International of War Resisters

IDK logo with the motif of the broken rifle , here a variant that comes close to the originally widespread symbol of peace

The International of War Service Opponents e. V. (IDK) is a German section of War Resisters' International (WRI). It is an organization of anti-militarists , pacifists and conscientious objectors . The IDK office is located in Berlin-Hermsdorf (until March 2005 in the Mehringhof ). The IDK archive is located in the archive aktiv (Hamburg).

Policy statement by the members of the IDK

“War is a crime against humanity. I am therefore determined not to support any kind of war and to work to eliminate all causes of war. "

history

In 1947, the International of Military Service Opponents (IDK) was established in Hamburg as the successor to the Association of Military Service Opponents (BdK ), which continued the tradition of radical military service opponents. Theodor Michaltscheff was a founding member and chairman of the IDK. From 1947 to 1966 Theodor Michaltscheff had published the journal Die Friedensrundschau for the IDK .

In 1947/1948 the IDK played a decisive role in the legal anchoring of the right to conscientious objection in the Basic Law. The IDK, however, criticized the restrictions on the right to conscientious objection in the Basic Law , in particular the state-compulsory nature of alternative service (later civilian service). The IDK was involved in the “Working Group of German Peace Associations”, which was re-established in 1948 and also in 1953 when the “German Committee on Conscientious Objection Issues ” was set up , from which the “ Central Office for Law and Protection of Conscientious Objectors ” emerged in 1957 . Since then, the IDK has been a member organization of the "Zentralstelle KDV", which ended its work on August 31, 2011 after the suspension of military service. See: " Historical overview: Conscientious objection in Germany ". Some of the IDK groups supported the neutralization efforts of the All-German People's Party (GVP) Gustav Heinemann and advocated talks with the Eastern European countries. A political current within the IDK was also involved in the founding of the party German Peace Union (DFU) in a prominent place in 1960 the IDK chairwoman Renate Riemeck .

In 1956 the Action Group for Nonviolence was established within the framework of the IDK . The IDK was present at the first Easter march and took part in these demonstrations every year. From around 1965 to 1975, actions and demonstrations against the Vietnam War were an important focus of the IDK's work.

In 1968 in the Federal Republic of Germany the majority of the groups of the International of Military Service Opponents merged with the German Peace Society (DFG) to form the DFG-IdK . In 1974 it merged with the Association of Conscientious Objectors (VK) to form the German Peace Society - United War Resisters. (DFG-VK).

Demonstration for deserters in Berlin in 1969

The IDK in Berlin (West) continued to exist and had members throughout Germany. After the establishment of the DFG-IdK (see above), the Berlin IDK applied for the independent status of a section of War Resisters' International . In 1970 the admission process as a WRI section was completed. There was no conscription in West Berlin. The conscription law of the Federal Republic of Germany was not valid in West Berlin ( four-power status of Berlin) until 1990 ( German reunification ). Advice for conscientious objectors was always a focus of work for the IDK and, from 1947 to 1990, was particularly shaped by the so-called demilitarized status of Berlin. Until the introduction of compulsory military service as a result of German unification, the IDK in Berlin mainly advised and supported conscript refugees, deserters and conscientious objectors ( total conscientious objection , TKDV).

In 1969 the IDK and other member groups in the Republican Club launched a campaign for deserters from the Bundeswehr in West Berlin. West Berlin authorities illegally provided administrative assistance to the Bundeswehr. The success of this campaign was that Bundeswehr refugees could live in West Berlin without further persecution by the Bundeswehr (until 1990). IDK member Reinhold Ellenrieder initiated the “Working Group for Anarchist Philosophy” (AK-AP).

In 1972 the IDK led a campaign against the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V., published a documentary about the Volksbund with the title The other side of the medal and called for "not to give the Trojan horse of war a penny" . This was a response to the massive fundraising by the Volksbund combined with an ideology of soldier virtues , which was supported by the Federal Minister of the Interior and the Ministers of Education of the federal states. In addition, the IDK was actively involved in the non-violent marches for demilitarization (1976 to 1989), which took place in various European countries and which propagated the demilitarization of society through non-violent actions.

