Columbia College Chicago Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago End Conscription Campaign Orlando Redekopp Collection October 2017 Fast for a Just Peace End Conscription Campaign Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/ecc Part of the African History Commons, and the Military History Commons Recommended Citation End Conscription Campaign, "Fast for a Just Peace" (2017). End Conscription Campaign. 23. http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/ecc/23 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. 0 .-. ­-- Africans. It is yet anothet step to uphold apartheid at all costs." "Fasting is a time-honoured Christian 3 Week Fast For A Just Peace tradition, being used for personal "In a situation like this where.young men cleansing, and also for a whole nation to The central thrust of the ECC's "Troop-a · . are expected to ti re on fellow South reflecl on Its situation, mourn its out of the Townships" campaign, wilt be. Africans, the very least we can call for is sinfulness, and petition God for a 3 week fast for a just peace. Spear­ that the individual conscript be given the help. Having grown up in a Christian heading this fast will be Dr Ivan Toms In right to decide not to go into the family 1have come to know fasting as an Cape Town, and Harold Wlnkler in townships." · effective means of purification and Johannesburg. They will fast from the protest. Therefore I have chosen this 17th of September, International Day of "For the three weeks that I fast in St method of expressing my deep horror at Peace, until the 7th October, the day George's Cathedral, Cape Town, my what is happening in the townships." SADF troops first entered the townships prayer is that many wi ll recognise, with last year. Richard Steele wilt fast in the ECC, the injustice of the use of " Fasting for three weeks will bring home Durban for 2 weeks from the 22nd troops in the townships, and wilt support to me that I am affected by alt that goes September. He is at present in the EC C's call- that troops be with<;11awn on around me. The person on top of the detention. If not released before the from the townships now, and that we Casspir could be my brother, or my 22nd, he will fast in jail. work for a just peace in our land." friend - or me, and the one being sjambokked, teargassed, or shot could 'At the same time as these fasts are "We call people nationally and inte.r­ be my fellow-student from Wits. I feel taking place, solidarity relay fasts will· nationally to join in a 24 hour fasr'to that to put myself into such a situation or take place in St Mary's Catholic express solidarity with those who are to support it, would be simply wrong." Cathedral in Cape Town, St Augustine's suffering at the hands of the SADF in the Catholic Cathedral in Port Elizabeth, townships and in so doing call with us "I believe that the fast will also help me Grahamstown Anglican Cathedral and for a just peace in South Africa." personally, to reflect on my faith, and in Stellenbosch. In Durban there is a what that means for the situation in this possibility of 3 people fasting for the two country. Integrating my faith and life in week !)eriod at St Anthony's Church in HAROLD WINKLER this way is something I continually work Greyv1lle. down day in and day out for 3 weeks In towards, in the Young Christian 1983." Students, an ecumenical, non-racial 4t alt the fast venues regular daily Wits student Harold Winkler, an active student movement" .;ctivJtles will take place. The public are "Could I continue to serve in the SAOF member of ECC in Johannesburg, is encouraged to participate in these. with war declared on the very pea.pie I fasting in support of the ECC's "Troops He sees his fasting as having a broader work with and believe I am called by God Out"' call. "I face the dilemma of going impact. Says Harold, "I hope that the to serve? Could I put on the SADF into the townships myself," he says. "I fast will have effects on a far wider group IVAN TOMS uniform - the same· uniform that was called up for the 13th of January of people. My particular concern ls that symbolises the oppressors in the next year. 1do not believe that 1can go the churches consider urgently where townships? Sc."le people want peace at to the army and remain sincere in my they stand in the growing conflict in Dr Ivan Toms, an active member of the any price, I believ,· the only peace that is understanding of the Christian faith. I South Africa. This fast is my small Cape Town ECC, is a medical doctor meaningful is a i'-~t peace - where am therefore objecting to military contribution towards initiating such who for the past 5 years has been apartheid is abolishe~ and people can . service on religious grounds." processes, so that one day we may see a involved in setting up and working in a livE!, freely as citizens of a unified just peace in a non-racial, democratic team in the Empilisweni SACLA clinic-a country, with a truly de,:->ocratically South Africa." Christian primary health care clinic elected government." serving the health needs of the 100 000 people who live in the Crossroads Ivan's views have convinced him to RICHARD STE.ELE squatter camp. After graduating from become a conscientious objector. He is the University of Cape Town in 1976 he liable to serve 3 years in jail if called up Richard Steele is the caretaker and served 2 years in the SADF. While in the for further camps. In the meantime Ivan programme coordinator of the Gandhi SADF Ivan says that he was "able to continues his work as a doctor as well as Phoenix settlemerit In Durban. He is an reconcile the Christian injunction to being an associate member of staff of active member of the End Conscription love my enemy and the demand of the the St John's parish, Wynberg. Campaign and the Conscientious SADF to shoot him, so I applied for, and Objector Support Group. In 1980 he received, non-combatant status." · " Fasting has a long Christian and served 12 months in military detention political tradition", says Ivan. I have for conscientious objection. During this His experiences in Crossroads solidifi'ed chosen to fast in order to protest against time he fasted one day a week, and on these. feelings. "There," says Ivan, "I the oppression of blacks in what ls now a one occasion for three days to protest hal(e learned first hand of the civil war." repeated periods of so l itary viciousness of apartheid and the confinement. extreme oppresseion of the blacks. I He is also concerned with the plight of have witnessed people shot the individual conscript. "The SADF's Richard, who describes himself as a indiscriminately by riot police and the marching into the townships amounted "political pacifist, committed to justice S.«'DF, people's shelters ruthlessly torn to a declaration of war on fellow South and equality through non-violent • action" Is also involved in facilitating aggression. I see fasting as a conscious non-violent direct action t ra in Ing effort to step out of the spiral of such workshops. stereotyped behaviour," says Richard. I He sees his fast as " a classic non-violen~ ·"I hope that the ECC fast will open Up a action in the face of massive violence o space where we can be open in new the part of the military, the state an ways to ourselves. each other, God, our even between community groups." environment and our society - I feel that this new openness can help us "When our social, political an11 understand more fully what is emotional environment is in turmoil, we happening in our country and how tend to react in stereotyped patterns, through our actions we can reach out for usually characterised by fear and and grasp hpld of a just peace." -~ ,•.;:" .. \ .. .. t ___ _ __ ,. ... --. :c C , (2)'@ fri, &i~W'I i; ri,n ta-,p~ ,,,,, ISSUED BY: ECC, P.0.BOX 208, WOODSTOCK PRINTED BY: ALLIE'S PRINTING SERVICES, Cot.LEGE RD, GREENHAVEN .