PRESS RELEASE: No to AI and Tech for war! Groups launch Shut Down Pax Silica Campaign Network in lead up to United Nations General Assembly

For Immediate Release

Contact: Joell Manguerra, info@bayanusa.org, (503) 867-8380

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No to AI and Tech for war! Groups launch Shut Down Pax Silica Campaign Network in lead up to United Nations General Assembly

New York, USA — On September 20th, grassroots organizations across the United States launched the Shut Down Pax Silica Campaign Network to challenge the U.S.-led initiative to expand artificial intelligence and tech manufacturing capabilities of the U.S. The launch included an in-person event in Queens, New York and virtual watch parties all across the country reaching over 500 in attendance. It comes just a day before the start of the 81st UN General Assembly where member states aim to tackle war, artificial intelligence, and climate change.

"Data centers wouldn't exist without minerals, and without the production of technology that can be used in many ways. Without minerals, there won't be any microchips, batteries, sensors, or any weapons used in the current military war machine of the Pentagon. It's the same technology being used to bomb Iran, Palestine, and to wage war in so many places," said Alab Mirasol Ayroso, a member of the National Secretariat of AGHAM, a Philippine-based organization advocating for science and technology for the people.

Pax Silica was signed by 25 other countries, including South Korea. Winter Oh of Nodutdol, an organization of diasporic Koreans, said "AI is very integrated with war production. In South Korea, they unveiled plans to invest 880 billion dollars for AI chip manufacturing. South Korean troops are being used for war – for example the U.S. requested to take THADD [the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system] for the Iran war. It's never just about our country."

The Network describes the Philippines as Pax Silica's "Ground Zero" or testing ground for the further expansion and consolidation of the initiative globally. The Philippines is the only country that has agreed to provide land and resources to the U.S. Dr. Giovanni Tapang, convenor of the Philippines-based Network to Oppose Pax Silica, stated that "Our land, energy, water, and future are being given away: 4,000 acres of farmland; 65-90 million liters of water per day demanded against a dry season that will rob the farmers of water; 3 gigawatts of power, 1/5 of the nation's generation reserved for foreign fabrication and data centers. Pax Silica is for U.S. control of the supply chain and not for the industrialization for the Philippines."

Filipinos have shown growing mass opposition to Pax Silica with protests regularly held outside the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines denouncing the plunder and standing against the displacement of the Aeta indigenous people from their ancestral domain and poor farmers from their livelihood.

Referring to the critical minerals deal, "Trump organized 54 countries around the world in order to establish a critical minerals trading block. The imperative was two fold. To secure the critical mineral supply chain while at the same time combating China’s dominance in the sector" said Maurice Carney of Friends of the Congo. "It is vital that global organizers, grassroots organizations, local communities, indigenous communities join together and resist the empire, and offer alternatives," he continues.

Conflict in views about AI development arise between world leaders as the UN General Assembly High Level debate approaches. "Artificial Intelligence development for war and mass surveillance has risen as a major priority for the fascists and imperialists. These projects extract immense wealth and resources from colonies and semi-colonies in order to sustain the illusion of stability in the advanced capitalist countries like the U.S. The AI weapons technology developed only draws the people of the world more into the crosshairs of war while imperialist states, finance oligarchs, and weapons corporations amass more wealth," asserts Tino Valen, Chairperson of the International League of Peoples' Struggle-U.S., one of the convening organizations of the Network.

"We will not allow the U.S. to bend the world to its AI supply chain," stated Nieves Delgado Chairperson of BAYAN USA, an alliance of Filipino organizations with the common goal of national industrialization, genuine democracy and sovereignty in the Philippines. She ended the program emphasizing that as Filipinos in the U.S. they reject the profit-driven technology for mass surveillance and imperialist wars especially as it is conducted on their homeland of the Philippines. "Through this launch of the Shut Down Pax Silica Network, we will fight back and call on others to join us."

Dr. Tapang called on the participants to "take this fight into the heart of the empire, organize in every workplace and help us bury Pax Silica where it was born." As of this writing, the Network has received 50 sign-ons.

The Network will continue to take action on September 22 as Trump addresses the UN General Assembly.

The Shut Down Pax Silica Campaign Network was convened by BAYAN USA, International League of Peoples’ Struggles U.S. (ILPS-US), International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines U.S. (ICHRP-US), Association of Filipino Scientists in America, Science for the People of NYC, and Liyang Network. Learn more about the Shut Down Pax Silica Network and the No to War and Plunder Week of Action from September 20-27: ilps.us/shutdownpaxsilica

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