The vice-president of MIR Italy together with the IFOR Main Representative at the United Nations in Geneva participated in an Italian radio program last month. During the radio interview, the history and intent of IFOR, the meaning -and related initiatives- of nonviolence and conscientious objection were presented.
Conscientious objection to military service was acknowledged as a right in Italy by an Act dated December 15th 1972, following a lengthy national campaign carried out by movements and organizations incl. the Movimento Internazionale della Riconciliazione and the Movimento Nonviolento. Prior to that term, objectors were tried for 'disobedience' or because 'missing at draft call'. They were sentenced to many jail months, after serving which they would again be requested to enroll; on a renewed refusal, they would be again sentenced to jail, and so forth ..., their serving obligation supposed to cease no sooner than on getting 45 years old. Yet, after a few repeated such sentences, the military establishment, to get rid of such a nuisance, would discharge the convict by stating his 'unfitness' on the grounds of some fancy ailment.
During the radio interview some local initiatives concerning peace education were also described, such as the peace trails and the website www.discoverpeace.eu; as to national campaigns it was addressed also #nuclearban in favour of the UN ban on nuclear weapons, signed in New York on July 7th 2017, with the appeal to Italy to ratify the treaty.
Link to the radio show, click here.
For additional information: segreteria@miritalia.org