War Resisters' Stories

South Korea’s Ministry of Defense proposed a system for alternative service to the military on Dec. 28, following a historic decision by the Constitutional Court in June, which ruled that the existing law does not guarantee freedom of conscience. The court’s decision —which was a major victory for the movement to recognize conscientious objection in South Korea — has sparked a fierce debate over the issue. There have been tangible achievements, such as the Supreme Court finding a conscientious objector to be innocent for the first time ever on Nov. 1. However, the struggle over how the alternative service system will work is just beginning.

A coalition of European anti-arms trade organisations has criticised a provisional agreement between a committee of the European Parliament and the European Council, as setting “a dangerous precedent against the democratic functioning of the EU and in particular against the oversight role of the Parliament” and fuelling the global arms trade.