General

International Peace Coalition, Week 122

by EIR Staff

Oct. 3—Helga Zepp LaRouche opened the 122nd weekly meeting of the International Peace Coalition (IPC) by calling on members to study the speech given by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Valdai Club meeting this week and circulate it to every political and institutional leader. She emphasized that Putin had made clear that Russia has no interest nor intention to invade Europe, and that the hysteria being riled up about Russian planes and drones threatening Europe was “nonsense.” Putin said that the European people do not support the “deafening” war mongering from their leaders and the media. He said that, as in 1914, it is the Europeans who are provoking a war.

On Gaza, Mrs. LaRouche said that the world is increasingly disgusted, as demonstrated by the general strike in Italy (which is reported to have a million people on the streets), and two demonstrations in Germany against the government’s policy for building up for war on Russia. She called for more support for the Oasis Plan and attention to the need for a power- and water-development plan for the entire Southwest Asian region, and for a global new paradigm for development and security for all nations.

Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian international lawyer, executive director of Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) and co-founder of Nonviolence International, among other activities, noted that there have now been two years of Israeli genocide, “in the public eye, in the light of day, despite the incredible denials by Israel.” We are witnessing the “destruction of international law,” he warned, but we must fight to retain a system of international law by all means. Trump’s policy is that international law doesn’t matter, only power, and that those with power can do whatever they want. The Gaza “peace plan” is just an ultimatum, that Israel has the power and thus can do what it wants. Hamas may accept it anyway, simply out of desperation to end the daily slaughter. The Oasis Plan demonstrates the international policy which must be adopted. People must act in the absence of government actions, he said.

Asked why he had written about some successes by the Palestinians over these years of genocide, he answered that it was to overcome despair, and to let people know that their struggle has increasingly inspired people around the world to support them, especially youth, university students, and even many Jews, and for calls for Palestinian statehood.

A Thorn in the Side of Unilateralism

Prof. Lier Pires Ferreira, of the Center for BRICS Studies (NuBRICS) at the Fluminense Federal University of Brazil, attacked “Trumpism” for its assault against Brazil. Brazil, he said, following its era of dictatorship, established relations with Russia, China, and others while also maintaining friendly relations with the U.S., but President Bolsonaro (2019-2023) ended that, aligning only with the U.S. Trumpism and the extreme right, he said, use the media and “big tech” to spread disinformation and lies. Trump is targeting the BRICS, and the Lula government in Brazil, because it is a “thorn in the side of unilateralism.” He strongly promoted the idea that water is a “public good, not a commodity” and is key to sovereign development—one of the central tenets of the LaRouche Oasis Plan.

Zepp-LaRouche agreed that we must join forces internationally, but added that it must include development as a core of any solution. She pointed to China’s extraordinary development, noting a recently completed water project larger than any other in the world, saying that, if people understood that such development were possible, they would be better able to unite for a new paradigm.

Former Guyanese President Donald Ramotar said the so-called Gaza peace plan is not a peace plan at all, but a plan to retain Israeli and U.S. domination. The U.S. is “not an impartial broker,” and other countries should assert themselves as impartial brokers. Kuttab agreed, but said it is not a question of impartial brokers, but of a “framework for discussion” based on international law, rather than “fiat” by the powerful.

Steve Starr, a renowned nuclear-weapons expert, began by announcing that he was no longer teaching at the University of Missouri, which had dismissed him, due to his talking about genocide in Gaza and related issues, but that he was continuing his work to expose the extreme danger of nuclear war. He noted that the New START Treaty would expire in February 2026 if a new treaty is not negotiated. If it expires, the number of nuclear weapons and delivery systems will essentially double, he warned. He also warned that if the plan to send nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine proceeds, it will mean war, likely nuclear war. He closed by showing a clip from Terminator 2, which accurately shows the gruesome impact of a nuclear explosion over a major city, both to human beings and to the infrastructure. Zepp-LaRouche called for Starr’s presentation to be shown to every politician, especially those talking about “winning” a nuclear war.

