On November 11th,  1918 the First World war ended in Belgium and therefore it is a national holiday.

On the 11th of November 2024 – the Belgian Coalition Stop Uranium weapons contributed to the tribute to the statue of “the Unknown Wartime Women – Peace needs Women” in Leuven, Belgium.

The “Unknown Soldier” has always been recognised nationally. But how did women experience war and how have they lived through ethnic conflict as women? What was their role during wars? What did they undertake for peace?

In war and conflict women suffer in very specific ways, different from men. For this reason, do women have their own approach to war and conflict? The statue of the Unknown Wartime Woman is a positive answer to this question. Because of the suffering women endure and their vulnerability in war and conflict, women can make an important contribution to peace and solidarity.

After the flower ceremony at the statue, the Belgian Coalition members organised an information event at the nearby “Groot Ongelijk” café.

Lieve Dekinder spoke clearly about the actual situation of the use of DU weapons in war zones:

“The International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons is closely monitoring the possible use of these weapons in the wars in Ukraine and GAZA . It is known that Russia has weapons with depleted uranium and that UK and the US have sent weapons with depleted uranium to Ukraine. Officially, the use of DU weapons in this war is not mentioned, but there are indications of its use.

Israel possesses weapons with depleted uranium, though it is suspected that they could have been used in Gaza but there is no evidence yet that they have been actually been used in this war.

It is very important that official information is made public. So that the contaminated areas are documented and that people can be protected. This should be at the considered very seriously during reconstruction work after the war has ended.

That is why the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons is monitoring this situation as closely as possible.”

In a world where fear and uncertainty seem to overshadow everything, practising hope and holding on to our mission and ideas about the kind of world we want to live in, is essential.

But in the face of these overwhelming challenges, we continue to rely on principled organising, our collective action, our shared purpose, and a commitment to our values.

11 November 2024 – Ria Verjauw – ICBUW

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