conscientious objection

A powerful story of courage, maturity and reconciling spirit is being shared by two teenaged women from Israel who have, with eight other youth, submitted a letter of refusal in response to their obligatory draft call to the Israeli Defense Forces. They say they can not in good conscience serve in the occupation of territory and the oppression of another people as soldiers.

Two young Israeli women, Maya Wind and Netta Mishly, are coming to the U.S. next week to give talks about their courageous efforts to mobilize young Israelis against military service. Maya and Netta are part of a group called the "Shministim," who are Israeli high-school seniors -- and prospective conscripts into the mandatory Israeli military -- who have been imprisoned for their principled refusal to serve the Occupation of Palestinian territories. What these young conscientious objectors have to say about the occupation and their personal accounts of militarization in Israeli society is of critical importance for U.S. audiences. Please visit their Why We Refuse web site to learn more about their speaking tour, hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace and CodePink, and to support their important work.

In mid-November [Ed. Note: on August 25th, shortly after the posting of this message, an announcement was made by conference organizers that the date of the Truth Commission was postponed/changed to March 21-22, 2010 -- please note that change in all future references] a group of religious and peace organizations will host a "truth commission" on the topic of selective conscientious objection. Like "just war theory," the issue of selective C.O. has long been a controversial one, as some pacifists and most military and political leaders alike believe that one must be opposed to ALL war to receive C.O. status. But spurred by the recent success of the documentary film Soldiers of Conscience, and the fact that increasing numbers of the U.S. armed forces have claimed that they would be willing to serve in certain wars, but are morally opposed to the actions in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, this topic has drawn increasing attention.

It's a special opportunity to meet two different anti-war world travelers on the same day, and I had such an opportunity at the Nyack headquarters of the Fellowship of Reconciliation last week when I was introduced to a young U.S. Army veteran who left Iraq as a conscientious objector as well as a British peace activist who has entered military bases on Ploughshares-like actions. They had come from -- and were heading in -- different directions, but we found a lot of common cause during our brief time together.

• Delegation to Colombia: Apply Today!
  
• Letter from the Field: A Stranger in Our Midst
• U.S.-Aided Intelligence Unit Accuses Human Rights Groups
  
• The Dark Side of Plan Colombia
  
• Pentagon Plans Intervention Ability from Military Base
  
• News Briefs: Reasons to Celebrate; Called to Trial; A C.O. Speaks
  

Delegation to Colombia: Apply Today!

August 15-29, 2009: Delegation to San Jose Peace Community, Medellin and Eastern Antioquia

Witness the incredible commitment and experience of the Peace Community of San José and other Colombian grassroots initiatives.

Program Highlights:

• Travel to the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó
• Meet
  with people whose family members have been killed by the U.S.-funded
  Colombian army and are nonviolently working for justice for these
  crimes.
• Meet grassroots activists who courageously and creatively advocate for truth, justice and integral reparations.
• Experience
  unparalleled access and a rich part of Colombian life to understand
  both the war's impacts on peasant communities and advances to justice.
• Convey your experience as a group to U.S. officials

Four decades of armed conflict in Colombia have led to indigenous
people, women, union activists, youth, journalists, and human rights
workers being subject to killing, displacement, and kidnapping. Now,
victims have united in a national movement to demand that the
perpetrators of these crimes be held responsible.

Following up on yesterday's post about conscientious objectors, and given the fact that today's International C.O. Day, here's are three more items related to the topic. First, one of the most inspiring ongoing efforts to resist war and occupation is the Israeli feminist group New Profile. Three weeks ago, numerous homes of New Profile members were raided by Israeli police, and several members were detained for interrogation, as detailed by this press release.

When I checked my Facebook account early this morning, I was startled to see that my first two messages were from people currently being held in prison. (Or, more precisely, they were from people writing on their behalf.) Since both persons are being incarcerated for acts of conscience, and since tomorrow is International Conscientious Objectors Day, I want to lift up their witness.

One of the posts was about the lead story in today's news: yesterday's incarceration of Aung San Suu Kyi by the Burmese military government. I find the headline at the top of today's online global edition of The New York Times (and International Herald Tribune) somewhat comedic. It says:

Tax Day is this Wednesday, April 15th. For the past two years, my partner & I engaged in war tax resistance, withholding 51% (in 2007) and 54% (in 2008) of our federal taxes, in protest of the many ways that U.S. foreign policy was killing innocent civilians and militarizing the world. While we still have many reasons for concern about our nation's addiction to militarism -- the continuing occupation of Iraq and the massive increase in U.S. troops to and bombings in Afghanistan (& Pakistan) -- for several reasons we've decided to not engage in tax resistance this year. Still, I will be on the steps of the Rockland County courthouse this Wednesday at noon, with fellow members of the Rockland Coalition for Peace & Justice, protesting the billions of dollars used for war that should be used for ending poverty and addressing social injustice instead.

Thee first report has just been received from the Fellowship of Reconciliation's March-April 2009 youth arts & action delegation to Colombia. This reminds us to encourage all FOR supporters to sign up to participate in the upcoming Days of Prayer & Action for Colombia, which will be held on April 19-20. This year, thousands of homemade dolls will be given to U.S. elected legislators, as a means of encouraging them to remember the hundreds of thousands of Colombians who have been displaced and injured in the continuing conflict.