Every month holds reasons related to the history of the peace movement that deserve to be signalled – among these, April assumes a particular meaning.

On April 25, 1974, the Revolution was, itself, an act of peace, paving the way to the end of the colonial wars, to the creation of new countries whose people conquered their national independence or to the full relationship of Portugal with all the peoples of the world.

The Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation (CPPC) salutes the 48th. anniversary of the April Revolution, one of the most notable events in the history of Portugal.

On this date, we honour the April soldiers and all the men and women who fought against the dictatorship in factories, fields and schools, paving the way for the revolution, which made it possible to respond to the just aspirations of our people who for decades longed for a society of freedom, justice, progress, fraternity and peace.

Since 1974, April 17 marks an international day to express solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners who remain in Israeli prisons.

There are thousands of Palestinian political prisoners, including minors, who are jailed in Israeli prisons, many of them under so-called administrative detentions - arbitrary detentions, issued by the Israeli military and approved by its military courts, which can be continually renewed, imposing years of imprisonment without charges or trial.

April 4 marks the 73rd. anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). It has been 73 years of unjustifiable existence in the light of the United Nations Charter and 73 years of activity contrary to the principles of peace and disarmament.

On April 2, 1976, the deputies of the Constituent Assembly, elected in the first free elections in our country, adopted and promulgated the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic.

The Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation marks and commemorates the Palestinian Land Day, which is celebrated today, March 30th., reaffirming the end of the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel and the demand for compliance with international law, namely the national rights of the Palestinian people.

The decisions of the NATO and European Union Summits, held on March 24 and 25, in Brussels not only do not contribute to seek a negotiated solution to the war in Ukraine, but align with the escalation of confrontation that they have long been promoting, namely in Eastern Europe and particularly with Russia.

In Lisbon, Porto, Viseu, Évora, Santarém and Couço, on March 10, the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation organised several street actions, gathering hundreds of people all over the country, under the theme "Stop the war, give Peace a chance". They reaffirmed the pressing need to put an end to the escalation of the conflict, promote dialogue and negotiations, reach agreements that serve the interests of peace and cooperation among peoples!

On March 18, the Spanish Government, through its Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, supported the Kingdom of Morocco's intention to continue the illegal occupation of territories in Western Sahara, through a so-called 'statute of autonomy'.

The change of position by the Spanish Government is contrary to international law and disregards the resolutions adopted within the framework of the United Nations. These resolutions establish the respect and fulfilment of the inalienable right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people.

The Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation (CPPC) followed with great concern the worsening situation in Eastern Europe, which led to a new escalation in the military confrontation that has been taking place in Ukraine since 2014 and to the military intervention by the
Russian Federation in that country.