War Resisters' International - a nonviolent movement to end war

War Resisters' International was founded in 1921 under the name "Paco". It was and is based on the WRI declaration:

"War is a crime against humanity. I am therefore determined not to support any kind of war, and to strive for the removal of all causes of war."

War Resisters' International exists to promote nonviolent action against the causes of war, and to support and connect people around the world who refuse to take part in war or the preparation of war.

Conscientious objection

Conscientious objection has always been at the very centre of WRI's policy. WRI's declaration not to support any kind of war is a call to refuse to serve in any military or armed forces, a call to conscientious objection.

War Resisters' International supports all conscientious objectors, whether they are willing to perform a substitute service (in countries where this option exists) or not. War Resisters' International does not judge a person's motives for refusing to kill, and values a person's individual decision not to take part in war and preparation for war as an important step to ending wars.

No to war

WRI will never endorse any kind of war, whether it is waged by a state, by a "liberation army", or under the auspices of the United Nations, even if it is called a "humanitarian military intervention". Wars, however noble the rhetoric, are invariably used to serve some power-political or economic interest. We know where war leads - to suffering and destruction, to rape and organised crime, to betrayal of values and to new structures of domination.

CONCODOC

WRI, as part of a coalition of CO support organisations, is hosting CONCODOC (CON-scription and Conscientious Objection DOCumentation), a worldwide documentation on the situation of conscription and conscientious objection. It is the only one of its kind in the world. You can read all 180 CONCODOC country reports at wri-irg.org/co/rtba/; some reports are also available in Spanish.

The CONCODOC project depends on information which it receives from groups all over the world-we rely on local CO and human rights activists, who are the experts on the situation in their country.

Conscription and Conscientious Objection Documentation (CONCODOC)
War Resisters' International, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX, Britain
concodoc@wri-irg.org; http://wri-irg.org

Support COs in prison: co-alerts

In many countries, prison is still the fate of conscientious objectors. Thousands of COs are still in prison-in South Korea, Israel, Finland, Spain, and many other countries. Despite many countries having introduced laws on conscientious objection, many COs still face imprisonment, because they either don't fit into the authorities' criteria, or they refuse to perform any alternative service. War Resisters' International supports conscientious objectors who are imprisoned because of their conscientious objection, or face repression by the state or state-like entities.

Co-alerts, sent out by email as soon as the WRI office receives information on the imprisonment or trial of a conscientious objector, are a powerful tool to mobilise support and protest. Co-alerts are available by email (http://lists.wri-irg.org/sympa) or on the internet at wri-irg.org/news/alerts.

The WRI office also needs more information on imprisoned conscientious objectors from all over the world. You can enter information on an interactive form at http://wri-irg.org/co/pfpform.htm or by email to concodoc@wri-irg.org.