FOR AN EUROPE WITHOUT ARMY

STEP BY STEP WORKING ON A LONG WAY

Dear reader

Backgrounds

1989 Switzerland voted on abolishing its army. 35.6 percent of the voting population accepted this offer made in a referendum by the Group for Switzerland without an Army - GSoA.

Since 1989 a lot of things have happened and changed. Europe is integrating as a political unity from above, with only few and weak attempts from below. Integration is done mainly by governments, ministries and armies. Common troops, defence and security systems, "Nato-Expansion East", "Partnership for Peace"... the attempts for a common policy of (in)security are obvious.

In the same time, a lot of old, good and sure believes got outdated during the last few years. After the collapse of the East as a political and military unity, war became real again also in Europe. In the former Yugoslavia, the thesis of the last of all the wars - the nuclear finish - was refuted. The armies and defence ministries throughout Europe and the world use this war nowadays to seek for a new legitimisation for national and international "defence", to co-ordinate and strengthen their militaristic course. Together with this process, we obviously face a militarisation of politics and policy also within parts of the peace movement.

To face this development GSoA started thinking, talking and working on new proposals for civil peace work by abolishing the Swiss army and introducing a volunteer peace service. The first version of two popular referendums is drafted and the first version of an argumentarium was elaborated. The last issues of our newspapers were dealing with this issue and these proposals.

As this topic is far more international then any campaign in Switzerland could be, we also invited peace organisations all over Europe and the world. We invited everybody warmly to discuss around some questions like:

Where are we as peace movements today?

Is the demand for abolishing the army still valid?

Can this demand answer the internationalised process of security and defence policy?

Wouldn’t we need a movement for Europe without an Army, giving itself the perspective of an European process of constitution settings, allowing the European citizens to put and answer the question, if European integration shall happen from above and through the armies?

National or international policy? Do we have common topics, ideas, and perspectives for acting?

The first gathering happened on March 30, 1996 in Bern with the participation of French delegation from Union pacifist de France - UPF and German delegate from Berlins Kampagne gegen Wehrpflicht, Zwangsdienste und Militaer.

The second gathering took place on November 23, 1996 with the participation of friends from England, France, Germany, Italy, the Spanish State (Bask Country), Croatia, and even from Japan. The exchange of information and opinions was more then fruitful and we all were clearly decided to go on with this discussion.

On our third international meeting on March 22/23, 1997, we discussed the topic "Struggling for Peace", exchanged the ideas on projects and plans for Peace Services in Europe, heard the reports given by our guests about the situation of the peace movements in their countries, and discussed the international situation and perspectives for common work. We especially focussed on the developements in European military integration by Nato and the "Partnership for Peace" and discussed the question: "To intervene or not to intervene? - From protests to projects".

You can get a whole documentation and the list of participants on our homepage: here.

For a Switzerland without an Army in a Europe without Armies!
With our best antimilitarist wishes
In behalf of GSoA
Roland Brunner