International Events

Gathering Visions, Gathering Strength -- 4-6 April, Leeds, Britain

A weekend gathering to explore nonviolent action in Britain across movements and across generations will be held at Leeds University. Workshops will cover the past, present and future of nonviolent action, discusion topics including: developing nonviolent practice, relations with to the police and the legal system, building and sustaining movements. Participants will come from a variety of movements, including peace, animal rights, environmental and human rights campaigns. The registration fee is £2-£15 (depending on income).

Australian Nonviolence Network Annual Gathering -- 25-27 April, Seymour, Australia

This will be held at the Commonground rural community in Seymour (Victoria), its main theme being "Renewal" -- renewal of strength, vision, each other and the network. All costs will be shared between participants according to each individual's means.

Kate Lewer, Commonground (tel +61 357 938 257; fax +61 357 938 400).
General Meeting of Total Resisters -- 25-27 April, Germany

The meeting will take place in Sachsen. There will be regional reports, workshops, and discussion of the future of total resistance. Registration fee: DM 30.

Action Days for a Germany Without an Army -- 1-15 May, Germany

This campaign is being organised by BRD ohne Armee, a DFG-VK project.

Education and Inner Peace -- 11-18 May, Netherlands

This international sabbatical programme (conducted in English) is being organised by Shapers of Education. It hopes to develop visions for education and is inspired by values derived from deep ecology, spirituality and global education. It will comprise 20 participants. Registration fee and accommodation: NLG 3,800.

COs and Deserters in the Third Reich and Former Yugoslavia -- 13-15 May, Linz, Austria

This international seminar is being organised by the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection in Linz, situated near the former concentration camp, Mauthausen. Different generations of deserters and conscientious objecteurs will draft a resolution and erect a monument in the former concentration camp.

National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution -- 23-27 May, Pittsburg, USA

This event will include a youth conference, titled "Social Justice Day on Race Relations", on 23 and 24 May.

Nonviolence in the Context of War or Armed Conflict -- 24 May-15 June, Germany

International English-language training organised by KURVE Wüstrow in Germany. This will consider many different matters including the principles of nonviolence, consensus decision making, observing, dealing with threatening situations, and cultural sensitivity. This training is already fully booked, but you can obtain further information about it from:

New Directions in Peace Studies -- 5-8 June, Washington DC, USA

The Ninth Annual Peace Studies Conference will take place at Georgetown University, Washington DC.

Conflict Management and Social Transformation -- 15-18 June, Germany

This will be the 10^th annual conference of the International Association for Conflict Management.

ECOM 97 - 12-14 June, Hustad, Norway

See informations and contact p. 3.

War Resisters' International Council Meeting -- 21-27 June, Carmaux, France

Not to be missed! See p. 2 for more information.

Conflict Management and Mediation in Schools -- 2-4 July, Bonnecombe, France

This training for educators (conducted in French) is being organised by MIR (Fellowship of Reconciliation) in Bonnecombe (Aveyron). For the past four years, two teachers have provided training in mediation for 12 to 18-year-olds. With the help of MIR, they hope to share their experience with other educators.

Nonviolence and Education Summer School -- 10-13 July, Madrid,
State of Spain

This summer school (conducted in Spanish) will offer talks and workshops on many topics including: peace education from nursery to secundary schools; OC and insumisión; war tax resistance; arms trade; women and anti-militarism; cooperative games; conflict resolution. There will be a maximum of 25 participants per workshop and child care will be provided if needed. There is no compulsory registration fee, but donations are welcome, as this summer school has not received any outside funding. Please register by 1 July.

YouthPeace Organizers' Training -- 10-16 August, Voluntown, USA

This training for 13 to 18 year-old high school students is being sponsored by the War Resisters League and held at the Equity Trusts Conference Center in Voluntown, Connecticut.

Youth in Civil Society and their Contribution to Conflict Resolution --
20-23 August, Quito, Ecuador

This first bilateral youth conference between Ecuador and Peru is being organised by SERPAJ-Ecuador. See p. 5-6 for more information and contact details.

Fourth Latin American Conference on Conscientious Objection --
25-31 August, Quito, Ecuador

See p. 5 for more information and contact details.

People's Diplomacy, Nonviolence and Alternative Approaches to Economics -- 21 Sept-11 October, Rovereto, Italy

The International University of Peoples' Institutions for Peace (IUPIP) provides a place for teaching and training in people's diplomacy and nonviolence. This three-week residential course conducted in English will address three main topics: conflict resolution and people's diplomacy; nonviolence: theory and practice; violence, the market and alternative approaches to economics. Lecturers include Simona Sharoni, Jan Øberg, Chaiwat Satha-Anand and Elise Boulding.

The number of participants is limited to 30 (half of them women) and application forms should be returned to IUPIP by 8 June. Accommodation expenses, including meals, will be covered by the organisers. Travel expenses might also be covered if the participant's organisation cannot afford to pay them.