Department of War: A Rejection of Peace

Larry Johnson, a former CIA intelligence official and a member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), began by noting that the Trump pronouncement that the Department of Defense will be called the Department of War is an intentional rejection of the idea behind the creation of the Department of Defense after World War II, which was to declare that there would be no more wars. Now the U.S. has warships and war planes on Venezuela’s border and in bases in Puerto Rico, which can not be sustained for long, leading Johnson to conclude that there will be a war on Venezuela within days or a week.

On Trump’s declaration that Hamas must accept the “peace plan” within four days or there would be “Hell to pay,” he ponders whether or not Trump has been watching what has gone on in Gaza over the past two years, which is already pure Hell. On Ukraine, the Russians are moving forward rapidly, and he suspects they plan to finish the operation within about three months.

Father Harry Bury, a long-time international peace advocate, submitted a video statement. He said he had formed a non-violence movement in the Twin Cities, where he lives, and that the mayors of those cities had declared the cities to be “non-violent,” while advancing efforts to educate former gang members to gain employment. He said he has partnered with the Schiller Institute on the Oasis Plan, a concept already being implemented by the BRICS nations around the world for development as a basis for peace, calling on the U.S. to cooperate with the BRICS.

Asuka Burke of the Schiller Institute gave a report on the international call with youth around the world held with Zepp-LaRouche this past week, with 60 participants from countries across Africa, Europe, Ibero America, and the U.S.

A comment posted by one participant said: “I am 78 years old, but I’d like to be part of the Youth Movement.” Mrs. LaRouche responded that he and other older people are totally welcome to join.

Another questioner observed that there could be no peace without justice. Zepp-LaRouche responded that justice had to include development for all nations, or it would not be just. She pointed to the Peace of Westphalia, which included justice, but also forgiveness, without which there would be no peace. IPC co-moderator Dennis Small added, in a variation of the famous concept by Pope Paul VI, “the new name for justice is development.”

Christoph Mohs of the Schiller Institute gave a report on two rallies for peace in Germany today, in Berlin and Stuttgart, with about 30,000 people. This included the distribution of many leftists, but also attendance by many “regular people,” many youth, and many Jews. Prof Jeffrey Sachs addressed both rallies by video, noting that it was the Western nations, not Russia, who cancelled the nuclear treaties, and that the Europeans refuse to even talk to Russia today.

Zepp-LaRouche closed the meeting with a call for distributing both Father Harry Bury’s statement to churches around the world and the presentation from Steve Starr on the horror of nuclear war.

International Peace Coalition, No. 119

The 119th consecutive weekly meeting of the International Peace Coalition (IPC) began with remarks by Helga Zepp-LaRouche, Schiller Institute Founder and initiator of the International Peace Coalition. She said that “the world is completely out of order,” cataloguing the latest eruptions: the uproar about Russian drones over Poland, the Israeli attack on Qatar, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and others. She warned that the Kirk assassination can be seen as a warning to U.S. President Donald Trump, and the bombing of Qatar is another manifestation of the law of the jungle, which could be the final nail in the coffin of peace negotiations. The only “plus point” is that for the first time, all five members of the UN Security Council denounced the Qatar attack, with no U.S. veto.

She added that the common denominator in the violent acts around the world is that they all represent a reaction to the emerging new world economic order. A new development of the highest importance for the emerging order is China President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative, which echoes her Ten Principles of a New International Security and Development Architecture.

Donald Ramotar, former President of Guyana, focused on the tensions in the Caribbean region. He rejected Venezuela’s claim to two-thirds of the territory of Guyana, but also reminded the participants of U.S. attacks on Guyanese sovereignty in 1962, much as the United States is trying to bring about regime-change in Venezuela today. In the Caribbean, fear of U.S. sanctions is a major factor, after what has been done to Cuba and Venezuela. U.S. sanctions against a Brazilian judge are unprecedented interference in the internal affairs of a South American nation.

