War Resisters' Stories: June

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Issue number
57

In this issue of War Resisters' Stories, you will find updates from WRI events, including a training on countering youth militarisation held in Cyprus and a side event co-organised with IFOR at Human Rights Council. You will also find a call to action against the NATO Summit by our affiliate Agir Pour la Paix, a report from actions against the Eurosatory arms fair in Paris, and a letter from our new affiliate P.E.A.C.E..

Finally, our post for a new team member is still open! Find our job advert for a new Right to Refuse to Kill worker here.

On 26-28 May, activists from Greece, Israel, Russia, Turkey, and Cyprus (both south and north) gathered in Nicosia (Cyprus) for a 3-day training, Gender and Countering Youth Militarisation, organised by War Resisters' International. During the training, participants explored gendered dimensions of youth militarisation within their societies as well as discussing how to work internationally to counter these processes.

We are looking to hire a new worker for our Right to Refuse to Kill programme, which supports conscientious objectors (COs) and CO solidarity organisations around the world. The new worker will be based in Colombia, and run the Right to Refuse to Kill (RRtK) Programme alongside the other staff in London. This will include planning WRI’s International Assembly in Colombia in 2019.

Agir Pour la Paix, one of WRI's Belgian affiliates, is calling for activists to join them resisting the NATO summit, due to be held in Brussels on the 11th and 12th July, joining them in actions to blockade and disrupt the event.

In Paris, activists from across Europe joined with French protesters to take action against the Eurosatory arms fair, a biannual event that in 2018 saw over 1,700 arms companies exhibit their products to 57,000 individuals from over 150 countries, including military delegations from across the world.

During the 38th session of the Human Rights Council held in Geneva, International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) organized a side event, co-sponsored by War Resisters International, focusing on the causes of migration from Eritrea and the struggles of Eritrean refugees.

Each month, we are featuring a different WRI affiliate. This month it's WRI's new affiliate Peace Educators Allied for Children Everywhere (P.E.A.C.E.) from the USA. Established in 1979, P.E.A.C.E is an activist group of early childhood educators- preschool and kindergarten teachers, family child care providers, early childhood students and college professors, and family members.