NoMilService Is Now A Member In EBCO

NoMilService is happy to announce that last Saturday, the 9^th May, the General  Assembly of the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) has voted unanimously to adopt NoMilService as an EBCO member with consultative status. NoMilService representatives will be able to participate in all EBCO’s future meetings.

The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) was founded in 1979 as an umbrella organization for national associations of conscientious objectors, with the aim of promoting collective campaigns for the release of the imprisoned conscientious objectors and lobbying the European governments and institutions for the full recognition of the right to conscientious objection to military service. EBCO is a member in several significant international organizations including the European Youth Forum (YFJ). EBCO also enjoys participatory status with the Council of Europe and is a member of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organizations of the Council of Europe since 2005.

Since 2010, NoMilService shared strong ties with EBCO. EBCO has been part of most of our campaigns for Egyptian conscientious objectors. In Feb 2011, just after the Egyptian revolution had started, Gerd Greune, EBCO’s president at that time, visited Egypt and met leaders on NoMilService. The two organizations issued a statement afterwards declaring solidarity with all non-violent democratic movements in the Middle East and North Africa.

This is the second international organization which NoMilService became a member in. In Oct 2013, NoMilService became a full member in WRI, and joined the East Mediterranean Network inside WRI. NoMilService works through this regional network with regional peace movements from Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel and Palestine toward peaceful resolution of conflicts in the region.

NoMilService is honored to join EBCO, and to be integrated among international peace movements. We are looking forward to more cooperation with our brothers and sisters in EBCO toward world peace.