War Resisters Stories

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Conscientious objectors in South Korea gather with banners and signs on CO Day in 2017.
Issue number
54
March 2018
Support Korean COs on International Conscientious Objection day!

Every year on 15th May we celebrate International Conscientious Objection Day. This year we're focusing on South Korea, the country that imprisons more conscientious objectors than the rest of the world put together. But there's good news. Currently, there's no substitute service in South Korea, so if you don't want to go to the army, you go to jail. But the current President pledged to change this in his election manifesto, and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea has voted repeatedly to recommend that the South Korean government institute an alternative service system. So on 15th May we'll be asking the South Korean government to take the next step, finally recognise the rights of conscientious objectors, and stop sending them to prison.

Info will be updated here.

Noviolencia2018

A large group of people sit in a large circle during the Noviolencia2018 congress

On Saturday 24th March, WRI staff member Andrew Metheven gave a presentation at Noviolencia2018, a conference for Spanish activists in Madrid.

Antimilitarist group in Paraguay rejects the creation of the National Council of Conscientious Objection

Paraguayan marines

Serpaj in Paraguay have rejected the creation of the the National Council of Conscientious Objection (Consejo Nacional de Objeción de Conciencia) in Paraguay, and say they do not recognise their authority.

Broken Rifle callout

People lying in a circle on the floor

Are you developing a peace education initiative in your area? Have you studied how young people in your country learn about war in relation to their class, gender or ethnic status? Are you a member of a veterans for peace group who wants to share the ways in which you were initially attracted by army life?