Regarding Trump’s justification of his assault on Venezuela, claiming that its government is a drug cartel, Ramotar reminded the participants that Pino Arlacchi, who served as the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has characterized Venezuela’s anti-drug cooperation as one of the best. The issue is not drugs, Ramotar said, it is oil. Since President Nixon declared the War on Drugs in the 1970s, the drug scourge has gotten much worse. The use of the military to combat it has failed.

Looking at the global outbreak of violence referenced by Zepp-LaRouche, Ramotar asserted, “It is a clear sign of desperation and a new aggressiveness on the part of the NATO countries…. Gaza is being used in order to destroy international laws and international institutions.” He called the Ukraine war “a failed attempt to destabilize Russia.”

Shakeel Ramay, Political Economist and CEO of the Asian Institute of Eco-Civilization Research and Development, discussed the 2025 Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, saying that it should be a step toward a multipolar world, not a multibloc world. SCO has facilitated the resolution of conflicts, unlike NATO and similar “bloc” organizations. The SCO Development Bank will be created, complementing the efforts of other Global South organizations. Xi’s Global Governance Initiative is intended to combat the residual Cold War mentality. China respects diversity in its own society, and follows a people-centered policy; this approach can be applied globally.

Prof. Fernando Garzon, architect, urban planner, and leader of the Ecuadorian-Palestinian Union, referenced Ramotar’s warnings about regional tensions, noting that there are 25-30 U.S. and European military bases in the Caribbean, which represent a threat.

Turning to the issue of Palestine, he said that all members of the UN should recognize the Palestinian state and make it a full member. He called for the transfer of UN meetings to Geneva to include Palestinian representatives, and said we should hold corporations accountable for their participation in crimes in Gaza. Francesca Albanese has carried out an important study on this. We should consider sending armed forces into Gaza, and implementing UN Resolution 377, Uniting for Peace.

Jacques Cheminade, head of the Solidarité et Progrès party of France, dissected the confused and impotent foreign policy of his nation. Macron’s goal of sending troops to Ukraine provides targets for Russian missiles, and is rejected by the French population. “France has neither the money nor the weapons for what they pretend to do.”

An EIR video interview with Jonathan Kuttab, co-founder of Nonviolence International and executive director of Friends of Sabeel North America, was presented. He began by saying, “On the Palestinian side there is a strong feeling of helplessness, but not hopelessness.” Israelis know that their conduct is unacceptable to the world, but their attitude is “So what? We can do whatever we want.” Israel has a new sense of impunity. In response to a question on the role of the British in the Middle East, he said, “The British are behind every evil thing that happens in the world…. Many people think that they are also manipulating the United States itself.”

“We really need international law,” said Kuttab, including the Israelis. The Israelis are very shortsighted if they think they can ignore international norms. What would it take for nations to support UN Resolution 377? It will take pressure from ordinary people on their governments.

Zepp-LaRouche responded by saying that if the Palestinian delegates to the UN do not receive visas, we should mobilize the IPC to move the General Assembly meeting to Geneva. AOC is cancelling her appearance in North Carolina due to security concerns after the Kirk assassination. “The role of the British subversion of the American republic needs to be addressed,” she said, because it is the root cause of the destructive campaign for a “unipolar world.” She urged everyone to sign the new statement from the Schiller Institute.

Ramotar asserted that the BRICS is offering a viable alternative to the collapsing colonial system, and the ongoing aggression and sabotage is intended to wreck international law, replacing it with the “survival of the fittest” where the colonial forces hope to come out on top.

