Subject: EBCO Membership
Brussels, 6 May 1998
Dear friends,
At our last seminars, we have been in contact with many organisations and persons, especially from Eastern and Central European countries, who expressed their interest in becoming member of EBCO. It is true that EBCO is mostly in Western European hands and hardly represented in Scandinavia and in the East. We strongly believe that all the organisations we already work with should have the possibility to collaborate even more closely with EBCO.
At the upcoming General Assembly which will be held on Saturday 4 July 1998 in Brussels, we have the possibility to vote on new members. The major condition to become a member is that you support the aims of EBCO. You may pay a membership contribution if you are able to.
If you want to join our network, please let us know by mail or fax that you would like to and that you fully accept our aims. You are, of course, most welcome to attend the General Assembly.
Sam Biesemans, President
Gerd Greune, Secretary General
Hans Dijkman, Treasurer
Aims of EBCO
1) To promote the right to conscientious objection to war preparations as a fundamental Human Right, at both national and international level;
2) To obtain legal instruments which make it possible to assert this right, these legal instruments being national legislation and international agreements, in particulat the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;
3) To ensure that this right is exercised normally, without giving raise to social, professional, institutional or other types of discrimination;
4) To promote an alternative to military service service as a concrete contribution to peace-building and understanding between peoples;
5) To work to give this service an European and even an international dimension , in particular by making it possible to perform it in a foreign country, in international training sessions or in internationally orientated organisations;
6) To develop the right to asylum, in the countries which have signed the European Convention on Human Rights, for conscientious objectors who are citizens of countries which do not recognize, or insufficiently recognize their rights;
7) To contribute to the improvement or national legislation by the circulation of information on the countries where conscientious objectors enjoy a satisfactory situation;
8) To develop the international structuring of conscientious objectors' organisations and those which promote the right to conscientious objection
9) To participate in all efforts to implement the resolution no. 337 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in particular through the elemination of all restrictions on the right to conscientious objection in article 4 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental freedoms and in every other intrument issued by supraznational European bodies;
10) To have national legislation adapted in accordance with the European Parliament resolution of 7 February 1983 (and the resolutions dereiving from this);
11. To promote the right to conscientious objection through the Human Rights Commission within the framework of the Council of Europe.
****************************************************************
EUROPEAN BUREAU FOR CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION
BUREAU EUROPEEN DE L'OBJECTION DE CONSCIENCE
Rue van Elewyck 35 - 1050 Brussels - Belgium
tel.: +32 2 648.52.20 - fax +32 2 640.07.74
email: ebco@club.innet.be
WEB: http://www.club.innet.be/~ind2088/EBCO
****************************************************************
