Proposed VFP Convention Resolution

Resolution on Syria - Draft 5 July 2015

Whereas Veterans for Peace has the explicit premier goal of abolishing war

Whereas the war in Syria is currently the bloodiest war on Earth, causing over 230,000 deaths since the latest uprising in March 2011

Whereas the conflict in Syria is uniquely dangerous for all humanity because it is a multiparty conflict, involving both civil war in Syria and military intervention by numerous outside nations and entities, and it has involved the repeated use of outlawed chemical weapons and untarget-able barrel bombs,

Whereas the war has created one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history, with 11 million Syrians, half the nation’s population, displaced from their homes. 4 million of them refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and other nations

Whereas the civilian population of Syria is experiencing the worst effects of this war, including food shortages, limited or complete lack of access to medical care, the mass destruction of housing and basic infrastructure, and the breakdown of economic activity

Whereas the origins of the 2011 uprising in Syria were guided by principles of non-violent protest, and the spirit of non-violence remains alive in Syria civil society despite Syria’s descent into horrific armed conflict

Whereas the war in Syria has aggravated relations between the United States and Russia and aggravated US relations with Iran, while a peaceful just settlement in Syria would go far towards resolving these ominous tensions,

Whereas the Syrian people have made remarkable positive contributions to the progress of humanity since ancient history despite many eras of occupation and tyranny, and therefore deserve the attention and concern of all humankind,

Be it therefore resolved that:

1) Veterans for Peace calls upon all its members to stay closely informed about developments in the complex Syrian conflict by seeking out news and analysis from a variety of sources with different points of view, including those of Syrians and Syrian-Americans and the reports of United Nations agencies that monitor the conflict.

2) Veterans for Peace denounces the war crimes and systemic torture committed in the Syrian conflict as well-documented by UN agencies and other non-partisan authorities. VFP calls out these crimes regardless of which party has committed them.

3) Veterans for Peace urges all chapters and members to initiate or get involved in existing projects that provide medical, food and other humanitarian relief to Syrians inside Syria as well as those in refugee camps. These include the White Helmets, the Syrian American Medical Society, Doctors without Borders, and the American Refugee Committee.

4) Veterans for Peace calls upon the International Community and the United Nations to press for a resumption of the stalled Geneva peace conference on Syria

5) Veterans for Peace urges its members and chapters to speak out for a just and peaceful settlement to the war in Syria, avoiding simplistic slogans and analyses that ignore the deep complexities of this conflict.