 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003 (XXXXI 1) |
I attended the 9th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns as representative of PYM’s Working Group on Conscience, Militarism and War Tax Concerns. Over 100 people from 18 countries gathered near Berlin, Germany, in early September for five days of workshops, panel discussions, prayer sessions, and a post-conference program, under the theme of “War, Money, and Conscience.” The general concern was Conscientious Objection to Military Taxation (COMT) – legislative and legal campaigns to grant Conscientious Objector status to taxpayers whose conscience forbids them to pay for war.
Conscientious Objectors feel deeply for the victims of wars and war preparations, and look inward to examine their own contribution to the violence. In an often-difficult struggle to maintain a witness and remain faithful to one’s conscience, gatherings like this Conference provide a chance to share stories, setbacks, progress, ideas, and hope.
Demographically, this was a conference of “the West.” Over half of the attendees were German. Adding in the rest of the Western Europeans accounts for more than 80% of the participants, with strong contingents from Belgium and the Netherlands. Eight traveled from North America – six from the United States and two from Canada. Ghana, Sierra Leone, India, Bangladesh and Tibet sent one person each. Around one-quarter of the attendees were Quakers.
Some of the topics addressed were the merits and drawbacks of “military peacekeeping” versus nonviolent conflict intervention, the strength (or lack) of organized religion (especially Christian) in advocating for COMT recognition, and how to energize both national and supranational movements trying to get legal and legislative relief. The Conference also included the biannual General Assembly meeting of Conscience and Peace Tax International, the international NGO that is working for recognition of COMT as a human right.
I met Friends from Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, and the USA. The gentle presence of the Quakers had a palpable influence on the tone of the Conference. I was asked to lead one morning’s religious service, giving the approximately 25 early risers in attendance the experience of Quaker meeting for worship.
Those interested in details can contact me at lapreziosa@earthlink.net for a fuller report. You can view photographs and read the final Conference statement at www.netzwerk-friedenssteuer.de/indxko-e.html.
Gary Lapreziosa
Gwynedd Meeting (PA)
Co-clerk of PYM Working Group on Conscience, Militarism and War Tax Concerns
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM