EditorialPe ople 's Struggle s , Pe ople 's

Alte rnative s is th e th e m e of th e W orld Social Forum in Nairobi, a th e m e , w h ich ce rtainly is of re le vance to antim ilitaris ts and pacifis ts . And a th e m e , th at is als o ve ry re le vant in th e African conte xt, w h e re pe ople s truggle agains t ne o-colonial e xploitation, and agains t w ar and viole nce .

Since th e be ginning of th e W orld Social Forum proce s s in 2001, antim ilitaris ts and pacifis ts h ave re m aine d m ore on th e s ide line s of th is proce s s , th us m is s ing th e opportunity to e nga-ge in a de bate w ith m ove m e nts from all ove r th e w orld. Ce rtainly, th e re are diffe re nce s of opinion, of s trate gy, and m os t im portantly ofte n a diffe ring vie w on th e us e of viole nce . W h ile w e s h ould s tand firm in our com m itm e nt to pacifis m and antim ilitaris m , w e s till h ave a lot to le arn from oth e r m ove m e nts – but als o a lot to give .

Nonviole nce h as a h uge re pe rtoire of tools and e xpe -rie nce in practicing re al gras s -roots de m ocracy, e m pow e ring pe ople , and building alte rna-tive s . Th is e xpe rie nce – ofte n de rive d from anarch is m and fe m inis m – is valuable for th e W orld Social Forum proce s s , w h ich s truggle s w ith is s ue s s uch as participatory de m ocracy, de cis ion m ak ing and oth e rs . Not th at w e h ave all th e ans w e rs – far from it – but w e can contri-bute our valuable e xpe rie nce .

W e th ink it is now not th e tim e to s it on th e fe nce and criti-cis e th e W SF and oth e r m ove -m e nts from a puris t pe rs pe c- tive . It is tim e to e ngage w ith oth e r m ove m e nts , to us e th e s pace provide d by th e W orld So-cial Forum – not uncritically – in orde r to be part of th e de ve -lopm e nt of ne w alte rnative s and ne w s trate gie s to ch ange th e w orld. Be caus e ch ange – radical, re volutionary ch ange – is ne e de d, if w e w ant to bre ak out of th e cycle of viole nce , po-ve rty, e nvironm e ntal de s truction, and pote ntial nucle ar ove rk ill.Andre as Spe ck & Javie r Garate

Th e Brok e n RifleTh e Brok e n Rifle is th e ne w s -

le tte r of W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rna-tional, and is publis h e d in Eng- lis h , Spanis h , Fre nch and Ge r-m an. Th is is is s ue 73, Fe bruary 2007.

Th is is s ue of Th e Brok e n Rifle w as produce d by Andre as Spe ck and Javie r Garate . Spe -cial th ank s go Jan van Crie k in-ge , Abrah am G. Me h re te ab, and Matt Me ye r. If you w ant e xtra copie s of th is is s ue of Th e Brok e n Rifle , ple as e contact th e W RI office , or dow nload it from our w e bs ite .

W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational,5 Cale donian Road,London N1 9 DX, Britainte l + 44-20-7278 4040fax + 44-20-7278 0444info@ w ri-irg.orgh ttp://w ri-irg.org/pubs /br73-e n.h tm

No 73, Fe bruary 2007

Agains t all m ilitaris mW h y an antim ilitaris t pe rs pe ctive is im portant for all s ocial m ove m e nts

Th e W orld Social Forum is now 6 ye ars old. Since th e be ginning in Porto Ale gre in 2001, it gre w , it in-s pire d re gional proce s s e s , and it ch ange d. W ith th e s ucce s s of th e W orld Social Forum cam e inte re s t from th e traditional le ft, and from le f-tis t gove rnm e nts . Braz il's pre s ide nt Lula s pok e at th e W orld Social For-um , and th e Ve ne z ue lan gove rn-m e nt ins trum e ntralis e d th e “poly- ce ntric” forum in Caracas to prom o-te th e “Bolivarian re volution”. So is th e W SF e m bracing old-fas h ione d traditional le ft politics , and doe s it abandon its ow n principle s ? Doe s th e W SF fall into th e old trap of op-pos ing one s ide of th e political s pe c-trum – (US) im pe rialis m – and tur- ning a blind e ye on h um an righ ts vi-olations and m ilitaris m w h e n th e y occur on th e le ft s ide of th e politic-al s pe ctrum , according to th e s im -ple principle “th e e ne m y of m y e ne m y is m y frie nd”?

Th e principle s of th e W orld Social Forum

Th e Ch arte r of Principle s of th e W orld Social Forum [1] goe s back to 2001. Th e firs t paragraph of th is ch arte r s e ts out th e bas is of th e W SF: “Th e W orld Social Forum is an ope n m e e ting place for re fle c-tive th ink ing, de m ocratic de bate of ide as , form ulation of propos als , fre e e xch ange of e xpe rie nce s and inte rlink ing for e ffe ctive action, by groups and m ove m e nts of civil s o-cie ty th at are oppos e d to ne olibe -ralis m and to dom ination of th e w orld by capital and any form of im pe rialis m , and are com m itte d to building a plane tary s ocie ty dire c-te d tow ards fruitful re lations h ips am ong H um ank ind and be tw e e n it and th e Earth .”

Paragraph 5 s tate s : “Th e W orld Social Forum brings toge th -e r and inte rlink s only organiz ations and m ove m e nts of civil s ocie ty from all th e countrie s in th e w orld”, and it th us e xclude s gove rnm e nts and m ilitarie s . Paragraph 9 e ve n s pe lls it out, th ough a bit w e ak e r: “Ne ith e r party re pre s e ntations nor m ilitary organiz ations s h all particip-ate in th e Forum . Gove rnm e nt le ad-e rs and m e m be rs of le gis lature s w h o acce pt th e com m itm e nts of th is Ch arte r m ay be invite d to parti-cipate in a pe rs onal capacity.”

