Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1992 00:35:00 CET
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Reply-To: wam@zamir-zg.comlink.de
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Subject: Ark Info 1
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ODBOR ANTIRATNE KAMPANJE / HRVATSKA
41000 ZAGREB, TKALCECIVA 38
TEL +38 41 422 495, FAX +38 41 271 143
ANTIWAR CAMPAIGN COUNCIL CROATIA
BASIC INFORMATION
Zagreb, October 1992.

Centar za mir, nenasilje i ljudska prava Zagreb - Centre for Peace, Nonviolence
and Human Rights Zagreb

Centar za mir, nenasilje i ljudska prava - Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and
Human Rights osijek

Pokret za mir i nenasilje Rijeka - Movement for Peace and Nonviolence Rijeka
ANTIWAR CAMPAIGN COUNCIL

WHAT IS WHAT

The Charter of Antiwar Campaign
The Charter was written in early July, 1991 in Zagreb. It has been signed by
both individuals and organizations. By the end 1991. 76 groups and organizations
from ex-Yugoslav republics signed the Charter as well as 12 European countries
and about 500 individuals, some of who are coming from the USA, Japan, Ivory
Coast, etc. Movement for Peace and Nonviolence from Ljubljana (Slovenia), the
Sarajevo Peace Centre of Civil Forum (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Belgrade
Centre of Antiwar Actions (Serbia), the -Titograd Peace and Civil Committee
(Monte Negro) have also been among this signers of the Charter. In this way the
Charter has become the basis of an unofficial gathering of peace activists
against war in Croatia and other regions of already ex-Yugoslavia.

Peace movement in ex-Yugoslavia
With the escalation of war in Yugoslavia, peace initiatives in all republics
started to take place in July last year. They emerged spontaneously, were
organized in various ways and started numerous actions. Mutual communication and
cooperation have been established.
All these groups and organizations are facing the same problems: political
pressure by the authorities and war-mongering political parties and movements
(especially pronounced in Serbia), the media blockade, the lack of knowledge and
experience and the lack of money and other material facilities. Apart from that,
war operations aggravate communication exchange considerably (traffic blockade
of telephone and mail exchange). The Campaign is also faced with various
problems due to different political attitudes which we try to overcome by our
common principles of nonviolence, democracy, cooperation and the right on
dissimilarity.

The Antiwar Campaign Council (AWCC)
The individual and collective signers of the charter of AWCC, Croatia, are
gathered at the Antiwar Campaign Council/Croatia which was founded in November,
1991. The Council is a non-profit, non-governmental and non-party organization
situated in Zagreb and registrated as a citizen association. It works as a
network of groups and projects.
Beside the Assembly of individuals and representatives of organisations from
Croatia, basic decisions are issued by Coordination Committee formed by leaders
of different projects and people who work at the Zagreb Centre for Peace and
Nonviolence. Signers of the Charter outside Croatia will be called to appoint
their members for the AWCC Council in Croatia.
The Zagreb Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights has been founded as an
administrative and professional service of the Antiwar Campaign Council. The
founding of Council branches is also planned for other Croatian towns in which
there are already individual members. The Osijek Centre for Peace, Nonviolence
and Human Rights has been founded in May 1992.