Discussion Period

In response to a question, IPC co-moderator Dennis Speed asked Zepp-LaRouche to elaborate on the 10th principle of her proposal for a New International Security and Development Architecture, that humans are essentially good. She responded by saying that when you are confronted with a great evil, we need to have love, and that is most difficult. If you don’t have that love, you cannot find a solution. Rage short-circuits your reason. Man has an infinite capacity for self-perfection, not only of the mind, but for the improvement of one’s character.

Cheminade suggested that Resolution 377 is often misunderstood as a way to trigger military intervention. Its effectiveness is to present a consensus of the world community and to isolate Israel, leading to boycotts and a halt to weapons sales, and to touch the consciences of Israelis.

A participant questioned whether the recognition of a Palestinian state would deter Israel, which has attacked numerous sovereign states. Speed emphasized the importance of intervening with their representatives at the upcoming UN General Assembly session and vowed that the Schiller Institute and The LaRouche Organization would have a regular presence there. Ramotar insisted that Israel will not stop because they see the opportunity to realize the dream of a Greater Israel, with the acquiescence of the U.S. He castigated the Arab countries for their passivity, saying that “we have to shame them.”

In her concluding remarks, Zepp-LaRouche urged everyone to pressure their governments in the context of the upcoming UNGA meeting. The SCO conference showed a new confidence in the nations of the Global South, and we have to convince the citizens of the Global North/Global West to give up their arrogance and cooperate with the Global Majority.

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Aug. 29, 2025 (EIRNS)—The 117th consecutive weekly meeting of the International Peace Coalition (IPC) on Friday, Aug. 29 began with opening remarks by Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche, who charged that the international community is “impotent and doesn’t act” with respect to ending the genocide in Gaza. She reminded the participants that September 18 is the deadline for Israel to comply with International Court of Justice rulings, and should it fail to do so, the UN General Assembly can employ “Uniting for Peace,” UN resolution 377. A two-thirds majority in the General Assembly can decide to send Blue Helmets or a similar military force to break the siege. “We are not just threatening to lose the Palestinian people; we are losing the ability to look into the mirror every morning,” she stressed.

Germany, France and the U.K. have activated the “snapback,” an ultimatum to Iran for inspections of nuclear sites. The last time that Iran attempted to cooperate with the West, the U.S. engaged in fake negotiations to set them up for an attack. The sanctions regime imposed upon Iran has caused more than 500,000 deaths from hunger and lack of medical care.

Zepp-LaRouche commented upon the new German theory for how the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage was carried out. She said that the tale of a “small sailboat with practically hobby-divers” who supposedly carried out the crime, is viewed with skepticism internationally. This act of terrorism caused a rift between Europe and Russia, and marked the beginning of the German economic collapse. Russia points out that if there is not a proper investigation, no infrastructure anywhere in the world is secure. Zepp-LaRouche deplored the present political climate in her homeland of Germany, where military leaders are holding highly secretive meetings in preparation for war.

Fortunately, the September 3 meeting in Beijing will help consolidate the global majority. On the same day, more than 6,000 firms will attend the Vladivostok Forum, where Arctic development is on the agenda. We will push to include the Bering Strait tunnel as a key element for our perspective of global peace through development. Zepp-LaRouche joked that perhaps Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize because his bullying has brought China and India closer together.

Dr. Georgy D. Toloraya, Executive Director, Russian National Committee on BRICS Research; Director, Asian Strategy Center, Institute of Economics; and Chief Researcher, Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences, said that the Beijing meeting will be a milestone, because the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will offer a declaration for how the Eurasian countries can jointly address the world crisis. Also, there will be a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of war in the Pacific, and the Vladivostok Forum. Toloraya said that we have stepped back a bit from the threshold of nuclear war, but the situation is still very concerning.

