conscience issue 125 summer 2004 update newsletter of conscience THE PEACE TAX CAMPAIGN The Peace Tax Seven are Go! The Peace Tax Seven, a group of conscientious objectors and war tax resisters, have sent their “Letter before Action” to Gordon Brown; the first step on the long road to a Judicial Review. The Seven are seeking a Judicial Review of current tax law, which makes them complicit in killing if they carry out their civic duty and pay their taxes or makes them criminals if they follow their conscience and refuse to pay taxes conscience for war and war preparations. The “Letter before Action” informs the government of their intention to seek a Judicial Review and sets out their reasons for doing so. The

government has 28 days to respond to photos | Oliver Haslam/ the letter. Once they have this response The conscience “Peace Tax Collectors” set up their office at the Glastonbury festival this year the Peace Tax Seven can move on to (see page 2 for the full story). the next step of the process, which is to seek a pre-emptive costs order. If the in the public interest that the legal case Judicial Review goes against the Peace against the war be heard and that the Tax Seven, they would be liable for groups taking the case should not have the government’s costs as well as their to risk bankruptcy for this to happen. own; if they are granted a pre-emptive If the Seven are also successful conscience costs order this will place a cap on their in persuading a judge that their case is campaigns for the liability for the government’s costs. in the public interest, they will be able They will argue that it is in the public to proceed to the full Judicial Review legal right for interest that the Judicial Review takes application. Even to get to this stage those who have place and that they could not undertake will cost a significant amount of money a conscientious it if they were liable for unlimited costs. and for legal reasons conscience objection to war The first order of this type was granted cannot underwrite the cost. The Peace to have the to a group of organisations including Tax Seven have therefore launched a military part of CND and the Green Party, when they separate appeal to cover the costs of tried to stop the government going to the case and we are pleased to enclose a their taxes spent war in Iraq. Their solicitor Phil Shiner, copy with this newsletter. on peacebuilding who is also representing the Peace Tax Read more about the Peace Tax Seven in initiatives Seven, successfully argued that it was Lord Kitchenblair’s Diary on page 6. adjournment debate European election Many thanks to all those members who June 10 saw a generally good result wrote to their MP about the adjournment for conscience’s supporters in the debate we planned in May. European Parliament. Both Green Party Unfortunately none of our MEPs were re-elected as were both supporting MPs were successful in the Scottish Nationalist Party MEPs (with lottery to allocate such debates and Alyn Smith replacing Neil MacCormick), we are now working with some other along with both of our Liberal Democrat groups and a larger number of MPs to supporters. Plaid Cymru lost one MEP try to secure a debate on security and due to the reduction in the total number conflict prevention in the autumn. We of MEPs elected and, despite a poor will publish more details in the autumn result overall for Labour, all of our newsletter and contact lobbyists Labour supporters who stood were re- news directly. elected.  If you would like to join the list of Please consider writing to con- lobbyists, please contact Oliver gratulate our supportive MEPs in your in the office stating whether you area on their re-election and to any prefer to be contacted by post or new MEPs you have to tell them about email. conscience and our campaign.  If you would like to write to your Peace Tax Return MEP about conscience you can find their address at www.europarl. Thousands of Peace Tax Returns have org.uk or in your local Library. been distributed this year and hundreds Supportive MEPs have already been submitted to the

