Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Germany: Against my Conscience

Trailer to Graphic Novel written and drawn by Hannah Brinkmann

(22.01.2021) Hannah Brinkmann’s uncle was forced to serve in the German armed forces in 1973. In the graphic novel “Against My Conscience” she tells his story. The film introduces Hannah Brinkmann’s book based on the images and texts. Hannah Brinkmann is 30, comes from Hamburg and studied graphic novel at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg.

German with English undertitles.

Syria: ECJ strengthen conscientious objectors in asylum cases

(19.11.2020) The European Court of Justice decided, that in the context of the civil war in Syria, there is a strong presumption that refusal to perform military service there is connected to a reason which may give rise to entitlement to recognition as a refugee

In a number of situations, such refusal is an expression of political opinions or of religious beliefs, or is motivated by membership of a particular social group.

Eritrea: Public intergroup discussion in the Bundestag

Video Documentation

(25.06.2020) On 25 June 2020, a public intergroup zoom discussion was held at the invitation of Rudi Friedrich (Connection e.V.) and Kathrin Vogler (MdB, Die Linke). Several experts as well as members of the German parliament parties SPD, FDP and the parliamentary group Bündnis 90/Die Grünen took part in the discussion. More than 60 persons from about 10 countries were following the discussion.

Gunter Schmidt, painter, Germany: I always wished, war was finally dead

Video on YouTube channel Refuse to Kill

(15.05.2020) I have never personally experienced war. I am grateful for this fact under the star of grace and luck and a high degree of liberal political culture in Germany and Europe I have never experienced war, but it lives through me, it definitely outrages me, even where I encounter it indirectly. I am Gunter Schmidt. I am also a painter. Pictures tell me something. Sometimes I take up pictures, transform them artistically and give them my language.