by Dirk Panhuis, CPTI (Leuven, Belgium)
1. At the Second Consultation of the BRPF (Brussels, Dec. 7/8, 2000) Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI) presented its views on conscience objection, not only to military service (COMS), but also to paying taxes for military purposes (COMT: conscientious objection to military taxation). COMS is an internationally recognized human right. We see COMT as an extension of that right.
2. We saw three reasons for the inclusion of our concern into the deliberations of the consultations then and now:
a) We see COMT as a basic human right that can be upheld by any peace movement;
b) Recognition of COMT can provide taxpayers' money for nonviolent civil conflict resolution;
c) The peace movement needs a tool like COMT in its protest against the military system and its search for an alternative way of solving conflicts.
3. At the European Peace Congress Osnabrück (EPCO, Germany, May 1998), the call for war tax resistance and a peace tax fund received a warm applause from the participants. (See EPCO, For a Military-Free Peace Policy, p. 254-256.) At the European Peace Conference in Brussels (December 7-8, 2001) the right to COMS and COMT was included in the resolution that was handed over to the Belgian Presidency of the European Union in the week before the European Summit in Laken (Brussels, Dec 14-15, 2001).
4. At the beginning of the year 2002 a European Network for Peace and Human Rights will be launched. In the introductory leaflet a number of issues for a "full spectrum resistance" by the European peace movements are listed. We read about star wars ("full spectrum dominance"), NATO's new strategic doctrine, ABC weapons, and various regional conflicts. Terrorism might be added as a discussion item.
5. We call for a peace movement that not only discusses important issues in international conferences, but also offers possibilities for small and big steps toward peace by practicing peace. "There is no way to peace: peace is the way."
6. We are looking forward to a European Network that on the one hand keeps reminding governments of their duty to create peace and to respect people's conscience; and on the other hand keeps reminding peace movements and the public at large to refuse participation in war and to follow their conscience.
7. We propose that the financial aspect of war be constantly kept in mind. We ask you to include conscientious objection to military service and to military taxation as well as civil conflict resolution as part and parcel of the peace movement.