Celebrating the International Day of Conscientious Objection 2020

A colourful video collection to May 15 is online now !

by Connection e.V. and War Resisters’ International

(15.05.2020) Today, on May 15, the International Day of Conscientious Objection, Connection e.V. and War Resisters’ International present numerous video clips from all over the world on our YouTube channel Refuse to Kill. “We received contributions from many countries that deal with varied aspects of conscientious objection, from North and South America, from Asia, from Africa, and from Europe”, says  Rudi Friedrich from Connection e.V. “It is a clear commitment against war and participation in war.”

The focus of this year’s International Conscientious Objection Day is “Conscientious Objection and Asylum”. Many refugees have to leave their countries because of forced recruitment. They are denied the right to conscientious objection. However, escaping from war and forced recruitment into the military is often not seen as a reason to gain asylum. “Protecting people who do not want to participate in war”, Igor Seke for War Resisters’ International says, “would be an important and necessary step against war and oppression. This is portrayed by authentic videos made by conscientious objectors who had to flee themselves.”

To date contributions have been received from people from Angola, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Eritrea, Finland, Greece, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and USA:

Armin Lauven, Pax Christi, Germany: Active for conscientious objectors and deserters worldwide - https://youtu.be/RlB9GzmYC10

Beran İşçi, Turkey/Germany: My asylum case as conscientious objector is regarded as non-political - https://youtu.be/nNL0p4Bvxec

Berndt Püschel and Heiko Marx, Germany: International Deserters’ Network goes to the Sky – https://youtu.be/_-oLsKVtnqg

Bob Meola, U.S.: Resistance to the draft to the Vietnam war was an ultimate stand to say No - https://youtu.be/PH0qBezU76M

Connection e.V., Germany: Conscientious Objectors and Deserters Need Asylum - https://youtu.be/HNFWg9fY44I

Dustin Hausner, U.S., New York: We need to support people who do not want to commit atrocities - https://youtu.be/fGICgtA5nmY

Daniel Rezene, Eritrea/Switzerland: Recognize conscientious objection as a ground for asylum - https://youtu.be/LFcabVebPb8

Deutsche Welle / +90, Turkey: Being a Conscientious Objector - https://youtu.be/vLkw9hOf7zE

EBCO in Peace House, Brussels, contributions from various countries: Spot on Conscientious Objection - https://youtu.be/WVw3aULFiqI

EBCO/Movimento Nonviolento, contributions from various countries: Military Distancing Spot - https://youtu.be/SHdM6vFG3uU

Emanuel Matondo, Angola/Germany: I knew that war is a crime and then I refused the military service - https://youtu.be/Ahz6Joruxz4

Ercan Aktaş, Turkey/France: I came to France in October 2017 and never returned - https://youtu.be/KWX7KIMV0u4

Gunter Schmidt, painter, Germany: I always wished, war was finally dead - https://youtu.be/gdY0mnM957w

Halil Savda, Turkey/Cyprus: I dream of a nonviolent and free world - https://youtu.be/t3OSFQwSjJ8

Heinz Bartjes, Germany: Conscientious Objectors were seen as wimps and sissies - https://youtu.be/JWASZIL1SiU

Helen Kidan, Eritrea/United Kingdom: People are fleeing indefinite military service in Eritrea - https://youtu.be/cyMK822yJxU

Hüseyin Civan, Turkey: I reject conscription and war as an antimilitarist and anarchist - https://youtu.be/oTNzwCZgYMg

IDK, Germany: Views on our work - https://youtu.be/6ijTOVQ_Xb0

La Tulpa, Colombia: The antimilitarist collective speaks about militarization and patriarchal society - https://youtu.be/xMz0o5Z9emw

Lewis M. Randa, U.S.: Conscientious objection is a code word for love, for sanity, for being human - https://youtu.be/pbJ152U3nHY

Marcela Paz and Rocio Elisabeth, Chile: We want a world without war, without borders and without violence - https://youtu.be/9YrDPsp9L-A

Merve Arkun, Turkey: Conscientious is an anti-war action for women and the rejection of male-dominated codes - https://youtu.be/a_pm5cQ5tjg

Nuri Silay, Cyprus: Wherever in the world we call everyone to refuse to be part of the military- https://youtu.be/YYVSN6lgCIY

Pedro Polo, Spain: We are not soldiers, we are queers - https://youtu.be/33E3qxawdmI

Rudi Friedrich, Germany: Do you know the International Day of Conscientious Objection? https://youtu.be/KovQP36a-s8

Stephan Brües, Germany: From this on I was engaged in the peace movement - https://youtu.be/zuE76sM6Mn0

World Without War, South Korea: Active Resistance to War - https://youtu.be/2CZbmg2LUp8

Vadim Damier, Russian Federation: There was no legal means to escape the war - https://youtu.be/rBLwcqk9zRo

Aufruf zum Internationalen Tag der Kriegsdienstverweigerung - https://youtu.be/drkyQr0JSD4

Call to International Day of Conscientious Objection - https://youtu.be/2py5BASIQZ0

Llamado para el Día Internacional de la Objeción de Conciencia - https://youtu.be/oGrvGmYbOI4

Connection e.V. and War Resisters’ International: News, May 15, 2020

Keywords:    ⇒ Action Reports   ⇒ Antimilitarism   ⇒ Asylum   ⇒ Connection e.V. - About Us   ⇒ Conscientious Objection   ⇒ International   ⇒ Pazifism