Paragraph 10 is about im port-ant value s : “Th e W orld Social For-um is oppos e d to all totalitarian and re ductionis t vie w s of e conom y, de ve lopm e nt and h is tory and to th e us e of viole nce as a m e ans of s ocial control by th e State . It up-h olds re s pe ct for H um an Righ ts , th e practice s of re al de m ocracy, par-ticipatory de m ocracy, pe ace ful re la-tions , in e q uality and s olidarity, am ong pe ople , e th nicitie s , ge nde rs and pe ople s , and conde m ns all form s of dom ination and all s ubje c-

tion of one pe rs on by anoth e r.” And paragraph 13 m e ntions as one of th e obje ctive s to “s tre ng-th e n and cre ate ne w national and inte rnational link s am ong organiz a-tions and m ove m e nts of s ocie ty, th at – in both public and private life – w ill incre as e th e capacity for non-viole nt s ocial re s is tance to th e pro-ce s s of de h um aniz ation th e w orld is unde rgoing and to th e viole nce us e d by th e State ”.

Th e Bam ak o appe al [2], w h ich is s om e w h at a de parture from th e s e principle s , w as pas s e d at th e polyce ntric W SF in Mali in January 2006. Th e Bam ak o appe al is full of th e old-fas h ione d rh e toric of th e le ft, and puts a s pe cial e m -ph as is on th e w ork ing clas s – in fact, it alm os t s e e m s as if th e te rm “civil organiz ations ” us e d in th e Ch arte r of Principle s dis appe are d from th e language of th e Bam ak o appe al. For e xam ple , th e Bam ak o appe al uncritically calls for w ide -ning “th e s olidarity cam paigns w ith Ve ne z ue la and Bolivia, s ince th e s e are place s w h e re pe ople are buil-ding ne w alte rnative s to ne olibe -ralis m and crafting Latin-Am e rican inte gration”. H ow e ve r, th e Bam ak o appe al re cognis e s “th at th e fai-lure s of th e Sovie t s ys te m and th e re gim e s th at aros e from de coloni-z ation re s ulte d large ly from th e ir de nial of fre e dom and th e ir unde r-e s tim ation of th e value of de m ocra-cy. Th e de ve lopm e nt of alte rnati- ve s m us t inte grate th is fact and

give pre -e m ine nce to building de m ocracy”.

H ow e ve r, m os t s trik ingly, in both th e original Ch arte r of Prin-ciple s and in th e Bam ak o appe al, any analys is of m ilitaris m in its e lf is com ple te ly abs e nt. Anti-m ilitaris m is s e e n as anti-im pe rialis m , and is lim ite d to oppos ing US and NATO m ilitary action, but doe s not e x-pand to oth e r actors .

W h y antim ilitaris m ?In its 19 9 0 s tate m e nt “Nonviol-

e nce and arm e d s truggle ” [3], W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational w rite s : “In our vie w , libe ration m ove m e nts are auth e ntic to th e e xte nt th at th e y s tre ngth e n popular s e lf-re liance and s e lf-organis ation and re fle ct th e as pirations of th e e xclude d. Th e y m ay contain m any diffe re nt s ocial groups and political te nde n-cie s , but th e y de pe nd on th e partici-pation of th e pow e rle s s .

Th e libe ration th e y s e e k cannot e ntail th e oppre s s ion of oth e rs but s h ould re s pe ct th e righ ts of all: w e are only too aw are of th e dange r th at today's libe rators could be -com e tom orrow 's oppre s s ors .”

“Th e re is noth ing rom antic about th e e xpe rie nce of w ar, includ-ing re volutionary w ar. W e can un-de rs tand th e re as ons for re s orting to arm e d s truggle , but w e w arn agains t its cons e q ue nce s . No m at-te r h ow jus t th e caus e , no m atte r h ow m uch arm e d s truggle is a m e th od of las t re s ort, w arfare de -

ge ne rate s . Dis crim inating s abot-age te nds to blur into indis crim i- nate attack s k illing non-com batant civilians and bringing re pris als . Local conflicts e rupt into s e lf-pe r-pe tuating fe uds be yond any politic-al control; viole nce be com e s a patte rn for h andling conflict.

If th e m ilitary s truggle is to bring ultim ate victory, th e n an arm y is re q uire d – an arm y of s oldie rs w illing to k ill to orde r, ope rating w ith firm ch ains of com m and, and de pe nde nt on w e apons s upplie rs w h o w is h to e xploit th e s truggle , e ith e r for political influe nce or profit. Military ne ce s s ity com e s to tak e priority ove r h um an or s ocial cons ide rations .”

Th e re are ple nty of e xam ple s , and th e re is not e nough s pace to analys e th e m h e re . So s om e “s naps h ots ” w ill ne e d to be s uffi-cie nt:► Afte r th e victory of th e Sandinis -

tas in Nicaragua in 19 79 , th e US launch e d a cam paign of low -inte ns ity w arfare and s up-porte d th e contras . As a re -s pons e , th e Sandinis ta go- ve rnm e nt of Nicaragua intro-duce d cons cription, in orde r to be able to re cruit s ufficie nt num be rs of youth for a m ilitary s truggle agains t th e contras .

► Th e arm e d inde pe nde nce s truggle in Angola s ince th e

Europe an Union force (EUFOR) pre s e nts its dis s uas ion force in K ins h as a, DRC, 20 July 2006. 2000 EU troops provide d additional s upport to MONUC during th e e le ctoral pe riod. © MONUC Ph oto/Rom ain De s clous

continue d on page 2

2 Th e Brok e n Rifle No 73, Fe bruary 2007W orld Social Forum 2007 – Nairobi, Ke nya

Global Initiative on W ar Profite e rs

One of th e m ain pillars th at s upports w ar and m ilitaris m is e conom ics . It is in w ar tim e s w h e n w ar re late d corporations m ak e th e ir big k illings .

In Africa th is be com e s ve ry cle ar, w h e re th e gove rnm e nts th at are “prom oting pe ace ” for th e re gion, at th e s am e tim e are facilitating th e trade of s m all arm s and th e e xploitation of natural re s ource s

Ille gal s m all arm s pos e a m ajor th re at to public s afe ty th rough out ce ntral and e as t Africa, e ncouraging crim e w h ile fue lling and prolonging conflict. Sm all arm s and ligh t w e apons s uch as as s ault rifle s are e s pe -cially s uite d to th e irre gular w ar-fare th at is s till w ide s pre ad in th e re gion be caus e th e y are ch e ap, e as y to us e , w ide ly avail-able and durable . Blade d w e a-pons lik e m ach e te s h ave als o be e n w ide ly us e d in conflicts in Rw anda and Burundi.

