International Conscientious Objection Day 2015
Every year, 15th May is International Conscientious Objection day.
Around the world campaigners will be remembering the generations who refused to go to war, and raising awareness of the many who continue to be persecuted and imprisoned for refusing to kill and be part of military structures.
Please join an event (they will be listed here nearer the time), hold your own, and spread the word about the day!
Please send us your events so we can list them here!
You can use the hashtag #CODay (o #díaOC en español)
Britain
- Brighton: premiere of play Troublesome People, play about pacifists and German Jewish refugees, set on the Isle of Man in the '39-'45 war. May 15th, 8.45pm, as part of Brighton Fringe festival.
- Bristol: 16 May 2015, 10.30 AM, the 2015 Peace Lecture, organized by Bristol Quakers, with the title 'Peace in a Time of Hatred: how humanity can evolve when the going gets tough', by Scilla Elworth, held in the Wills Memorial Building, University of Bristo. Info here.
- Edinburgh: 15 May. 5 - 6:30pm, Conscientious Objectors Day Vigil. On the Mound, Princes St. Bring your reflections, songs, poems or photos. Info here.
- Liverpool: 15 May, 2.30pm - stall on School Lane. From 7.00pm at Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, there will be a The World is My Country talk from Peace News - an opportunity to find out about & celebrate the stories of those who opposed World War 1.
- London: 15 May, Tavistock Square, WC1. 12 noon. Read more here.
- London: 16 May, opening of the 'Refusing to Kill' exhibition at the Peace Pledge Union: 1 Peace Passage, London, N7 0BT. More info here.
- Manchester: outside Quaker Meeting House, 15th May, 5.00pm - 6.00pm. More info
- Portsmouth: 15th May, 2.00pm: prayer meeting at 2pm at the Friends House, 25 Northwood Road, Portsmouth, PO2 9Q7
Colombia
On April 8 of this year several Colombian NGO’s presented a proposal for a “Social Peace Service” before the Peace Commission of the Colombian Congress. Such Peace Service would be equivalent to the Mandatory Military Service in Colombia. For that reason we want to invite you to send us your videos to objecion@objetoresbogota.org. Please give your name, the organization to which you belong, the city and the country where you send the video from. Please answer the question: Which service would you provide to your community if you did not have to present the military service? You can also send a message in support of this proposal.
All videos will be published via social networks on the 15 th of May with the hashtag #Serviciosocialpaz y #DiainternacionalOX. More info (in Spanish and English [second page]) here.
France
Union Pacifiste de France will dedicate the programme Si vis pacem on "Radio libertaire" May 14th. It will be on the subject of COs in Colombia, Egypt, Turkey, Israël, Finland, South Korea, and others. You can listen online here.
Germany
... aber hat nicht gedient ...
Camp vom 15. bis 17. Mai
Interaktives Künstlerfestival mit Bildungsangebot
Deserteursdenkmal, Kunst, Vorträge, Film und mehr
More information in English here.
Greece
Meet on 15 May at 20:30 at Monastiraki Square in Athens to form a human peace sign! More info here.
Paraguay
Every month on the 15th, a direct action is held to remember the slaughter at Marina Kue, Curaguaty, on 15th June 2012.
South Korea
- 2015 Roll the Pedal of Peace: From Ministry of Defense to the National Assembly, May 16th, Saturday.
- Amnesty Korea will hold a press conference on May 13th,morning. Held at the Press centre, Seoul.
- Film screening 'Ice River' which is about CO. Film Forum, Seoul. Afternoon of May 13th.
Turkey
United States of America
- Washington: Public event with Maikel Nabil of Egypt's No to Compulsory Military Service, US COs, and bands. 14 May, 7.00pm - 9.00pm, Washington DC. See the poster here. Hosted by Veterans for Peace and Center for Conscience and War.
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Celebrate the 9th Annual Berkeley C.O. and War Resisters’ Day 11:30 A.M. Friday, May 15. Peace Flag raising ceremony, event with Conscientious Objectors and War Resisters from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, and singing. More info here.
