The situation has become critical in recent weeks due to the cruel struggle between government forces and militias in the north, and the sending of troops by the government of France and the ideological and logistical support provided by the Group of 8 and the UN for military action by France.

Says: The Community (for human development), a social and cultural organization of the Humanist Movement, which raises its voice against the extreme situation of violence brought upon the people of Mali.

“Again, we see the resort to armed struggle to try to resolve conflicts where the roots lie in the inhuman conditions of life to which the local peoples are subject, whether the inhabitants of an entire country or a region.

The use of physical violence by either side will not bring peace. By contrast, violence will add to the growth of that unwarranted poverty, discrimination and marginalization of indigenous peoples.

The situation in Mali is also a consequence of myopia and the complicity of the so-called “developed countries” that cooperate in the violence instead of engaging in genuinely human development in the African region, they only deal with exploitation and discrimination.

Today the exploits in Mali, as in the past exploits in Libya, Egypt and Ivory Coast, and the looming exploits in Mauritania and Niger are portending a miserable life for all for the near future; the military exploits are brutally hurting. In most of these countries there is a combination of extreme poverty, dictatorial government actions and an insensitivity, and on top of all that now there is the action of armed groups that want to overthrow the government or gain territory, and additionally there is the complicity of European governments, the G8 and the UN.

This is not to justify violence any side.

A violent response to violence will not bring peace.

Only “active nonviolence” can help reverse the inhumane and violent situation in Mali and throughout the region.

“Active Nonviolence” means:
– The immediate cessation of the use of arms by all sides in conflict.
– The commitment to generate dialogue mechanisms supervised by the UN and the African Regional.
– The commitment and decisive action by countries around the world to invest their resources in health, education, housing and human development for all those region’s inhabitants rather than continuely feeding investments into the arms industry.

What if, instead of continuing to fuel the war industry with billions of dollars, countries, starting with those with more resources, genuinely collaborated with human development in the African region? Surely, the violence of different positions would have no justification for their actions and free peoples would strongly reject any act of violence.

Do not be complicit in justifying violence on the part of either sector.

The armed act of war always causes suffering and the most vulnerable are women, children and elderly, innocent human beings, who end up being the victims on both sides.

We express our support and solidarity with the people of Mali; ask them to stop armed actions immediately; and to act to promote and spread this petition in an active way.

Let us raise our voices against violence of all kinds that today generate pain, suffering and death among the people of Mali – and we demand the immediate cessation of armed struggle.

Let us raise our voice, the voice of non-violence, to help the people of Mali.”

January 30, 2013.
Coordination Team World Community (for human development)
An agency of the Humanist Movement