M illions of live s h ave alre ady be e n los t in th e re gion, and th e s upply of arm s to both gove rn-m e nts and re be l groups con-tinue to grow .

In 2000, 10 countrie s s igne d th e Nairobi De claration on Sm all Arm s and Ligh t W e apons and in 2002 th e Eas t Africa Police Ch ie fs Com m itte e w as form e d. Th e Com m itte e h as s e t up a program m e to re gis te r and clas -s ify fire arm s . H ow e ve r, ongoing ins tability pre s e nts m ajor ch al-le nge s for th e s e and oth e r initi-ative s .

Th e top th re e s m all arm s e x-porte rs during 2006 w e re : th e Unite d State s $ 533,000,000, Rus s ia $130,000,000 and Ch i-na $ 100,000,000 (Figure s in US dollars , Source s : CRS, SIPRI and UN w e bs ite )

Th e Control Arm s Cam -paign, founde d by Am ne s ty Inte r-national, Oxfam , and th e Inte r- national Action Ne tw ork on Sm all Arm s , e s tim ate s th at th e re are ove r 600 m illion ite m s of s m all arm s in circulation, and th at ove r 1135 com panie s ba-s e d in m ore th an 9 8 diffe re nt countrie s are m anufacturing s m all arm s as w e ll as th e ir vari-ous com pone nts and am m uni-tion. W orldw ide , an ave rage of ove r 500,000 de ath s are caus e d by th e us e of s m all arm s e ve ry ye ar, approxim ate ly one de ath pe r m inute .

Th e e xploitation of natural re s ource s e s pe cially of m ine rals in Africa is als o a w ay of profi-te e ring from w ar. In m any cas e s th e s e e xploitations bring dis pla-ce m e nt and fue ls local conflicts as it h appe ns for e xam ple in th e De m ocratic Re public of Congo. You w ill find a furth e r analys is on th is in th e article on W ar Profite e rs in Congo in th is Brok e n Rifle .

W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational is de ve loping a Global Initiative Agains t W ar Profite e rs . W ith th e aim to coordinate and s upport local cam paigns agains t w ar pro-fite e rs at an inte rnational le ve l. At th e W SF w e w ill be giving a w ork s h op on w ar profite e rs w ith a s pe cial e ye on h ow to ch al-le nge it in Africa.

If you w ant to k now m ore ple as e contact th e W RI office at info@ w ri-irg.org.

19 60s le ad to political inde pe nd-e nce in 19 75, but w as im m e di-ate ly follow e d by a civil w ar, th at las te d until 2002. In th is w ar, outs ide actors – aparth e id South Africa, th e USA, and th e Sovie t Union and Cuba, w h ich s e nt its m ilitary to s upport th e MPLA – playe d an im portant role .

► Eritre a w on inde pe nde nce from Eth iopia afte r de cade s of ar-m e d s truggle by th e EPLF w h ich e nde d in 19 9 1. H ow e ve r, s ince form al inde pe nde nce in 19 9 3, Eritre a h as e m bark e d on a policy of m ilitaris ation and h u-m an righ ts violations . All Erit-re an youth – boys and girls – are s ubje ct to m ilitary s e rvice pri-or to le aving s ch ool, and pe nal-tie s for draft e vas ion or de s e r- tion include torture , de ath , im -pris onm e nt, and e ve n im pris on-m e nt of re lative s .Th is lis t could be e xte nde d.Ve ne z ue lan pre s ide nt H ugo

Ch ave z de m ande d in 2005 th at th e W SF ne e ds to “add a s trate gy of pow e r” to its age nda [4]. I don't agre e w ith Ch ave z ve ry ofte n, but h e re I do. But a s trate gy of pow e r re q uire s an analys is of pow e r, and in th is analys is antim ilitaris m diffe rs gre atly from Ch ave z ' populis t anti-

im pe rialis m .Pow e r is ce ntral. Pow e r not

only in th e s e ns e of pow e r ove r – th e pow e r of one group of pe ople to dom inate anoth e r group of pe ople (s tructural viole nce ). An unde rs tand-ing of pow e r is als o crucial to figh t pow e r ove r and viole nce : pow e r w ith as th e pow e r of pe ople acting toge th e r in co-ope ration, to ach ie ve th ings th e y w on't be able to ach ie -ve on th e ir ow n; and pow e r to do s om e th ing, bas e d on s k ills , k now -le dge , conviction. An analys is of po-w e r ne e ds to include an analys is of th e s tate .

According to Gus tav Landaue r, “th e State is a condition, a ce rtain re -lations h ip be tw e e n h um an be ings , a m ode of h um an be h aviour; w e de s troy it by contracting oth e r re la-tions h ips , by be h aving diffe re ntly.” [5] Th is is e ve n m ore im portant for anti-m ilitaris ts . Landaue r puts it q uite bluntly: "W ar is an act of pow e r, of m urde r, of robbe ry. it is th e s h arpe s t and cle are s t life e x-pre s s ion of th e s tate . Th e s truggle agains t w ar is a s truggle agains t th e s tate ; w h oe ve r ge ts involve d in politics of th e s tate , e ve n from th e s tandpoint of re volution, is a party to th e w ar."

Th e W orld Social Forum and antim ilitaris m

Th e Ch arte r of Principle s of th e

W orld Social Forum is ope n to anti-m ilitaris t pe rs pe ctive s , but s uch a pe rs pe ctive is not ye t part of it. Th e Bam ak o appe al lack s any anti-m ilit-aris t pe rs pe ctive , and th us le ads in th e w rong dire ction.

Th e anti-globalis ation m ove -m e nt, th e radical gay/le s bian m ove -m e nt, th e fe m inis t m ove m e nt, th e anarch is t m ove m e nt, are s om e of th e place s to e xplore and build ne w re lations h ips , w h e re w e aim to ove r-com e s tructural and cultural viol-e nce . Affinity groups , com m unity groups , nonviole nt dire ct action, but als o th e de ve lopm e nt of alte rnat-ive s – s q uats , food-coops , alte rnat-ive h ous ing, e tc – are place s w h e re w e can contract oth e r re lations h ips , be h ave diffe re ntly, not w ith th e aim to be com e part of th e s tate , but to dis s olve th is form of organis ing h u-m an re lations w h ich is bas e d on (s tructural) viole nce , and w h ich cre -ate s viole nce – w ith in s ocie ty and globally.

