The Outcry Campaign: Stop the arms trade!

I have already shared information about the "Aktion Aufschrei - Stoppt den Waffenhandel" (The Outcry Campaign: Stop the arms trade!) in German.

The recent War Profiteers' News feature this joint effort of a lot of German peace and social groups as campaign of the month, which gives me the opportunity to share some English information with my readers:

Campaign of the Month
The Outcry Campaign: Stop the arms trade!

22 Nov 2012 — javier

We oppose the export of terror and violence Made in Germany!

German exports of weapons and military equipment have doubled in recent years. Customers include dictatorships and authoritarian regimes in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Germany now ranks third in the worldwide list of weapon-exporting countries. Arms exports are a profitable business, but they do not provide many jobs: only 0.2 per cent of all German employees work in the weapons industry.

Every minute someone in the world dies after being hit by a bullet, a hand grenade or a landmine. Experts have estimated that since World War II over a million deaths have been caused by Heckler & Koch rifles and pistols alone. Countless others have been victims of weapons exported by the many other German arms companies.

German exports of weapons and military equipment have doubled in recent years. The nations that import these and licenses to use them include dictatorships and authoritarian regimes with dire human rights records. Even though the weapons and military equipment may not be used, they are procured at great expense, when this money could have been used for education and for combating poverty. We want to end the export of terror and violence Made in Germany.

Continue reading

Go to the English section of the "Outcry" website

www.wri-irg.org