CO-Update

Finally welcome to co-update No 36, which has turned into a May-June issue, which is quite late. May - and June - have been very busy, with a 2 1/2 weeks visit to Colombia in the second half of May, and this contributed to the delay of this issue of co-update. And - unfortunately - the next issue of co-update will also be a double-issue - July-August - which we will only be able to send out to you in the second half of July. We hope to get back on track with our more or less monthly schedule in September.

Death threats against WRI affiliate Red Juvenil after successful 'Antimili Sonoro XIV'

It does not happen often that we have good news to report from Colombia, but this month we do (among quite a bit of bad news - but the good news first). Two months ago, two Colombian conscientious objectors who had been illegally recruited in January and February have been released from the military, albeit without any acknowledgement of the right to conscientious objection.

Diego Alexander Pulgarin was recruited on 5 January in the northern bus terminal of Medellin.

Counter-recruitment and conscientious objection for professional soldiers as major themes

Just before 15 May, the International Day on Conscientious Objection, War Resisters' International has published material on the major theme for this year: the right to conscientious objection for professional soldiers, and the work done to counter military recruitment.

War Resisters' International is presently working on a survey of European Union countries regarding the question of the right to conscientious objection for professiona

According to information from iraqupdates.com, the security and defence committee of the Iraqi parliament recommended a return to conscription as it called on the Defence Ministry to amend a previous draft law submitted to the cabinet and the Iraqi legislative council.

According to the Iraqi constitution, national service will be stipulated by law (article 9 paragraph 2). 

Hadi al-Ameri, chairman of parliament’s defence and security committee, said reinstating the draft was necessary given the country’s current co

In the previous month(s), the WRI office issued the following co-alerts:

17-21 September 2008: European Social Forum

War Resisters' International will be present at the European Social Forum (ESF), which is being held in Malmö, in the south of Sweden.