Europe

Thu

Apr

2015

Art meets conscientious objection

New translation available

Submitted by hannah

“Suppose there’s a war and nobody turns up.”

Exhibition / Events / Talk / Memorial / Film in celebration of International Conscientious Objectors Day
At Neuwagenmühle in...

Thu

Nov

Jehovah's Witnesses and conscientious objection | Freedom of Belief

Submitted by NNOMY on Thu, 11/11/2021 - 15:06

Holocaust victims, derided, discriminated against, subject to virulent attacks by anti-cult organizations and fake news fabricated ad hoc, Jehovah's Witnesses have always been an example of integrity and altruism that materialized with epochal human rights achievements. This was the case for the freedom of therapeutic choice and for the right to conscientious objection, now recognized as an inalienable right.

A survey promoted by the national headquarters of the Christian Congregation of Jehovah has brought to light the heroic efforts sustained by young Witnesses during the period spanning from 1960 to 1990. We publish below an article of Nonviolent Action of 29 May 2020 with the comments of jurists, academics and writers, some of whom were at the forefront of that great battle.

Wed

Aug

Human Rights Groups urged the UK military to stop recruiting under 18s

Submitted by Natalia on Wed, 11/08/2021 - 20:16

An open letter signed by a coalition of human rights groups, including Child Rights International Network, Amnesty International UK and Human Rights Watch, urged the defence Ministry to stop recruiting children aged under 18.

The letter declared that the UK military recruits more soldiers at 16 than any other age, especially for combat infantry roles, whereas most countries around the world only allow adults to be recruited. Additionally, this recruitment practice needs to end as “figures showed that girls aged under 18 in the armed forces made at least 16 formal complaints of sexual assault to military police in the last six years” informed The Guardian in an article released in June covering the MPs debate around the Armed Forces Bill.

The joint letter also said:

Mon

Jan

How Woodrow Wilson Persecuted Hutterites Who Refused to Support His War

Submitted by gdghirardi on Mon, 04/01/2021 - 07:01

Woodrow Wilson had no qualms about jailing people he disagreed with. His persecution of the Hutterites can attest to that.

Lawrence W. Reed -

Campaigning for President of the United States in September 1912, “progressive” icon Woodrow Wilson said something that would gladden the heart of any libertarian:

Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of the government. The history of liberty is a history of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.

That was two months before the election that Wilson won. He garnered slightly less than 42 percent of the popular vote in a four-way contest. Over the next eight years, he proved to be the most repressive, anti-liberty president to ever occupy the White House.

Fri

Jan

Defence forces survey: Appetite for national defence and conscription has declined

Submitted by gdghirardi on Fri, 01/01/2021 - 21:02

The Finnish Constitution stipulates every male Finnish citizen is obligated to participate in national defence. Image: Niko Mannonen / Yle

Uutiset -

Finns’ support for conscription and national defence has decreased, according to a survey by The Advisory Board of Defence Information (MTS).

Just over half (52 percent) of respondents believe Finland’s defence system should be based on mandatory conscription for men, and voluntary conscription for women. The figure is considerably lower than in previous years.

The Finnish Constitution stipulates that every male Finnish citizen is obligated to participate in national defence. All Finnish men aged between 18 and 60 are liable to complete military service, and women can opt to do it on a voluntary basis.

Military service has to be completed as armed or unarmed military service, or non-military (civil) service.

Almost a quarter of respondents preferred a conscription that would apply to both men and women. The idea of voluntary conscription for both sexes, or a professional army got much less support.

Mon

Jul

Patriotic Youth Army Takes Russian Kids Back to the Future

Submitted by NNOMY on Mon, 02/07/2018 - 18:24

KUBINKA, Russia — Often in Russia these days, what is old is new again or, to be more specific, what is Soviet is new again.

The Youth Army, open to both boys and girls, is a militarized throwback to the Young Pioneers of the Soviet era. Meant to instill a sense of Communist zeal, the Pioneers are mostly remembered for their summer camps.

The Youth Army jettisoned the Communist bits, emerging as a kind of hybrid version of the scouts and a reserve officers training program, with an emphasis on patriotism and national service.

The trademark red endured.

If the Pioneers knotted red scarves around their necks, members of the Youth Army sport red berets bearing a pin of the organization’s logo — the red star of the Russian Army superimposed on an eagle’s head.

Fri

Feb

Activists countering youth militarisation gather in London

Submitted by antimili-youth on Fri, 09/02/2018 - 17:36

In February, activists from different European countries met in London as part of a War Resisters' International training on countering youth militarisation and its gendered dimensions.

The gathering was held on 2-4 February, and included activists from AKL (Union of Conscientious Objectors) and Committee of 100 from Finland, Nesehnuti from Czech Republic, DFG-VK and BSV from Germany, Movimento Nonviolento from Italy, Centre Delàs from Catalonia, and the Peace Pledge Union and ForcesWatch from the UK.

Thu

Nov

Join the action! PPU calls for actions during the International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth

Submitted by antimili-youth on Thu, 23/11/2017 - 11:10

Peace Pledge Union from the UK calls for actions during the International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth.

Join the action! PPU calls for actions during the International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth

Wed

Nov

Youth militarisation in Finland

Submitted by antimili-youth on Wed, 22/11/2017 - 15:53

Tuuli Vuori from Aseistakieltäytyjäliitto AKL (the Union of Conscientious Objectors, Finland) tells us about their counter-recruitment work in #Finland and calls everyone to join the action during the International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth.

Youth militarisation in Finland

Mon

Oct

ForcesWatch

ForcesWatch develops projects and works with organisations, individuals and initiatives concerned about military recruitment in the UK. Their work include challenging military presence in education, campaigning for raising the minimum age of recruitment to 18, making terms and conditions for serving personnel clearer and less restrictive, as well as campaigning for greater recognition of conscientious objection.

Thu

May

Europe's treatment of child refugees 'risks increasing radicalisation threat'

Submitted by antimili-youth on Thu, 18/05/2017 - 20:35

Europe’s “abysmal” treatment of refugee children, who have made up about a third of those seeking asylum on the continent over the last two years, will increase the danger of their later radicalisation and drift into criminality, a damning report from the Council of Europe has said.

A system that allows the sexual and physical abuse of children in overcrowded detention centres, where they are often separated from their families, will only condemn Europe to trouble in the future the report warns.

The number of unaccompanied children who applied for asylum in the European Union reached 96,465 in 2015 and they accounted for almost a quarter of all asylum applicants under 18 years of age.

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Languages

Countering Military Recruitment

WRI's new booklet, Countering Military Recruitment: Learning the lessons of counter-recruitment campaigns internationally, is out now. The booklet includes examples of campaigning against youth militarisation across different countries with the contribution of grassroot activists.

You can order a paperback version here.