Evangelical working group for conscientious objection and peace
The Evangelical Working Group for Conscientious Objection and Peace (EAK) is the umbrella and professional association of those commissioners of the Protestant regional churches and free churches who are responsible for questions of conscientious objection and peace work. In addition, organizations of youth, peace and reconciliation work in the EKD area are members of the EAK. Federal Chairman has been Oberlandeskirchenrat i. R. Dr. Christoph Münchow.
Self-image
The association is a working group within the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). It is part of the church's peace work and thus also deals with questions of peace theology , peace ethics , peace and conscience building, peace policy and peace education .
history
The association was founded in 1956 as the "Evangelical Working Group for the Care of Conscientious Objectors". The reason for this was the introduction of general conscription in Germany in 1956 and the necessary support for conscientious objectors. Until the suspension of the general conscription, the main field of activity of the EAK was the support and advice of conscientious objectors. Even after the suspension of compulsory military service in 2011, the EAK advises soldiers who refuse to do military service and want to get out of the armed forces. In addition, the EAK is also involved in other areas of Protestant peace work. In order to take this into account, the EAK was renamed in 2011 to the “Evangelical Working Group for Conscientious Objection and Peace”.
Chairperson
August Dahl (1957–1958)
Hans A. de Boer (1958–1959)
Eugen Stöffler (1959–1960)
Fritz Eitel (1960–1969)
Hermann Schäufele (1969–1971)
Martin Schröter (1971–1974)
Hermann Schäufele (1974– 1979)
Manfred Zabel (1979–1980)
Joachim Ziegenrücker (1980–1989)
Wolf-Udo Smidt (1989–1994)
Johann (Jan) Niemöller (1995–1998)
Christoph Demke (1998–2006)
Walter Herrenbrück junior (2006–2012)
Christoph Münchow (2012-present)
executive Director
Alfred Bieber (1961–1971)
Ulrich Finckh (1971–1980)
Joachim Stoevesandt (1980–1982)
Günter Knebel (1982–2010)
Christian Julius Griebenow (2010–2012)
Maria Schiffels (née Baum) (2012-present)
Wolfgang Burggraf (parental leave replacement for Maria Schiffels) (2015-present)
Fields of work
In addition to advising conscientious objectors, which is still important, the EAK is also involved in other areas of Protestant peace work. It promotes civil peace service and advocates a policy of peace. The question of building a conscience and making decisions about conscience is of fundamental importance to the EAK and so the EAK is committed to ensuring that peace education is given a space in schools and communities. The EAK supports and critically accompanies what is happening in the EKD and the Ecumenical Church in peace work and brings its point of view into the debates, especially about Just Peace . The EAK refers to the peace memorandum of the Council of the EKD "Live from God's peace - ensure just peace".
Members
Members include:
- Member churches of the EKD
- Association of Protestant Youth (aej)
- Action Group Service for Peace (AGDF)
- Action atonement
- Christian Association of Young People (YMCA)
- Men's work by the Evangelical Church in Germany
- Evangelical Student Congregation (ESG)
- Regional working groups of the EAK
Cooperations
The EAK is networked in its work with other church and non-church organizations that advocate peace and non- violence . She is also a member of national and international organizations.
The EAK is among others:
- In the Civil Peace Service Forum
- At the European Conscientious Objection Bureau
- In the Central Office for Law and Protection of Conscientious Objectors
- Living Without Armor (ORL)
- In the Federation for Social Defense (FSIO)
- In cooperation for peace
In addition, it works closely with the following institutions and organizations, among others:
- Conference for peace work in the EKD room
- Peace Commissioner of the Evangelical Church in Germany (1st Peace Commissioner of the EKD: Renke Brahms )
- Action Group Service for Peace (AGDF)
Friedrich Siegmund Schultze Prize
Friedrich Siegmund-Schultze (1885–1969) was a German theologian and one of the pioneers of the peace movement in Germany. The Friedrich-Siegmund-Schultze-Förderpreis, which several organizations have already received, is named after him. This price for non-violent action has been awarded at irregular intervals since 1994 by the Evangelical Working Group on Conscientious Objection and Peace (EAK).
Prize winners were:
- 1994 the anti-war center in Belgrade,
- 1995 the German section of the Peace Brigades International
- 1998 the Israeli peace group Jesch Gvul
- 2001 Connection eV
- 2004 Was Resisters' International
- 2008 Military Counseling Network and Village of Friendship
- 2014 Combatants for Peace
literature
- Evangelical working group for the care of conscientious objectors (ed.): NO to war and military - YES to peace services. 50 years of evangelical work for conscientious objectors , Bremen 2007.
- Live from God's peace - ensure just peace. Memorandum of the Council of the EKD, Hanover 2007
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Evangelical working group for the care of conscientious objectors (ed.): NO to war and military - YES to peace services. 50 years of evangelical work for conscientious objectors . Bremen 2007
- ↑ Evangelical working group for the care of conscientious objectors> Evangelical working group for the care of conscientious objectors (ed.): NO to war and military - YES to peace services. 50 years of evangelical work for conscientious objectors, Bremen 2007
- ↑ http://www.eak-online.de/geschaeftsstelle
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated February 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://cfpeace.org/
