Solidarity with Chile and Latin America. 15 May - International CO Day
War Resisters' International | 28.04.2004 14:02
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war resisters' international
an international antimilitarist network, founded in 1921
5 Caledonian Rd London N1 9DX Britain
tel +44-20-7278 4040 fax +44-20-7278 0444
email
info@wri-irg.org 
http://wri-irg.org
London, 28 April 2004
Solidarity with Chile and Latin America
15 May - International Conscientious Objectors' Day
Editorial
The focus of this year’s International Conscientious Objectors’ Day is a country - Chile - but also Latin America in general.
As Javier Garate and P Car-vallo point out in their leading article, militarism is deeply rooted in Chilean society. Even after the return to civilian rule, the military plays an important role in Chilean society. No surprise then, that the right to conscientious objection is still far off in Chile. Although presently no conscientious objectors are imprisoned, those who declare themselves COs refuse to register for the draft, and therefore break the law - they are at the mercy of the authorities, who could easily decide to punish them.
Chile is only one country. Although the situation is different in the different countries of Latin America, conscientious objection is recognised in only a few (see page 2). In some countries - for example Colombia, where a war rages - conscientious objection can take a variety of forms, to refuse to be part of the war on either side.
All this is more than enough reason to focus on conscientious objection in Chile and Latin America. As their fellow COs in Israel, South Korea, or on the Balkans, the CO movements in Latin America need our support, to achieve the right to conscientious objection, and to work for the demilitarisation of Latin American societies.
Andreas Speck
WRI CO Campaigning Worker
Read the full Broken Rifle No 61 on WRI's website at http://wri-irg.org/pubs/br61-en.htm.
Solidarity with Chile and Latin America
15 May - International Conscientious Objectors' Day
The disproportionate influence of militarism in Chile is not entirely due to Pinochet’s military dictatorship (1973-90) but rather is a historical construction that has given character and form to the Chilean nation-state.
Since before even the Portalia-no regime (1830 onwards), the influence of the military, and of military culture, manifested itself in a hierarchical society, controlled by the State that took over social functions from the community and civil society, urban and rural. A national policy was pursued that was at the same time expansionist and centralising, expanding northwards to the coasts of Bolivia and Peru, southwards to the coast of the Mapuche and Patagonian peoples and towards Polynesia. In this advance, society became militarily involved as part of the National Guard and in the colonisation of the territories gained. The army, the military, was presented as the acme of Chilenidad (being Chilean). read more...
International Conscientious Objectors’ Day
International Conscientious Objectors’ Day is celebrated on 15 May since the early 1980’s. It is a day to highlight the struggle of conscientious objectors for the right to conscientious objection, and against war and militarism, globally.
As part of WRI’s programme on The Right to Refuse to Kill, War Resisters’ International aims to establish a tradition of international nonviolent direct action on 15 May in support of a certain CO struggle, accompanied by decentral activities all over the world. In 2002, WRI organised an international nonviolent direct action at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, in support of CO movements on the Balkans. In 2003, WRI and New Profile jointly organised an international training in Tel Aviv, Israel. This year now the international action takes place in Chile, organised by Ni Casco Ni Uniforme.
War Resisters’ International needs hopes that many local activities will take place on 15 May. A very brief overview is given on page 4, but we hope that this is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Please write to War Resisters’ International what you did on May 15th, and send a donation to support the work of War Resisters’ International (for details see pages 3 and 4).
Thank You!
15 May around the world...
Although War Resisters' International's focus for International Conscientious Objectors' Day is Chile and Latin America, activities in different countries obviously respond also to the local situation, while drawing attention to the focus region at the same time.
Britain
There will be a memorial event for conscientious objectors past and present at the commemorative stone for conscientious objectors in Tavistock Square, central London, on 15 May. The event will start at noon.
