From the office

Interview with Jungmin Choi of World Without War in South Korea

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'North Korea: It's Dangerous To Play with Fire' (Statement from the Federation of Social Defence, Germany)

Minden, 5 April 2013

The conflict of the Korean Peninsula is currently met with a measure of realpolitic, alongside the old approach of deterrence. But the price of failure is too high. Therefore, it is time to take steps towards sustainable understanding and reconciliation.

London, Friday, 5 April, 2013

War Resisters' International - an international peace organisation founded in 1921 - is shocked and horrified by the vicious attack last week on Kosovar human rights defender Nazlie Bala. The men who lay in wait for Bala and severely beat her have not yet been identified, but presumably are those who sent her this threat: 'Please do not protect the shame. Otherwise, we’ll kill you.'

Militarisation in the UK generally

'Militarisation' means the ways in which the presence and approaches of the military (typically state armed forces and Defence Ministries) are normalised in a society. Military solutions are prioritised, and the military is privileged in various ways.

A society has to be militarised for a government to justify the development and maintenance of nuclear weapons to its citizens; militarisation creates a culture of acceptance. It popularises military euphemisms such as 'Defence', 'Security', and – particularly relevant to nuclear weapons – 'deterrant', and makes it hard to for those challenging these to be seen as credible.

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Natan Blanc is caught in a cat and mouse game with the Israeli authorities: he is being repeatedly released from prison, and then detained again after he refuses to be enlisted in the Israeli army. Here's why he's doing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pinvfnC6gdI

Many items are at very reduced prices in our online shop from today.

These include

War is a Crime against Humanity: The Story of The War Resisters' International by Devi Prasad Nonviolent Struggle and Social Defence by Brian Martin Opening doors to peace. A memorial to Myrtle Solomon edited by Mitzi Bales

Promotional video for the nonviolence conference organised by KEM-MOC in Bilbao

http://www.ezbiolentzia.org/

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Pulling together views and updates on the situation in Syria from a variety of WRI-linked commentators:

Syria: Nonviolence is Still an Option

from IFOR

Global Day of Action on Military Spending: an overview

By Colin Archer

The big monster of militarism can be challenged in many different ways. Substantial campaigning communities have grown up over the years around specific weapons systems: for example, nuclear, landmines/clusters, small arms, and more recently drones. Others are working on issues like conscription, military bases, war taxes or the arms trade. The Global Day of Action on Military Spending, GDAMS, was brought into being to focus attention on the economic aspects of the problem, notably public spending. For the International Peace Bureau (coordinating organisation) it is a part of our wider programme on Disarmament for Sustainable Development.

Statement from 8 February 2013

War Resisters' International, an international network of pacifist and antimilitarist organisations with more than 80 affiliates in 40 countries, condemns the persecution of Pinar Selek.

On 24 January 2013, Pinar Selek, a Turkish feminist antimilitarist campaigner, was given a life sentence by an Istanbul court. The court issued an arrest warrant for Pinar, who is currently living in Strasbourg.

We are looking for a volunteer who can help us with our publications and communications work.

Specifically, we'd like someone who is used to using the open source desktop publishing software Scribus, or other desktop publishing software.

PRESS RELEASE

On Thursday 17th January, War Resisters' International, a global network of pacifist organisations based in London, will pay taxes that have been withheld for five years, under protest to HM Revenue and Customs.

Since 2007, War Resisters' International has been withholding a proportion of PAYE as a form of protest against Britain's military policies - the high level of military spending, the cooperation with criminal programmes such as the "rendition" of suspects, spurious rationales for military intervention, and the development and manufacture weapons of mass destruction and drones for long-distance assassination.