Solidarity climbs to 89 Cities with support by Biograd na Moru, Croatia

August 12, 2008

LATEST  This week we received encouraging news from Mr. Ivan Knez, the Mayor of Biograd na Moru in Croatia. The small coastal town of Biograd was inflicted considerable damage by long-range bombardments in the period 1991-1993 during the Croatian War of Independence. With just over 6,000 inhabitants the Mayor of Biograd committed 1,500 € to the 2020 VIsion Campaign.

Also Dublin (Ireland) and Winschoten (Netherlands) informed us recently about their support. Mrs. J.G. Vlietstra, Mayor of Winschoten, The Netherlands understands that "the success of the campaign is entirely dependent on the willingness of members of Mayors for Peace to provide financial support". Therefore the City of Winschoten decided to donate 460 € annually until the city will be regrouped with two other cities. Mrs. Eibhlin Byrne, Lord Mayor of Dublin, informed us that the Protocol and Selection Committee  recommends € 5000 to be contributed to the campaign. The final decision is expected in October 2008.

The past weeks we also welcomed the news for financial support for the campaign from the Mayor of Tielt (Belgium), Chetwynd, BC (Canada), Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Italy), Beek (Netherlands), Vila-seca (Spain) and Heidelberg (Germany).

An important contribution of 5000 Euro to the 2020 Vision Campaign by the German City of Heidelberg and the commitment of Bruges demonstrate hard-needed solidarity with Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the global campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.

Not only Ms. Felicity-ann Lewis, the Mayor of City of Marion (Australia) will make a donation. Also two Marion councilors have decided to make a donation. We wish to thank Councillor Raelene Telfer and Councillor Irene Whennan for their solidarity. We also received excellent news from Bruges (Belgium). Mr. Patrick Moenaert, the Mayor of Bruges  informed us that the city commits an estimated of 2,925 Euro annually between 2009 and 2020. With 117,000 inhabitants today, we expect that this will add up to about 35,000 Euro by 2020.

As a larger city with about 150.000 inhabitants Heidelberg joins the Swiss Cities of Geneva and Lausanne who have also made substantial financial contributions to the 2020 Vision campaign office of Mayors for Peace in Ypres. These larger cities have also used the 0,025 Euro/inhabitant as a guideline for their important voluntary contributions.

Small is beautiful

However, it is clear that without the leadership of Mayors in many smaller municipalities the campaign could not build further capacity. The past month we also received a financial commitment from the Mayor of Vila-seca (Spain),  Tavernelle Val di Pesa (Italy) and a growing number of Belgian Cities who continue to demonstrate a remarkable solidarity with the Japanese cities, often all the way up to 2020.

Today the campaign can count on financial support from 89 cities, including annual contributions of 250,000 euro from the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 2008 we aim to match these annual contributions of the 2 founding cities with the other 2,000 strong membership. This must be possible.

We are happy to register the positive response of the Cities of Leihhardt, NSW, Marion and  Melbourne (Australia),  68 cities and municipalities from Belgium, Duncan, BC and Chetwynd, BC (Canada), Biograd na Moru & Koprivnica (Croatia),  Malakoff (France), Heidelberg (Germany), Tavernelle Val di Pesa (Italy),  Bloemendaal, Beek, Maasgouw and Winschoten (Netherlands), Riudecanyes and Vila-seca (Spain), Geneva and Lausanne (Switzerland) and Oxford (UK). Following the successful Belgian pilot-project most cities continue to use the 0,025 €/inhabitant per year, sometimes committing the city annually all the way up to 2020..

The Belgian cities and municipalities committed to give financial back-up are Affligem, Amay, Antwerpen, Beersel, Boechout, Bornem, Brasschaat, Brugge, Brussels, Dendermonde, Durbuy, Eeklo, Forest (Vorst), Geetbets, Gent, Habay, Hamois, Hamont-Achel, Hasselt, Hechtel-Eksel, Heist-op-den-Berg, Herzele, Huy, Ichtegem, Ieper, Ingelmunster, Ittre, Kappelle-op-den-Bos, Kapellen, Kaprijke, Knokke-Heist, Kortrijk, Kuurne, Kruibeke, Lennik, Maarkedal, Maaseik, Machelen, Melle, Mesen, Middelkerke, Mortsel, Nazareth, Nijlen, Oostkamp, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Peer, Ravels, Riemst, Rotselaar, Ruiselede, Saint-Leger, Schelle,  Sint-Lievens-Houtem, Sint-Truiden, Stabroek, Staden, Steenokkerzeel, Tielt, Thuin, Voeren, Waasmunster, Waregem, Wetteren, Wortegem-Petegem, Zoersel, Zottegem and Zwijndrecht.

Another important development is that the Mayor of Malakoff has also contacted many French members of Mayors for Peace to encourage them to adopt a similar resolution. In some other countries cross-party letters are being prepared to appeal to solidarity, referring to the Belgian pilot project which has aready registered financial support from 68 Belgian Cities and sees membership continually growing with now 319 member cities (54%) on a total of 598 Belgian cities.