Some MPs started an Early Day Motion for the British Government to recognise 15 May "as the day upon which the role of conscientious objectors is to be commemorated each year" (EDM 873). However, some conscientious objectors might prefer not to receive government recognition.
Contact for the event: Conscience, Archway Resource Centre, 1b Waterlow Rd, London N19 5NJ; tel +44 20 7561 1061; fax +44 20 7281 6508; email info@conscienceonline.org.uk
Colombia
Red Juvenil is organising a national assembly of conscientious objectors in Medellin from 14-16 May. Contact: Redes Juveniles A.A.52-215, or Calle 47 N 40 53, Medellín; tel +57 4 2923234; email redjuvenil@colomsat.net.co; website www.redjuvenil.org/
Germany
A demonstration will take place in the Northern German city of Münster on 15 May, at which Turkish-Kurdish conscientious objectors who fled from Turkey and applied for asylum in Germany will publicly declare their conscientious objection. The demonstration will begin at 11am at the Prinzipalmarkt in Münster, and will move to the Turkish consulate.
The evening before, a public discussion will be taking place at the ESG, Breul 43 in Münster, starting at 7:30pm
Contact: Redaktion Graswurzelrevolution, Breul 43, 48143 Münster; tel. +49-251-48290-57; fax +49-251-48290-32; email redaktion@graswurzel.net; website www.graswurzel.net
Turkey
The "first traditional militourism festival" will take place in Istanbul on 15th May. The festival will include a tour, a concert, and an exhibition, highlighting the symbols of militarism in Istanbul, and symbols of resistance conscientious objectors. The tour will start at 11am at Haydarpasa Train Station.
Contact: Istanbul Antimilitarist Initiative, tel +90-546-7127931, email iami@savaskarsitlari.org; website www.savaskarsitlari.org
USA
The Center on Conscience and War is organising a day of workshops and seminars on conscientious objection, anti-militarism, counter recruitment and war tax resistance, which will take place at the Church of the Brethren in Washington DC. Prior to 15th May, a lobby day is being organised for the 14th, focused on educating Congress about conscientious objection and how any military draft is not a viable option.
Contact: Center on Conscience and War, 1830 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009, tel +1-202-483-2220, fax +1-202-483-1246, email tsitther@nisbco.org; website www.nisbco.org
Where is your event? What did you do? Let us know! Send us reports and pictures!
Donate to War Resisters' International!
How to make a donation to WRI?
* by standing order which makes it easier for us to plan but let us know.
* by credit card complete details overleaf or use our web facility http://wri-irg.org
* by giro transfer in Euros to War Resisters' International, Bank of Ireland, IBAN IE91 BOFI 9000 9247 41 35 47
* by cheque, money order, or banker's draft in Pound Sterling, US$, or Euros, payable to "WRI".
* (UK only) by giro transfer to WRI, No 5072 7388 Sort Code: 08-60-01, Unity Trust Bank, Nine Brindley Place, 4 Oozells Square, Birmingham B1 2HB
* (UK only) by Charity Aid voucher (CAF), made out to LANSBURY House Trust Fund, 5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX (to request such vouchers, write to: Charities Aid Foundation, Kings Hill, West Mailing, Kent ME19 4TA, or visit www.CAFonline.org)
* (USA only) by sending a tax deductable donation make checks payable to the A.J.Muste Institute
* (USA only) by arranging for regular donations to be sent through your bank's bill payment service
Where to send your donation to:
USA only:
WRI Fund, c/o Ralph di Gia, WRL, 339 Lafayette Street, New York, NY10012
Britain and everywhere else:
WRI, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX
WRI keeps supporters names and addresses on computer, for our sole use. If you do not consent to this, please let us know
--
War Resisters' International
5 Caledonian Road - London N1 9DX - Britain
tel +44-20-7278 4040 - fax +44-20-7278 0444
email info@wri-irg.org http://wri-irg.org
Support War Resisters' International! Donate today!
