Pacifism is having a hard time at the moment
Researcher: “Creating peace without weapons” naive
04/16/2022, 2:12 p.m
In principle, the peaceful resolution of conflicts is the primary goal of politics. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is currently taking this ad absurdum. This also poses problems for the German peace movement. A researcher currently considers their slogan “Create peace without weapons” to be naïve.
According to researcher Claudia Baumgart-Ochse, the war in Ukraine also poses challenges for the German peace movement. “Suddenly we are living with a war in our neighborhood. And that poses big questions for all of us – and of course also for the peace movement,” said the researcher from the Leibniz Institute Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Research (HSFK) in RBB.
In their opinion, the slogan “make peace without weapons” is currently naive. The Easter marches and the peace movement date back to the Cold War era. But now there’s shooting, and it’s a hot war that’s being waged with war crimes. “And that’s why (…) the slogan is now acutely naïve, because it denies Ukraine the right to defend itself,” said Baumgart-Ochse.
Researcher recognizes some Russian propaganda
Is the peace movement catapulting itself into insignificance with such slogans? Baumgart-Ochse does not see it that way. The peace movement has always played an important role, and she herself has great respect for pacifist positions. “But you have to look: What is currently right and important, so to speak?” In peace research, too, they wanted weapons to be disarmed. But the moment has to be right for that.
Easter marches are currently being called for in a number of German cities. The impulse to demonstrate for peace is initially a good thing, said Baumgart-Ochse. However, she advises to think carefully about who you take to the streets with, who is organizing it and what the reasons for the protest are. “And in some calls I have the impression that the Russian propaganda shines through.” Baumgart-Ochse said that horse and rider had to be named clearly. “We have Russian aggression here.”