Militarization Information Point

The Informationsstelle Militarisierung eV (IMI) was initiated in 1996 by several people from the left-wing alternative spectrum of the New Social Movements , especially the peace movement , among others by Tobias Pflüger . The establishment was also a reaction to the establishment of the special unit command special forces (KSK) of the Bundeswehr in Calw on the same day.

The seat of the non-profit association is Tübingen . According to its own information, it has around 300 members.

In 2011, IMI was awarded the Aachen Peace Prize.

aims

The aim is to contribute to international understanding with your own analyzes and information. The IMI sees itself as a mediator between the social and peace movement and the scientific processing of conflicts and conflict constellations. IMI aims to provide information for all actors in society , both for political and for educational work.

Work and focus

The work of IMI is characterized by a large number of academic papers in the peace policy area with a strong focus on Germany and its role in the world. Areas of work are peace and conflict research , armaments and arms exports , restructuring of the Bundeswehr , militarization in Europe , NATO and refugee policy.

Conflict over non-profit status and classification by the protection of the constitution

In February 2007, the Tübingen tax office refused the association a notice of exemption and thus the recognition of the non-profit status of the association. The rejection was justified with doubts from an unnamed authority about the constitutional loyalty of IMI. In July 2007, the tax office threatened to withdraw the non-profit status retroactively until 2001. This would have meant that the total donation income since 2001 would be taxable at 40 percent. Jürgen Wagner, managing director of IMI, described the process as a political scandal and targeted state repression against critics. On August 24, 2007, the general benefit of the association was finally recognized by the Tübingen tax office.

In addition to IMI, Greenpeace , BUND and medico international , other non-governmental organizations have joined a campaign initiated by the organizations Robin Wood and attac . The campaign concerned the draft law on the 2013 Annual Tax Act, which was introduced by the Federal Cabinet on May 23, and provided that the non-profit status would automatically be withdrawn when it was mentioned in the report for the protection of the constitution.

A description of IMI as a “left-wing extremist organization”, although this did not appear in the report for the protection of the constitution, has since been removed from the website of the protection of the constitution. Against this assessment, the IMI u. a. defended with other groups for the demand for the dissolution of the current protection of the constitution.

Known members

The IMI Board of Directors, authorized to represent, consists of:

Jürgen Wagner (executive); also member of the editorial board of the journal Science and Peace
Andreas Seifert
Tobias Pflüger
Claudia Haydt (member of the party executive, Die Linke )
Christoph Marischka
Michael Haid
Jonna Schürkes

former advisory board: