CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

UTOPIAS AGAINST WAR

International Seminar on Antimilitarism

Rome, Italy | 16-22 April 2023

Part of the project “No War Anywhere! Engaging youth in antimilitarist education”

The Association of Service Civil International (SCI) is opening applications for an in-person 7-day seminar (including arrival and departure days). The seminar will be hosted by SCI Italy with financial support from the Council of Europe’s European Youth Foundation and the CERV Programme of the European Union. The seminar aims to connect 24 (future) peace educators and peace activists in an open and supportive platform, empowering them to imagine a future without war, to exchange ideas and boost their capacities to plan and implement successful local and international projects against war and militarism. The seminar will be based on principles of non-formal education which are participatory and dynamic.

Background of the project

The last year saw the escalation of war in Europe and around the world. People all across the world – be it in Ukraine, Armenia, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Tigray, Myanmar or many other places – suffer under war and military occupation and its devastating consequences. And even political decision-makers in supposedly peaceful countries decide to fuel militarism by exporting weapons, investing in nuclear weapons and making trade deals with aggressors. With the climate crisis becoming worse, the world seems to be going in a dystopian direction. We feel powerless, angry and anxious when thinking about the future.

Imagining a future without war and militarism – and getting active for it. With this seminar, we want to empower ourselves by starting to imagine a future that is peaceful. We want to discuss what such a future could be like from the perspectives of young people from different European realities. We will address urgent and important questions (such as nuclear disarmament, military-industrial complex, masculinities and militarism, etc.) and offer young people the space and tools to stand up for peace.

SCI wants to go back to its antimilitarist roots in 2023. This seminar is part of the year-long “No War Anywhere!” project. The project consists of these phases:

• Seminar “Utopias Against War”: 16-22 April 2023 in Rome
• Training course “Strategies Against War”: 25 June – 2 July 2023 in Vienna
• Local antimilitarist campaigns around International Day for Peace: July – September 2023
• Virtual exchange around follow-up projects: September 2023

As part of the project, we will also create an online course and a toolkit. The project wants to strengthen antimilitarist education within SCI and to bring together young people affected by militarism. During this year, SCI also wants to form stronger alliances with other peace networks (such as War Resisters International and International Fellowship of Reconciliation).

Objectives

1. To explore the topic of (anti)militarism, increase understanding of the systems and their effects;
2. To brainstorm and collect pacifist possibilities and alternatives to militarism;
3. To build the knowledge basis and support system for future local or virtual action.

Participation

Financial conditions:

• Food and accommodation during the seminar will be provided;
• Travel costs will be reimbursed after the seminar up to an agreed limit depending on the sending country;
• We strongly encourage green travel (i.e. avoid travel by plane, if possible; instead travel by train and bus). We are available to give you advice on this and can offer a higher travel budget for eco-friendly options;
• Other necessary expenses, such as visa fees or COVID-tests will be reimbursed after approval by organisers.

Simple life: The training will take place in La Città dell’Utopia in Rome, which is a community house with simple living conditions. You will sleep in a room shared with a few other people and will be involved in cleaning and cooking tasks.

Sustainable food: The food we provide will be vegan/vegetarian. This is not just a practical decision, but also an ideological one: SCI believes in the values of sustainability and climate justice – and if we want to contribute to a more peaceful planet, we need to give up on industrialized animal agriculture and its destructive effects on our planet. After being accepted to the seminar, you can tell us if you have any diets, allergies or intolerances that we should be aware of.

You can consult the complete call with an indicative timetable here.

Participant’s profile:

• are (ideally) age 18-30;
• can express themselves in (basic) English; 
• are resident in a Council of Europe Member State;
• can potentially also participate in the second training “Strategies Against War” in Vienna, 25 June – 2 July 2023;
• are/ want to become active in the field of antimilitarist education or antimilitarist activism in their communities or at the international level;
• want to build/ expand their international peer network;
• are motivated to bring forward their ideas and initiate peace projects in the future.

Ready to apply?

?? Please fill in the application form: https://forms.gle/5WbBvUtTxYZhkCJX7

? Deadline for applications is February 20, 2023. We accept applications on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

❓ For any questions related to the application, please contact Pauline at projects@sci.ngo.