REPORT FROM VIENNA’S ICAN FORUM

Dagmar Schwitzgebel (Trident Ploughshares)

 16th June 2022

I travelled to Vienna by train and arrived at Josef’s beautiful townhouse apartment between central station and Karlsplatz. The homestay was organized by WILPF Austria.

A day ahead of the official events, I was keen to explore the city and found Gustav Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze. I was given headphones for an aural-visual experience and sat down listening to several variations of the “Ode of Joy” while looking at Klimt’s mural art. As the words “Alle Menschen werden Brüder – All humans will become brothers” reached my ears, my eyes rested on one segment of the mural, where naked figures are begging an embellished knight to put down his sword.

17th June 2022

Meeting and welcome drinks at WILPF member Rosa Logar’s house: There are WILPFers and peace activists from all around the world: Lebanon, Italy, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, France, Germany, UK, Georgia, and French-Polynesia. After an introduction round, we discussed the prospects of the next few days and the proposals. Rosa and Kete gave us an insight in the origins of WILPF Austria, and the significance of Austria in the Nuclear Ban Week.

Léna Normand told us about nuclear testing in the pacific from 1966 to 1996. France fails to take responsibility for these tests and the transgenerational diseases and environmental consequences.

18th June 2022

First day of ICAN Nuclear Ban Forum. There were a lot of talks and workshops to take part in: ICAN had organized 40 workshops and invited 100 speakers over the next two days. We were asked to pick and choose and to move between floors and rooms. In between the sessions I perceived rumours about which non-member state countries will be joining the MSP as observers. Perhaps Italy and Australia will be represented? Brazil and Finland?

After the opening talks, I got to chat with Bill Kidd, Scottish MSP (SNP). It was great to connect with Lynn Jamieson from Scottish CND. Unfortunately, she tested positive for Covid that evening and couldn’t partake in the rest of the Nuclear Ban Week.

Today’s topics included Putin’s war and what the actuality of a nuclear threat means for the peace movement. Also, the long-term impact of nuclear tests on people, land, generations to come.

The panel “Gender, Feminism and Nuclear Disarmament” focused on patriarchal structures, physical vulnerability and genetic mutation.

The first day was concluded with the film screening “Vow from Hiroshima”, which tells the story of Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow. I believe everybody cried – out of shock, frustration, but also because of the unbreakable hope and strength and the necessity to carry on campaigning for peace.

An intense day, well spent inside the cool walls of this old university building. Participants were rewarded by special branded ICAN beer  

19th June 2022

On the second day, WILPF held a breakfast event at the Interventionsstelle Wien – Intervention Centre against Violence against women and Domestic Violence. Allyson Pytlak gave us a briefing about the 1st MSP of TPNW on the formal protocol and strategies of voicing concerns from the civil society. After, I gave a presentation on Cultural Activism and included many examples from Trident Ploughshares’ actions in the past. After that we all journeyed back to the ICAN location (Aula der Wissenschaften) near Stefansplatz.  

Back at the ICAN Forum, I attended a talk by young Ugandan and French Polynesian presenters on climate change, gender equality and giving young people a voice to tackle ecological impacts of the nuclear arms race and political corruption.

I tried to hear the talk on the Main Stage by Alexander Kmentt (Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs), because I was not going to take part in the Parliamentarian Conference on Monday. After the first five minutes I was so bored, that I decided to go to the Colloquy Hall and listen to the story of a Hibakusha instead. I was humbled and very touched. As Tadako Kawazoe’s story surviving the Nagasaki bombing had finished, it turned into an intimate dialogue format, where few people could sit round a Hibakusha (there were two other Hibakushas in the room) and ask questions.

Another big topic throughout the weekend was that peacekeeping, diplomacy and sustainable international relations are given less credit than war mongering and the solid myth of deterrence as insurance for security – a world where war is the unavoidable consequence of life, instead of peaceful co-existence.

Evening Event: Give Peace a Chance

Outside of the historic city centre, near the river Danube, I attended a side event hosted by AbFaNG (Aktionsbuendnis fuer Frieden, aktive Neutralitaet und Gewaltfreiheit – Action Alliance for Peace, Active Neutrality and Non-Violence).

Present were trade unionist groups, Pax Christi, WILPF, and others. In the foyer they had an exhibition with peace posters throughout the ages and countries.

We listened to talks by several great speakers: Rebecca Johnson (Acronym Institute for Disarmament and Diplomacy, GB), Klaus Renolder (IPPNW Austria), Vanessa Griffen (Fiji Islands, Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Movement), Phillip Jennings (International Peace Bureau, GB), followed by a panel discussion with Helga Kromp-Kolb, Phill Gittins, Heidi Meinzolt, Heinz Gärtner, Alessandro Capuzzo and Alex Praça about the co-operation of peace and climate movements for an eco-social society.  

Austrian Author Marlene Streeruwitz, who was present at the evening event, had just published a new book called “Handbuch gegen den Krieg” – Handbook against the War. I am a fan and bought several books for friends and family.

In the interval we were entertained by songwriter Reinhart Sellner, accompanied by Timo Brunnbauer sliding on his blues guitar. The event finished at 10pm. I walked part of the way with Rebecca to bid her farewell, then went back to Josef’s apartment.

The next day, I set off back towards the UK.

I had a great time, thank you Trident Ploughshares, thank you WIPLF, thank you ICAN!!