campaign Treasury. Scotland We expect many more to be David Martin (Lab) returned when people complete their Ian Hudghton (SNP) tax returns in September and still more North East conscience update in the run up to the final deadline in Stephen Hughes (Lab) (issn 1474-8789) January. North West is the newsletter of  If you would like some Peace Tax Terry Wynn (Lab) conscience Returns to distribute at events in Eastern THE PEACE TAX CAMPAIGN, the autumn, please contact the Andrew Duff (LibDem) edited and designed office. Richard Howitt (Lab) by Jon Nott and Wales printed by Glastonbury Festival Jill Evans (PC) Pottle Press on South West 100% recycled paper We took a stall to the Glastonbury Glyn Ford (Lab) Festival for the first time this year and Graham Watson (LibDem) views expressed in this it was a roaring success. Hundreds of South East newsletter and in any Peace Tax Returns and letters to MPs Caroline Lucas (Green) leaflets enclosed are not were completed and thousands of London necessarily endorsed by leaflets were distributed. Jean Lambert (Green) conscience Our “Peace Tax Inspectors” with leaflets and adverts their pinstripe suits and bowler hats We currently have no supportive MEPs are included in the certainly stood out against the mud as in Northern Ireland, Yorkshire & newsletter to gain return they distributed “£10 notes” and Peace the Humber, East Midlands or West publicity for conscience Tax Returns to festival-goers. Midlands.

2 conscience update 125 members’ news diary

9 October annual event change is afoot Global Insecurity This year’s annual event, Global Insecurity Deanna Douglas, who spent a year with The conscience annual - What is our response? was postponed us on a placement from the Mennonite event, in Birmingham, from June due to major rail engineering Church in Canada, has returned home postponed from June. works and will now take place on – you can read a report of her work on See article, left, and Saturday 9 October. It will be held, in page 5. Deanna has achieved far more enclosed leaflet for association with Quaker Peace and that we dared think possible when we further details. Social Witness, in Bull St Friends started the project and we will miss her 14-17 October Meeting House, Birmingham. Speakers contribution to the office. will include the nonviolence trainer and Fortunately, we have secured European Social author Diana Francis and Marieke Junge funding from the Joseph Rowntree Forum, London of Peaceworkers UK. The registration Charitable Trust to continue this work A giant gathering for fee is £6.50, which includes lunch. and from September Sarah Graham- everyone opposed  If you would like to register, please Brown will be working three days per to war, racism and use the enclosed leaflet. The last week as Networking Officer. corporate power, date for registration is Wednesday We are also very pleased that everyone who wants 15 September. in September Simon Heywood will to see global justice, be starting his one-year placement workers’ rights and a have your say as a Quaker Peace & Social Witness sustainable society. Peaceworker. Simon will be working t 020 8809 5347 Our annual membership questionnaire on outreach and promoting positive w www.fse-esf.org was sent out recently with the annual security alternatives. 30 October review.  If you did not receive your copy, thank you Concert for Peace please contact Jon in the office and 7.30pm at St James’s he will send you one. Thank you very much to all those who Church, 197 Piccadilly, contributed to our appeal to fund the London W1. Organised office closed work that conscience is doing to support by Musicians Against of the Peace Tax Seven. Nuclear Arms. The Please note that the office will be closed  If you have previously opted out MANA Chamber from Thursday 12 August to Monday of appeals and would now like to Orchestra, lead by 30 August inclusive. receive them, please contact Jon in Nona Liddell and the office. conducted by Sir Charles MacKerras play Mendelssohn, Bartok, Britten, Dvorak and contacting the office Schubert. Speaker general enquiries campaigns enquiries - Chris Nineham, Archway Resource Centre t as left - ask for Oliver European Social Forum. 1B Waterlow Road e [email protected] Tickets £7-12 London N19 5NJ t 020 8455 1030 t 0870 777 3223 (national rate) membership enquiries f 020 7281 6508 t as left - ask for Jon more diary dates at e [email protected] e [email protected] networkforpeace.org.uk

summer 2004 3 international conference Oliver Haslam reports on the 10th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns

