CO UPDATE

Editorial

War Resisters' International is proud to publish Devi Prasad's new book War is a Crime against Humanity: The Story of War Resisters' International. We will mark the publication with a public launch at Housmans Bookshop in London on 21 October 2005, at 6pm. For more information, please contact the WRI Office.

While producing this newsletter, urgent news arrived from Turkey, on a new hunger strike of conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan. Please read the announcement in this newsletter, and check out updates on our co-alert page.

Upcoming events

1 December
Prisoners for Peace Day

Every year for 1 December - International Prisoners for Peace Day - War Resisters' International compiles a list of people imprisoned for conscientious objection or nonviolent action for peace.

This year, the focus will be on Eritrea, a country destroyed by war and an authoritarian regime, and where the only option for conscientious objectors - men and women - is to flee the country.

Please order the campaign pack (available early in November) in English, Spanish, French or German.

More information on Eritrea at http://wri-irg.org/news/2005/
eritrea-en.htm

Globalising Nonviolence, 23-27 July 2006, Germany

• Are you interested in both nonviolence and globalisation?
• Are you campaigning against war?
• Are you involved in nonviolent direct action or curious to learn more?

The War Resisters' International conference Globalising Nonviolence will be a great opportunity to meet activists from all over the world, to get to know what makes them tick, and to see how you can help each make another world possible. Around the world, a movement of movements is converging. This movement seeks to counterpose the perspective and values of people's power to those of global financial institutions, transnational corporations or governments. This is a movement of globalisation from below.

WRI believes that this movement of movements has a major role to play in this globalisation from below. Hence the theme of our upcoming international conference - Globalising Nonviolence.

Conference discussions will:

• Analyse the contemporary situation of economic, cultural and political globalisation. How are capitalist globalisation and militarism related?
• Develop strategies for nonviolent resistance towards the unjust aspects of globalisation. How do we create nonviolent social change?
• Bring together people from the globalisation critical movement and WRI's network of pacifists and anti-militarists for mutual exchange of ideas on nonviolent opportunities for resistance.
• Strengthen networks and create new links between activists from all over the world.

More information at www.globalisingnonviolence.org

Job opening at WRI

War Resisters' International is looking for a new Finance and Administration Worker (2.5 days a week).

A commitment to pacifism, and experience in dealing with finances and databases are essential. Other languages and awareness of the international nonviolence movement are desirable. The job is based in London (Kings Cross).

Salary: £19.392 per year (pro-rata)

Deadline for applications: 10 October 2005

Start date: November 2005

Application pack from: War Resisters' International, 5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX, Britain, email info@wri-irg.org

CO-Update

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War Resisters' International, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX, Britain; tel +44-20-7278 4040; fax +44-20-7278 0444; email co-update-editor@wri-irg.org

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Armenia: Conscientious objectors abandon substitute service

Forum 18 News Service reported recently on a new wave of sentences against Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors in Armenia. During the cause of the year, 22 Jehovah's Witnesses abandoned their substitute service in protest against it remaining under the control of the ministry of defence. In May, Narek Alaverdyan and Arsen Sevoyan refused to continue their substitute service in the Vardenis Psychiatric Hospital, because they were forced to wear military style uniforms and name badges marked "Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia", were regularly visited by military police and given degrading work where they were treated as soldiers. Even the food was provided by the military (see co-alert, 19 May 2005). Others followed, and in August alone 13 Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors abandoned substitute service. The first one to be published was Shaliko Sarkissian, who was sentenced to 2 1/2 years imprisonment on 15 September.

Armenia passed a law on substitute service, which came into force on 1 July 2004. The law has been amended by parliament on 22 November and 24 December 2004. According to the law, substitute service is 42 months, and an "alternative military service" - unarmed service within the military - lasts 36 months.

