Category: Uncategorized

The Hague, 21-22 June 2025  

Dear friends of peace, pacifists, anti-militarists, and comrades,  

Today, with over 400 participants from 20 countries, we have sent a powerful international signal for peace and justice. While NATO leaders gathered here to prepare for further militarization, our Counter-Summit marks the starting point for developing concrete alternatives that promote justice, peace, and social progress worldwide.  

These are our conclusions and principles for future cooperation:  

1. No militarization; no 5%, no 3.5% for Defense. We will resist NATO-imposed military spending plans and the disastrous consequences of this militarization for our societies: a warfare state, repression, and the erosion of social security.  

2. We demand full control over our future—it must not be left to Donald Trump, Mark Rutte, or Ursula von der Leyen. We reject attempts to divide us through fearmongering, the dismantling of our rights, and the increasing repression of social protests.  

3. Work to strengthen anti-militarist and peace movements, and build a broad front against militarization in the Netherlands.  

4. We must work toward building a European, or better yet, a global peace movement that opposes imperialism and militarism while fostering mutual cooperation.  

5. Promote global cooperation beyond political and cultural differences. We challenge the logic of the “new Cold War,” which threatens the survival of humanity and our planet. We demand the abolition of nuclear weapons and an end to policies of blockades, sanctions and intervention.  

6. Launch campaigns in our countries to demand reduced military spending and increased investments in social security, education, healthcare, and social justice.  

7. We are convinced that NATO leaders are facing an internal crisis over the direction of their joint militarist project. The anti-militarist and peace movement must engage in this debate with alternatives.  

8. Seek alternatives to NATO. It is clear that the discussion has already begun. Today and in the coming period, we will continue this work. For the record: replacing NATO with a heavily armed EU is not what we want. The debate on what we *do* want, which we started today, will continue.  

   – Foremost, we demand a guarantee of a good and dignified life, under a comprehensive concept of security: public investments in housing, healthcare, and education, dignified pensions, and a decent standard of living.  

9. The conference has laid the groundwork for a European campaign against ReARM EU—the EU’s militarization project to spend an additional €800 billion on defense.  

10. The anti-militarist and peace movement must consciously align with other struggles for justice—from climate action to human rights, from social equality to feminism. Together, we strengthen the fight against the underlying systems of exploitation and violence. We stand in solidarity with the climate movement, the Palestine solidarity movement, feminist organizations, and migrant rights groups.  

11. We commit to actively condemning and opposing all aggressive military interventions by NATO and other major powers. We stand in solidarity with all peoples suffering under war and aggression. Not in our name!  

The Hague – On Saturday, June 21, a coalition of Dutch peace organizations will host former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as a keynote speaker at the Counter-Summit for Peace and Justice. Corbyn is widely recognized as a leading figure in the international peace movement. The Counter-Summit, organized in response to the NATO summit, aims to bring together peace activists from across the Netherlands and abroad for in-depth discussions. On Sunday, June 22, the coalition will follow up with a Protest for Peace and Justice. With a march through The Hague — which police initially refused to permit — the organizers want to show that there is indeed resistance to growing militarization.

The coalition is proud to announce the first two keynote speakers for the Counter-Summit: Jeremy Corbyn and Peter Mertens. Mertens is the general secretary and a member of parliament for the Belgian Workers’ Party (PVDA/PTB), which plays a prominent role in opposing militarization in Belgium. Coalition spokesperson Guido van Leemput stated:

“Throughout his political career, Corbyn has consistently spoken out against war. From the anti-nuclear movement to the Iraq invasion — Jeremy was always at the forefront. He has also been a long-time advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people. The same goes for Mertens and the PVDA.”

The organizers hope the Counter-Summit will energize the anti-war movement at home and abroad, and see the involvement of well-known activists like Corbyn and Mertens as a crucial step in that direction.

