Press Release

[Christian Bartolf <mkgandhi at snafu.de>]

Press Release - 10 December 2003

MANIFESTO AGAINST CONSCRIPTION AND THE MILITARY SYSTEM

The "Manifesto against conscription and the military system" stands for
another decisive step. Continuing the nonviolent tradition of Leo
Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi the Gandhi Information Center, a non-profit
association for the promotion of public education, demands the
full-scale emancipation of society from the military system in all
countries and continents. Since 1993 renowned signatories have supported
this new manifesto, as e.g. did the legendary US-American folk legend
Pete Seeger on 25th March 2003.

By this information we are asking for your support. It is the only way
to make this manifesto known to all parts of society so that people may
free themselves from the military system in all nations, continents and
all over the world.

Since 1990 the Gandhi Information Center (Gandhi-Informations-Zentrum
e.V., Postfach 210109, D-10501 Berlin) has been a non-profit association
of 120 members of more than 15 nations. It became known world-wide by
its publications in English and German, most recently by its book (ISBN
3-930093-16-2):

Manifesto against conscription and the military system

The text of the Manifesto contains two quotations from anti-conscription
manifestos of the 20th century which had been signed by Gandhi,
Einstein, Buber, Freud, Tolstoy's collaborators Birukov and Bulgakov and
many others. All these well-known people were opposed to all military
training of young people!

The "Manifesto against conscription and the military system" has been
distributed world-wide and translated into more than 25 languages
already. It is two pages long and can be found on the website

http://home.snafu.de/mkgandhi/english.htm

Gandhi Information Center has been distributing the manifesto since the
end of 1993. Since 10th October 2002 a complete list of signatories
since 1993 can be found on the Internet at:

http://home.snafu.de/mkgandhi/manifest.htm

The international media that have already been informed for more than a
year now simply do not report about it!

Hereby we ask you to sign the manifesto and circulate it. As a signatory
you can contribute to the aim that this "Manifesto against Conscription
and the Military System" gains more importance in the international
media and society. By your support you will contribute to challenge not
only conscription but also the whole military system.

Christian Bartolf (Gandhi-Informations-Zentrum e. V., Berlin)