Notes from the WRI office

From the Office / WRI Event

26 Jul 2010
English

“I feel relieved and elated! Thank God! Today I will have a good night sleep in peace,” these are the words of victory echoed by Ignatious Muhambi a consultant accountant with GALZ following his acquittal today.

Muhambi was on trial facing charges of allegedly possessing pornographic material, in breach of the country’s censorship laws.

In her ruling Magistrate Sandra Mupindu who presided over the matter said that there was no prima facie evidence to prove the essential elements of the case which are possession, indecent or obscene and without lawful excuse.

Obituaries

14 Jul 2010
English
Phyllis HigginsPhyllis Higgins

Phyllis Higgins, a pacifist and a volunteer with the WRI (and other pacifist organisations), has died on June 10th, 2010. She will be remembered with kindness by the many WRI activists to whom she had extended her hospitality while they were staying in London. Below are several personal accounts and messages written in her memory.

The Right to Refuse to Kill

05 Aug 2010
English

During its 99th session, the Human Rights Committee also considered the periodic report of Colombia. On the issue of conscientious objection, the Colombian delegation was requested to provide more particulars on conscientious objectors and what protections were in place for them until the law concerning this matter was adopted. The Committee referred to the ruling of the Constitutional Court, had handed down nine months ago, but there was still no written ruling.

05 Aug 2010
English

During its 99th session, the Human Rights Committee also examined the periodic report of Israel. Again, also the issue of conscientious objection came up. The Israeli delegation said that in the matter of conscientious objections, it did not have the statistics available at hand on the number of cases approved. The burden of proof was on the objector, but it was difficult to say what the burden of proof was because it was hard to determine what was in a person’s heart and mind and whether they were lying.

29 Jul 2010
Spanish

Comité de Derechos Humanos
99º período de sesiones
Ginebra, 12 a 30 de julio de 2010

Examen de los informes presentados por los Estados partes en virtud del artículo 40 del Pacto
Observaciones finales del Comité de Derechos Humanos
Colombia

CCPR/C/COL/CO/6
Distr. 29 de julio de 2010
Original: español

(...)

29 Jul 2010
English

Human Rights Committee
Ninety-ninth session
Geneva, 12–30 July 2010

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant
Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee
Israel

CCPR/C/ISR/CO/3

Distr.: General
29 July 2010
Original: English/Spanish

(...)

07 Jul 2010
English

Amnesty International reports that conscientious objector Halil Savda and three other activists were convicted on 17 June 2010 under Article 318 of the Turkish Penal Code which criminalises ‘alienating the public from military service’.

Nonviolence

12 Aug 2010
Spanish

Volver al indice

  • A.F.R.I.K.A. Gruppe, Manual de Guerrilla de la Comunicación, Virus editorial, 2000
  • AGIRRE, Xabier, AJANGIZ, Rafael; IBARRA, Pedro, SÁINZ DE ROZAS, Rafel: La insumisión: un singular ciclo de desobediencia civil, Tecnos, Madrid, 1998.
  • ARENDT, Hannah: Desobediencia civil, en Crisis de la República, Taurus, Madrid, 1973, págs. 67-108.
  • ARIAS, Gonzalo: Proyecto político de la Noviolencia. Nueva Utopía, Madrid, 1995.
  • ARIAS, Gonzalo: El Ejército incruento del Mañana, Nueva Utopía, Madrid, 1995.
12 Aug 2010
Spanish

Volver al indice

04 Aug 2010
English

2010-07-28 Luleå

United States and Swedish Air Force are right now preparing for a large war exercise in Norrbotten. War preparations can never go undisturbed says Ofog, who on Thursday at 12:00 will be at Norrbotten Air Wing F21.

The purpose is to break the silence about the fact that Sweden is at war and USA as an ally is allowed to practise bomb war on Swedish soil. War starts here and we can stop it from here, says Ofog who wants to show a better way to use common resources.

04 Aug 2010
English

Martin Smedjeback

17 June 2010

I am led into the central office of the Skenäs prison outside Norrköping. Two guards help me to carry my stuff. “It looks like you’re moving in here!” says one guard. “That’s exactly what I am doing, temporarily anyway”, I say. “Do you have your sentence papers with you?” asks another guard. “Yes,” I answer and hand them the papers which say that I was convicted to four months in prison.

27 Jul 2010
Spanish

El cambio social no sucede solo, este es el resultado del trabajo de gente comprometida luchando por un mundo de justicia y paz. Este trabajo se gesta en grupos o celulas de activistas, en discusiones, en sesiones de entrenamientos, en la reflexion de experiencias previas, en la planificación, en la experiencia y aprendizaje con otros. El prepararnos para nuestro trabajo por la justicia social es vital para su éxito.

Este manual compartelo que gente ya ha desarrollado a partir de contextos diferentes.

08 Jul 2010
English

Wendela de Vries
Campagne tegen Wapenhandel

The European Aeronatic Defence and Space company, EADS, is the second largest military producer in Europe. The company is owned by German Dailmer (producer of civil Mercedes cars but also of many types of military vehicles), the French company Lagardère, (partly state owned and partly privately owned by Arnaud Lagardère), a Spanish public investment fund and several big private investment funds. And also, surprisingly, by the peace movement. German peace activists bought shares for € 15 each, therewith buying access to the yearly shareholder meeting and the right to speak.

08 Jul 2010
English

The European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT) is a loose network of researchers, campaigners and lobbyists. The network meets once a year somewhere in Europe to discuss campaign strategies, political developments and the newest tricks from the arms industry. Although every European country has its specific political culture and the arms industry differs from country to country, there are many reasons to work together. The arms industry is very globalised hardly any country makes a complete weapon system all by itself.

07 Jul 2010
English

It seems there is never a quiet time when it comes to campaigning against war profiteers. It can be the work against nuclear weapons and the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Nukewatch, The Nuclear Resist and The Ploughshare Eight in the US, or in France, with actions against the Eurosatory arms fair, or in Europe, with the work and meetings of ENAAT, shareholders' actions and court cases, or in Israel and Palestine, with the work on BDS and settlements products and around the use of military equipment against Palestinians and internationals, or in Africa with the permanent resources war. All these are reported in this issue of War Profiteer News.