In doing s o, w e “w ill incre as e th e capacity for non-viole nt s ocial re s is tance to th e proce s s of de h u-m aniz ation”, as th e W orld Social Forum aim s to do, and le arn to prac-tice “re al de m ocracy, participatory de m ocracy, pe ace ful re lations , in e q uality and s olidarity, am ong pe ople , e th nicitie s , ge nde rs and pe ople s , and conde m ns all form s of dom ination and all s ubje ction of

one pe rs on by anoth e r.”In its 19 9 0 s tate m e nt, W RI

w rite s : “Th e re m ay be tim e s w h e n it s e e m s th at nonviole nce h as fai-le d. H ow e ve r, w e are convince d th at, if active nonviole nce brings re -pre s s ion, arm e d s truggle w ill pro-vide a pre te xt for e ve n m ore ruth le s s re pre s s ion. If active nonvi-ole nce cannot bring ch ange rapidly, no oth e r form of popular re s is tance w ill bring victory in th e s h ort te rm . A ne w s trate gic fram e w ork w ill be ne e de d, bas e d on building up th e confide nce and coh e s ion of th e pe ople th rough activitie s roote d in local com m unitie s .” [6]

W e are convince d th at a pe r-s pe ctive of nonviole nce and antim il-itaris m is crucial for all s ocial m ove m e nts e ngage d in th e s ocial forum proce s s .

Andre as Spe ck

Note s :1 h ttp://w w w .forum s ocialm undial.org.br

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/W SF2005/vie w s tory.as p?idne w s =170 5 Gus tav Landaue r, For Socialis m . St Louis ,

M is s ouri, 19 78 (Ge rm an: Be rlin 19 11)6 h ttp://w ri-irg.org/s tate m nt/libs trug.h tm

Re volutionary Nonviole nce in Africa: Old Com m itm e nts , Ne w H ope s Colle cte d by Matt Me ye r

For advocate s of re volutionary nonviole nce – th e inte rconne cte d com m itm e nt to radical s ocial ch ange and th e s trate gie s and tac-tics of unarm e d “s oul force ”– th e h is tory and conte m porary s truggle s th rough out th e contin-e nt of Africa provide rich e xam ple of gre at h ope .

From th e e arly Pan-Africanis t m ove m e nts , w h e n Gh anian le ad-e r Kw am e Nk rum ah w as de -s cribe d as th e Gandh i of Africa, to th e s ucce s s e s of th e anti-aparth e id m ove m e nt, to gras s -roots w om e n’s groups curre ntly fos te ring conflict re s olution and dialogue , th e contine nt de rivat-ive ly calle d “dark ” a ce ntury ago and popularly s e e n as noth ing but “w ar-torn” today in fact h as m ore e xam ple s of pos itive , pacifis t ac-tion th an m os t place s on th e plan-e t. In th e forth com ing Africa W orld Pre s s tw o-volum e colle ction Se e ds of Ne w H ope : Pan African Pe ace Studie s for th e Tw e nty-Firs t Ce ntury (2008, e dite d by J. Atiri and M. Me ye r, s e e w w w .africaw orldpre s s -book s .com ), acade m ics and activ-is ts h ave com e toge th e r to docum e nt and dis cus s th is bur-ge oning m ove m e nt. Be low are s om e e xce rpts from a s e le ction of e s s ays , w h ich als o include w ork from W RI’s ow n Jorge n Jo-h anns e n, Ch e s te rfie ld Sam ba, Jan Van Crie k inge , Kous s e togue Koude , and Marianne Ballé Moudoubou, as w e ll as from Silvia Fe de rici, Yas h Tandon, IPRA’s Be rnade tte Muth ie n, Tran-s ce nd’s Rais Ne z a Bone z a, Jos e ph Se bare nz i, and Elavie Ndura.

At th e tim e of th e libe ration m ove m e nts , th e re ce rtainly w as a lot of h ope , ye t th e re w e re als o

th e s e e ds of th e trouble s to com e , as le ade rs re lie d too h e av-ily on th e s am e m e th ods and tac-tics th at th e colonial rule rs h ad e m ploye d. Today, th e re are s till a lot of trouble s . Ye t, tim e and tim e again– in conve rs ations w ith gras s -roots activis ts , at confe re nce s w ith profe s s ors and alte rnative e conom is ts , and in th e pre s e nta-tions containe d in th is volum e – w e s e e th e s e e ds of ne w h ope . My ow n h ope s for Africa today ce nte r around th e be lie f th at w e w ill ove r-com e th e lim itations th at occur w h e n pe ople be com e s e duce d by pow e r.

My h ope s and e xpe ctations are th at, once again, pe ople 's m ove m e nts w ill flow e r. Only in th is w ay w ill w e be able to ach ie ve a re al pe ople 's de m o-cracy.

– Pan African e lde r and W W II Cons cie ntious Obje ctor Bill

Suth e rland

African w om e n are pione e ring pe ace initiative s , m ixing in innovat-ive w ays th e late s t re s e arch and th e orie s in nonviole nt conflict re s ol-ution and traditional conflict-re s olu-tion m e ch anis m s . Th e y are ofte n re inte rpre ting th e latte r, adapting traditions to conte m porary prob-le m s and e xpanding w om e n's role s . African w om e n play m any role s in conflict: as victim s , as pe r-pe trators , and as le ade rs in pre -ve nting, e nding, and h e aling th e w ounds of conflict. . . African w o-m e n's pe ace initiative s range from initiating dialogue be tw e e n e ne m y groups , as in th e unde r-ground ne tw ork s e s tablis h e d by w om e n from north e rn and s outh -e rn Sudan; to m obiliz ing w h ole s e ctors of com m unitie s to pre ve nt viole nce , as th e w om e n of th e W ajir Pe ace Group do in north e rn

Ke nya; to ide ntifying ne w ch al-le nge s to pe ace , s uch as th e w ork on H IV/AIDS and conflict un-de rtak e n by Fe m m e s Africa Solid-arité; to re inte grating ch ild s oldie rs back into civilian s ocie ty, as done by th e w om e n of Jam ii Ya Kupatanis h a in Gulu, Uganda. Th e y are h e aling th e w ounds of w ar, as Pro Fe m m e s /Tw e s e H am -w e in Rw anda are atte m pting in building Pe ace Village s w h e re H utu and Tuts i w idow s and orph ans role m ode l living toge th -e r. In s o doing, African w om e n are re inte rpre ting tradition and e x-panding th e public s pace for w o-m e n.

