wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Conscientious objection sees positive global trend but serious problems remain

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World Council of Churches - News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 13/05/2009 11:19:28

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION SEES POSITIVE GLOBAL TREND BUT SERIOUS
PROBLEMS REMAIN

In spite of a global trend to better recognize the right to
conscientious objection – which is marked with an International
Day on 15 May – those who exercise that right are often
discriminated against, persecuted, repeatedly punished or sent to
prison in many countries, first results of a study being
conducted by the World Council of Churches (WCC) show. 

Aimed at providing input to the upcoming meeting of its Central
Committee ( http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6744) in late August,
the WCC study looks at the serious problems faced by
conscientious objectors around the world, as well as actions
taken by churches and church-related organizations to support
them. Korea, Israel and the United States are examples of
countries where conscientious objection may put people through a
tough time. 

The Republic of South Korea has the largest number of imprisoned
conscientious objectors in the world – about 700 each year,
according to War Resisters' International (
http://www.wri-irg.org ), a global network for the promotion
of nonviolent action against the causes of war. Most of them are
Jehovah's Witnesses who do not get any support from most local
churches, for whom relating to Jehovah's Witnesses is a
challenge. 

In 2007 the new government stopped the plans for an alternative
civilian service. But political discussions have helped raise
public awareness for conscientious objection and the number of
objectors other than Jehovah's Witnesses increased. 

A few church related organizations, such as the Korea Anabaptist
Center ( http://en.kac.or.kr/home ), visit conscientious
objectors in prison and introduce their case to churches and the
public.

In Israel the army not only recruits young men, but also women
at the age of 17. It takes much courage to refuse, and those who
do often face a first prison term when they are still teenagers.

In recent years the "refusenik" movement of conscientious
objectors has been growing. Many of those who refuse are not
against the army in general, but against the Israeli occupation
of Palestinian territory. They also condemn the recent war in
Gaza. 

Israeli conscientious objectors are supported by Pax Christi
International ( http://www.paxchristi.net ), a Catholic peace
organization and networking partner of the Ecumenical
Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) (
http://www.eappi.org )as well as by the Quakers (
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=4589 ).

In Canada, churches provide a sanctuary for war resisters from
the United States. Most of these are soldiers who joined the army
as volunteers, but now refuse to serve the armed forces as a
consequence to their experiences in Iraq, which have made them
feel that this war was morally wrong. 

Since selective objection to a certain war is not legally
recognized in the United States, the war resisters flee to Canada
with their families and ask for refugee status. They are
nevertheless often faced with the threat of deportation and
subsequent imprisonment in the US. Their children risk being sent
to a children's home in that case.

The International Day of Conscientious Objection to military
service is observed on 15 May each year. Since 2001 War
Resisters' International coordinates activities around this day,
as "an opportunity for conscientious objection activists to share
their experience, and learn from each other's struggles and
campaigns". 

More about the International Day of Conscientious Objection: 
http://www.wri-irg.org/node/5206

UN report on "Civil and political rights, including the question
of conscientious objection to military service": 
http://oikoumene.org/fileadmin/dov/files/shared_resources/G0611188.pdf
(Analytical report of the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights on best practices in relation to conscientious
objection to military service), February 2006

Additional information:Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507
6363media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,
witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical
fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings
together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches
representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110
countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic
Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from
the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.