The 10th International Conference took peace tax issues. Our one-line answer place this July in a beautiful old convent is that if governments realise there are in suburban Brussels. alternatives to war it makes the goal The first plenary session was of all peace tax campaigns easier led by a journalist in the anti- to achieve. By the end of globalisation movement. It the weekend the coin had took me a while to work dropped and we were out what this had to told by representatives do with peace tax and from several countries war tax resistance but that they would this soon became take the idea home clear. The thrust with them and of the presentation start working on it was that there is themselves. a huge people’s Everyone was movement against interested in the legal the negative aspects approach the Peace of globalisation - and Tax Seven are taking that we, as campaigners forward with their for the right not to pay judicial review. We learned for the military, form about a number of different part of that movement. Civil approaches being taken at the society across the globe is realising moment in other countries: some the connections between poverty, focus on freedom of religion, some on militarism, multinational corporations, the unethical investment of tax money, environmental destruction, diminishing some on where our taxes should be natural resources and human rights spent and others on where they should and responsibilities. It was a fascinating not be spent. introduction and made us all think Conscience & Peace Tax about the context within which we are International (CPTI), the international working. organisation, which lobbies at the UN Over the weekend there were in Geneva and New York for the rights a variety of workshops and Q&A of conscientious objectors to taxation sessions. Deanna and I led several for military purposes, told us of their workshops on communicating with the recent activities with the NGO Working public and press, lobbying and dialogue Group on Conscientious Objection. with government, and what we really Quaker Council for European Affairs want for a safer world: a non-military (QCEA) representatives told us of their approach to security. There was great plans to introduce a resolution on peace interest in the work that we are doing to tax in the Council of Europe. It was promote non-military security (NMS) in good to see that action is being taken at the UK. At first people had reservations the international level too. and wondered why we were putting At the end of the weekend energy into NMS rather than overtly representatives from Ghana, /to page 5

4 conscience update 125 in dialogue with the government conscience has been instrumental in establishing the Peace & Security Liaison Group

In the Autumn of 2003, conscience small enough for round table discus- launched a pilot project to bring sions. The Liaison Group is a collection together a group of non-governmental of policy-driven, membership-based, organisations (NGOs) engaged in peace and field organisations with an inter- and security issues for meetings involv- est both in research and in engaging in ing related offices in government. Over a series of talks with government staff the course of the year the project has under the Chatham House Rule (which come together and is now known as the enables more frank and open discus- NGO Peace & Security Liaison Group; sions). a dozen NGOs have been gathered and So far, the meetings have been a variety of meetings have been held at with the Cabinet Strategy team studying Whitehall. countries at risk of instability, the Coun- We are very pleased to announce ter Proliferation Department, policy that the project has now received two research staff, and a number of sessions years’ funding from Joseph Rowntree (including a half-day policy forum) with Charitable Trust to allow it to continue. conflict prevention staff from the Min- Deanna Douglas, a Mennonite volun- istry of Defence, Department for Inter- teer working for conscience to launch national Development, and the Foreign the project, was only able to devote one Office. There are a number of future year to get it underway and has now opportunities being investigated as well, returned to her job in Canada. The sup- including working with a new joined up port from Rowntree has enabled us to government unit that will focus on post employ Sarah Graham-Brown to work conflict work. for the continued success of the Liaison It has been a particularly exciting Group. project because we have been able to It has been an interesting process, come together as a group and agree on and one that has enjoyed a lot of sup- an approach - as well as some common port from members of the UK peace objectives - while connecting with more community. Because of the decision to people. Being able to bring that to use a dialogue-based approach (rather government has been worthwhile, and than a more typical campaigning focus), hopefully will be a fruitful enterprise in we kept the number of groups involved the long run. from page 4/ India and Colombia also things are done in their home countries. spoke of the situations in their countries. One of the key lessons which came Military spending in western countries, out of the conference was the need to currently at a frightening all-time high, publicise our campaigns more. It is not has deep repercussions worldwide. It is so much that people in the wider world all too clear that the taxes of one nation are not persuaded by our arguments but can serve to militarize another. that all of our campaigns are still quite For me, the most inspiring part small because most people simply have of the conference was simply meeting not heard of conscientious objection to other people who work on peace tax military taxation. We will continue to and war tax resistance and hearing how work on that.

summer 2004 5 Lord Kitchenblair’s diary a quarterly round-up of war tax resistance

