In 2003, the demonstration against the illegal invasion of Iraqi territory was one of the most attended around the globe. The various ETA and al-Qaeda attacks were always answered with massive pacific protests on the streets of Catalunya (Catalonia).

This citizen attitude has been projected onto a diverse range of institutional initiatives, which goals have always been to search, denounce and fight against social inequities and human rights violations around the world. For example, Catalunya, instigated by Vicenç Fisas (Escola de Cultura de Pau) , was a pioneer in denouncing the Spanish arms trade in sensitive destinations (Israel or Colombia, among others) in the beginning of the 90s. This initiative was accompanied by a global campaign to stress the fact that the global arms trade needs much stricter regulation (www.controlarms.org). On another hand, a more recent example could be found in the recent creation of the International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP;www.icip.cat), a civil society initiative that has been sponsored by the Catalan Government since 2007. The Institute aims to research, educate and act for reliable and durable pacific strategies in different areas in the world. One of the first activities outside of our territory was the organisation of a seminar to explore the conditions for sustainable peace in the Ivory Coast.

For all these reasons, any political party who aims to have a representation in the Parliament in the next elections to be held on 28th November must not forget Catalan society’s commitment to a more sustainable and pacific way of living.