In the 1980s, the Libertarian Forum was initiated in Berlin on the initiative of the IDK . Also involved were activists from the Free Workers Union and the Grassroots Revolution as well as other libertarians. The collection of texts on the subject of nonviolent revolution is published with IDK support .

In 1982 the IDK initiated the census boycott for ecology and peace against the armaments policy and nuclear (power plant) policy of the federal government , motto: "The government says it needs the information from us in order to be able to govern better. We say we need the information to be able to defend ourselves better. If the government does not comply with its duty to provide information, neither will we. If the government is silent about nuclear missiles, we keep silent about peace! - Politicians ask - citizens don't answer! "

Press conference on total refusal in 1990 in Berlin. The IDK supported the “Freundeskreis total conscientious objectors” in the GDR and the total conscientious objector Gerhard Scherer (photo, 2nd from left) in West Berlin.

The Antimilitarist Information Service - AID was published by the IDK from 1990 to 1994 and documents problems of German unification and antimilitarist actions during this time. The AID was replaced by the IDK's participation in the tilt magazine (“magazine against conscription, compulsory service and the military”). tilt was released until the late 1990s and is still online.

The IDK is a secular peace organization in which humanist and religious conscientious objectors and pacifists work together. Since the mid-1990s there have been discussions about various positions on the connection between humanism and pacifism. There are different agnostic and atheistic positions for a humanistic pacifism that relates exclusively to humans, both in terms of the goals and the ultimate justification.

Since 2006, one of the IDK's main focuses has been supporting non-violent conflict strategies in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The IDK has supported conscientious objectors in Israel since 1948 (cf. Joseph Abileah ). In 2008, together with the Israel / Occupied Territories group, Amnesty International Berlin published the brochure On the situation of conscientious objection in Israel . This publication was the booklet accompanying the concert Voices for Understanding and Human Rights in Israel / Palestine in the Labsaal, Berlin-Lübars. The IDK recognized and welcomed the awarding of the Carl von Ossietzky Medal of the International League for Human Rights in December 2008 to the Israeli group Anarchists Against the Wall and the Palestinian Citizens Committee of the Village of Bil'in.

Awarding of the Carl von Ossietzky Medal 2008. Wolfram Beyer conveyed the greetings from the IDK and then played the clarinet at the KlezMischpoche for the Anarchists Against the Wall and the Palestinian Citizens Committee

The IDK also supports conscientious objectors and deserters worldwide and works for a comprehensive right to conscientious objection in all countries. In this work there are connections to the association Connection .

As part of the peace movement, particularly around the magazine Graswurzelrevolution , IDK members took part in nonviolent actions. Nonviolent action has been the orientation for political action since the founding of the IDK.

aims

The association promotes internationalist and anti-militarist sentiments and the idea of international understanding as well as tolerance in all areas of culture. It advocates respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, regardless of race, gender, language, religion or worldview.

Each member signs the declaration of principle: “War is a crime against humanity. I am therefore determined not to support any kind of war and to work to eliminate all causes of war. "

The IDK interprets the term war service opponent comprehensively - as an individual and social term:

Military service means not only service in war, but service in war, and this war does not begin with the outbreak of hostilities, but with the psychological, political and economic preparation for war.
Thus, the tasks are primarily of a preventive nature and include the elimination of the causes of war and the creation of a socially and economically just social order that does not allow wars to arise.
Denial of military service and compulsory service is a personal act and a social task.

The purpose of the association is to provide protection and help to those who refuse war and forced service. The political goal is the abolition of compulsory military service , which is critically reported about, compulsory service and the military.