Jeremy Corbyn himself emphasized the importance of raising a voice for peace and justice:

“Blowing up the profits of arms companies while the public treasury is drained to boost military spending is a threat to us all. Instead of investing in weapons of mass destruction, we should be investing in real security: our schools, hospitals, and housing — to ensure everyone can live a happy and healthy life.

We must work together across borders, not to dominate, but to build a world based on peace, human rights, and dignity for all. That’s why I’m proud to join the Counter-Summit in The Hague.”

The day after the Counter-Summit, on Sunday, June 22, the Protest for Peace and Justice will take place at Koekamp. Initially, police had refused to allow the planned march past the Peace Palace, but that decision has now been reversed. The organizers are relieved that the march can go ahead.

“News coverage is dominated by military voices and politicians demanding more money for weapons. Anyone who questions that narrative is immediately dismissed as a friend of Putin. That’s why it’s especially important that our demonstration is given space,” said Olaf Kemerink, spokesperson for the coalition.

To help make the events possible, the coalition is also raising donations via:

👉 https://firestarterfund.nl/campaigns/13

The Hague – A group of organizations and activists, united under the banner of the Counter-Summit Coalition for Peace and Justice, is organizing a demonstration and counter-summit against NATO in The Hague on June 21 and 22. On the weekend before the NATO summit, the coalition aims to raise a critical voice. The counter-summit will feature panel discussions, workshops, and lectures addressing the dangers of NATO’s military policies and exploring alternative solutions for sustainable and just peace. The event will culminate in a demonstration against the NATO war summit. The organizers expect a diverse group of participants from both the Netherlands and abroad.

Spokesperson Olaf Kemerink explains:

“While many people are afraid of further military escalation, NATO is coming to The Hague to prepare for more war. Rutte and Trump won’t bring peace — they’re organizing a war summit to decide that even more money should go to the arms industry.”

The Counter-Summit Coalition believes it is time for a different voice. Spokesperson Guido van Leemput adds:

“If you read the newspapers, you’d think NATO is keeping us safe. But with the arms race they are fueling and the war rhetoric they promote, the world is only becoming more dangerous. Those who stockpile weapons will eventually want to use them.”

Now that NATO member states are increasingly divided and the alliance appears to be in its biggest crisis since its founding, the need for an alternative grows.

“In The Hague, they want to ‘save’ NATO with more defense spending, but we want solutions rooted in sustainable peace and justice,” Van Leemput says.

“We want to engage with everyone who feels fear, anger, or concern about increasing militarization. Security should center people — not just the safety of a select group of wealthy nations.”

The resistance to militarization is broad. Kemerink explains:

“From local residents resisting military training zones, to Palestinians being bombed with NATO weapons. From climate activists who know the war industry destroys the planet, to union members who see that weapons spending leads to cuts in education — we want to bring all of these groups together.”

The Counter-Summit Coalition hopes to help revitalize the anti-war movement.

“That is urgently needed,” Van Leemput says.

“We cannot allow the war machine of Rutte and Trump to keep rolling forward unchecked.”

In the coming period, the coalition will work on organizing the counter-summit and demonstration, while spreading its message. Through activism, lectures, and articles, they aim to draw attention to the dangers of militarization and the need for alternatives.

“We’re reaching out to everyone who feels fear, anger, or concern about the increasing militarization,” says Van Leemput.

“Whether it’s about the war in Ukraine, the threat of nuclear weapons, or NATO’s role in keeping out refugees from wars it helped fuel — we want to start a conversation with anyone who’s open to it, and we hope everyone who cares about peace and justice will join us.”

Kemerink concludes:

“NATO does not serve ordinary people — it serves the interests of a small group of wealthy countries and the arms industry. That’s why the alternative will have to come from the people themselves. And we can use all the help we can get.”

For more information and ways to support the Counter-Summit Coalition, visit tegentopcoalitie.nl.

Donations are welcome via: https://firestarterfund.nl/campaigns/13.