Focus on Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels

Based in Gent, Belgium, Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels is a non-violent, international, non-profit citizens organisation, which takes initiatives to promote human rights, disarmament and protection of the environment and all creatures, from the premise of an understanding that the Earth is a creation to be honored and respected as our Mother.

Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels focuses on environmental, human rights and nuclear disarmament issues, highlighting the linkages between these.

• Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels is the only environmental organization campaigning at a grass-roots level in Flanders.
• It is a pluralistic organization, independent of political and religious parties.
• Currently it has 200 members and envisages growing to 10 000 members by 2010.
• Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels activities take place across Flanders, with important lobbying carried out in Brussels, home of European parliament.
• Internationally, Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels links with partners in other NATO countries in forcing political establishments to enter into a debate on their nuclear and environmental policies. It supports indigenous communities (in North and Latin America) in their right to a secure and healthy environment.
• Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels monitors treaties, including the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It is particularly concerned with America's contravention of the NPT, through non-removal of nuclear weapons remaining in Europe following the cold war.

Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels aims to reach people directly, through demonstrations, research and awareness raising. It uses non-violent acts of civil disobedience and political lobby work to draw attention to contraventions of human and environmental wellbeing.

• In 1992, shortly after its establishment, Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels members together with native American groups embarked on a 5000 km "walk across America" from New York to the nuclear test site in Nevada. The walk marked 500 years of resistance to the arrival of Colombus and opposed the effect of "nuclear colonialism" on indigenous people. Several other walks for a “nuclear free world" have followed.
• Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels' "Bomspotting" campaign and "Citizens' Weapons Inspections" have involved the mass mobilization of activists in trespassing and inspecting nuclear weapon-related military based headquarters. In Belgium, 2000 activists (1117 of whom were arrested) effectively raised attention to the nuclear issues and policies of their country. The Belgium government has since announced a phase-out of the use of nuclear power.
• Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels works with local groups: e.g. the "Mayors for Peace Initiative", supporting communities in putting pressure on local authorities towards nuclear disarmament and environmental safety.

"We are an internationally outward looking group, but we are also aware of the need to work locally here in Flanders".