International Seminar, Training, and Action in Israel

New Profile and WRI invite you to an International Refusal seminar which takes place on May 9th-15th, 2003, in the "Old Jaffa" Hostel in Jaffa. For details call +972-58-595500

The programme:

The project will start with a seminar style event on the weekend prior to 15th May (Friday/Saturday 9/10 May 2003). The seminar will include:

• Experience of CO movements: Chile, Serbia&Montenegro, Macedonia, Turkey, South Korea, Germany, Spain, and others
• The CO movement in Israel: selective refusal (Yesh Gvul, Courage to Refuse), draft resistance (Shministim, New Profile), women's draft resistance, Druze conscientious objectors (Druze Initiative Committee for CO)
• Nonviolent resistance - examples of nonviolent movement strategies and tactics

The training (11-14 May 2003) will focus on:

• Introduction to nonviolence and nonviolent action
• Tools for planning an action (these tools will be put into practice immediately)
• Nonviolent techniques to deal with abusive behaviour and threats from bystanders at an action (this is a serious problem in Israel, and the training needs to prepare the participants for this).

The afternoons of the training will be used for workshops on different topics, open for the public.

The action (15th May) will put the experience of the training to a test. It is aimed to get publicity in Israel, and abroad. We hope that the action will be creative, but as the planning of the action is an important part of the training experience, no decision on any action has been made yet.

Action report

Preliminary list of planned events for 15 May 2003:

Britain

London:
InternationalConscientious Objectors' Day - including a ceremony :The Right to Refuse to Kill by the Conscientious objectors' commemorative stone in Tavistock Square, London 12 noon
For more information, contact the Peace Pledge Union on +44-20 7424 9444, enquiries@ppu.org.uk, www.ppu.org.uk

There will also be an event in Wales: Clare Sain Ley Berry, claresainleyberry@wcia.org.uk

Colombia

Bogotá:
13th May: Public discussion at the Mennonite Church (av. calle 32 No. 14-18 piso 2), 8:30am-3:00pm. The focus of the discussion is the situation in Colombia.
Contact: Colectivo Objecion de Conciencia, tel 2853208, email colectivo@neutel.com.co, justapaz@colnodo.apc.org, hacedoresdepaz@msn.com

Croatia

Zagreb:
In Zagreb will be the central event for the Balkans, in solidarity with Israeli COs.
Antiratna Kampanja Hrvatske (ARK) Gunduliceva 1, 10000 Zagreb; tel /fax +385 1 4840018; email ark@zamir.net; website www.zamir.net/~ark/

France

Paris:
Union Pacifiste, BP 196, 75624 Paris cedex 13, +33.1.45.86.08.75, fax +33.1.45.86.49.71, union.pacifiste@wanadoo.fr, www.unionpacifiste.fr

South Korea

Seoul:
KSCO have been preparing for International COs day on 15 May and establishment of 'World Without War(WWW)' World Without War is Korean COs group. This group focuse on antimilitarism and war resistance movement of COs themselves. Establishment ceremony of World Without War will held on 15 May. In the afternoon 15 May KSCO and WWW will protest in front of the Israel Embassy in Korea for 'Free Israeli refuseniks! End of Occupation!' In the evening Establishment ceremony will be held.

United States of America

San Francisco:
Free the Israeli Refuseniks! End the Occupation. 12 Noon. Rally with guest speakers and press conference in front of the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco and other cities across the world.
Revolution Youth, Ben Eckstein, Organizer, +1.415.504.6301, revolutionyouth35@hotmail.com
Yesh Gvul, Ron Gerlitz, Organizer & Refusenik, ron_and_nurit@hotmail.com
A Jewish Voice for Peace, Mitchell Plitnick, Co-Director, +1.510.465.1777, mitchell@jewishvoiceforpeace.org

Atlanta:
Alta Schwartz, alter@myway.com

Seattle:
Vigil and leafletting in seattle on may 15th (perhaps with women in black - still working on details), and will also have an educational event june 3, 4 or 5 with refusenik Assaf Oron, who lives here currently. We will also use the educational event as a way to start forming an ongoing support network in Seattle.
Contact Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia (cmtc@igc.org)