Category: Uncategorized

Countries With No CO Laws

Conscientious objection is a fundemental human right and one which should be campaigned for.

Yet in many countries throughout the world there is either: –

No known legal provision for military personnel who have conscientious objection to further service in the armed forces.

Or

There is no known legal provision for conscientious objection.

N.B.


This list does not include those countries which do not have or had conscription, and so there is no information about just what might happen should this happen.

This list is taken from the following: –

World survey of conscription and conscientious objection to military service

https://wri-irg.org/en/co/rtba/index.html

Afghanistan

Algeria

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

  • No legal provision for conscientious objection for professional soldiers.

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Belize

Benin

Bhutan

Botswana

Bulgaria

  • does not recognise the right to conscientious objection for professional soldiers.

Burkina FasoBurma (Myanmar)

Burundi

Cambodia

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

China

Comores

Congo Brazzaville

Costa Rica

Cuba

Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Egypt

El Salvador

United Arab Emirates

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Grenada

Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Honduras

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Ireland

  • As there has never been conscription in Ireland, there are no laws for
    conscientious objection in case conscription should be introduced.

Ivory Coast

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Korea, North

Korea, South

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

  • There is no clear right to become a CO,
  • See:-
  • https://wriirg.org/en/programmes/world_survey/country_report/en/Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Lebanon

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Macedonia

Madagascar

Malawi

Malaysia

Mali

Malta

  • There are no legal provisions for conscientious objection for professional soldiers.

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mexico

Mongolia

Morocco

Mozambique

  • It is not known whether the new 1997 conscription law includes a provision for conscientious objection. According to Amnesty International, the proposed
    law included such provision.

Namibia

Nepal

Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria

Oman

Pakistan

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Peru

Philippines

Qatar

Rwanda

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Somalia

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Swaziland

Syria

Taiwan

Tajikistan

Tanzania

Thailand

Togo

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Uganda

Uruguay

Venezuela

Vietnam

Western Sahara

Yemen

https://wri-irg.org/en/co/rtba/index.html

Other Than Mistaken Concerns.

Mistaken Concerns

There are currently a number of campaigns which those of us who are unfortunate enough to live in Brexitland are being subjected to.

All of these campaigns are redirecting us away from many of the more pressing social, economic, and ecological issues which we need to urgently focus upon.

On and off the rails.

The first of these is that one to stop railway station booking offices being closed.

This campaign is being conduced by the same railway trade unions which has striking on and off for the last few years, and thus preventing us from travelling in the first place.

Yet they are not campaigning to reopen all the rail lines which we used to have.

Or

In any way mentioning all the stations which do not currently have ticket offices closed outside of peak hours – if they exist at all.

Back on to the plartforms.

While they argue all stations need staff to assist disabled passengers get on or of trains,
what they should really be campaigning for is that all stations should have both step free access,
with train doors being at the SAME LEVEL as the PLATFORMS.

London Transport has been working on that as currently been done ny Mersey Rail and some of the other Metro systems.

That really is a much more important demand to be making.

While all train stations should have buffets that sell vegan food which is low fat, glutton free, salt and sugar free.

Not taking notes.

One of the other onging campaigns centres around the use of cash rather than the use of debit or Credit cards.

What those who advocate this fail to take into account is that bank notes contain Animal Fat.

Thus the less bank notes in existance the better, as it will help to prevent the murder of our fellow creatures.

While it will mean less air pollution and less wasted resources used in the transport of cash.

It will also make it much easier for pedestrians to get around as the there will be less pavement parking by securithug vehicles.

The more important issues

Yet the number of more pressing issues are jusr not being tackled, or rather only being tacketled by an extremley low number of activists.

I’ll not list them all of them as that woud just be repeating what I keep banging on about, but will just make two points.

The first is that many of our problems are the result of very poor education, an unwillingness to continue life long self education, and how much adult education classes have been cut.

The second is that a lot of the resistance to change comes from a lack of imagination.

