ANTI-CONSCRIPTION RADICAL INITIATIVE

Initiative for abolition of conscription, compulsory military and civilian service in the Czech Republic
and, within the framework of international co-operation, all around the world:
Anti-Conscription Radical Initiative (AKRI).

The Anti-Conscription Radical Initiative is in development, still not in a form of an organized movement formally founded.

The goal is the total abolition of the conscription and other forms of forced service under whatever situation.
As conscription, general military duty, compulsory military as well as civilian service and also universal labour duty, for example imposed under a state of emergency, are considered.
All these kinds of arbitrary compulsion of citizens to performing military and civilian service are to be eliminated totally.

The elimination of all forms of forced services - military, civilian and other - is recognized by this initiative as one of unquestionable fundamental rights and freedoms of a citizen. No concessions and compromises in its exercise and extent can be made.

Any compulsion of an individual to performing military or civilian service means a violation of civil and individual rights and liberties, unnatural interference with one's private life, illicit enforcement of one's loyalty towards the state. It plunges a citizen into humiliating, cruel, tyrannous and despotic conditions during the service when, besides the imposition of this service, even restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms, guaranteed to the others, occur. It often leads even to decline of social co-existence, private inconveniences, loss of a job and expert knowledge due to the forced separation from one's own profession and activity.
During performance of military service, a citizen is subject to bullying and increased danger of injuries, sometimes even fatal ones. Barracks become a place of increased risk of spreading epidemics and also unsuitable habits, for instance criminal ones.
Compulsory civilian service means a certain unofficial punishment for refusal of the military service, it is exploitation of a citizen's labour for state and private institutions, a certain restoration of feudal corvée. It is necessary to stand up for the abolition of compulsory service both military and civilian. Besides the civilian service imposed instead of the military, it would also be an unacceptable solution to replace the general military duty with introduction of general duty of civilian service - not linked to military conscription -, if it occurred.

The system of conscription constitutes sexist discrimination, violation of the principle of sexual equality and creates an unsuitable social asymmetry between men and women.

An extreme consequence, although not too topical to the contemporary situation in the Czech Republic, is the persistent danger to conscripts and reservists that the state will dispatch them into a fight without their own intention and thereby will deprive them arbitrarily of the most essential right - the right to life.

The state must not oblige its citizens to performing whatever service, whether military or civilian, against their mind and free will of action. The system of the duty to serve the state means a form of modern slavery, it is something entirely unacceptable, what can't be admitted under any circumstances. This system can't be justified by any "needs of the state and society", defensive or economic ones. In fact, an army based on conscription is totally unusable for defence. To society, neither military nor civilian obligatory service give no benefit, on the contrary - damage.
However, what is more important is the fact that this absurd, unjust and obsolete system of recruitment curtails freedom and harms rights of many thousands of individual citizens, from whom it takes several months of life, whom it denies freedom of move and many other fundamental rights and freedoms, takes their jobs, interferes with their privacy and gambles with their life, health and security.

Therefore the abolition of compulsory military and civilian service means safeguarding and fulfilment of one of important rights and liberties of the citizen, for which this initiative struggles.
Any significant step towards relief and liberation in the system of conscription and forced services can be recognized as useful, nevertheless it can't be resigned from the struggle for achievement of the ultimate goals - the abolition of conscription, carrying out a remedy and recognition as a fundamental right to be free from recruitment and compulsion to any service.

In the 20^th century in this territory, several different political establishments alternated, they all conscripted citizens for military or other forced service, regardless of whether everyone agreed with these establishments and was willingly determined to serve them. And when one regime was replaced by another, it kept on maintaining the conscription, often on basis of the same laws and methods of the previous one. Even just the fact that the absurd system of military conscription and compulsory civilian service is entering the 21^st century is condemnable.

It's high time to get rid of the conscription - shameful violation of civil rights and liberties !

The Anti-Conscription Radical Initiative starts its activity.

On the 1^st October 2000, the Founding Document is coming into forces and from this moment it begins aiming at foundation of an organized movement. For it, however, active and the largest possible participation is necessary. Only those are accepted who are really interested in participation in activities, meet the criteria for membership and are willing to respect the set aims and rules of this movement.

