women in Black 
- Yugoslavian Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, and 
- NEZAVISNOST Trade Union Confederation. 

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