Manifest “Sustainable Peace: Our View” / Манифест «Устойчивый мир: наш взгляд»
2024-02-20 |This manifesto is initiated by the Platform of Civic, Anti-War and Humanitarian Initiatives and was prepared by a collective of the authors
Манифест инициирован участниками Платформы гражданских, антивоенных и гуманитарных инициатив и подготовлен коллективом авторов
Read the Manifesto in English.
About the Manifesto
In the context of Russia’s ongoing full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, the main goal of Russian civil society is to achieve a just peace based on the principles of international law, in a form that will be recognized as just by Ukrainians themselves.
We, the authors of this manifesto, representatives of Russian civil society and anti-war initiatives, understand that dialogue between Ukrainian and Russian societies cannot be resumed in the context of continuing aggression. However, we hold ourselves responsible for formulating a vision of post-war justice and peace in order to contribute to the achievement of these goals by all means available to us.
We are fully aware that the actions of the Russian leadership and all those complicit in the crime of aggression cannot go unpunished. A ceasefire, the return of territory and the payment of reparations are not sufficient guarantees for sustainable peace to be established. Only the complete transformation of Russia into a democratic, free society built on the principles of the rule of law; overcoming the painful legacy of large-scale human rights violations by the leadership of the USSR, the Russian authorities in Ukraine and other states, as well as within Russia itself; society’s realization of its responsibility for the crimes committed by the regime, as well as the total dismantling of the ideology of militarism and imperialism can be the guarantee of peace in the future.
We agree with the authors of the Ukrainian Sustainable Peace Manifesto that a return to the pre-war status quo in international relations is no longer possible. We support the need to create new conditions for international security and peace. Only this will make it possible to resolve issues of international relations from the position of law, and not force, so that Russia cannot again become a threat to peace and Ukraine.
We realize that this manifesto is just one attempt to respond to a huge and complex set of problems that our time has posed to Russian civil society and experts. Our answers to many of these questions are not clear-cut and would not be acceptable to all. That is why we are open to discussion and would like to continue the conversation.
In Chapter 1 of the manifesto, we talk about the conditions for reconciliation with Ukraine. Chapter 2 talks about transitional justice, without which Russia will not be able to build either a just or sustainable peace with Ukraine or a democracy based on the rule of law. Chapter 3 takes a closer look at Russia’s transition to democracy, and Chapter 4 looks at how to achieve a sustainable peace.
The war against Ukraine and the dictatorship in Russia may continue for years to come. Unfortunately, scenarios where there is further escalation and expansion of the war cannot be ruled out. Russia may continue to occupy territories and destroy Ukraine and other countries. Internal repression is likely to intensify. Therefore, we are convinced that it is essential to act now, without waiting for a ceasefire, peace treaty or other way of ending the war.
We believe it is necessary to prepare, expand and defend the vision of a future sustainable peace and to build processes, mutual relations and mechanisms that can lead to it. We discuss below what a just peace can be. To get closer to it, we need, in particular, to publicly and privately support Ukraine’s rights, advocate for its territorial integrity, and defend the need for broad, multilateral international support for Ukraine by all means necessary.
The movement towards a just peace includes direct support for all those who have experienced or are experiencing violence, persecution, pressure and manipulation by the Russian regime. This applies, first and foremost, to Ukrainians. This includes opposing and documenting Russian crimes, assisting civil society in Russia, helping persecuted groups, minorities, political prisoners, and all those who find themselves exposed to the acts of the unlawful state. There is an immediate need to develop a concept of overcoming war and dictatorship and to build broad coalitions for this purpose.