Student Broad Left
Students and the Peace Movement
BUILDING A STUDENT PEACE MOVEMENT
Background and Introduction
The student movement has been isolated from the mainstream peace movement due to a variety of
factors. Legislation restricting campaigning to issues that 'affect students as students'
(ultra viraes) helped create a British-centric approach to student politics which lacked any
internationalist perspective, which was exacerbated by a leadership who has put loyalty to the
New Labour government before anything else and therefore attempted to block any opposition that
emerged, including opposition to its foreign and defence policies. Consequently you had a 'green'
leadership attempting to block and undermine policy put forward by Broad Left calling for NUS to
campaign against Trident (NUS conference 98). This was most starkly shown last year when the NUS
leadership, just like the New Labour Government, were the strongest advocates of the bombing of
Yugoslavia and called for ground troops to be sent in.
The bombing of Yugoslavia changed world politics. NATO's bombing showed the increased military
aggression of the US as NATO ignored the UN security council, violated international law and
carried out a systematic bombing campaign against the civilian population and its infrastructure.
NATO then re-wrote its constitution which changed it effectively from a 'defensive' organisation
into an 'offensive' organisation. The bombing threatened the vast majority of the world and
countries such as India, China and Russia all condemned the bombing. For instance, after the
Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia was bombed, killing three Chinese employees, there were huge
demonstrations in China with students holding placards 'First they bomb our embassy, next they
bomb our country'.
This threat has been escalated by US building and testing of a National Missile Defence (NMD)
shield. Its purpose is to knock out any nuclear missiles launched at the US. This is not a
defensive, but an offensive move which will result in the US being able to use nuclear weapons
with impunity. Given that the US is the only country to have used nuclear weapons (i.e.,
Hiroshima and Nagasaki) this increases a very real threat of nuclear war. NMD will cause a
nuclear arms race as countries threatened, such as China, redirect their economies towards the
production of more nuclear weapons. This will in turn force other countries to increase their
nuclear weapons. Never has there been a more important time for students to campaign against
the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons.
NMD breaks the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty, which was signed in 1972 by Russia and the US
prohibiting nuclear proliferation. The US is attempting to amend the treaty but so far Russia
is refusing. There is huge opposition to NMD from developing countries, Russia, China, India
and also Western European countries who are fearful as they are not protected by the shield.
Britain is split on support for amending the Treaty.
See US escalates nuclear arms race
Broad Left's Aims and objectives
Broad Left's NEC Report 30.6.2000
Education Funding
Fighting Racism
Students and the Peace Process in Ireland
Environment and Ethics
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