The permanent creation of hate, war, graves, misery . . . by the nationalist-militarist regime of Serbia has converted the majority of citizens into hostages, victims and accomplices all at once, into helpless creatures who have lost hope in change and the value of small acts of civil disobedience.

Men who did not want to take part in the wars all these years were, and stayed, invisible; their problems are reduced to a personal, individual, family problem. We consider that this form of violence is not a personal, invisible problem, but a political-social problem that should become visible and should be solved as such.

"PERSONAL IS POLITICAL."
Men who do not want to go to war, who do not want to report to military exercises, are men who want civil military service; they search only for their constitutional right and they do not agree to be hostages of the regime. They want to be responsible citizens. Nevertheless, militarism cannot be reduced only to the armed forces and military service.

Militarism permeates all institutions—school, family, cultural institutions, almost all the relations. Militarism is a form of control over people, both men and women. Militarism is also beliefs and behaviors, based on hierarchy, military discipline, adoration of the fatherland, obedience, blind execution of orders, homophobia, xenophobia, and chauvinism ...

More than a decade of nationalistic and militaristic ideology and praxis has taken away the possibility of choice. That is why we want to create a space where we can have control over our lives, that is why we want to motivate others to fight for conscientious objection as a basic human right.

This meeting is also one of the "small" steps of our alternative policy of changing ourselves and changing the environment in which we live.

"DEMOCRACY AT HOME, DEMOCRACY IN THE COUNTRY."
Besides the demand for conscientious objection as a basic human right, we want to act together for the demilitarization of the mind, to influence the change of the patriarchal mentality; we want to create different values from those that predominate around us.

We want to create a solidarity network of objectors, to motivate a culture of peace and nonviolence.


MEETING PROGRAM

Friday, May 5, 2000
Arrival of participants

Saturday, May 6, 2000
10h-12h:
About CO - experiences and praxis in different countries (Europe, Latin America, United States, etc.).
16h-19h:
Themes
HATE OF THE OTHER/DIFFERENT - FABRICATION OF WAR (about prejudices and stereotypes, discounting the logic of war)
21h:
Party—"LIVE TO RESIST - DON’T DIE FOR UTOPIA."

Sunday, May 7, 2000
10h-11h:
Dynamic game "About national heroes and military values."
11h-13h:
Debate, agreement of common actions for May 15, International Day of CO

All participants are housed in the "Studenica" residence, in rooms of two and four persons. Women in Black will be covering expenses for meals, thanks to the solid support from the O.F. (Objecion Fiscal = War Tax Resisters) of Spain.

Note: The meeting will take place in an area 200 km southeast of Belgrade, near the medieval monastery "Studenica." We have chosen this place for its tranquility, for the idea of decentralization, so that people from all over Serbia, Vojvodina, Sandjak, and Montenegro can attend. At the moment, there is much interest. Women and men will come (mostly young people) from many parts of Serbia, but we would like the number of attendants to not exceed 50 persons. Women in Black is organizing this meeting in collaboration with several groups and people, in particular with the young people of "DRK" from Kraljevo.

Antimilitarist and solidarity greetings,

Women in Black

Belgrade, April 22, 2000