From Helsingborg to Ankara: Global Voices on NATO, Militarization, and Welfare
Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Time: 18:00–19:30 CEST (16:00–17:30 UTC)
This online gathering takes place alongside the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden (May 21–22), which is expected to emphasize increased defence spending. Such commitments risk undermining efforts toward peace, social justice, and effective responses to the climate and environmental crisis.
The gathering will bring together diverse perspectives, creating space for critical discussion and constructive alternatives, while fostering intergenerational dialogue and amplifying younger voices.
Together, we call for: no NATO expansion, no nuclear weapons, no increased defence spending, no to military bases, welfare not warfare, climate justice instead of military spending, and an end to global militarization.
This event will connect voices globally to strengthen alliances and build momentum toward the NATO Summit in Ankara in July, promoting a shared vision of peace, justice, and sustainability.
The initiative is supported by international peace networks, including the:
- International Peace Bureau (IPB)
- World BEYOND War (WBW)
- Global Women for Peace United Against NATO (GWUAN)
- World Social Assembly of Struggles and Resistances of the WSF
- Friends of the Earth Sweden
- stoppanato.nu