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WRI's Empowering Nonviolence website - a toolbox of ideas, stories and strategies from nonviolent activists around the world - continues to be updated. We have recently published new articles on blockade actions, facilitating effective activist meetings, and tips for planning a theatrical action.

Last week, we were sad to learn of the death of David McReynolds, the chairperson of War Resisters' International between 1986-1988.

Courts in Turkmenistan continue to imprison conscientious objectors. Since June, six more conscientious objectors have been imprisoned: one in June, three in July and two in August. This adds to two other conscientious objectors imprisoned in January this year.

There are now eight conscientious objectors from Turkmenistan -all Jehovah's Witnesses aged 18 to 24- known to be imprisoned from one to two years for refusing compulsory military service on religious grounds.

Imperial Armour is a South African company based in Durban, which produces a wide range of clothing, uniforms, boots, bullet proof vests and body armour, helmets, bags, and equipment such as binoculars, belts and holsters for military, police, fire and rescue, and demining groups.

A new report called “A Lab and A Showroom” exposes how the extreme violence used by the Israeli military against Palestinian protesters supports the sale of military equipment by Israeli arms companies.

In Belgium, WRI affiliates took repeated direct action against the NATO summit, held at the NATO headquarters on the 11th and 12th July. Agir Pour la Paix, Vredesactie, and groups from Spain targeted arms company HQs with a bloody die-in, joined marches carrying model missiles, and hung banners from bridges.

Activists in Germany and the UK organised actions during public military days in their countries.

In the United Kingdom, campaigners have been resisting arms fairs being held in their cities. In Glasgow, dozens of activists held noisy protests outside the Undersea Defence Technology exhibition and conference, held at the cities Scottish Events Campus (SEC). In Farnborough and London, activists protested against the Farnborough International Airshow - biannual, week-long event, combining a public air show with an international trade show attended by military delegations from all over the world.

Otokar is the biggest private arms company in Turkey, and specialises in military land vehicles such as tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and turret systems. Formed in 1963, the companies vehicles are now in use in 30 different countries, and the company claims there are now over 30,000 Otokar vehicles in service around 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.