ABSTRACT: The appeal of international personalities among whom Heinrich Böll, Ignazio Silone and Eugenio Montale, in support of the goals of the fast undertaken by Marco Pannella and Alberto Gardin to urge the Italian Parliament to establish the date in which it will vote the bill for the acknowledgment of conscientious objection.

(RADICAL NEWS n.174, November 10, 1972)

"Marco Pannella and Alberto Gandin have been fasting for 30 days to urge the Italian Parliament to establish a limit of time within which it will vote on the draft bills on conscientious objection. They are backed not only by fundamental principles of civilization and humanity, by the centuries of prison which their fellow objectors continue to be sentenced to each year, but also by the laws themselves: the European Convention on Human Rights, ratified by the Italian Parliament over seven years ago, must be considered a State law.

They are asking nothing as regards the law, despite the fact that this would have been understandable; they have established no deadlines. Their nonviolent request and proposal are exemplary, and there is the danger, at present, that the tragedy of their fellow objectors in prison will be accompanied by their own personal tragedy.

We approve their requests unconditionately; we adhere to them completely, and expect the Italian Parliament to respond adequately and in due time.

At the same time we must invite them to interrupt their fast immediately, in that their purpose of giving a tangible demonstration of their expectations and hopes can be considered achieved".

THE ADHESIONS

Pietro Nenni; Ignazio Silone; Eugenio Montale; Heinrich Böll, Nobel Prize for literature; Günther Grass; François Jacob, Nobel Prize for medicine; Alfred Kästler, Nobel Prize for physics; Jacques Paris de Bollardière; Jean Rostand of the Academy of France; Luis Aragon; Card. Bernhard Alfrink; Card. Giacomo Lecraro; Ernesto Balducci, theologist; Luigi Bettazzi, Bishop, President of Pax Christi; Elena Croce, writer; René Cruse, Secretary M.I.R.; Jean Jacques De Felice, President of the French movement of judicial action - lawyer; Natalia Ginzburg, writer; Daniel Mayer, President of the League of Human Rights; Jean-Marie Muller, writer; Raymond Rageau, President of the French Pacifist Association; Michel Rocard, National Secretary of P.S.U.; Henri Roser, President of the Association of Internation Civil Service; Mario Sbaffi, President of the Federation of Italian Evangelic Churches; Altiero Spinelli, of the EEC Commission; Guido Stampacchia, President of the Italian Mathematics Union; P. Vermeylen, Belgian Min

ister; René Marchandise, President of the Christian Movement for Peace; Wolfgang Roth, National Secretary Young Socialists (SPD); Hermann Kesten, President German PEN Club; Wolfgang Abendroth.