That is especially so in terrms of the need to sort out the transport system, becoming vegan, moving away from the use of extreme energy, stopping nukiller power, and dealing with all the toxic waste dumps which continue to grow by the day.

I’m very tired of repeating these points, but they need making time and time again.

Recent Thinking

Recent Observations

Much of my time is spent reading various reports, news items, and analytical pieces, which in turn I may share or comment upon with others.

In between all of that I will produce various short analytical observations which are just too short to turn in to articles, but which you might find of interest.

Here are a few of the most recent ones.

The St Francis Cafe

Now how is this for a fine example of why many religionists just don’t think logically.

There is a Christian bookshop just around the corner from where I live. Outside of it is a oversized A board, which in passing I should mention is both an obstruction and unlicensed. Upon it there is a list of what a cafe in the shop sells. This includes dead pig corpses, which are otherwise known as bacon.

What I don’t understand is how they can do such a thing if they have read or heard about St Francis.

If they had done so then it would be known as the St Francis cafe, and only have vegan food for sale.

Then this on Budget Day

Today’s budget has cut taxes on climate damaging petrol and diesel which fuel extreme energy personal vehicles.

What should of been done is make boots and shoes VAT ( sale tax ) zero rated. That would of encouraged more people to walk more and thus save our environment. has cut taxes on climate damaging petrol and diesel which fuel extreme energy personal vehicles.

The Current and Future wars

Over the last couple of weeks I have been doing a lot is reading about the weapon systems now being used in the Ukraine, and which in turn will have a major effect upon the arms trade.

The main points being that there will be a lot more small drone weapons in use, with more missile launchers used, while tanks have become much more vulnerable to attacks.

Some NATO countries such as the Netherlands have already started to move away from the use of tanks.

Longer term I think there will be a lot more 3D printers in use nearer to the fighting.

All of which we do need to keep in mind for future arms trade campaigning.

Land Use & A Vegan World In The Making

On January 26th I Reached 48Plus3.

That is 51 years since turning Vegetarian, and three since becoming Vegan.

Over the last decade I have penned a number of pieces which are on my blog about aspects being vegan, land use, and related issues.

At some stage I should write about all the related issues which I keep banging on about.

They are: –

Using more of the countryside to create forests.

Creating Urban orchards.

Using more urban space of the creation of allotments and for greenhouses.

Producing food at the point of use which can be done by putting up greenhouses on the land at the side of supermarkets which are currently wasted as parking lots.

All of which will link in to a sustainable urban transport system.

Then create vegan food production projects which will negate the need for so many food banks.

But most of all: –

Shrink The Suburbs !

70 Marks 51

I was never one of those people who is a party person, as I get more joy from Visiting Museums, Art Galleries, and Self education. In any case my thinking goes that it is more important to engage in active campaigning right now, Thus I’m ignoring the advice I’ve had to party this weekend.

Tomorrow  [ November 3rd ]  I will be 70.

It will also be 51 years since I became an activists. That was on a sit down demonstration against the Vietnam war.

Though if any of you want to mark this day and bring a smile to my face, then you can do so by making a donation to the Close Capenhurst Campaign

.

Treading Time.

There are times when there is a lot going on, and visa versa.

We are now in the middle of a period when there are lots of changes occurring, but very little is really taking place.

To sum it all up.

What we now have is a political and constitutional crisis, which has or is producing a major economic crisis.

All of which is tied up with the uncertainties which come with the threat of Brexit.

Thus the economy is on hold.

It is neither a Bull or Bear Market, but one in which the word is Wait & See.

Yet that does not mean we all need to be treading time, as there are so many issues which need dealing with right now, or within the immediate future.

Next – – –

There are a lot of individuals who think that many issues can be solved by ‘one big push’, or the creation of yet another national campaign or campaigning body.

Not so !

The only way I know we can change things for the better is by long term campaigning, and not constantly focusing upon what is the immediate crisis.

What this means for me is focusing upon a number of related issues, but making sure that I’m up to date on all of the various crisis which are going on at present.

It’s all a form of treading time until the moment is right to take action, but it would be good if there were a few more activists who think in the same way.