Zepp-LaRouche replied that the voice of the Global South is being heard clearly in the collective West. All problems could be solved easily if we can change the mindset from confrontation to cooperation. In response, Toloraya said that this will not be easy, because egoism and exploitation is deeply ingrained in the so-called “golden billion,” and supported by military force and psychological warfare. Zepp-LaRouche came back saying that the golden billion is not a homogeneous group, and that Western leaders do not enjoy popular support; the collapsing economy will further erode what support they have. A clear offer of cooperation from the Global South, for joint ventures to develop the South, would have an impact. There is much room for intervention, which is what we should concentrate on. Toloraya said that Russians were hopeful that Trump’s election was an expression of the desire for change in the U.S., but the results so far have been disappointing.

Graham Fuller, former U.S. diplomat, CIA official, and Islamic scholar, said that “Ukraine is just the symptom of a much deeper malaise between the U.S. and Russia.” He is “very excited by the Schiller Institute’s idea of the land-bridge,” but political obstacles, particularly Russophobia in the U.S., are daunting; people will talk about hordes of communists rushing across the Bering Strait. He charged that the British created Russophobia, fearing that Russians might invade their crown jewel of India. In the U.S., we deported Russian ballerinas and musicians to keep the U.S. “pure.” Fuller proposed to make Ronald Reagan the poster boy for better relations with Russia, because he enjoys a good reputation in the U.S., and we could revitalize his image as a great patriot who was “a proponent of getting along with Russia.”

Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), thanked Fuller, who played the role equivalent to what today is DNI, for his “tour d’horizon.” He said that there is hope because Putin and Xi are in no rush. The world is shifting toward the majority.

Zepp-LaRouche said that there is something beautiful about humanity which gives her optimism, but she still can’t understand what is wrong with leaders who are willing to risk its extinction. “What does it help you to have riches, if everything is destroyed in the end?” she demanded to know. Lamenting again the condition of her homeland, she said, “You have to shout loud into Germany,” to awaken some of these Germans who are sleepwalking.

IPC moderator Anastasia Battle reported on her recent experiences in organizing in Germany, saying that people don’t share the Russophobia of their leaders, and it would be good if Russia’s leaders could directly address the European populace, and specifically anti-war demonstrators. McGovern, back from a week in Germany himself, pronounced, “It’s the media.” German media are worse than in the U.S. and as bad as in Britain. Russia stopped short of taking Kiev because they believed in the Minsk accords. Russia does not wish to expand its territory. He offered another joke: Why is Tony Blair involved in the Gaza negotiations? Because Satan was unavailable this week.

Discussion

Purnima Anand is the president of the BRICS International Forum, a civil society organization based in Delhi, India. She said that India will find new trading partners in response to the tariffs announced by Trump. India trades in large volumes with both Russia and the U.S., so why the complaints from the American administration? “America cannot always be number one, Europe cannot always be colonizers.”

Toloraya emphasized that “BRICS is open to cooperation with the West,” but lamented that the West isn’t interested.

Returning again to the sad state of Germany, Zepp-LaRouche reported that nurses there are being advised that they must be prepared to treat wounded NATO soldiers before caring for civilians. She touched upon the insolvency of the U.S. and the West, saying: “I think we are going into a very stormy period…. I think that what happened in 2007-2008 will be the proverbial peanuts” compared to the collapse we are faced with now.

The question of Trump’s threats toward Venezuela, and his claim that its government is a “drug cartel,” came up. IPC co-moderator Dennis Small reminded the participants that when the British HSBC bank was caught laundering over $60 billion for the Sinaloa Cartel, it faced no consequences.

In concluding remarks, Fuller asked, “Will we block the BRICS at every turn, or will we join them for something that could be very rich?” Returning to his proposal to promote Ronald Reagan as a model for U.S.-Russian détente, Zepp-LaRouche recalled that in his proposal for the Strategic Defense Initiative, Reagan offered cooperation with Russia on making nuclear weapons obsolete, an idea taken from her late husband, Lyndon LaRouche.

Moderator Battle posted a link to the names of 97 prominent endorsers of the “Urgent Appeal to Presidents Xi, Trump and Putin To Meet on Commemoration of VJ Day, Sept. 3.” eir