CO-Update

This is the June issue of CO-Update, produced between WRI's visit to Colombia (see main article) and the activities against the G8 summit in Germany. There, War Resisters' International will be present at the Alternative Summit.

This issue of co-update has a strong focus on Latin America - besides Colombia, we also have news from Ecuador, where there is hope to advance the issue using the Inter-American system.

Andreas Speck

15 May - International Conscientious Objectors' Day

War Resisters' International visited the Colombian cities of Medellin, Bogota, and Barrancabermeja in May 2007, to take part in the international activities for International Conscientious Objectors' Day, and to discuss the question of conscientious objection with a range of Colombian authorities and NGOs.

According to an article posted on the World Socialist Website, China issued a student military training programme, jointly by the ministry of education, the general staff headquarters and the general political department of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on 21 April. This programme formalises military training throughout the country’s high schools and universities.

A case of conscientious objection from Ecuador has been admitted to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.  The case has been filed by Xavier Leon, an active member of the Ecuadorian conscientious objectors' movement.

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)

WRI Seminar and Council 2007 in Israel

The annual WRI seminar and Council meeting will take place in Israel in 2007,from 23-26 August. The theme of the seminar will be on militarism and gender. Please contact the WRI Office if you are interested in participating, and want to be kept informed.

More information is available on the WRI website.