Columbia College Chicago Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago

End Conscription Campaign Orlando Redekopp Collection

October 2017 The alC l to End Conscription Commission for Justice and Peace

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/ecc Part of the African History Commons, and the Military History Commons

Recommended Citation Commission for Justice and Peace, "The alC l to End Conscription" (2017). End Conscription Campaign. 24. http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/ecc/24

This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Orlando Redekopp Collection at Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. It has been accepted for inclusion in End Conscription Campaign by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. Tl7iE CALL TO NSCRIPTION

* The deployment of the army in a * The security forces are looked upon support capacity to the S.A.P. operating generally throughout Namibia as an in the townships was greeted with "army of occupation." shock and horror by the inhabitants of SACBC Report on Namibia 1982 those townships. SACBC statement 1985

* We are concerned at the growing * In this matter of conscientious numbers of young men faced with a objection we defend the right of every crisis of conscience caused by their individual to follow his own conscience. conscription. the right therefore to conscientious SACBC statement 1985 objection on the grounds of universal pacifism and on the grounds that the * We believe that a serious decision person seriously believes the war to be of this nature is a moral judgement and unjust. must be made after deep and prayerful 1977 statement examination of the facts available. SACBC statement 1985 * To defend white South African * II you want peace, work for justice. society by force of arms is to defend the Pope Paul VI policy of apartheid. To defend apartheid is to defend an unjust cause. It is not permissible for Christians to light an * We call on the government to amend unjust war. the Defence Act. Archbishop Hurley 1974 SACBC statement 1985

* We also encourage Catholics to help promote peace by working for an end to conscription in whatever ways lie open to them. SACBC statement 1985 Statement by the SA Catholic Bishops Conference explaining its call for an end to conscription

Our concern as Bishops in Southern its enemies. amendments, making it possible for • Leaving the country and living in Africa is for a speedy and just Many young men who are Christian pacifists to refuse military exile. solution to the problems experienced conscripted each year into the SADF training, did not go far enough. by the people of RSA and Namibia, a are experiencing crises of Provision should also be made for They are faced with these choices solution in which all sectors of the conscience as they become aware of so-called moral or ethical objectors. because of the system of population are called to play their the role that they are being At that time we stated that if such compulsory conscription in RSA part. expected to play in the black an amendment was not included in which does not prevail in most other townships, and elsewhere in RSA, the Defence Amendment Act we countries around the world. As far back as 1977 in our statement would find it necessary to reject the We recognise that an end to The situation "On Conscientious Objection" which Act as unjust. conscription would leave we issued in our concern for the membership of the SADF open to In our report on Namibia, issued in nature of the ar.med struggle and the those who are in sympathy with it 1982, we drew your attention to the escalating violence in Southern Our suggestion and would grant individuals freedom fact that the majority of Namibians Africa, we defended the right of of conscience in determining their regard the SADF as an army of every individual to follow his own Our suggested amendment was not response to the situation. Therefore occupation which is hindering the conscience; the right therefore to included in the Defence Amendment we join our voices with those who granting of independence to that conscientious objection both on the Act. The situation in Southern Africa have already asked for an end to country in terms of Resolution 435 grounds of universal pacificism and has continued to deteriorate and in conscription. We call on the of the UN Security Council. on the grounds that a person may 1985 we find ourselves in a situation Government to amend the Defence During the unrest in the Vaal and seriously believe the war to be of grave crisis. Act to make th is possible. We also East Rand townships in late 1984 the unjust. We are concerned at the growing encourage Catholics to help promote army was deployed in a support We believe that a serious decision numbers of young men faced with a peace by working for an end to capacity to the SAP operating in of this nature is a moral judgement crisis of conscience caused by their conscription in whatever ways lie those areas. This action was greeted and must be made after deep and conscription. The choices for them open to them. with shock and horror by the prayerful examination of the facts are: inhabitants of those townships and available. In 1977 we urged the RSA • Serving in an army with whose by other South Africans concerned government to make provision for mode of operation they cannot about how and where the army is alternative forms of non-military agree. deployed. national service, as is found in other This use of the army to enforce parts of the world. Sixty six • Doing 6 years alternate service if "law and order" within the country countries do not have conscription. they are recognised as religious has been further extended in 1985 to In 1983, in a letter to the Minister of pacifists. include the townships in the Eastern Defence about the proposed Defence • Serving a 6 year jail sentence if Cape, despite all the protests that Amendment Act, Cardinal Mccann, they object to the war on the the legitimate use of an army is in on our behalf, pointed out to the grounds that they believe it to be the defence of the country against minister that the proposed unjust.

