Italians remember very well the historic battle for the right to conscientious objection, won by the Radical Party in the first few years of the Seventies; they remember the courageous nonviolent campaigns consisting in hunger strikes, collections of signatures, demonstrations led by Marco Pannella, Roberto Cicciomessere, Angiolo Bandinelli and many other friends.

That was one out of many civil battles of the Radical Party in Italy on the basis of which, later, developed the Party's transnational dimension.

The struggle against extermination by hunger, as a struggle to one of the main threats to peace, and on the other side the waste of resources represented by arms and armies, was the first international campaign systematically carried out by the Radical Party along several years, and then begun to develop the idea and the instruments to give birth to a transnational and cross-divisional Radical Party, thanks also to the choice made in 1985 by the Belgian radical anti-militarist Olivier Dupuis, who, refusing to serve the national army (outmoded and ineffective to face the real threats to peace), preferred to be imprisoned as "conscientious assertor".

The term "anti-militarist" printed on our membership cards though, is not simply intended to be a celebration of a glorious past: it belongs to the ideal heritage which inspires the daily activity of the Radical Party, its members, the radical associations all over the world.

Nowadays the right to conscientious objection to the military service is recognized by most of the democratic countries in the world (with the notably exception of Greece), but not yet in post-communist Russia: a country where, in spite of some positive changes, the fundamental right to conscientious objection is not yet guaranteed, even though sanctioned by the Constitution; a country where the bloody war in the Chechen Republic is still continuing, where the powerful militaristic lobby is opposing with all means possible any tentative of democratic reform of the military sector.

It is in the context of the radical anti-militaristic campaign that, on May 13, 1995, the Russian radicals founded the Anti-militarist Radical Association (ARA). Its first immediate objective was very clearly defined: to obtain the effective application of the right to conscientious objection recognized by article 59.3 of the new Russian Constitution, following the principle to obtain "a law, a good law, as soon as possible".

Many things have been done in the last seven months, the most salient of which was the creation of a small, but efficient network of anti-militarist activists throughout Russia, the first in the history of the Radicals in Soviet Union and in the independent States born out of its dissolution.

The creation of this new conference in Agora' aims to significantly help this campaign: to provide informations on the initiatives, to debate opinions, to compare experiences, to analyze situations... but also to unite us, to organize and mobilize ourselves... in one word: to act!

But, naturally, not only in Russia; even though it is obvious that our major battlefield is this country, its Parliament, its squares and streets. Also because it is clear - there is no need to repeat it - that the consequences of the harsh confrontation between militarists and democratic reformers are not a mere fact of simple internal Russian politics.

Therefore, let's not only all together contribute to this conference, but also to the anti-militarist battle in its entirety, a battle whose results will significantly affect the lives of all of us, wherever we may live.

Nikolaj Khramov and Sandro Ottoni

Short biographies

* Sandro OTTONI

Born in Bolzano (Italy) in 1956, begun his political activity in Florence as anti-militarist conscientious objector at the Conscientious Objectors' League (LOC) established by the Radical Party in 1972. In November 1984, after being into hiding for several months, he was arrested during the works of the 30th Conference of the Radical Party, and sentenced to six months in Peschiera del Garda military prison, for failing to report for military service. Then, thanks to a Radical Party campaign, his status of conscientious objector was finally recognized. Member of the RP Federal Council since 1985, he is actively involved in the Party's transnational initiatives, particularly in Eastern Europe and former Yugoslavia.

* Nikolaj KHRAMOV

Was born in 1963 in Moscow. He started his public activity in 1983 as a member of "Moscow Trust Group", an independent anti-militarist group in USSR advocating grassroots initiatives between citizens of the West and the East, recognizing conscientious objection right, stopping the war in Afghanistan. In 1984 he was expelled from Moscow University for "anti-Soviet activity". Eight times during 1984-86 he was imprisoned for 15 days each time for nonviolent anti-militarist demonstrations. After refusing military service on reasons of conscience in October 1984, he spent four months in military prisons in Siberia. In 1987-90 he was editor of "Day By Day", a newsletter of the independent peace movement in Soviet Union. In 1989 he joined the Radical Party. Member of the General Council of the Radical Party in 1993-95. In 1991-94 coordinated the activities of the Radical Party in Ukraine. At the founding assembly of the Anti-militarist Radical Association (ARA) on May 13, 1995 in Moscow he was elected as its secret

ary.