Asia-Europe People's Forum V (ASEM V), Hanoi, Vietnam

The following resolution was adopted by acclamation this morning, Sept. 8, 2004

The Fifth ASEM People's Forum, meeting in Hanoi, today, Sept. 8, 2004

 - extends its solidarity to the families and friends of Simona Torretta and Simona Pari and to the association "Bridge to Baghdad”

- appeals to the persons who abducted the two Italian pacifists to free them immediately.

Simona Torretta and Simona Pari are in Iraq to build solidarity and peace projects.  They belong to the association "Bridge to Baghdad" that has been working for a long time against the embargo and against the war.  They were implementing humanitarian projects to build clean water systems and to make medicine and food accessible to the Iraqi people.

The two volunteers, like millions of other people in the world, refuse to accept a logic according to which one should choose to be either on the side of the warlords or the side of  terrorism.  They choose to be committed to peace, in defence of life, against all symbols of death and against the logic of violence.  Nothing will stop their commitment.

We will maintain in every part of the world, particularly in Europe and Asia, our actions against war, for the immediate withdrawal of all the occupation forces from Iraq, and for the self determination of the Iraqi people and all the peoples of the world.