The Armenian law on substitute service does not meet international standards. The length of substitute service has to be considered as punitive, and the service is not genuinely civilian, as - according to the law - the application procedure and "issues related to alternative service" are dealt with by the military. According to article 13, recognised conscientious objectors are assigned to service positions by the Military Conscription Committee, and according to article 14 call-up for substitute service is organised by the military.

Sources: Forum 18 News Service: Armenia: New wave of Jehovah's Witness sentences begins, 23 September 2005

Refusing to bear arms, country report Armenia, revision 2005

USA: Opposition to military recruiters at high schools and universities

With military recruitment in the USA down according to a many media reports (although some claim the opposite, i.e. TCV News), the battle about recruitment at high schools and universities identifies. Several universities dropped their opposition to military recruiters on the campus due to the risk of losing federal funding. Harvard Law School lifted its ban, which had only been introduced the year before, as reported by DailyPennsylvanian.com on 30 September. Those universities which attempt to ban military recruiters from the campus do so based on their anti-discrimination policy, especially citing the US military's discrimination of gays and lesbians, as expressed by its "Don't ask, don't tell" policy towards gays and lesbians.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a "friend-of-the-court brief" on 21 September, urging the US Supreme Court to rule that is is unconstitutional for the US Congress to force universities with an anti-discrimination policy to accept military recruiters on their campus.

On the ground, anti-recruitment activists face more problems than before. On 26 September, two anti-recruitment protesters were arrested in San Diego for blocking the entrance to military recruitment offices in downtown San Diego. Only a few days later, a student was violently arrested at George Mason University for standing four feet from a US Marine recruiter's table with a sign pinned to his shirt stating "Recruiters lie, don't be deceived." On the same day, campus police assaulted students peacefully protesting against the presence of Army National Guard recruiters at Holyoke Community College.

According to "Sec. 9528. Armed Forces Recruiter Access to Students and Student Recruiting Information" of the No-Child-Left-Behind Act of 2001, schools must turn over all students' personal contact information to military recruiters upon demand. There is an opt-out clause, which allows parents or students to opt-out; however, this is not well known and often not well implemented. Counter-recruitment activists attempt to make students and parents aware of their right to opt out, and lobby high schools and colleges to provide adequate information about clause 9528 to parents and students, including clear information on how to opt out. The "Leave My Child Alone" coalition was formed to provide information and support to those working against military access to students' personal information.

Sources: TCV News, 30 September 2005, DailyPennsylvanian.com, 30 September 2005, American Civil Liberties Union, press release, 21 September 2005, SignOnSanDiego.com, 26 September 2005

Turkey: Mehmet Tarhan again on hunger strike

Turkish conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan was battered as his hair was violently cut by military prison authorities in Sivas. In response, Mehmet started an indefinite hunger strike, demanding an examination by civilian doctors, a report from a forensic medical facility documenting the torture and legal action against the perpetrators. On 30 September, at about 3pm, Mehmet Tarhan was told by non-commissioned military prison officer Hilmi Savluk, who was accompanied by 3-4 guards, that they were to cut Mehmet's hair. It took 7-8 people to restrain Mehmet and to cut his hair and beard against his will, using force. As a result, Mehmet Tarhan suffering pain in his face, both hands, in his left arm and left foot, and has bruises on arms and legs. He is unable to turn his neck because of pain in his neck and face. In protest against this treatment, Mehmet Tarhan again went on hunger strike.

On 1 October, at about 2.30pm, he was - again against his will - transferred to a military hospital, where he was "examined" by two military doctors (who walked around him for 10 minutes to examine him), and then sent back to the military prison.

Mehmet Tarhan was arrested on 8 April 2005, and sentenced to four years imprisonment on 10 August, on two charges of "insubordination in front of his unit" (see co-alert, 11 August 2005). He had been on hunger strike against torture and abuse previously, and only ended his first hunger strike on 21 June, after 28 days (see co-alert, 22 June 2005). More updates will soon be available on the WRI website.

