From October 26 to November 1st, I participated in the Not Your Soldier study session, organized by SCI, No More War and the European Bureau of Conscientious Objection. The session was held in the European Youth Center in Budapest with a total of 35 participants.

When I first applied, I was very excited that a training of the sort was being conducted. With the rise of global militarisation and the ongoing wars and genocides, it often feels like peace is a distant utopia. What’s more, the youth is often silenced on the topic even though we are the most affected by militarisation so it was really nice to be part of this experience in a group with over 80% of people under 30.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that this study session was based on non-formal education. I came to Budapest with lots of questions and a thirst for knowledge and the way the team handled the activities really helped me familiarise myself with the topics by engaging the entire group in the process.

The activities

The week was very eventful and busy and we were able to look back on each day with our reflection groups right before dinner. I really liked this moment of the day because it gave us the time to sit and reminisce about all the things we did, especially since we often had to rush to finish the activities on time, given how large our group was.

The second day, we worked in teams to compile information about militarisation and militarism and I was part of the economics and propaganda team. We had a lot of fun, creating a poster imitating military propaganda and wearing post-it notes on our chests to incite others to join “the best team”. Once we were done, each group presented their work and I found it was a very time-effective and insightful activity. We also had a filmmaking task which I liked a lot because I could use one of my interests as a way to educate myself and others.

The group

We had diverse profiles in the group which allowed us to have different perspectives on antimilitarism, even in regions currently experiencing wars and genocide. Some experienced military service first-hand, others did alternative service and some even refused to serve. A few participants shared their personal experiences which was probably very difficult for them but they trusted the group enough to recount them, which we were all very grateful for.

The facilitators (Danai, Thomas and Ala) organised the study in a way that the week was pretty fun and cozy, despite how heavy the topic was. I am especially thankful towards the group for being so gentle and understanding with each other that even when there were disagreements, there was mostly lots of care and mutual respect, a kindness that can be so difficult to find in spaces where politics are involved. The presence of a care person (Kerry) was also a very good idea in the context of this study, especially for the people within us who were most affected by militarism.

Every evening, we had different voluntary activities such as games, movie night and even a good-bye party on the last day. My favorite evening was when around 20 of us played werewolf, a game that ironically brought us closer despite the chaos and betrayals.

The future

I joined this experience with some apprehensions and anxieties as it was my first project with SCI and No More War but I left with lots of hope for the future, new friends, and many memories I hold dear in my heart. I also came up with a follow-up project and decided to join the No More War collective!

Overall, I think Not Your Soldier was a very successful experience and I hope to see more projects of the sort in the future.