leafletting soldiers

REFUSING WAR

Since 2003, when the war in Iraq broke out, Payday has organized or joined a number of international campaigns working with some organisations in the Global Women's Strike (GWS) to support soldiers and conscientious objectors who refuse to fight or men and women who refuse conscription.

We have supported individual campaigns in many countries including Turkey, Greece, Israel the US and the UK. These campaigns were almost always led by women - partners, mothers, sisters, relatives. For many years, with Queer Strike, we joined an international and successful campaign to free Chelsea Manning, a transexual army analyst who leaked thousands of classified military files to Wikileaks.

We have also worked to defeat legislations that punish refuseniks or that exonerate war crimes. We have also opposed rape within the military and military families as well as the mistreatment of soldiers and veterans.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on our support to past campaigns by & with refuseniks, visit www.refusingtokill.net, our former website.  For an overview, watch our 2005 video Refusing to Kill - Refuseniks around the world speak out

Refuseniks of the world

Ukraine to change conscription policies in drive to sustain fighting capacity

27 November 2023

By Shaun Walker, The Guardian

The Ukrainian government is planning to change its conscription practices as it seeks to sustain fighting capacity after nearly two years of full-fledged war with Russia.

Israeli refuseniks speak out against the genocide of Palestinian people

18 November 2023
Israeli CO Tal Mitnick

Israeli conscientious objectors

Despite a ban on protests and ongoing repression by the Israeli government since the start of the ongoing war on Palestinians, conscientious objectors have spoken out against the genocide of Palestinian women, children and men.

Why the No Borders movement cannot remain silent about Palestine!

3 November 2023
No borders badge

By No Borders groups in Germany

In a time where it has become illegal in Germany to say “Free Palestine” and solidarity demos have been banned, it is essential for the No Borders movement to speak up, not just against some forms of racism, but against all racism!

‘What’s this all for?’: Russian deserters call on former comrades to join them

26 October 2023
conscription in Russia

By Pjotr Sauer, The Guardian

Nearly 50,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war in Ukraine (…) the war in Ukraine had become the leading cause of death for young Russian men.

‘The EU must play a peaceful role in Ukraine’

12 October 2023
Olga Karatch, Belarus

By Mao Valpiana  MANIFESTO 

‘Helping conscientious objectors and deserters is very challenging. They are not welcome anywhere, even if supporting them costs less than any missile and saves lives.’ – Olga Karatch, Belarus activist

Defend peace in Ukraine – Week of action 4-10 December 2023

30 September 2023
Olga Karach & maria Alexandrova

By international organisations

On 10 December 2023, International Human Rights Day, more than 30 organisations from Europe are calling for weeks of action for protection for all those who refuse military service in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Defend Ukrainian pacifist Yurii Sheliazhenko

19 September 2023
Yurii Sheliazhenko

By Connection e.V.

Ukrainian human rights defender, conscientious objector, pacifist, human rights defender and the Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, has been placed under partial house arrest being accused of ‘justifying the Russian aggression’.

Israel: Mothers call on their children to refuse occupation

30 July 2023
Israel mothers against violence

Mothers Against Violence (Israel)

We, Mothers Against Violence, call on our children to refuse regular and reserve army service in the occupied territories…