Source: Emails from Turkish antimilitarists

Chile: New objectors present themselves to the public

Fifteen new conscientious objectors presented their CO statements on 27 September in a public act in front of the Dirección General de Movilización Nacional in Santiago, the branch of Chile's armed forces in charge of conscription.

A "Ni Casco Ni Uniforme" banner was unfolded in front of the DGMN building. Leaflets were handed down to people, while the COs entered in groups to gave the documentation to military personnel. Some participants had "square head" masks, representing the "square" mentality of the military. They even entered the DGMN building wearing the masks, to present their CO statement. That pissed off some soldiers, but nothing happened.

The police showed off and asked some questions. As we were quiet, passing leaflets and not disrupting the order, they retired. After all the COs papers were handed in, we left the place. As some people interested in CO appered in the last minute, we decided to do another public presentation later this week.

On the same day, 20 new objectors declared their objection in the city of Temuco, in the south of Chile. They were accompanied by 50 antimilitarists. Another action took place in the city of Linares.

Source: Email Oscar Huenchunao, 27 September 2005, Email Alvaro Boguen, MOC Rompiendo Filas, 28 September 2005

War is a Crime against Humanity: The Story of The War Resisters' International

New book by Devi Prasad out on 21 October 2005

The War Resisters' International was formed in reaction to the senseless slaughter of World War I with a mission not only to oppose all war but also to strive to eradicate its causes. This ambitious programme introduced a new and political dimension to the existing moral and religious basis of pacifism. It attracted some of the best pacifist thinkers and activists from around the world - George Lansbury, Bertrand Russell, Bayard Rustin, Martin Niemoeller, Danilo Dolci, and Mahatma Gandhi. The contributions of such figures and the sacrifice and heroism of the thousands who refused to cooperate with their government's war apparatus are chronicled for the first time in this long awaited book.

This book starts with a survey of the historical roots of pacifism in the presence of nonviolence within most world-religions. It goes on to describe the spread of pacifism via European non-conformist religious movements and its adoption by Tolstoi who was the first pacifist to urge action not just against the symptoms of violence but against its causes too: primary social and economic injustice. The major part of the book deals with the history of the War Resisters' International itself - including its formation and rapid spread; its response to Italian action in Abyssinia and the Spanish Civil War; the many challenges posed by World War II; the schism with Albert Einstein; compulsory military service; the Cold War and the nuclear threat; the anti-war movement in the 60s and 70s; and specific nonviolent direct actions such as those in response to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Bangladesh war and US draft resistance during the Vietnam war.

Devi Prasad studied at Shantiniketan, Tagore's University, worked as a teacher and artist in Sevagram, Gandhi's ashram, from the 1940s until 1962. From 1962-1972 he was General Secretary of the WRI.

During his time at the WRI significant changes took place. While still concentrating on the work for conscientious objection it widened its scope of work to nonviolence training and nonviolent action against armaments and war. One of the highlights of this development was the presentation of the Manifesto for Nonviolent Revolution at the Triennial Conference of 1972, which then was a real challenge to many people in the WRI.

Devi Prasad took a leading role in widening WRI's work towards nonviolence social change for a world without war.

Devi Prasad: War is a crime against humanity: The story of War Resisters' International

ISBN 0-903517-20-5. 560 pages, 67 photos

Publication date: 21 October 2005

Advance orders (before 20 October 2005): £18.00 plus postage (then £28.00 plus postage). Order online at the WRI webshop.

Recent co-alerts

In the previous month, the WRI office issued the following co-alerts (a full archive of co-alerts is available at wri-irg.org/news/alerts)

• ISR14726-14753-14754-14762-300905: ISRAEL: New objectors in prison Fri Sep 30
• GER14755-120905: GERMANY: Total objector fined 900 Euros Mon Sep 12
• ISR14726-14735-14753-14754-070905: ISRAEL: Conscientious objectors reimprisoned Wed Sep 07
• ISR14726-14735-14753-14754-300805: ISRAEL: Update on imprisonment of conscientious objectors Tue Aug 30