From the Statute of AWCC/ Croatia (first par- goals and principles of work)
1) General goal of AWCC is the development, promotion and application of these
methods in solving conflict and general demilitarization. Special goal is the
application of these methods in stopping the war and other forms of armed
conflicts in Croatia and neighboring republics as well as establishing lasting
peace.
2) AWCC is also in involved in controlling other forms of violence in society.
It aims at solving all conflicts by nonviolent methods which includes making
compromises and respecting human rights of individuals and groups. Its tendency
is to make cooperative rather than conflicting relations.
3) AWCC regards the development of democracy and protection of human rights and
freedom as a crucial ground for establishing lasting peace.
4) AWCC is primarily engaged within civic communities trying to remove tension
and intolerance interpersonal and especially inter-ethnic relations. It is also
involved in reducing hatred and revanchism as well as negative war consequences
on people's mental health, etc.
5) AWCC is also working as a civic initiative towards government bodies, trying
to promote peaceful solution of the conflict and integral peace politics.
6) AWCC cooperates with other peace movements and initiatives inside Croatia as
well as those from other ex-Yugoslav republics and abroad.
7) All of its actions have to assume a non-party character. AWCC is not
promoting a particular political program but the principles of peaceful,
democratic and just solution of conflicts, tensions and social problems
generally. It aims at identifying all subjects and interests causing a conflict
as well as other factors which create and influence conflicting situation. 
8) AWCC is using exclusively legitimate and nonviolent methods.

We are a movement for peace and civic society
The basic idea around which we have gathered is the idea of peace and
nonviolence. However, due to present circumstances in which we operate (the
inherited authoritative system, the way of thinking, lack of democracy in social
relations, nonexistent consciousness about the difference between civic society
and state), our attempts in establishing peace in this region is tightly
connected with the struggle for human rights (especially the rights of ethnic
minorities - national, religious, social and cultural) and with the autonomy of
civic society was opposed to state. Apart from these circumstances Croatia is
still exposed to armed aggression and a disastrous economic and social situation
which opens the way to uncontrolled aggression and destruction, extreme
nationalism and even to the restoration of totalitarism.
At the same time, in the seemingly hopeless situation there is a chance for
positive social changes, for turning of awakened social energies in creative
directions and towards sustainable alternatives. There is a chance for peace
initiatives, nonviolence, human rights and autonomy of civic society which, in
cooperation with ecological and other initiatives, could significantly influence
social changes in the forthcoming years. We are especially hopeful about the
peace movement in Serbia; if it succeeds in changing the present official
aggressive Serbian politics, our task in Croatia would in this way become
alleviated creating necessary conditions for the solution of the war in peaceful
way, i. e. by negotiating. Acting from civic society, we are given the chance to
realize goals which are otherwise unobtainable for political parties and
government bodies.


Contact address: 
Antiwar -campaign Council/ Croatia and 
Centre for Peace and Nonviolence work at following address
Tkalciceva 38 
41000 Zagreb
tel. +38 41 422 495
fax. +38 41 271 143

All donations for the Antiwar Campaign Council can be paid at:
Bund fur Soziale Verteidigung
Geschfstelle Friedensplatz 1 A
4950 Minden, Postfach 2063, Deutschland

Sparkasse Minden Libbecke
KNr. 89420814 BLZ 49050101
Stichwort: Antiwar campaign

PROJECTS OF ANTIWAR CAMPAIGN COUNCIL

Training for nonviolence, conflict resolution and mediation
In the forthcoming months conflict resolution and peace mediation will be one
of the most important activities of AWCC. Return of over 500.000 refugees will
be accompanied with much violence. In the last month additional half of million
came from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The hatred between Serbs and Croats is deeper
then ever. One could easily imagine what is going to happen when refugees will
return to their destroyed villages, seen only the ruins of their houses, hearing
stories about murdered relatives and friends, seeing the landscape of burned
forests and fields. An extreme need for revenge is already burning in their
hearts. Some of them will choose the violent and some nonviolent solution.
Antiwar Campaign would like to point out the ways of nonviolent solution. We
will be organizing a number of workshops in the damaged towns and villages.
People from Osijek, Rijeka, Karlovac, Slavonska Poega and Zadar have already
expressed their interest. In Zagreb and Osijek over 20 workshops were held so
far owing primarily to the help of Bund fur Soziale Verteidigung from Germany
and Quekers Peace and Service from UK. There will be several more workshops in
the forthcoming months. We also hope to organize the first seminars for
trainers, which will thus enable us to prepare workshops on our own. We would be
interested to find an experience trainer who could stay in Croatia for six
months, as a menthor and supervisor working with our trainers.