What principles the initiative bases on:

• the objective is removal of all forms of forced service (military, civilian and other) and refusal of their enforcement under any circumstances ; the elimination of the conscription is taken for one of unquestionable and indisputable rights and liberties of a citizen
• in time when conscription still persists, AKRI strives for relief and removals of the negative consequences and defends conscripts' rights
• after the conscription is abolished, through and adequate remedy will be necessary, namely in the field of indemnity, apology by the state, declaration of compulsory military and civilian service to be illegitimate, inclusion of the inadmissibility of the conscription in the constitutional system and other appropriate measures
• it is radical, revolutionary and inflexible in the ultimate goals
• the attitude of AKRI to the contemporary regime in the Czech Republic can be neutral or even negative, but not affirmative
• it keeps neutrality on the state defence and alternatives of defence ;
  doesn't not support any solution in particular (volunteer army, abolition of the army, alternative defence etc.),
  it aims explicitly at the abolition of compulsory military and civilian service and other forced services
• international orientation and co-operation are important ;
  there is not admissible any isolationism, closing itself to the word, restricting itself to inland activity, separation from the international movement ; this initiative is to be a part of the international anti-conscription movement striving for the abolition of conscription all around the world ; it focuses preferentially on the situation in the Czech Republic, however thereby, participation in international activities is not excluded ;
  conscription and forced services are a world-wide issue, the campaigns against them can't be separate from the world development
• it does not pander to mood of the public at whatever price, it does not base on populism
• terrorism is forbidden, also other inadequate aggressive methods are excluded
• AKRI advocates and defends rights of citizens persecuted both in connection with evading the conscript duties and with desertion, and in connection with their anti-conscription activity
• before the approval of the statute and appropriate establishment, it will have been decided by voting on the nature of the movement: 1) registration as a civic association according to the law on associations, 2) transition into illegality

For further information: Main Principles

Officially the general direction of the initiative is set by the Main Principles , organizing matters are particularly set by the Founding Document. The Main Principles can't be changed before the formal foundation, i.e. establishment of a fully organized movement with the approved statute, established best by a constituent assembly. The Founding Document can be changed in urgent cases on basis of a great majority - three-fourth - and an approval by the founder.
After the acceptance of the statute and formal foundation, these documents will be replaced with the statute. Essential items of the direction following from the Main Principles should be included in the statute.

Temporary period

The activity and aiming at the official establishment are organized by the founder.
The founder can veto a ruling with the exception of some.
In case of some rulings, the need of an approval by the founder is explicitly required for coming into force.
The founder's e-mail: tandit.in@worldonline.cz

Many of these measures can seem quite absolutist, internally undemocratic and autocratic. Mainly the position of the founder who approves important documents and actions and can veto rulings, furthermore the total unchangeability of the Main Principles. However, these measures are only temporary and necessary for prevention of threatening the development before the formal foundation and for a clear definition of the orientation of the initiative. By the official establishment of the organization - probably by a constituent assembly - the temporary period will be ended, the organization will be regulated by the statute and documents approved by free and democratic voting of the members who will be able also to elect the organs.
If the temporary regulations prompted a too weighty seeming of internal absolutism and so discouraged those interested in participation it would be possible to propose changes of the Founding Document in the meanwhile.

Determined development:
The initiative still doesn't occur in a stage of a fully organized movement, it is aiming at that, in the meanwhile. For the development, active participation and seeking new members are necessary above all.
For the actual development and aiming at the fully organized movement, phases of development have been given - according to the size of the membership.
These 3 phases - stages - do not include the initial condition (less than 5 members), nor the final condition (officially established movement).

1. at least 5 members : for consideration of the initiative as " existing in fact, but not in an appropriate form"

On 16^th December 2000 the advancement into the 1^st phase was declared.

2. at least 11 members : for possibility of acceptance of the statute
3. at least 15 members : for the formal foundation, respectively arrangement of the constituent assembly

After the advancement into the 2^nd phase before the acceptance of the statute, there will be held a voting which will decide on the nature of the organization in relation to legal registration as a civic association.
The variants:

1. registration as a civic association according to the law on associations
2. transition into illegality

Membership:
-- information for members - not translated, available on the page in Czech only --

Links
Main Principles
Main page - in Czech

Appeal of AKRI to the Norwegian Nobel Committee  - of January 2002

Guestbook:
AKRI has registered a guestbook for public use for comments, statements and remarks on this initiative and on the topic of campaigns for the abolition of conscription.
Here you can:
find the messages / comments sent there,   add your own message / comment .
The English version of the guestbook is available after switching to it at the top of that page.

There is no guarantee of correctness and authenticity of this translation.
Some portions of the Main page in Czech have not been translated and included if they relate solely to internal organizing matters.

Other initiatives in the Czech Republic:

http://www.vojna.cz
http://antiarmy.misto.cz

For those interested in the international anti-conscription movement: ANTI-CONSCRIPTION

International public mailing list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anti-conscription-unity