Online: http://wri-irg.org/en/donate-en.htm
an international antimilitarist network, founded in 1921
5 Caledonian Rd London N1 9DX Britain
tel +44-20-7278 4040 fax +44-20-7278 0444
info@wri-irg.org http://wri-irg.org London, 28 April 2004
Solidarity with Chile and Latin America
15 May - International Conscientious Objectors' Day
Editorial
The focus of this year’s International Conscientious Objectors’ Day is a country - Chile - but also Latin America in general.
As Javier Garate and P Car-vallo point out in their leading article, militarism is deeply rooted in Chilean society. Even after the return to civilian rule, the military plays an important role in Chilean society. No surprise then, that the right to conscientious objection is still far off in Chile. Although presently no conscientious objectors are imprisoned, those who declare themselves COs refuse to register for the draft, and therefore break the law - they are at the mercy of the authorities, who could easily decide to punish them.
Chile is only one country. Although the situation is different in the different countries of Latin America, conscientious objection is recognised in only a few (see page 2). In some countries - for example Colombia, where a war rages - conscientious objection can take a variety of forms, to refuse to be part of the war on either side.
All this is more than enough reason to focus on conscientious objection in Chile and Latin America. As their fellow COs in Israel, South Korea, or on the Balkans, the CO movements in Latin America need our support, to achieve the right to conscientious objection, and to work for the demilitarisation of Latin American societies.
Andreas Speck
WRI CO Campaigning Worker
Read the full Broken Rifle No 61 on WRI's website at
http://wri-irg.org/pubs/br61-en.htm. Solidarity with Chile and Latin America
15 May - International Conscientious Objectors' Day
The disproportionate influence of militarism in Chile is not entirely due to Pinochet’s military dictatorship (1973-90) but rather is a historical construction that has given character and form to the Chilean nation-state.
Since before even the Portalia-no regime (1830 onwards), the influence of the military, and of military culture, manifested itself in a hierarchical society, controlled by the State that took over social functions from the community and civil society, urban and rural. A national policy was pursued that was at the same time expansionist and centralising, expanding northwards to the coasts of Bolivia and Peru, southwards to the coast of the Mapuche and Patagonian peoples and towards Polynesia. In this advance, society became militarily involved as part of the National Guard and in the colonisation of the territories gained. The army, the military, was presented as the acme of Chilenidad (being Chilean). read more...
International Conscientious Objectors’ Day
International Conscientious Objectors’ Day is celebrated on 15 May since the early 1980’s. It is a day to highlight the struggle of conscientious objectors for the right to conscientious objection, and against war and militarism, globally.
As part of WRI’s programme on The Right to Refuse to Kill, War Resisters’ International aims to establish a tradition of international nonviolent direct action on 15 May in support of a certain CO struggle, accompanied by decentral activities all over the world. In 2002, WRI organised an international nonviolent direct action at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, in support of CO movements on the Balkans. In 2003, WRI and New Profile jointly organised an international training in Tel Aviv, Israel. This year now the international action takes place in Chile, organised by Ni Casco Ni Uniforme.
War Resisters’ International needs hopes that many local activities will take place on 15 May. A very brief overview is given on page 4, but we hope that this is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Please write to War Resisters’ International what you did on May 15th, and send a donation to support the work of War Resisters’ International (for details see pages 3 and 4).
Thank You!
15 May around the world...
Although War Resisters' International's focus for International Conscientious Objectors' Day is Chile and Latin America, activities in different countries obviously respond also to the local situation, while drawing attention to the focus region at the same time.
Britain
There will be a memorial event for conscientious objectors past and present at the commemorative stone for conscientious objectors in Tavistock Square, central London, on 15 May. The event will start at noon.
Some MPs started an Early Day Motion for the British Government to recognise 15 May "as the day upon which the role of conscientious objectors is to be commemorated each year" (EDM 873). However, some conscientious objectors might prefer not to receive government recognition.
