SWEDEN, Country Report

Skattebetalare för fred, c/o Rolf Hansson, Grundvigsvägen 69, 82660 Soderhamn, Sweden

Report from Skattebetalare för fred / Taxpayers for Peace, Sweden

Board and Organizational Structure

We are 4 people on the board, of whom I am Director Rolf Hansson (as above) Our organisation was founded in 1988 and stayed small over the years. We were only 50 paying members in the year 2000.

We are really in trouble concerning our membership and building a powerful organisation, sorry, but that's the situation. However, we are fighting hard and have no plans to give in.

Outreach

“50 for Peace” is an annual action of protest against our Swedish Military Tax System, to achieve change. We think, that it belongs to the basic human rights for each citizen, to pay under ‘decision of conscience’ the part of ‘Military Tax’ only for purposes, which work without violence for peace, justice and environmental protection. You pay 50 Sweden Crowns to “Taxpayers for Peace” and add a copy of the transfer to your tax form, writing in an attachment, : “I propose with it a reduction of 50 Sweden Crowns of my state tax, which represents the amount of Military Tax, that I am forced to pay for the Military.”

“50 for Peace” Grant

80% of the “50 for Peace” money goes for a grant, which annually is paid out to an appropriate person or organisation. 20 % goes to a supporting fund for conscientious objectors, who suffer from financial penalties.

Contact and Cooperation with the 3 Swedish Peace Organisations. In order to survive, our organisation will contact the Peace Organisations and ask for help.

“Peace Postcards”

The UK organisation “Conscience The Peace Tax Campaign” works with “Peace Postcards”. We will possibly think about organising the same.

For now, this was all from our micro tiny organisation. - Skattebetalare för fred in Sweden.

Good bye and we will see you.

Rolf Hansson, Director