– Inte rnational Fe llow -s h ip of Re conciliation office r Sh e l-

le y Ande rs on

Afte r th e w ar be tw e e n Eritre a and Eth iopia in 19 9 8-2000, w h ich claim e d te ns of th ous ands of live s on both s ide s and m aim e d and dis -figure d m any youngs te rs , dis -place d th ous ands of civilians , and cons um e d th e national tre as ury, th e num be r of cons cie ntious ob-je ctors incre as e d. Curre ntly, th ou-s ands of Eritre ans obje ct to m ilitary s e rvice . Th e y are force d to le ave Eritre a and live in e xile . Cons ide rable num be rs of th e m are in Libya, Eth iopia, Sudan, and parts of Europe s e e k ing political as ylum . In Eritre a, cons cie ntious obje ction is taboo. Cons cie ntious obje ctors are cons ide re d cow ards lack ing patriotis m . Th e re is no al-te rnative civilian s e rvice . De s e r-tion is punis h able by up to five ye ars im pris onm e nt, and in w ar-tim e th e punis h m e nt include s th e de ath pe nalty. Due to its m ilitaris t-ic nature , th e gove rnm e nt doe s not tole rate inde pe nde nt NGOs , h um an righ t groups , inte rnational obs e rve rs , or re porte rs . . . But w e

s e e th at re fus ing m ilitary s e rvice pave s th e w ay for pe ace . W e ne e d de m ocracy and th e rule of law . Th e pe ople of Eritre a are in a political, s ocial, and e conom ic cris is . W e urge ntly ne e d a h e alth y de m ocratic political atm os ph e re , a cons titutionally e le cte d le ade r-s h ip, and a m ultiparty political s ys -te m . Th e re is als o an urge nt ne e d for th e re le as e of all political pris -one rs and cons cie ntious obje ct-ors . Th e ide as and te ach ings of cons cie ntious obje ction are paci-fis t in nature .

Th e y are bas e d on h um anity and m orality. W e be lie ve th at th e y can s tand agains t th e de ce iving, confus ing propaganda of national unity and national s ove re ignty, w h ich are de vas tating and alw ays provocative .

– Eritre an Anti-Militaris t Initiative co-founde r and CO Yo-

h anne s K idane

If pe rh aps pe ople h ad com e to Africa and h ad s h are d th e re -s ource s e q uitably, pe rh aps w e w ould ne ve r h ave h ad th e con-flicts th at w e h ave . But th e y w e re not s h are d e q uitably. Anyw h e re in th is w orld, unle s s w e le arn to s h are re s ource s e q uitably w e are not going to e njoy pe ace .

Unle s s w e le arn to re s pe ct oth -e r pe ople ’s h um an righ ts – w o-m e n’s righ ts , e nvironm e ntal righ ts – w e w on’t k now pe ace . W e e ve n go m us t be yond th at and s ay th at th e re are oth e rs w h o live on th is plane t be s ide s us , th e h u-m an s pe cie s . W e h ave th e oth e r s pe cie s , and th e y too h ave a righ t to be re s pe cte d. Only th e n can w e be gin to live pe ace fully.

– Gre e n Be lt Move m e nt founde r and 2004 Nobe l Pe ace

Laure ate W angari Maath ai

continue d from page 1

Afte r de cade s of colonialis m , dictators h ip and w ars , on 6 De ce m -be r 2006, th e De m ocratic Re public of Congo (DRC) s w ore in its firs t fair and fre e ly e le cte d pre s ide nt s ince inde pe nde nce from Be lgium in 19 60, Jos e ph Kabila.

Th e s ix-ye ar civil and inte rna-tional w ar in Congo th at h as k ille d m ore th an four m illion pe ople and dis place d anoth e r tw o m illion m ay h ave ‘officially’ e nde d, but th e dying h as ce rtainly not. Eve ry day in Congo, a de adly com bination of conflict-re late d atrocitie s (in w h ich rape is w ide ly us e d as a w e apon by all partie s involve d), s tarvation, pove rty and dis e as e k ills ove r 1,200 pe ople . Th is conflict is for s ure one of th e m os t unde r-re por-te d h um an trage die s of our life tim e , ye t it is one of th e m os t le th al s ince W orld W ar II. De cade s of unre le n-ting viole nce , pove rty, and dis e as e h ave cre ate d w h at th e Unite d Nations h as calle d th e gre ate s t h um anitarian ch alle nge now facing th e w orld.

Congo h as a long h is tory of plun-de r and w ar profite e ring. Extre m e ly rich in cobalt, diam onds , coppe r, gold and oth e r rare m ine rals , Con-go attracte d th e inte re s t of th e Euro-pe an im pe rialis t pow e rs only at th e e nd of th e 19 th ce ntury. At th e Con-fe re nce of Be rlin (1884– 1885) th e th e n Be lgian k ing Le opold II s uc-ce e de d in ge tting re cognition for h is claim s ove r th is e norm ous te rri-tory. In h is pe rs onal nam e , th e k ing cre ate d th e s o-calle d ‘Congo Fre e State ’, in w h ich a brutal e xploitation of w ild rubbe r, ivory and tim be r w ood s tarte d s oon. It is s aid th at ne arly h alf of th e population of th e Congo Bas s in dis appe are d be t-w e e n 1880 and 19 20 as a dire ct or indire ct re s ult of th is ruth le s s colo-nial plunde r.