Members

(Selection)

Awards

The international umbrella organization of the IDK, the War Resisters' International (WRI), received the Friedrich Siegmund-Schultze Award in 2004.

literature

Active archive (ed.): 20 years of the Friedensrundschau - 20 years of the International of War Resisters (1947–1966), personal memories of Theodor Michaltscheff . Hamburg undated , ISBN 3-9805270-0-X

Guido Grünewald: The International of War Resisters (IdK). Your story 1945–1968 . Pahl-Rugenstein publishing house, Cologne 1982. ISBN 3-7609-5095-7 . Available online . In the DNB

Wolfram Beyer (eds.): G. Lakey / M. Randle, Nonviolent Revolution , Contributions for a society without domination . OPPO Verlag Berlin 1988

Albert Camus : Neither victim nor executioner . Published by the International of War Service Opponents e. V. (IDK e.V.) in the series of publications of the Libertarian Forum Berlin, Oppo Verlag Berlin 1991

Wolfram Beyer (Ed.): On the theory and practice of humanism - refuse military service, pacifism today (homage to Ossip K. Flechtheim ) . November 2000, published on behalf of the IDK and the HVD ( Humanistic Association of Germany , LV Berlin)

ders. (Ed.) for the IDK: Refuse war services - Pacifismus aktuell. Libertarian and humanist positions . Oppo-Verlag-Berlin 2007 (2nd updated edition 2011)

IDK / Amnesty International Berlin (Group Israel / Occupied Territories), ed .: On the situation of conscientious objection in Israel . Berlin, July 2008. Booklet and information . Available online.

Howard Clark: Nonviolence and Revolution. Paths to Fundamental Change in Society, Berlin 2014 Verlag Internationale der Kriegsdienstegoner /innen, IDK.

Wolfram Beyer (ed.): INTERNATIONAL OF WAR OFFICERS, 1947 - 2017 - Contributions to history, Verlag Edition AV , Lich / Hessen 2017

Web links

Commons : Internationale der Military Service - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Club website
Flyer of the International of Military Service Opponents, 1960s . Foundation House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany
Literature by and about Wolfram Beyer in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

↑ https://www.archiv-aktiv.de/ Retrieved on March 7, 2020

↑ idk-berlin.de

↑ Portrait of the deputy federal chairman of the International of the war service opponent Arno Mehrisch . Europeana. Retrieved September 5, 2015.

^ Police beat up demonstrators in West Berlin . In: Frankfurter Rundschau , December 12, 1966

↑ Authors: Uli Jäger, Michael Schmid: The Peace Movement in the Federal Republic of Germany from 1945 to 1982 (Part IV of the series) . Quote: “ One organization in which many committed anti-militarists came together is the traditional“ German Peace Society - United War Service Opponents ”(DFG-VK). The DFG-VK emerged from a first merger of the “German Peace Society” with the “International of War Resisters” (IdK) in 1968 and a further merger with the “Association of Conscientious Objectors” (VK) in 1974. With its numerous local groups, it plays an important role, especially in advising conscientious objectors ”. From the website: "Peace Education". Retrieved October 13, 2010

^ IDK eV . Positions, actions and more .... Retrieved October 13, 2010

^ War Resisters' International Archives Period 1921-2005 English. Retrieved October 13, 2010

↑ Photos of an IDK demo in West Berlin in 1969 https://berlin.museum-digital.de/index.php?t=objekt&oges=44677&cachesLoaded=true

↑ See this: Hans Jürgen Degen: The return of the anarchists. Anarchist Attempts 1945 - 1978 , pp. 209 ff. Verlag Edition AV , 1st edition, Lich (Hessen) 2009. ISBN 978-3-86841-015-0

↑ Cf. on this: Olaf Paulsen: On the history of the international non-violent anti-militarist marches - the first three marches , in: Anti-militarism information , documentation of the disarmament trip Brussels-Warsaw (August 1–10, 1979), Berlin 1979, p. 3f, ISSN 0342-5797

↑ See on this: “Umweltmagazin” No. 6 / 12-1982. Federal Association of Citizens' Initiatives Environmental Protection (BBU). The 1983 census planned for 1983 was u. a. also suspended because of this campaign.