As global citizens who believe in justice and the rule of law, we oppose weaponized and surveillance drones because their deployment:
- violates democratic rights of freedom of speech and assembly and the right not to be unreasonably searched,
- is used for extrajudicial “targeted” killings based merely on suspicion — murders — even of children inside and outside of war zones,
- terrorizes populations in targeted territories, thereby fueling hatred and increasing the cycle of violence,
- lowers the threshold to war and initiates a new round in the arms race,
- leads to the development of autonomous killer robots, thereby making even more horrifying wars likely.
We demand that all governments cease the production and acquisition of armed drones, as well as their research and development, and work towards a worldwide ban of these weapons.
We further demand that our governments prohibit the use of drones for surveillance and prohibit using space satellites, ground stations, and military bases to enable drone surveillance and to trigger drone killings.
We call on people all over the world to join us in the Global Day of Action on October 4.
To view actions and events planned for Global Action Day, see http://globaldayofaction.nationbuilder.com/calendar.
If you or your group are planning an action or event for October 4 and would like to post information about it on this website, please email a brief description to Anastasia of CODEPINK at anastasia@codepink.org. The description may be in any language, but it is best to also include an English translation so that people around the world can read it. Please include the address of your event, with the postal code, so that it will show up on the map. You may also send for posting on the website a URL link or a PDF or JPEG attachment such as a photo, flyer, press release, or news coverage of your event.
GLOBAL ACTION DAY is an opportunity for us to take action TOGETHER AROUND THE WORLD against the use of drones, satellites, and ground stations for surveillance and killing.
A CONCERTED INTERNATIONAL EFFORT will be needed to stop drone warfare and invasive drone surveillance. Global Action Day seeks to deepen and broaden the international discussion about drones and to further the international networking and coordination needed to stop this dangerous development that threatens freedom and peace everywhere.
DECIDE LOCALLY what action you will take on Global Action Day. Whether you live in a country that has already produced or deployed drones for surveillance and killing or is considering doing so — or in a community that is already targeted by drones or could be in the future: you know best what actions would be most effective to alert, educate and mobilize people in your community. Actions will range in size from large demonstrations to a single person holding a sign. They will include civil disobedience and demanding hearings from those in power. Some are planning to introduce resolutions or referendums to ban drones from their communities; others are planning to fly kites under the Afghan motto: “Fly Kites Not Drones.” And there will also be initiatives to hold film showings or discussions, visit government officials or parliamentary representatives, or write letters to newspapers.
COMMUNICATE GLOBALLY by sending a URL link about your action or initiative for us to post on this website. Your link could be to the description of your action as posted on your organization’s website, or a photo or video posted in the social media, or link to a newspaper article about your action. You will also be able to learn on this website about what people in other parts of the world are doing — let them inspire you!
THIS WEBSITE is managed by KNOWDRONES.COM. An ad hoc committee of anti-drone activists from several countries drafted the call for this Global Action Day. Plans for this Global Action Day were first discussed in a meeting in Berlin in December 2013, attended by anti-drone activists from seven European countries, Pakistan, and the US: http://truth-out.org/speakout/item/20740-ban-weaponized-drones-anti-drone-movement-spreads-in-europe
Many who attended the meeting in Berlin were inspired by the historic conference “Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance” in Washington, DC, in November 2013.
Our hope is that activists from many more countries will join with us — and if you do not yet have an anti-drone campaign in your community, we hope you’ll consider launching one on Global Action Day!