Published by Ult CDMrnaluion tor Jusllct 11d Ptu1. Soulhlffl African C.atMlic 8i1htPf C.ntertnCL Proch;ctd by Typ111tUr.t Servlcu. R1!Mlbiuf'O. Cardinal Paulo Arns, Archbishop of Sao Paulo

(,ardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns - it was unlawful to use physical, recog nised internationally for his human psychological or moral means of torture rights campaign during the 20 years of in the interrogation of suspects. He military ru le in Brazil - will be one of called on the government to implement the key speakers at the ECC Festival. the due process of the law. Brazil was ruled by a military junta To emphasise the seriousness of the from 1964 to 1984, but the Cardinal Church's charges, Cardinal Arns and two sprang to prominence in 1971 - at the million Catholics in Sao Paulo went on a heigh t of the wave of repression - twenty four hour fast. The military then when he cal led together al l the priests of began a direct campaign of attack his archdiocese (the largest in the world) against the Cardinal. His life was to discuss the issue of to rture. threatened and he was subjected to a From this meeting came a strongly defamation campaign. In December 1975, worded document which clearly defined 3 000 priests and six bishops gathered in the difference between social work and Sao Paulo to attend a Mass in support subversion and outlined the Church's of the Cardinal. position on social justice. Since then the military have been From 1973, as wel l as his defence of human rights, Cardinal Arns began to extremely critical of Cardinal Arns, and work with the basic Christian during the last ten years he has suffered on many occasions from campaigns of communities which were to become one of the most exciting aspects of the vi lification and active harassmen t. Brazilian church and are today an Cardinal Arns remains undaunted, however. He has founded a newspaper, example for the whole of Latin America. These basic Christian communities are "O Sao Paulo", which became the largest small . tightly knit groups of people with Catholic paper in the country and during the days of Government censorship. was similar incomes. education, problems and aspirations who work and live the only journal capable of reporting to gether. sharing materia l and spiritual news on human rights in Brazil. The resources in much the same way as the Government censored the newspaper first Christians did. In Brazil, it is and finally shut down Cardinal Arns's estimated there are 80 000 of these radio station which had been used for communities today. Cardinal Arns educational programmes. For a number of years, Card inal Arns personally and believes that through basic communities the poor can directly participate in through his position as Chairman of the improving their own situati on . Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese, continued to detail Since 1980, Cardinal Arns has also incidents of torture by the security become involved in the wider issues of forces. injustice in Latin America and has been Along with his co-Bishops in Sao particularly associated with liberation Paolo. Cardinal Arns issued a pastoral theologians and others who are trying to letter entitled "Do not oppress your fi nd a peaceful way of transforming the brother". In it he stated clearly that unjust structures that exist within Brazil under the social teachings of the Church and other parts of Latin America . STOP THE C~ tt-UP PEACE FESTIVAL

On the weekend of 28 to 30 June, prom inent South African and South Africa will witness its first international personalities, ever Peace Festival. Th e festival including Bishop Desmond Tutu, will be at the University of the Or Beyers Naude, Archbishop Witwatersrand and is being Denis Hurley and Cardinal Paul organised by the End Arns of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Conscription Campaign. Festival aims to unite South This Festival of Peace will Africans behind the ca ll for a just involve a wide ra nge of peace in our land.

Highlights of the Festiva l programme

Public meetings Friday 28 June 6.30pm: "World in Sunday 30 June 11.00am: "Some Say Conflict: the Need for Peace." No." Panel duscussion with Speakers: Cardinal Arns, Dr Beyers co nscientious objectors. Naude. Mr Laurie Nathan. 2.30pm Schools panel discussion Saturday 29 June 2pm: "International with students from Black and Strug gle for Peace. " A panel White schools. discussi on with Cardinal Arns. Ms Carol Tongue (C.N.O. - U.K.). Bishop 4.30pm: "The Way Forward." Tutu, Mr Richard Steele, Mr Murphy Public meeting. Speakers: Bishop Morobe (U DF). Tutu, Mr Mike Evans, Ms Carol Tongue. 8pm: "Troops Out of Townships and Namibia." Speakers: Anton 7.30pm: Pray for Peace: Church Lubowski (Namibian advocate), service at Wits led by Archbishop Mr Stone Sizane (UDF), Mr Paddy Denis Hurley. Kearney (Diakonia). For further information contact 1Dem - 2am: Peace Concert. Anne McKay - (011 l 643-4689. The declaration to end conscription