Just published - Summer equinox 2025
HREN, Marko, Peace movement in Slovenia 1984-1993; Rethinking demilitarisation and nonviolent strategies 40 years after the peak of Slovene Pacifist Movement.
4/23/20251 min read
Academy Staroslavov Hram Research Papers, UPASANA, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2025.
While we are in a need of new realutopia, facing the rhetoric of colonial age and warfare, we are at the same time in a need to strive against amnesia as regards to past achievements of our previous pan-European realutopian visions. This volume addresses both, a realutopia of Slovene and European peace movement from half a century ago and a desperate need to develop a pro-active pan-European project, positive vision for Europe and its neighbourhood that would add fire for a new melting process for the pending iron curtain, or better say, iron shield. At the moment, we do not see lighthouses of nonviolence, visible demilitarisation campaigns and civil resistance on the planet, comparable to Gandhian struggle, or to Intifada in Palestine or Switzerland without an Army initiative, or Costa Rica without an Army, or the continuously evoking campaigns in Austrias neutrality, that inspired and enriched pan European resistance to iron curtain in second half of previous century.. The absence of pan-European movement makes the search for new realutopia harder, since cross-regional solidarity is a key enabler for campaigning. In this tough European narrative, Werner Wintersteiners’ new book, titled More Security, No Weapons, (De Mehr sicherheit ohne waffen) triggered current meditation on the topic – the paper published here in English, is included in this book in German version. The Winersteiners title itself is a wow of a RealUtopian.
May the Werener Wintersteiners’ new edition contribute to new awakening of perennial visions!