War Resisters' Stories

WRI are jointly coordinating an international Day of Action For Military-Free Education and Research on 14 June 2013 - part of our Countering the Militarisation of Youth work. The day will be based on a recent German week of action, with 100+ groups and actions in 8+ cities. Education centres were leafleted with info highlighting dangers of joining the military, accompanied sometimes with fake blood, a coffin, and chocolate 'medicine' (to protect students against military propaganda).

Greek conscientious objector Nikos Karanikas was acquitted on 8th March for charges of insubordination. The reasons for this were primarily administrative, and he can expect more call ups and prosecutions in future. In advance of the trial, WRI joined with Amnesty International and the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection in making a statement condemning the persecution of Nikos.

From 20 - 22 of February the Conference on Nonviolence took place in Bilbao, Basque Country. The day conferences were organised by WRI affiliate KEM-MOC. They looked at the role of nonviolence and civil disobedience in times of crisis. They were a huge success, with more than 850 people attending their sessions and with more than 160 minutes of radio coverage. You can read and see videos about the conference from the following link: http://www.ezbiolentzia.org/ (in Spanish and Basque).

Trident Ploughshares, Action AWE and WRI invite all peace loving people to join the Burghfield Disarmament Camp, from 26 August - 7 September. As part of the Action AWE campaign that is acting to halt nuclear weapons production at the Atomic Weapons Establishment factories at Aldermaston and Burghfield, Berkshire, UK.

Acción Colectiva de Objetores y Objetoras de Conciencia (ACOOC) were the hosts of the International Conference of War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns in February, with Conscience and Peace Tax International.