The Peace Tax Seven’s campaign to gain ers. After talking to my conscience

YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS public support and raise funds for their friends, I recommend that you do not Judicial Review is now well under way. The write the words ‘Inland Revenue’ any- YOUR Seven (see left) come from various parts where on your diversion cheque. TAXES FOR WAR of England and Wales and are united in Two Liverpool doctors, who “Lord Kitchenblair”“Lord photomontage by Green Dog Creations their belief that their human rights are appeared in these pages last winter, are infringed because they are required by continuing their tax resistance. In addi- law to pay for the military via their taxes. tion to withholding the military percent- With the assistance of Phil Shiner age of their tax they are also refusing from Public Interest Lawyers, they are to pay the interest charged by Inland seeking a Judicial Review of the law Revenue on their withheld tax. By keep- and will argue that forcing conscien- ing their withheld tax in a Triodos Bank THE PEACE tious objectors to pay military taxes account all the interest they earn goes TAX SEVEN interferes with their basic human rights straight to Amnesty International. As and is disproportional to the needs of they have not personally benefited from society. It simply is not necessary to the interest, other than the satisfaction make those with a conscientious objec- of supporting a good cause, I think they Brenda tion to killing pay for military activ- have a strong argument - but I am sure Boughton ity when there are all sorts of more Inland Revenue do not quite agree. effective and cost-effective alternatives Remember, if you are a war tax available. Please support my friends in resister you can join the WTR-UK email Robin the Peace Tax Seven in whatever way support group which enables contact Brookes you can: w www.peacetaxseven.com with other war tax resisters for support, e [email protected] advice and ideas. To join, please contact War Resisters International, the Oliver (contact details on page 3). Joe international pacifist group, are expect- You can also find information on Jenkins ing a visit from the tax man to collect war tax resistance, legal actions and many their employees’ withheld tax. This other things on the new conscience appears to indicate a change in heart website www.conscienceonline.org.uk. from Inland Revenue, who had previ- It’s taken a while, but finally they have Sian Cwper ously said they would no longer person- it! I rarely meet someone who does not ally collect withheld tax. After a court agree with conscience’s aims - it’s just appearance in February this year, in they haven’t heard of the campaign. Let’s which WRI was ordered to pay the full hope the website means more people Birgit amount plus expenses, they continued will hear of conscience and give the Voellm to refuse to act as war tax collectors. campaign a louder voice in future. Diverters beware! Recent intel- Finally, I received an interesting ligence suggests (though as you well note by carrier pigeon the other day. Roy know, you can’t always trust ‘intelli- It suggested that those who object to Prockter gence’) that Inland Revenue are sneak- paying for war could withhold just £1 ily banking cheques made out to ‘Inland from their tax payment. Not a huge Revenue Department for International amount but certainly a symbolic spanner Simon Development Account’, as suggested in in the works! Worth a go? (Let me know Heywood conscience’s briefing for war tax resist- if you try.) Over & Out, KB