Publication of newsletter (ARKzin)
The newsletter is published bimonthly. It provides information on peace and
antiwar groups in all republics of ex-Yugoslavia in West Europe and is entirely
translated in to German owing to the help of our friends involved in peace
initiatives there. The summary will be translated into English and distributed
abroad by fax and computer network.

"War in the media" research
The aim of the research is a comparative analysis of war propaganda in media as
to point out manipulation mechanism and spreading of negative emotions and
prejudices. Team of inquirers have been formed in Ljubljana, Zagreb and
Belgrade. Two meetings of researchers have been held so far, trying to define
patterns of investigation. 

Peace Entrance
The so called Peace Entrance (in the very centre of Zagreb) has been the stage
of happenings and concerts of spiritual music since last autumn. There was a
break during winter months when concerts were held at Sent Martin's church in
Zagreb. The concerts are now again on the outdoor stage. THE concerts for peace
in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the Conscientious objectors were held in May.
The project also includes stone-dressing of a nearby wall with peace messages
and the erection of the Pillar of Peace (such as many towns in the world already
have).

Human rights protection 
Protection of human rights from illegal and illegitimate violence from state
and its bodies becomes more important with the ceases of war operations. All
forms of violence are interconnected and are getting more pronounced. The
Council has therefore initiated an action aimed at protecting the Serbs in
Croatia from revanchism and such laws and regulations which violate rights of
civilians in Croatia and from other tendencies which try to establish
authoritative rather then democratic relations. 

War crime research
The research includes gathering data on war crimes, their analysis and
instituting legal proceedings on front of proper authorities or international
court. News articles are analized and reported accidents gathered according to
standardized pattern. We cooperate with the Belgrade Centre for Antiwar Actions
in this project. The initiative is started to gather European nongovernmental
peace and human rights organisations at a meeting suggested for March third year
in Geneva which would plead to the UN for establishing a special commission for
war crime research in ex-Yugoslavia. 

Peace policy and demilitarization
Working out of peace policy within nonviolent framework and general
demilitarization. Attempt to influence the official politics of Croatian
government as well as of the international participants in the crisis solution.
Founding of common ground together with other peace initiatives in ex-Yugoslav
republics. Several appeals to Croatian government and public have been published
so far. 

Establishing demilitarized zones
The demilitarization of Istria and Kvarner project has been initiated by peace
movement from Rijeka. The Council also supports the project on demilitarization
of the island of Vis. Various projects and ideas have been considered
(demilitarization of Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Consientious objection and civil service
Afformation of regulations against carrying arms even during war. Today, this
law is accepted in the world as an obliging human right. Organisation of legal
help,etc. Working out both the civil service project which could replace the
military service.

Humanitarian aid and preparations for the postwar reconstruction 
The Council has so far organized the induction of several humanitarian aid
consigment for refugees and the wounded. Due to its reputation of an autonomous
civic organization it can collect aid from individuals and organisations which
do not believe in state. A group of people from Austria gathers volunteers who
are ready to come to Croatia and participate in the postwar reconstruction. 

Translations, publishing, library
Translation and publishing of literature on nonviolence, the building of
unrepressive and demilitarized society, human rights protection, etc. Collecting
literature, opening of library and reading room. Reports on Yugoslavia by
Amnesty International, Helsinki Watch and Transnational Foundation for Future
Research (from the second half of the last year) have been translated and are
prepared for publishing. 

Resocialization of soldiers and disabled ex-servicemen (basic design)
The problem of resocialization is expected to emerge due to a great number of
men engaged in military units. We would like to make contact with the Vietnam
Vetrean Against the War (USA) and similar organizations. 

The list of the project is changeable: some of the projects are finished or
cancelled and new ones adopted. Apart from the long - term projects there are
also those "ad hoc" (for example, recording of cassette of peace and spiritual
by one of our members).nnnn