Photos: (iM COCKSY)N Al EP Thompson - ducked crucial questions. Inset youth march against the missiles. about to arrive.
than the second European Nuclear Disarmament But hopes that ther Berlin gathering would be able to play this vital role were badly disappointed.
There was plenty of enamong the 3000 or so participants from al OVCI Western Europe (as well Japan a10l American continent) the movements of the East could only send messages - but the only concrete proposal to emerge from the proceedings was that of a series of referenda By Günter Minnerup Perhaps most significantly, only a hundred delegates rapidly shrinking below twenty as the evening wore on - attended the workshop But the group decide to devote MOs its precious time to a discussion problem converting armament industries to the production peaceful rather than the preparation of industrial action against the missiles.
Was it simply a problem of social composition of the participants? To somme exicil certainly was.
Rather than an assembly of the European peace movery mash the much was gathering of one particular section of it - the young middle class, professional as far as the dominant German element was concerned least 'green-alternative' wing.
Trade-unionists, pecially the manual unions, were very thinly spread indeed.
But at root the problem was of the political intentions of the organisers. To be fair, they What better opportunity to hammer out a cohad not intended the convention to be a decision-making one in preparation for the autumn confrontations.
In the words of Ken Coates, speaking opening day: 'Our plenary meeungs are not central le our activity in the way that of Ilall comicica parties or unions have established work will not result in pro their central forums Our clamations, but in joint agreement and common activities'.
These were to spring spontaneously various workshops some useful ideas did in deed emerge from the exCame or cocuca different Collies But the central how to stop the missiles. -remained unanswered.
Even representative, nondecision making assembly such as this convention however, have made an important contribution to Lte coming struggles by advancing the process clarification. But it was in this area that the political confusion of the vi causels . was most counterproductive.
Some of the problems that a convention on the general theme of 'A nuclear-free Europe fron Portugal to Poland' would lave already become apparent well before Berlin: choice of the divided city as the venue had been considered by of the END initiators as 'too provocative', and the massive attacks made on END b Yuri Zhukov, Yuri Zhue official Soeset the Peace Council, ther pushed END into the defensive.
In the event, one gainimpression general tendency on the part of the organisers sweep controversy under the carpet gloss. over the fundamental differences dividing them on the crucial strategic questions Eastern Europe the German question, detente - and get the whole thing over with:
No wonder there was a unaccumen dissatisfaction among the Pheir frustration down to particıpants Many the ridiculously unsuitable venue, gigantic ultramodern 'space capsule' by exiled East German singer Wolf Biermann - which never allowed an atmosphere of militancy and solidarity to develop.
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THIS IS AN important year for the peace move- ment, a year of decision. The deployment of Cruise and Pershing missiles in Europe will begin later this year, at Greenham Common the first Cruise are
ordinated international campaign of action then convention which took place in West Berlin from