Pacifism and Antimilitarism

The BSV is a pacifist / antimilitarist organization. We reject all forms of violence and strive for overcoming war and the military. Safety and security we consider as human needs that can be met by nonviolent, unarmed means, like social defence or Unarmed Civilian Protection.

The BSV has held a number of conferences and symposiums and published numerous Working Papers and Info Sheets on conflict transformation and on issues related to militarization (nuclear weapons, drones etc.). Unfortunately they are all in German language.

This category includes the commitment to alternatives to the military - advocacy for nonviolent conflict transformation, social defence, peace services and civil peacekeeping.

It also includes our involvement in the peace movement and our criticism of armaments and the military - from arms exports and nuclear weapons to the German Army.

The BSV is member of several umbrella organizations in Germany and international: The Kooperation für den Frieden (Cooperation for Peace), Aktionsgemeinschaft Dienst für den Frieden (Association Service for Peace) and War Resisters' International.

 

Paper: Qualification for Civilian Peacekeeping

04.01.2021
In corona-gerechtem Abstand im Tagungsraum in Bonn.
In October 2020, the BSV held a symposium on the question how to qualify people as Civilian Peacekeepers / accompaniers. In the symposium it became clear that work in civilian peacekeeping / UCP requires many different competences, many of which are rather "soft" or social competences - stress resilience, the ability to build relationships, intercultural skills and - to a much greater extent than in other international work in the field of conflict transformation - the willingness to stand back and let the accompanied partners take the lead. A picture of qualification for this work as a step-...Weiterlesen

Appeal: For Peace. For Human Rights. For Europe

26.03.2019
2 February 2019. In the run-up to the European Parliament elections in May 2019, a broad alliance of 74 organisations and institutions from nine European countries is calling for the rescue of the European peace project. Among the signatories are many peace movement associations, churches and church organisations, the aid agencies Misereor and Bread for the World, and the environmental organisation Greenpeace. The alliance criticizes the European Union's plans to invest billions in arms research and military cooperation with third countries. The EU must not arm states that wage war or violate...Weiterlesen