Rue Van Elewyck-straat 35 - 1050 Brussels - Belgium

tel.: +32-(0)2.648 52 20 - fax +32 (0)2.6400774 - e-mail: ebco@gn.apc.org

Dear friends,

the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) has been created in July 1979 by about 30 people whose main interest was to promote the right for conscientious objection and consequentily to promote civil service as an alternative for people to refused to do military service.

Among the founder members there were Members of Parlemet on both European and the national level, others were consultant lawyers or specialists in the field of civil service, and some others were representatives of international peace movements.

Our main aims are as follows:

1. to promote the right to conscientious objection as a fundamental human right;

2. to work for a legislation which garantees this right;

3. the ensure the full recognition of this right without discrimination on any level, social, professional, institutional or any other;

4. to promote alternative civilian service as a clear contribution to the building of peace and international understanding;

5. to promote civil service which has a European and international dimension by eg enabling people to do service in another country, or by organizing international training sessions preparing conscientious objectors for a service in an organization with an international dimension;

6. to promote the right of conscientious objectors to find asylim in countries which signed the European Convention of Human Rights, when they come from a country which do not, or inadequately, recognized the right to conscientious objection;

7. to help to improve the national laws by the regular dissemination of information on the different legislations concerning conscientious objection;

8. to organize regular international meetings on conscientious objection: broad-based meetings with participants from as many countries as possible, regional international meetings and permanent contacts in smaller groups;

9. to promote international campaigns for solidarity with conscientious objection;

10. to draw up a permanent list of all organizations and individuals working to promote conscientious objection as a fundamental human right.

During the last years we worked a lot on the "Freedom for the Greek Conscientious Objectors"-campaign, and we made a study on the possibility of a borderless civil service in Europe.

EBCO asked Service Civil International (SCI), one of its founding members, to distribute the cards of the campaign on Greek Conscientious Objectors. We hope that information on the campaign and the cards can be distributed with your workcamp catalogues.

Do not hesitate to contact EBCO if you have questions or remarks on our activities.

Looking forwards to have further contacts with you to set up an all-European network of militants for conscientious objection and civil service!

Kris Berwouts

European Bureau for Conscientious Objection

Rue Van Elewijk 35

1050 Bruxelles