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Global&Day&of&Action&on& Military&Spending&

& GDAMS&2.0& & & Organizers&Packet"

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Read&This&First.&
Welcome"to"GDAMS"2.0,"our"second"Global"Day"of"Action"on"Military"Spending,"to"be"held"on"April"17," 2012." " Were" very" excited" that" you" are" joining" people" all" over" the" world" to" protest" the" mindFboggling" amounts"of"money"devoted"to"military"spending."In"2010,"the"world"spent"over"$1.6"trillion"on"preparing" for"and"fighting"wars,"and"were"expecting"that"figure"to"rise"in"2011"as"well."Thats"why"were"calling"on" people"everywhere"to"Occupy"the"MilitaryFIndustrial"Complex"on"April"17." Thanks"to"people"like"you""and"with"some"help"from"the"economic"crisis"FF"were"beginning"finally"to"see" change." Some" countries" have" actually" reduced" their" military" budgets," and" theres" now" bipartisan" support"in"the"United"States,"the"worlds"leading"spender,"to"start"cutting"back"on"the"military."We"have" to" make" sure" that" this" trend" continues," so" that" we" can" see" real," serious" reductions." If" they" dont" hear" from"us""and"hear"from"A"LOT"of"us""government"leaders"will"go"back"to"increasing"military"spending" when"the"economy"improves"or"they"think"were"no"longer"paying"attention." This" organizers" packet" will" take" you" stepFbyFstep" through" the" process" of" organizing" an" event" for" our" Global"Day."We"ask"you"to"do"two"things"on"April"17:" 1) Highlight& last& years& figure& for& global& military& spending," which" the" Stockholm" International" Peace"Research"Institute"will"release"on"April"17."Well"be"able"to"share"this"figure"with"you"one" week"before"the"release."This"year"we"want"to"make"a"special"link"to"the"debates"on"sustainable" development"that"will"take"place"at"the"Earth&Summit&in&Rio&de&Janeiro"in"June."More"on"this"in" the"GDAMS"February"newsletter!" 2) Do&something&public&and&visible&and&eyeIcatching."We"want"to"maximize"media"coverage"of"our" events"worldwide." Beyond" that," the" focus" of" your" action" is" up" to" you." You" can" build" your" event" around" the" amount" of" money"your"government"is"spending"or"the"relationship"between"the"huge"amount"spent"on"the"military" and" the" pennies" devoted" to" development." You" can" focus" on" military" bases" or" arms" exports." You" can" protest"existing"wars"or"conflicts"that"threaten"to"break"out."We"want"this"day"to"be"an"opportunity"for" you"to"raise"awareness"about"the"issues"that"matter"to"you." In"the"Organizers"Packet,"youll"find:"" 1) A"letter"to"send"out"to"your"networks"to"expand"your"action" 2) Fact"Sheets"on:" a. Military"Expenditure"around"the"world" b. U.S."Budget"Control"vs."Military"Spending" c. The"2012"National"Defense"Authorization"Act"(USA)"" d. TaxFDodging"War"Profiteers" 3) Examples"from"GDAMS"2011"to"help"you"plan"your"action"for"GDAMS"2.0" " On" April" 17," you" will" be" joining" with" thousands" and" thousands" of" people" around" the" world" who" are" saying"NO"to"the"militaryFindustrial"complex"and"YES"to"a"peaceful"and"prosperous"planet."" 2" "

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Letter&for&your&Networks"
" [Location,"Date]" " " Dear"____________," " In"2010,"global"military"spending"surged"to"an"allFtime"high"of"US"$1.63"trillion."[country]"was" responsible"for"$[x"amount,"see"SIPRI"database"at"http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex]." Given"the"numerous"crises"facing"the"planet"FF"economic,"environmental,"health,"diplomatic"FF"it"is" imperative"that"we"create"a"global"movement"to"shift"this"money"to"human"needs."We"know"that"there" are"thousands"of"organizations"and"millions"of"individuals"who"support"this"point"of"view."We"need"now" to"begin"a"serious"mobilizing"effort"to"make"it"visible." " As"part"of"this"campaign,"we"are"organizing"an"event"as"part"of"the"Global&Day&of&Action&on&Military& Spending&for&April&17."We"will"gather"in"[place,"time],"where"we"will"[describe"action].""On"this"day," people"all"over"the"world"will"join"together"in"joint"actions"to"focus"public,"political,"and"media"attention" on"the"costs"of"military"spending"and"the"need"for"new"priorities."Such"events"will"help"us"to"build"the" international"network"around"this"issue." " Please"join"us"on"April"17"so"that"we"can"make"our"voices"heard,"here"in"[country]"and"globally." " Sincerely," Local"organizer"for"the"Global"Day"of"Action"on"Military"Spending"

