The Iraq war provides an opportunity for the No Bases network to connect with the already existing greater global movements, including the peace movement, the movement against economic exploitation and the movement for global justice. This process of frame-extension, i.e. issue linkage to provide a more powerful platform for the movement, can be observed through the several conferences and meetings between the No Bases Network and several other organizations. This allows to shed light on the issue-linkage, process of framing, or "grafting" while it provides a greater understanding of the growth of the No Bases Network to a global movement. The framing can therefore be understood as an inherent (intentional or unintentional?) process of expanding the local movements to take stage globally.
Foreign military bases can affect daily lives in host countries differently. These effects can reach from negative effects on women, children, the environment or the population as a whole. In an attempt to provide a master frame to these diverse ramifications of the military base presence, the No Bases network employs the notion of injustice to provide an argument against bases.
The
Jakarta peace consensus in 2003 endorses the concerns that the No Base network highlights in their fight against increasing militarism anchoring their justifications in the global peace or anti-war movement. Organizations such as the International War Crimes Tribunal, World Says No to Bush Campaign and others attended the Jakarta peace conference to call for action against occupation of Iraq and the boycott of U.S. products, among other things. The Jakarta peace consensus serves as a specific declaration and plan of action to declare the war in Iraq as unjust. By connecting their issues of
militarization with the momentum gained through the Iraq War, the No Base movement is successful in linking their ambitions to the global peace movement in 2003/2004.
In later attempts to create issue-linkage, the NO Base network attempts to connect their ambitions to the activities of a legitimate international organization, namely the United Nations.
From the Report on the International Conference against Foreign Military Bases held in Havanna City, Cuba. November 7-10, 2005.
“Dr. Olga Miranda Bravo, President of the International Law Association from the National Union of Cuba Jurists delivered a special speech, on the topic "The Right to Self-determination, the Colonial Enclaves and the Foreign Military Bases ". She highlighted the efforts carried out by the UN and the fight against colonialism; a complex fight for the right of the peoples to their sovereignty.”
More recent efforts to strengthen the No Bases network can be seen in the "Network World Conference for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases", held in 2007 in Manta, Ecuador with the objectives of sharing experiences and reaching an objective consensus among organizations that oppose foreign military bases. This conference highlighted the movement's success in moving its agenda to the national government in Ecuador. campaigning activities had forced the Ecuadorian government to oppose the renewal of the U.S. bases in Manta. At this conference, the movement attempts to link the foreign bases presence to issues of sovereignty, security and the environment, which suggests that a frame extension will occur or is currently occurring with regard to the No bases movement.
The Iraq War ultimately creates a platform and an opportunity for the No Base network to connect their issues of concern to the ideas of anti-imperialism and anti-war. The perpetuation of the Iraq War affirms the network's ambitions, showing that foreign bases are only a tool of imperialistic power and exploitation.
Additionally, the No bases network connects to an economic sentiment of exploitation through the global North. This can be in part explained through the already existing connection between the issues of imperialism through the West and economic exploitation through the global North. The NO Bases network, therefore, opposes political and economic hegemony as purported by its supporters.
The current frame does certainly contain some of the ingredients for successful agenda-setting, as it expands upon already existing norms to justify its existence within the global peace and justice movement.
It seems that the No Bases network may reach a "norms overstretch", if it continues to expand its frame to strengthen its network. While there are no inconsistencies in the frame as of now, the No Bases Network may run into connecting with too many networks in their attempt to expand. The question remains whether a network is more successful, if it maintains diffuse and weak relations with other organizations, or whether a stronger and closer relationship provides a better recipe for success.
(Linking that is still in process: Nuclear disarmament)
Process of Framing/ Issue-Linkage:
Local Movements against foreign bases
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Opportunity: Iraq War (2003)
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Linking to movements:
Peace Movement, Economic Independence, Global Justice
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Global NO Bases Network
