Natan Blanc: Why I will not join the Israeli military

Natan Blanc is caught in a cat and mouse game with the Israeli authorities: he is being repeatedly released from prison, and then detained again after he refuses to be enlisted in the Israeli army. Here's why he's doing it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pinvfnC6gdI

Nonviolent Strategies for Social Change

The Broken Rifle, No 95, March 2013

Nonviolent direct action training in Santiago, Chile

Javier Gárate

Is strategy a buzzword within nonviolent social movements? I ask myself this question since at social movements meetings I repeatedly hear: “We need to be strategic” or “Why are people not interested in strategy?” In changing a certain problem, is having a clear strategy the key factor in what movements can achieve? If so, then what that makes a good strategy? And what helps groups develop such strategies? These are some questions we have been asking ourselves for many years at War Resisters' International.

WRI Booksale from today!

Many items are at very reduced prices in our online shop from today.

These include

• War is a Crime against Humanity: The Story of The War Resisters' International by Devi Prasad
• Nonviolent Struggle and Social Defence by Brian Martin
• Opening doors to peace. A memorial to Myrtle Solomon edited by Mitzi Bales

WRI observer reports from trial of Nikos Karanikas

Lazaros Petromelidis represented War Resisters' International at the trial of Nikos Karanikas. Here is his report of the day:

Nikos Karanikas is a very active and well known person. Many people came to attend his trial on 8 March, something that always presses the members of the court. It is maybe the first time that the president of the court allowed all the witnesses (10) to testify in Nikos' defence: normally, the courts do not accept more than 4-5.

Nikos' witnesses were:

Joint Public Statement - Greece: When will conscientious objectors stop being persecuted?

New trial for 44 year-old conscientious objector by military court

Nikolaos Karanikas Solidarity 6 March 2013

Conscientious Objection as a Strategy

Conscientious objection is perhaps more often seen as a moral imperative than as a strategy. However, in countries with active conscription, there can be different ways of avoiding or delaying military service. Some people gain a medical discharge. Others flee, emigrate, choose professions that are exempt from call up, or bribe officials.

Greek conscientious objector on trial for 'desertion'

Nikos Karanikas

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Update 11 March:

• Lazaros Petromelidis represented War Resisters' International at the trial of Nikos Karanikas. Here is his report of the day.

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Update 8 March:

• Nikos Karanikas is acquitted of the charge of 'insubordination'

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Eritrea: gathering evidence on the reality of military service

Last autumn, the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed a Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation on Eritrea - Sheila Keetharuth.

WRI will be submitting information to Sheila on the reality of military service in Eritrea, and the lack of rights for conscientious objectors. To do this, we will be gathering evidence from Eritreans now living in the UK, Israel, South Africa, Germany and other countries.

Campagne pour sauver l’île de Jeju avec l’analyse Mouvement Action Plan

Jungmin Choi

Nous, membres de World without War (WWW), avons tenu une action construisant des ateliers de formation, en collaboration avec Andreas Speck de l’IRG. Pour cela nous avons utilité le modèle du mouvement Plan Action, Movement Action Plan (MAP), pour examiner notre campagne tout particulièrement en relation avec l’abandon par le nouveau gouvernement du projet de loi sur le service civil. Notre action était sous embargo jusqu’à la date de prise de pouvoir du gouvernement actuel.

KEM-MOC conference on Nonviolence

Jornadas de la noviolenciaFrom 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: www.ezbiolentzia.org/ (in Spanish and Basque).

Negotiating the insider outsider terrain as a solidarity educator in the West Papua freedom movement

Alex Rayfield

In a recent article (Rayfield and Morello 2012) a colleague, Rennie Morello and I wrestled with our outsider/insider identities as we facilitated nonviolent training and education with and for West Papuan activists longing for freedom. We wrote:

In some sense we might have once identified ourselves as outsiders to the movement offering support “in solidarity”. But over time the movement has stirred-up trouble for us and our insider-outsider identities. We work in solidarity with Papuan activists in their struggle for self-determination, but we are not Papuan. In this way we are cultural outsiders. More importantly, while we attempt to share the risks and costs of working for peace and justice in West Papua, we will never pay the same price as Papuan activists. In this way, we are political outsiders. Connected to this is our commitment to non-interference – Papuan activists themselves must determine the strategic direction and tactical choices of the movement. In this way we are movement outsiders.

Building Locally Driven Movements – a case of Turning the Tide in Kenya

Laura Shipler Chico

When violence erupted after Kenya’s last elections in 2007, Kenyan Quakers were quick to respond – first with humanitarian aid, then moving house-to-house listening to people’s experiences and worries. Eventually they began to help people process their trauma and knit their communities back together. But as they did this, people told them, “You are here telling us not to be violent. But if we hadn’t been violent you wouldn’t be here to begin with.” Some who heard that message promised to come back with a strategy to speak out strongly and loudly against social injustice but without resorting to violent methods.

Freedom Flotilla to Gaza – a dilemma action evolves

Majken Jul Sørensen

In 2010, a convoy of six ships called the Freedom Flotilla set out to challenge the blockade of Gaza, posing a considerable dilemma for the Israeli authorities. On board the ships were around 700 unarmed civilians from around the world, including some well known personalities, like the Swedish crime novelist Henning Mankell and parliamentarians from a number of countries. In addition to the passengers and representatives from the media, the ships also carried 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid, such as building materials and medical equipment like X-ray machines and ultrasound scanners.i The long journey meant that the pressure built while the ships approached Gaza, making this a drama for the world to watch.