MEDIA RELEASE
20th November 2016

from: Laurie Ross

Warships transformed overnight into Peaceships

This week there were 14 warships who arrived in Auckland for a display of military prowess and wargames as a show of friendship. Then there was an enormous earthquake in Kaikoura bringing destruction and suffering to thousands of people. This provided an astounding opportunity to demonstrate the real value of well trained defence forces which is not for the purpose of war or military objectives. Several warships immediately teamed up with NZ in providing the humanitarian aid required to the victims of the quake. It was an example that the major threats to New Zealand are not military but from natural disasters.

The miracle is that the visiting warships laden with millions of dollars of weaponry could be transformed overnight into peaceships delivering much needed assistance. The people of
New Zealand are grateful for this kindness and generousity in our time of need, but it should not be construed as validation of warfare or military armed forces. The world needs to transform its warships into Peaceships for delivering humanitarian aid to all wartorn countries, refugees and those stricken by climate change and environmental disasters. Military weapons are a terrible waste of taxpayer money because we do not want to prepare for more war nor train men to be killers.
The military warfare mentality is something of the past surely we not want to make it our future?

New Zealand could lead the way to this permanent transformation of warfare into human welfare services. The military defence forces should be restructured into civil defence services because that is what is needed for the safety and security of the people.

One hopes that Kaikoura is not now used as a great PR opportunity for the military who want to justify their huge warfare budgets, but that it is the beginning of a new era of thinking about what kind of equipment is actually needed to meet the major threats to humanity and the planet which do not call for a military response. New Zealand can develop its defence and foreign policy as a Peacemaker for the benefit of all nations.

Laurie Ross-Speaker and co-creator of the People for Peace March in Queen St. Auckland
19th November (veteran activist of Nuclear Free New Zealand Peacemaking)

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