Contact for the event: Conscience, Archway Resource Centre, 1b Waterlow Rd, London N19 5NJ; tel +44 20 7561 1061; fax +44 20 7281 6508; email
info@conscienceonline.org.uk Colombia
Red Juvenil is organising a national assembly of conscientious objectors in Medellin from 14-16 May. Contact: Redes Juveniles A.A.52-215, or Calle 47 N 40 53, Medellín; tel +57 4 2923234; email
redjuvenil@colomsat.net.co; website www.redjuvenil.org/ Germany
A demonstration will take place in the Northern German city of Münster on 15 May, at which Turkish-Kurdish conscientious objectors who fled from Turkey and applied for asylum in Germany will publicly declare their conscientious objection. The demonstration will begin at 11am at the Prinzipalmarkt in Münster, and will move to the Turkish consulate.
The evening before, a public discussion will be taking place at the ESG, Breul 43 in Münster, starting at 7:30pm
Contact: Redaktion Graswurzelrevolution, Breul 43, 48143 Münster; tel. +49-251-48290-57; fax +49-251-48290-32; email
redaktion@graswurzel.net; website www.graswurzel.net Turkey
The "first traditional militourism festival" will take place in Istanbul on 15th May. The festival will include a tour, a concert, and an exhibition, highlighting the symbols of militarism in Istanbul, and symbols of resistance conscientious objectors. The tour will start at 11am at Haydarpasa Train Station.
Contact: Istanbul Antimilitarist Initiative, tel +90-546-7127931, email
iami@savaskarsitlari.org; website www.savaskarsitlari.org USA
The Center on Conscience and War is organising a day of workshops and seminars on conscientious objection, anti-militarism, counter recruitment and war tax resistance, which will take place at the Church of the Brethren in Washington DC. Prior to 15th May, a lobby day is being organised for the 14th, focused on educating Congress about conscientious objection and how any military draft is not a viable option.
Contact: Center on Conscience and War, 1830 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009, tel +1-202-483-2220, fax +1-202-483-1246, email
tsitther@nisbco.org; website www.nisbco.org Where is your event? What did you do? Let us know! Send us reports and pictures!
Donate to War Resisters' International!
How to make a donation to WRI?
* by standing order which makes it easier for us to plan but let us know.
* by credit card complete details overleaf or use our web facility
http://wri-irg.org * by giro transfer in Euros to War Resisters' International, Bank of Ireland, IBAN IE91 BOFI 9000 9247 41 35 47
* by cheque, money order, or banker's draft in Pound Sterling, US$, or Euros, payable to "WRI".
* (UK only) by giro transfer to WRI, No 5072 7388 Sort Code: 08-60-01, Unity Trust Bank, Nine Brindley Place, 4 Oozells Square, Birmingham B1 2HB
* (UK only) by Charity Aid voucher (CAF), made out to LANSBURY House Trust Fund, 5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX (to request such vouchers, write to: Charities Aid Foundation, Kings Hill, West Mailing, Kent ME19 4TA, or visit www.CAFonline.org)
* (USA only) by sending a tax deductable donation make checks payable to the A.J.Muste Institute
* (USA only) by arranging for regular donations to be sent through your bank's bill payment service
Where to send your donation to:
USA only:
WRI Fund, c/o Ralph di Gia, WRL, 339 Lafayette Street, New York, NY10012
Britain and everywhere else:
WRI, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX
WRI keeps supporters names and addresses on computer, for our sole use. If you do not consent to this, please let us know
--
War Resisters' International
5 Caledonian Road - London N1 9DX - Britain
tel +44-20-7278 4040 - fax +44-20-7278 0444
info@wri-irg.org http://wri-irg.org Support War Resisters' International! Donate today!
Online:
http://wri-irg.org/en/donate-en.htm
War Resisters' International
e-mail:
info@wri-irg.org
Homepage:
http://wri-irg.org