Congo gaine d inde pe nde nce from Be lgium on 30 June 19 60 unde r pre s ide nt Kas avubu and th e ch aris m atic and popular prim e m i-nis te r Patrice Lum um ba. Th e re fol-low e d a pe riod of gre at ins tability and fore ign m ilitary inte rve ntion, including by th e Unite d Nations . Th e m ine ral-rich province s of Katan-ga and South Kas ai, w ith th e active s upport of colonial com panie s and m e rce narie s , s oon e ve n de clare d th e ir inde pe nde nce . In 19 65 it w as finally arm y colone l Jos e ph Mobu-tu’s s e cond coup d’e tat th at m ar-k e d th e be ginning of a 32 ye ars rule by a w e s te rn-back e d dictator – h e ch ange d h is ow n nam e to Mobu-tu Se s e Se k o and th at of h is coun-try in Z aire . Mobutu and th e e lite around h im plunde re d th e nation's w e alth s o de e ply th at th e corrupt s ys te m be cam e com m only k now n as a ‘k le ptocracy’. Th is s ys te m col-laps e d in May 19 9 7 w h e n th e troops of life long re be l Laure nt-Dés i-ré Kabila, Jos e ph ’s fath e r, h e lpe d de pos e th e alre ady te rm inally ill Mobutu.

L-D ‘Mz e e ’ Kabila could only s e iz e pow e r in Congo w ith th e m as s ive m ilitary s upport of Rw an-da and Uganda and th e us e of ch ild s oldie rs . On Augus t 19 9 8. Rw anda and Uganda back e d a re -be llion agains t L-D Kabila's w e ak and corrupt gove rnm e nt – a w ar dubbe d “Africa's Firs t W orld W ar” be caus e of its s im ilaritie s w ith w h at h appe ne d in Europe in 19 14: ne ar-ly all th e ne igh bouring countrie s and m any arm e d non-s tate groups

from th e Congo as w e ll as from oth e r 'inte rnal' w ars of th e Africa Gre at Lak e s re gion (Uganda, Rw an-da, Burundi, Sudan). Troops m ainly from Z im babw e , Nam ibia, Ch ad and Angola s e cure d th e Kabila re gi-m e ’s s urvival, w h e re as Uganda’s Mus e ve ni and Rw anda’s Kagam e w e re th e prim ary back e rs of th e re be llion. Rw anda jus tifie d inte r-ve ntion in Eas te rn DRC by s e curity conce rns ove r Inte rah am w e re be ls bas e d in th at part of th e country. But th e re w e re als o ve ry im portant e conom ic m otivations be h ind Rw anda’s and Uganda’s actions .

In January 2001, L-D Kabila w as as s as s inate d by h is body-guards in circum s tance s th at re m ain uncle ar, le aving h is s on Jos e ph in pow e r.

Th e w ar bore de s tructive e ffe cts on th e alre ady ve ry w e ak political s tructure s , e s pe cially th e de facto divis ion of th e country be t-w e e n th e w e s te rn and s outh e rn parts , controlle d by th e Kabila go-ve rnm e nt and its allie s , and large te rritorie s in th e north and th e e as t occupie d by various re be l organis a-tions , m ilitias and inte rve ning ar-m ie s from th e ne igh bouring countrie s . Infigh ting and pow e r s truggle s about th e control of th e m ine ral w e alth w ith in th e re s pe c-tive te rritorie s in th e re be l h e ld parts h ave re s ulte d in a h um ani-tarian catas troph e . Alm os t 9 0% of th e w ar victim s are civilians , m os tly victim s of s tarvation, dis e as e and crim inal viole nce as a re s ult of th e com ple te law le s s ne s s . Rape h as be e n w ide ly us e d as a w e apon in th is w ar.

Alth ough a pe ace de al s igne d in 2002 unde r South African au-s pice s s uppos e dly e nde d th e ‘con-ve ntional’ w ar, figh ting continue s in th e e as t of th e country be tw e e n re be l m ilitia, th e Congole s e arm y and UN MONUC-force s , caus ing m any civilian cas ualtie s .

Since th e s tart of th e trans i-tional gove rnm e nt in June 2003, arm e d groups link e d to ne igh -bouring countrie s and corrupt Con-gole s e gove rnm e nt officials h ave continue d illicit e conom ic e xploi-tation in th e country. A th re e -ye ar inve s tigation by a Pane l of Expe rts , conve ne d by th e Unite d Nations Se curity Council in 2000, found th at s oph is ticate d ne tw ork s of h igh -le ve l political, m ilitary and bus ine s s pe rs ons in cah oots w ith various re -be l groups w e re inte ntionally fue l-ling th e conflict in orde r to re tain th e ir control ove r th e country’s na-tural re s ource s . In a s e rie s of con-trove rs ial re ports , th e Pane l e xpos e d th e vicious cycle of re -s ource -drive n conflict th at h as tak e n h old of Congo.

“Th e re 's a w orldw ide profit inte r-e s t th at th e pre s e nt plunde ring m e -ch anis m s tays in place . Th e re are an e norm ous num be r of pe ople s iph oning off Congo's re s ource s . ... Th e re 's th e Congo gove rnm e nt e li-te , all k inds of Europe an and North Am e rican firm s , a h uge num be r of African firm s , and e s pe cially th e e lite s from ne igh bouring countrie s . It's a ve ry vas t and com ple x ne t-w ork profiting from th e w ar and its e xploitation.”

In its Octobe r 2002 re port, th e Pane l als o accus e d doz e ns of w e s -te rn com panie s of violating a s e t of gove rnm e nt-back e d inte rnational s tandards for re s pons ible corpo-

rate be h aviour k now n as th e ‘Guide -line s for Multinational Ente rpris e s ’. An April 2004 re port by RAID (Righ ts & Accountability in De ve -lopm e nt), e xam ine d th e UN Pane l’s alle gations agains t 40 com panie s and include d additional e vide nce atte s ting to th e com panie s ' involve -m e nt in h um an righ ts violations , corruption and/or ille gal re s ource e xploitation. Mos t OECD gove rn-m e nts re fus e d to inve s tigate th e Pane l’s alle gations and in th e face of th e ir inaction, inte rnational NGOs s tarte d to file com plaints and public aw are ne s s cam paigns unde r th e nam e ‘No Blood on m y Ce ll Ph one ’, conce rning th e plun-de r of th e ve ry rare m ine ral coltan. About a doz e n com plaints alle ging violations of th e OECD ‘Guide line s for Multinational Ente rpris e s ’ w e re s ubm itte d to th e Am e rican, Be lgi-an, Britis h , and Dutch gove rnm e nts .

