By Liz Remmerswaal, December 4, 2023
Remarks on December 3 in New Zealand by World BEYOND War Vice President Liz Remmerswaal
Kia ora whanau,
nga Mihi Nui ki a koutou
ko Liz Remmerswaal Hughes Taku ingoa
my name is Liz Remmerswaal Hughes and I live in Haumoana by the Tukituki river
I grew up out at Longlands daughter of Pat and Corrie Hughes
I’m a mother a grandmother a wife a friend neighbour
and a peace activist
I work voluntarily as the national coordinator of World BEYOND War Aotearoa
and the vice president of World BEYOND War internationally
Our organisation has been responsible for gifting 43 peace poles in 86 languages into the community in Hawke’s Bay
which remind all of us to use peaceful ways of dealing with conflict.
He maungarongo ki te whenua
May peace prevail on earth, and we call for the 6 billion that the government currently spend on war and so called defence is instead used to teach peace in our communities.
My little mokoPuna Stella Maisie is almost 6 weeks old
for her whole life war has been raining down on Gaza
Just as she has been surrounded by love and care every day of her life
if Stella had been born in Gaza would she have survived?
as I gaze lovingly into her eyes I see the eyes of the babies in Gaza
without water food shelter security
only the love and cries of their parents
We are one
we are the babies in Gaza
we are Israel
We are a stand for a ceasefire and we are call for Nonviolent ways of dealing with conflict and problems
we expect that our politicians to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza
And we are in solidarity with many many many millions around the world
there has never been such a strong call for peace in our time.
We have tried violence we have tried war and it doesn’t work
Only justice, truth, love, peace and security are the ways forward
No more war
We recognise that what is happening in Gaza is purely and simply genocide.
Aotearoa must invoke the Genocide convention
Several countries’ have accused the Israeli government of genocide and asked the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israeli, but that court effectively answers to the U.S. and has refused for years to prosecute crimes by Israel or anyone else outside of Africa.
However the International Court of Justice has ruled against Israel in the past, and if any one nation invokes the Genocide Convention, that court will be obliged to rule on the matter.
If the ICJ determines that genocide is happening, then the ICC will have to decide who is responsible and This has been done before.
Bosnia invoked the Genocide Convention against Serbia, and the ICJ ruled against it.
The crime of genocide is happening. The intentional destruction of a people, is genocide.
The law is meant to be used to prevent it, not just review.
And we support this course of action and ask you to do the same.
For more information please look at out website WorldBeyondWar.org
And finally, please also sign our peace pledge which goes like this:
“I understand that wars and militarism make us less safe rather than protect us, that they kill, injure and traumatize adults, children and infants, severely damage the natural environment, erode civil liberties, and drain our economies, siphoning resources from life-affirming activities. I commit to engage in and support nonviolent efforts to end all war and preparations for war and to create a sustainable and just peace.”
I ask my friend Pereri King to sing to us a beautiful Waiata calling for Peace
Pinepine te kura
Noreira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.“I understand that wars and militarism make us less safe rather than protect us, that they kill, injure and traumatize adults, children and infants, severel
