Information from the office of War Resisters' International [en]

12 April 2006

Editorial
War Resisters' International released a report to the United Nations' Human Rights Committee in March 2006, highlighting "issues of conscience and human rights" in relation to the US Armed Forces. The report forms part of WRI's activities in preparation for 15 May 2006 - International Conscientious Objectors' Day - which focuses on US COs and resisters (see announcement on the right). WRI's main concerns are:
- The procedure for recognising conscientious objectors of the present all-volunteer military is solely in the hands of the military, and therefore is not independent and impartial, as required by Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/77;
- In practice, conscientious objectors who are denied the right to conscientious objection and who refuse orders to deploy are sentenced to prison;
- The denial of educational benefits and other forms of discrimination against those who fail to register for a potential draft under the Military Selective Service Act is a violation of the right the education, and also amounts to punishment without trial;
- The military has access to private data of high school students for recruitment purposes, which is a violation of the right to privacy;
- Counter-recruitment activists face intimidation and arrest from police, military, and university authorities, which amounts to a violation of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly;
- The military's "stopp loss" orders to extend the length of military employment contracts without the consent of the soldier concerned are a violation of the Forced Labour Convention.
The report is available in English and Spanish on this website.

Andreas Speck

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WRI-INFO
Information from the office of War Resisters' International
5 Caledonian Road - London N1 9DX - Britain
tel +44-20-7278 4040 - fax +44-20-7278 0444

email info [at] wri-irg [dot] org info [at] wri-irg [dot] org (<mailto:info [at] wri-irg [dot] org>) http://wri-irg.org <http://wri-irg.org>

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Operation Refuse War
A week of action uniting resisters
In Celebration of International Conscientious Objectors' Day
May 11-16 2006
New York City and Washington DC
operationrefusewar.org
Operation Refuse War
Through workshops, actions, and an international conference, Operation Refuse War will highlight the difficulties that current conscientious objectors face as well as help build relationships and connections between the various communities within the anti-war movement. The focus of the events is on supporting contemporary American conscientious objectors and their families, as well as examining the current potential of conscientious objection (in its various forms) as a strategy for building an anti-war movement. In addition, Operation Refuse War will bring together international and American conscientious objectors to share their experiences and ideas. Sponsoring organizations include the War Resisters League; War Resisters' International; the American Friends Service Committee Youth and Militarism Program; the Center on Conscience & War; the Washington Peace Center; the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition; the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild; the Fellowship of Reconciliation Disarmament Program; the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO); and the Student Peace Action Network (SPAN).


International Conscientious Objectors Strategy Session
New York City, May 11-12 2006
Bringing together conscientious objectors from across the globe, this intimate session will focus on building international strategies for supporting the right to refuse to kill. Please contact us for more information about participation.

Operation Refuse War: An International Conference Of Resisters To Global War
Washington DC, May 13-14 2006

Operation Refuse War will be an opportunity for conscientious objectors, anti-war activists, and military families to come together to share strategies and build community.

Workshop topics include:
* Conscientious Objection as a Movement-Building Tool
* Building Support for COs From the Outside
* What does an International CO Movement Look Like?
* Personal Stories of Conscientious Objection and Draft Resistance
* Connecting Resistance within the Coalition of the Willing
* All Wars or This War? Conscientious Objection as a Political or Moral choice
* Building Bridges with Military Families

Please register online or contact register [at] centeronconscience [dot] org register [at] centeronconscience [dot] org (<mailto:register [at] centeronconscience [dot] org>). You can also download a PDF form and mail it to Center on Conscience and War. Conference registration fee is US$30, which includes lunch on Saturday, May 13th.
Other events include:
* Lobby Day on Capitol Hill for CO Recognition (organized by the Center on Conscience & War),
* Eyes Wide Open Exhibit on the Mall,
* GI Rights Hotline Gathering,
* Silent March Against the War in Iraq.

For more information, please contact: Operation Refuse War, c/o WRL 339 Lafayette St New York, NY 10012 +1-212.228.0450 x102 youth [at] warresisters [dot] org youth [at] warresisters [dot] org (<mailto:youth [at] warresisters [dot] org>) operationrefusewar.org


Background information
* History of International CO Day
* About WRI's Right to Refuse to Kill programme
* About War Resisters' International