“Th e gove rnm e nt of th e DRC m us t act prom ptly on th e re com -m e ndations of a Congole s e par-liam e ntary inve s tigation th at uncove re d ille gal natural re s ource e xploitation and profite e ring from arm e d conflict”, s aid a le ading group of inte rnational h um an righ ts , e nvironm e ntal and aid orga-nis ations in July 2006.

In June 2005 th e Lutundula Com m is s ion, a s pe cial Congole s e National As s e m bly com m is s ion le d by th e courage ous parliam e ntarian Ch ris toph e Lutundula, s ubm itte d a re port on its inve s tigations into m i-ning and oth e r bus ine s s contracts th at re be ls and gove rnm e nt auth o-ritie s s igne d be tw e e n 19 9 6 and 2003. It found th at doz e ns of con-tracts are e ith e r ille gal or of lim ite d value for th e de ve lopm e nt of th e country and it re com m e nds th e ir te rm ination or re ne gotiation. It fur-th e r re com m e nds judicial action agains t a num be r of s e nior political and corporate actors involve d in th e s e ope rations . “For ye ars , Con-go’s politicians h ave s truck de als th at e nrich th e m s e lve s but provide no be ne fit to th e Congole s e public. Profits from s uch de als h ave ofte n com e at th e cos t of e norm ous s uffe ring and los s of h um an live s ”, s aid th e coalition of NGOs .

Th e Lutundula Com m is s ion re port draw s atte ntion to th e on-going ille gal e xploitation and

re com m e nds an im m e diate m orato-rium on th e s igning of ne w con-tracts until afte r th e e le ctions . W h ile carrying out th e inve s tiga-tion, s om e m e m be rs of th e com -m is s ion w e re th re ate ne d and th e y found politicians , officials , and com pany e xe cutive s unw illing to ans w e r q ue s tions . Officials from th e Unite d Nations and th e Be lgian Se nate , both of w h ich h ad inve s ti-gate d natural re s ource e xtraction in th e Congo be tw e e n 2000 and 2003, w ith h e ld im portant inform a-tion re garding s om e of th e ille gal de als , citing conce rns ove r confi-de ntiality.

In its re port, th e com m is s ion corroborate s th e ce ntral findings of th e UN Pane l of Expe rts and oth e r inve s tigations , w h ich conclude d th at be llige re nts w e re m otivate d by th e ir de s ire to e xploit Congo’s m i-ne ral and e conom ic w e alth . Be lli-ge re nts us e d s om e of th e ir profits to finance furth e r m ilitary ope ra-tions th at ofte n involve d w ide -s pre ad h um an righ ts abus e s agains t civilians and violations of inte rnational h um anitarian law .

“Th e m e s s age of w ar and trans ition in Congo is th at viole nce w ork s . W ith out a firm re s pons e , th e de s tructive e ffe cts of th is le s s on are ve ry lik e ly to be fe lt for a long tim e to com e ”, e xplains Tim oth y Rae ym ae k e rs , a re s e arch e r w or-k ing for th e Unive rs ity of Gh e nt ‘Conflict Re s e arch Group’. Th e auth or s e e s opportunitie s in im -proving th e living conditions of th e Congole s e population by coun-te ring th e s ys te m atic e xploitation of Congo’s re s ource s by a s m all but pow e rful e lite . Th e y give concre te re com m e ndations in th e fie ld of agricultural re form , th e m ining s e ctor and e conom ic inte gration. Plunde ring from ille gal m ining by gove rnm e nt officials and th e irre -gular m ilitias h as be e n running into billions a ye ar. "Th is is m one y th at m us t be us e d for th e be ne fit of th e Congole s e pe ople ".

Jan van Crie k inge

A longe r ve rs ion w ith s ource s h as be e n publis h e d in W RI's w arprofite e rs -ne w s e m ail ne w s le tte r, available at h ttp://w ri-irg.org/pubs /w arprof-0612.h tm

Th e Righ t to Re fus e to Kill

Since th e founding of W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational in 19 21, th e righ t to re fus e to k ill – cons cie ntious obje ction – h as be e n at th e core of W RI's w ork . Alth ough th is righ t to today re cognis e d as an inte rnational s tandard, it is in practice ofte n not grante d, and th os e w h o claim th e ir righ t are th row n into pris on, or w ors e (s e e for e xam ple th e article on Eritre a in th is Brok e n Rifle ).

W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational s upports cons cie ntious obje ctors and de s e rte rs w h e re ve r th e y are . Th e focus of th e w ork is s upportung groups and m ove m e nts of obje ctors in th e ir s truggle for th e re cognition of th e ir righ t. Inte rnational Cons cie ntious Obje ctors ' Day – 15 May – is us e d e ve ry ye ar to h igh ligh t a particular s truggle . In 2007, th e focus is on cons cie ntious obje ctors in Colom bia.

In addition, W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational m aintains an e m ail ale rt s ys te m (co-ale rt) in cas e s of im pris onm e nt or arre s t of a cons cie ntious obje ctor. Inte rnational s olidarity and prote s t can h e lp to prote ct a cons cie ntious obje ctor in pris on, and in s om e cas e s facilitate th e ir re le as e .

W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational's w ork for th e righ t to cons cie ntious obje ction is clos e ly link e d to our antim ilitaris t pe rs pe ctive : to figh t agains t w ar and th e caus e s of w ar. For W RI, cons cie ntious obje ction is not about individuals be ing e xe m pte d from m ilitary s e rvice , but about furth e ring th e antim ilitaris t caus e to abolis h w ar and m ilitaris m . In th is , th e righ t to cons cie ntious obje ction is a tool, but not an e nd in its e lf.

W RI's Righ t to Re fus e to K ill program m e publis h e d a m onth ly e -ne w s le tte r in Englis h , Fre nch , and Spanis h , w ith update s on cons cie ntious obje ction and m ilitary s e rvice . More inform ation is available at h ttp://w ri-irg.org/co/rrk -e n.h tm .

If you h ave any q ue s tions , ple as e contact th e W RI office at info@ w ri-irg.org.