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Military&Expenditure&around&the&world&2010&
" In"2010,"global"military"expenditure"rose"to"$1,630"billion,"a"1.3%"increase"from"last"years"figure"and"a" 50%"increase"since"2001."The"total"expenditure"translated"to"2.6%"of"the"world"GDP." The" United" States" remained" the" leader" in" military" spending" accounting" for" $19.6" billion" of" the" $20.6" billion" global" increase" in" 2010." U.S." spending" was" responsible" for" 43%" of" the" world" total" followed" by:" China""7.3%;"UK""3.7%;"France"and"Russia""3.6%." The"list"of"top"military"spenders"in"2010"is"as"follows"(figures"in"billions"of"dollars):"" 1. 2. 3. 4. " Between"2001"and"2009,"Chinese"military"spending"has" increased"by"189%,"but"still"remains"a"small"fraction"of" U.S."spending."" 2010" also" saw" some" decreases:" UK" F" 0.8%;" France" F" 8.4%;"Russia"F"1.4%;"Germany"F"1.3%;"India"F"2.8%." Regional" spending" figures," according" to" the" 2010" SIPRI" report" are" as" follows:" Africa" measures" the" lowest" at" $30.1" billion," followed" by" the" Middle" East" at" $104" billion," Asia" and" Oceania" F" $314" billion," Europe" F" $382" billion,"and"the"Americas"at"a"combined"$791"billion."" SubFregionally," Eastern" Europe" had" the" most" rapid" growth"in"military"expenditure"over"the"decade,"increasing"88%"from"2001F2010."In"2010"alone,"South" America" and" Africa" experienced" 5.8%" (to" $63.3" bn)" and" 5.2%" (to" $30.1" bn)" increases" respectively," the" largest"regional"growths"of"the"year." Total" arms" deliveries" from" the" U.S." to" developing" nations" in" 2010" were" over" $21.9" billion," the" highest" total" since" 2006." The" U.S." and" Russia" continue" to" dominate" the" arms" market" in" the" developing" world," accounting"for"60.8%"of"all"arms"transfers"from"2007F2010."In"2010"alone,"the"U.S."ranked"first"in"both" arms"sales"worldwide"and"to"developing"nations"making"up"52.7%"($21.3"billion)"and"39.2%"($8.6"billion)" respectively"of"the"global"total."Also,"U.S.Fbased"companies"held"four"of"the"top"five"and"eight"of"the"top" ten"spots"in"the"SIPRI"list"of"top"100"arms"producing"companies."" " 4" " U.S."F"$698" China"F"$119" UK"F"$59.6" France"F"$59.3" 5. 6. 7. 8. Russia"F"$58.7" Japan"F"$54.5" Saudi"Arabia"F"$45.2" Germany"F"$45.2" 9. India"F"$41.3" 10. Italy"F"$37" "

GDAMS&2011:&The&World&Says& NO&To&Excessive&Military&
Rallies,(Displays(and(Demonstrations(

Spending&

Athens,& Greece" " In" the" iconic" Syntagma" Square" in" front" of" the" Greek" Parliament," protestors" set" up" a" visual" display" showing" world" military" spending," and" comparing" those"figures"with"the"estimated"costs"to"achieve"the"Millennium"Development"Goals." Fairfield,& California" " At" Travis" Air" Force" Base," activists" from" Code" Pink," Veterans"for"Peace,"the"San"Francisco"AFSC"and"Military"Families"Speak"Out" delivered" their" message" directly" to" members" of" the" U.S." Air" Force" as" they" commuted"to"work."They"displayed"banners"outside"the"bases"entrance"and" handed"out"leaflets"with"information"on"military"waste,"and"on"alternatives" to"military"spending." Augusta,& Maine" " 400" activists" from" Veterans" for" Peace," the" Union" of" Maine"Visual"Artists"and"Raging"Grannies"filled"the"statehouse"where"a" local" mayor" spoke" out" against" forced" local" budget" cuts" on" account" of" the" soaring" costs" of" war" that" leave" cities" and" towns" underfunded." Another" theme" was" unity:" Its( time( we( showed( the( links( between( all( the(issues(and(put(out(an(alternative(sustainable(vision(for(the(future.( Seoul,&South&Korea""Peace"activists"set"up"a"display"and"held"a"rally"featuring"proF peace"parliamentarians"outside"the"Parliament"building."They"called"for"an"end"to" militarization,"and"a"more"peaceForiented" foreign" policy" towards" other" countries" in"the"region." Seminars,(Conferences(and(Film(Screenings( London,& UK& " The" Movement" for" the" Abolition" of" War" brought" dozens" of" people" together" for" a" 2" hour" public" meeting" entitled" Welfare( or( Warfare?" with"presenters"from"groups"such"as"Scientists"for"Global"Responsibility,"War" on"Want"and"Uniting"for"Peace."" Dadabari& Kota,& India" " The" Rural" Development" and" Youth" Training" Institute" invited"budget"specialists"to"discuss"advocacy"issues"and"development"needs"with" rural"villagers." " Virtual(Advocacy( Religions"for"Peace"incorporated"GDAMS"into"their"campaign"to"petition"the"UN"Security"Council"seeking" a"10%"reduction"in"military"spending"among"member"states." Britains" Campaign" Against" the" Arms" Trade" launched" a" Twitter" Campaign," asking" followers" to" tweet" alternatives"to"military"spending"to"the"Treasury"Department." 5" "

Dont&Have&the&Time/Resources&to&Mount&a&Big&Action?& & Dont&Worry!&Check&out&these&Easy&Actions!&


& 1) Find"a"highFtraffic"spot"in"your"city,"gather"a"couple"of"people"and"hand"out"informative"flyers." 2) Create" a" graphic" representation" and" set" it" up" somewhere" where" many" people" will" see" it." Use" this" chart" based" on" a" recent" study" from" the" Political" Economy" Research" Institute" at" the" University"of"Massachusetts,"Amherst."It"shows"that"we"dont"need"the"military"to"provide"jobs," wed"be"much"better"off"using"that"money"on"green"jobs,"healthcare"and"education!" "

" 3) Occupy"the"Military"Industrial"Complex"in"your"area!"Pay"a"visit"to"defense"contractors,"military" bases," or" lobbyists" with" offices" in" your" area." Ask" them" why" they" deserve" to" profit" off" our" tax" dollars"and"catch"them"on"tape!" 4) Ask"us!"Email"the"GDAMS"organizers:""Noah"Gimbel"at"the"Institute"for"Policy"Studies:"" ngimbel@ipsFdc.org"or:"Annette"Willi"at"International"Peace"Bureau,"Geneva:"Annette@ipb.org"

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