6 conscience update 125 review from p8/ in the illegal occupation. War Refusenik! Israel’s Tax Resisters would pay their taxes if Soldiers of Conscience, they receive a guarantee that they will special offer Peretz Kidron, not be made complicit in killing – that Zed Books, 2004 their taxes will be spent on non-military If you set up a standing order to isbn 1-84277-451-4 means of security. conscience of £3 per month 122pp £12.95 War Tax Resistance is based on or more, or increase an existing pacifism and the established right to standing order by £2 per month conscientious objection; it is usually a or more, we will send you a “total refusal”, but there have recently been attempts by individuals to with- free copy of Refusenik! hold taxes based on an objection to the You can use the form below to set up illegal war on Iraq. Here the parallels are a new standing order or to replace an even stronger. existing instruction to your bank – they Selective refusal, War Tax Resist- will cancel your current payments and ance and Selective War Tax Resistance use the new amount you specify. are only possible in countries where the right to conscientious objection has become normative. In and of them- we’ll send you a free copy of Peretz Kidron’s selves they are a personal solution – a Refusenik! Israel’s Soldiers of Conscience, salving of one’s own conscience – and when you give £3 a month or more do not address the larger problem. please PRINT your details below It is only when individuals come name(s) together and act in concert that the true power of these actions can be real- address ised. An individual conscript’s selective post code refusal will not stop the occupation of telephone Palestine, but the current movement of 2,000 resisters (equivalent to 10,000 Brit- email ish soldiers refusing to serve in North- name of bank ern Ireland) has a significant impact in address of bank Israel. Similarly, an individual war tax resister has no impact on the military help us plan ahead budget, but a movement of thousands, post code demanding to pay only for peaceful account no. sort code methods of improving international security could make a real difference. please pay  £10  £5  £3  other £ The inspiring stories of these monthly, until further notice, starting on Israeli refuseniks will lead many to to conscience a/c 08-90-37 50452200, Co-op Bank Wood Green, London examine their own contribution to a please cancel any existing standing orders to conscience / the peace tax campaign state which is constantly preparing for signature date war and maybe some will decide that in please return to conscience NL125 Britain too, “There’s a limit.” FREEPOST LON 18505, London N19 5BR standing order

summer 2004 7

. Refusenik! is the story of those Israeli their country, but they also had a duty soldiers who have refused to serve to obey illegal orders – and orders given in missions on occupied Palestinian in illegally occupied Palestinian areas land and is mainly told through the were by definition illegal. The philoso- testimonies, letters and stories of some phy behind these actions has become of those individuals. known as “selective refusal”. The movement began after the This is a significant development in 1967 “Six Day War” when individual the arguments relating to conscientious soldiers refused orders to serve in the objection. The Israeli refuseniks are all newly occupied territories. Only two conscripts or reservists who are called decades after the Holocaust and the up to one month in twelve, but they do Nuremburg trials these soldiers knew not refuse to serve in the army, only to the horror and the penalties of “just serve beyond the 1967 borders. following orders” and they could not This has interesting parallels with participate in the oppression of others. those who have a conscientious objection These isolated acts of conscience lead to taxation for military purposes. Both to the formation of Yesh Guvl (Hebrew groups recognise the right of the state,

Refusenik! Israel’s Soldiers of Conscience Refusenik! for “There’s a limit”), an organisation in one case to raise an army, in the which provides solidarity and support to other to raise taxes, but both also claim those soldiers who became refuseniks. the right of an individual to have the review Those who refused to serve in the leadings of their conscience recognised Simon Winton discusses the implications of Peretz Kidron’s Kidron’s discusses the implications of Peretz Simon Winton occupied territories made it clear that and respected. Refuseniks would serve they were not pacifists, that they were if they were given a guarantee that they happy to do their duty in the defence of would not be made complicit /to p7 join conscience today  I/we want to join conscience  I/we want to renew my membership please PRINT your details below ‘Connecting people who make the world of difference’ name(s) http://www.greennet.org.uk address Ethical about your communications, we provide services for home and organisational use: post code  domain names telephone  web hosting  connectivity email All with personal support via a local call rate number MP/constituency Website design & dynamic services suggested membership donation GreenNet’s expertise is providing tools for NGOs and campaigners to get their message across £1 per £1,000 of annual income up to £15,000, plus online. We offer low cost solutions for your website, £2 per £1,000 of annual income over £15,000 with features including:  fast, easy and flexible uploading of information free book when you give £3 per month  easy to manage - no knowledge of html needed see page 7 for details  search facilities If there is a service you need that we haven’t listed,  I/we have filled in the standing order form overleaf or if you would like further details, please contact: Joanne: 0845 055 4011 email [email protected]  I/we enclose a cheque for £ GreenNet, a collective not-for-profit Internet (payable to conscience) Service Provider since 1986 NL125

8 conscience update 125