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Donate to W ar Re s is te rs ' Inte rnational

Th e Brok e n Rifle No 73, Fe bruary 2007 W orld Social Forum 2007 – Nairobi, Ke nya

CONGO (DRC) and W ar Profite e rs A trage dy forgotte n by th e global pe ace m ove m e nt?

Th ous ands of young m e n and w om e n fle d Eritre a and s ough t as ylum in ne igh bouring countrie s lik e Th e Sudan, Libya, Eth iopia and oth e r countrie s in Europe and th e Unite d State s . Th is e ve n in-cre as e d afte r Eritre a's w ar w ith Eth iopia from 19 9 8 to 2000 and th e ope n re pre s s ive acts of th e pre s e nt gove rnm e nt in Eritre a.

Such m as s ive running aw ay of young m e n and w om e n is part of an e ffort to avoid cons cription or ne ce s s ary afte r de s e rting from th e arm y. According to a proclaim e d re gulation, national s e r-vice , com puls ory for all m e n and w om e n age d be tw e e n 18 and 40, h as be e n e xte nde d inde finite ly from th e original 18 m onth te rm in-s titute d in 19 9 4. Be s ide s e xce s s -ive violations of th e h um an righ t of drafte e s , national s e rvice con-s is ts of m ilitary s e rvice and labour on arm y-re late d cons truction pro-je cts .

Th e righ t to cons cie ntious ob-je ction to m ilitary s e rvice is not re -cognis e d by th e Eritre an auth oritie s . Th e re are fre q ue nt round-ups to catch e vade rs and de s e rte rs . Once in th e h ands of

th e arm y, th e de s e rte rs face inde f-inite arbitrary de te ntion, torture , ill-tre atm e nt or at tim e s s h ooting by th e ir com m ande rs . Th os e are re gu-larly us e d m e th ods of punis h -m e nts for draft e vas ion, de s e rtion and oth e r m ilitary offe nce s in th e Eritre an de fe nce force . H ow e ve r, none of th e s e m e as ure s s toppe d th e de s e rtion and e vas ion of th os e m e n and w om e n from th e m ilitary.

Th e late s t m e as ure th at th e gove rnm e nt applie d is th e de -te ntion of pare nts of de s e rte rs and e vade rs as a h os tage s , and to oblige th e m to pay m one y. For a gove rnm e nt w h ich de pe nds for its h ard curre ncy m ainly on re m it-tance , s uch m e as ure s s e e m to be lucrative . But th e h ard fact is th at m os t of th e e vade rs h ave no ch ance to re ach countrie s w h e re th e y w ould be able to s e nd back th e rans om m one y to facilitate th e re le as e th e ir de taine d pare nts . Th e m ajority of th e e vade rs are s taying in ne igh bouring countrie s lik e Sudan and Eth iopia, s trande d in re fuge e cam ps , and are de pe nd-ant for th e ir live lih ood on inte rna-tional h um anitarian and re fuge e as s is tance organis ations .

According to Am ne s ty Inte rna-tional’s ne w s s e rvice No. 329 , th e Eritre an gove rnm e nt in De ce m be r 2006 arre s te d ove r 500 re lative s , m os tly pare nts , of young m e n and w om e n w h o h ave e ith e r de s e rte d th e arm y or avoide d cons cription. Th os e arre s te d w e re th e fath e rs , m oth e rs or oth e r re lative s of m e n or w om e n ove r th e age of 18 w h o h ave e ith e r faile d to re port for na-tional s e rvice s ince 19 9 4, faile d to atte nd th e com puls ory final s ch ool ye ar at Saw a m ilitary train-ing cam p, abandone d th e ir arm y unit, or le ft th e country ille gally. Th e re lative s h ave be e n accus e d of facilitating th e ir e vas ion of con-s cription or fligh t abroad.

Th e late s t arre s ts h ave tak e n place in th e village s of Ce ntral Re -gion s urrounding As m ara, th e cap-ital city, in a s w e e p th at s tarte d on 6 De ce m be r 2006. Eve r s ince it in-s titute d its policy of arre s ting par-e nts for th e alle ge d crim e s of th e ir ch ildre n, th e gove rnm e nt h as be e n re lying on th e re ports of th e local (z oba) office s to conduct its

raids . None of th os e arre s te d h as

be e n ch arge d w ith a form al crim in-al offe nce or tak e n to court w ith in th e 48 h ours s tipulate d by th e Cons titution and law s of Eritre a. Th e auth oritie s h ave s tate d th at th e de taine e s m us t e ith e r pro-duce th e m is s ing cons cripts or pay a fine of 50,000 nafk a (ap-proxim ate ly US$1,200) for e ach m is s ing ch ild. If th e y re fus e to com ply or pay th e m one y, th e y face inde finite pris on te rm s . Som e fam ilie s could be oblige d to pay for tw o or th re e of th e ir m is s -ing ch ildre n.

Sim ilarly, in July 2005 s e ve ral h undre d re lative s of pe ople w h o h ave e vade d or de s e rte d from m il-itary cons cription w e re de taine d in th e South e rn re gion of Eritre a (De bub Re gion). Th e y w e re h e ld incom m unicado, m any in h ars h conditions , and w e re at ris k of tor-ture or ill-tre atm e nt.

Th e Eritre an Antim ilitary Initiat-ive h as be e n de nouncing th e un-law ful arre s t of pare nts of th e m ilitary e vade rs . Our initiative be -lie fs th at th e principle of individual pe nal re s pons ibility, th at no one m ay be pe nalis e d for an act for w h ich th e y are not pe rs onally li-able , is a fundam e ntal principle of law w h ich is re fle cte d th rough out inte rnational h um an righ ts law . Th e s e arre s ts of pare nts of m ilit-ary e vade rs violate th is principle , and s pe cifically th e righ t to libe rty and s e curity of th e pe rs on and th e righ t not to be s ubje cte d to ar-bitrary arre s t or de te ntion con-taine d in th e Inte rnational Cove nant on Civil and Political Righ ts (ICCPR) and th e African Ch arte r on H um an and Pe ople s Righ ts , to w h ich Eritre a is a party.

Abrah am G. Me h re te ab

Eritre an Antim ilitary InitiativeMüh lgas s e 13, 60486 Frank -

furt/Main, Ge rm anyh ttp://w w w .e ritre an-ai.com

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