Appeal from the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine to Environmental NGOs and People All Over the World

We, the members of the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, believe that on the threshold of the third millennium, humanity must not solve conflicts in the same way as people from the Stone Age - by means of force and arms. Conflicts must be solved at the negotiation table.

We do not believe that skilled diplomats from the UN and countries could not settle the conflict in Yugoslavia peacefully. We believe that instead governments of NATO member countries seek to satisfy the interests of international corporations, the military and industrial enterprises, who greatly benefit from the trade of arms. Additionally, the government of Yugoslavia, also in its own interest, is making hostages of people not only from its own country, but from all European nations.

We know how difficult it is to raise funds for the conservation and rehabilitation of life on Earth - for planting trees, recycling, purifying rivers and springs, creating protected areas, conserving biodiversity or implementing any other environmental project. At the same time, a mind-boggling amount of money is spent on making arms to destroy life on Earth.

We believe that the governments of NATO member countries are ignoring decisions from the Rio Conference, if they find funds not for the protection of the environment, but for producing bombs and rockets, which are now falling onto the heads of peaceful inhabitants too. Sustainable development is absolutely incompatible with the militarization of the economy.

War is an amoral phenomenon, which threatens the continuation of life on Earth.

We consider all persons, who favour the producing, distribution and usage of arms, to be amoral. They should not be elected or appointed to high official positions, deciding the fate of billions of people.

We appeal to you to confirm that war and the decision to use force in the center of Europe are amoral. We appeal to you to demand the immediate dismissal of NATO Secretary-General Janier Solana from office based on these amoral actions. We suggest you make lists of such amoral persons in your own countries.

We support the peacemaking initiatives of Ukraine’s Parliament and government and we hope that you will appeal to the governments of your countries with the demand to immediately stop all NATO military actions in Yugoslavia and return to the negotiation table.

Only public opinion and the proactiveness of people can stop aggressive politicians, who in order to achieve their own political goals cynically expose the lives of other people to danger. We appeal to you join to this appeal and to bomb NATO with demands to stop the war on the Balkans, which is threatening the betterment of our world and could be the next World War.