groupstatement

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Our group, Bread Not Bombs Plowshares, as the name suggests, believes that the world needs food not weapons. In the light of this we intend to disarm the British Trident nuclear submarines openly and nonviolently. It is hoped that the Trident budget could be redirected to the 30,000 children who die of hunger each day. 

The ploughshares is an international peace and solidarity movement which since 1980 has performed approximately 60 actions aimed at disarmament. The members of this group are Annika Spalde, Stellan Vinthagen and Ann-Britt Sternfeldt. Annika is 29 years of age and is from Hammarkullen in Sweden; she is a nurse and studies International Relations. Stellan, 33, also from Hammarkullen is a Peace Researcher at the University of Gothenburg. Ann-Britt, 38, from Länghem in Sweden, is an ex. Town Councilor, a writer and a voluntary administrator for an Aid Charity working in the Gambia. 

We are doing an action in solidarity with the poor and suppressed, especially in the third world. People die from suffering and poverty meanwhile we are putting millions and millions of pounds in to making weapons of mass destruction. 

We see it as the responsibility of the privileged to remove the barriers and liberate the poor and suppressed. The military force of the western world is the largest barrier to creating justice in the economic world. For the most part the western world doesn't have to make a show of force to keep the developing countries under control, but the military is still the guarantee in suppression and then the nuclear weapons are the ultimate threat. The fact is that the British defense doctrine openly says that the Trident submarine's purpose, among other things, is to defend Great Britain's economic interests. 

We are taking this disarming action, also for the privileged people in the first world, because nuclear weapons are a threat against all human beings and against future generations. As long as nuclear weapons exists humanity is doomed to live in fear that they will be used. Great Britain's nuclear submarines can, by themselves, destroy every capital in the world. Since the end of the cold war Great Britain has increased their capacity of nuclear weapons. 

With our action we want to challenge and confront obedience. Unjust laws only exist as long as we obey them. Non-violent resistance provides a possibility for change and to strengthen democracy and human rights.We think that the reason why people are so obedient is the fear of punishment, and of course we are also afraid, but in becoming well prepared for this action and encouraging each other we think it's possible to overcome this fear. With our open and non-violent disarming, which means that no living creatures will be hurt; we want to challenge obedience and the fear of punishment. We don´t leave the scene of the disarmament because we believe in open and democratic responsibility for our actions. We only do a limited disarmament because we would like to invite others to continue the disarmament. We plowshares activists don't disarm nuclear weapons so that others don't have to. We are ordinary scared citizens and being alone we are powerless. The dialogue we already have; and wish to strengthen, with concerned citizens is the hope and power in our action, and the best potential to change society. 
 
 
Annika Spalde
Ann-Britt Sternfeldt
Stellan Vinthagen