Dear friends,

The previous text represents a draft of common appeal which must be issued tomorrow in Moscow in view the debates of conscientious objection bill in Russian parliament scheduled for Wednesday, May 24.

Practically, it does not contain anything new. It repeats an old and well knows position of Radical Party, declared yet in the historical times of the early 70s during the battle for conscientious objection right in Italy. The above mentioned demands to a desired conscientious objection bill are already determined in the Radical Party's appeal "For Conscientious Objection Right, Against Militarism" which obtained already more than 3,000 signatures in Russia during the last couple of weeks.

The above inserted text also represents worrying of wide circles of people in Russia about the new C.O. draft bill, first of all worrying of one of the most powerful public force in today's Russia - movement of committees of soldiers' mothers and different youth organizations. All they want the C.O. draft bill not to be adopted now. Existing status quo, when young Russian men, appealing to the art. 59 of the Constitution in fact receive possibility neither to serve, nor to perform alternative service (since the law isn't adopted yet) satisfies everybody except military lobby and gives a unique chance to force the government to start finally the military reform.

I think, position expressed in the draft of the joint appeal, could be a good position for Radical Party to adhere .

But I would like also to read here in the Conference opinions of other friends - apart of Olivier, whom I asked already - first of all those standing near the sources of Radical anti-militarist battles - like Roberto Cicciomessere, Angiolo - and those who now act both in Italy and on "transnational field": Antonio, Sandro, Danilo, Paolino, Marino, Michele and many others. As well as our non-Italian Radical friends, who work in other offices like Olga Cechurova or Sasha Kostritskij. And of course, although the text is not yet translated into Italian or French - also what Marco thinks about it. (By the way, maybe somebody would have goodwill and some free minutes to translate it also in Italian? it could be just great...)

Thank you in advance and hope to see here some opinion on such an important and historical "subject" of our common Radical life.