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Conscience and Peace Tax International

Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI) was founded in Hondarribia, Spain, on September 17, 1994. It was incorporated as an international non-profit association in Belgium by Royal Decree of March 20, 1996 and by publication of its articles of association on July 4, 1996 in the official Bijlagen tot het Belgisch Staatsblad (number 15.075/96). CPTI was granted ‘special consultative status’ with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UNO in July 1999.

Objects:

The aim of the association is to obtain recognition of the right to conscientious objection to paying for armaments and war preparation and war conduct through taxes. It does this by means that conform to Belgian and international law. The association may also support the struggle of conscientious objectors and the struggle for the recognition of human rights generally. In furtherance of these objects the association lobbies international organizations, such as the United Nations, in order to obtain and/or improve legal and other instruments, which may be national and international legislation, conventions, resolutions, directives, declarations, etc. The association publicizes efforts to obtain recognition of the afore-said right. It facilitates coordination of similar activities of national movements at the international level.

Conscience:

The principle of conscience, a moral imperative governing the behavior of an individual, is central to the objectives and work of CPTI. Conscientious objection to war is a well-established concept in many western countries and the rights of conscientious objectors are enshrined in many countries in legislation relating to conscription. However the changes in warfare require an extension of legislation. Modern warfare is now more dependent on money than on physical conscripts, but fiscal conscripts have no legal mechanism for preventing their money, their taxes, being used to wage war. It is this that led to the establishment of many national movements and of CPTI.

Structure:

Conscience and Peace Tax International is legally based in Belgium, but has an international Board, with representatives from seven countries. Currently the Board comprises:

The Executive Board

Erik Hummels (Chair)
Berkenlaan 14
3707 BC Zeist
Netherlands
Telephone:+31-30 693 27 63
e-mail: [email protected]

Marian Franz (Vice-Chair)
National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund
2121 Decatur Place N.W.
Washington, D.C.
20008-1923 U.S.A.
Telephone: +1-202-986-0667
e-mail: [email protected]

Pedro Otaduy (Treasurer)
Campaña de Objeción Fiscal
Apdo 1126
31080 Pamplona-Iruñea
Spain
Telephone: +34-948.220642
e-mail:[email protected]

Dirk Panhuis (Secretary)
Bruineveld 11
3010 Leuven
Belgium
Telephone: +32-16-25 40 11
e-mail: [email protected]

Cosimo Tomaselli
Via Gagliardi 13
30173 Mestre, VE
Italy
Telephone: +39-041-531 92 17
e-mail:[email protected]

Hannelore Morgenstern-Przygoda
Jesuitengasse 39 A
D-Köln
Germany
Telephone: +49-221-74 34 96
e-mail: [email protected]

Phil Rimmer
Conscience - The Peace Tax Campaign
Archway Resource Centre
1B Waterlow Road
London N19 5NJ
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7561 1061
e-mail: [email protected]

Bart Horeman
PO Box 1528
3500 AM Utrecht
The Netherlands
Telephone: +31 30 2714376
e-mail: [email protected]

Representatives to the ECOSOC / UNO in New York are Marian Franz, John Randall and Rosa C. Packard. Representatives in Geneva are Derek Brett, Bart Horeman and Dirk Panhuis.

A General Assembly meets every two years to review progress, approve the budget and accounts, and considers changes to the Board or the articles of association.
Formal membership is open to organizations that have been recognized in their own country, and to physical persons. New members should subscribe to the objects of the association.

Finance:

There is no fee for membership of CPTI. The association runs on a low budget, financed by contributions from members and supporters. Board members receive no remuneration and contribute their time on a voluntary basis.

Timeline in formation:

1992 – Brussels, Belgium: The 4th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns named five persons to explore non-governmental organization (NGO) status to lobby in the United Nations' Economic & Social Council and in the European parliament and other international bodies.

1994 – Hondarribia, Spain: The Founding General Assembly, held at the 5th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns, adopted the articles of association, elected the Board of administration, decided formal repartition of tasks of officers, and signed documents. Incorporation as an International Association Without Lucrative Purpose, was asked at the Ministry of Justice of Belgium.

1996 – CPTI was incorporated by Belgian Royal Decree in March of 1996 by King Albert II and by publication of the articles of association in the Official Journal on July 4, 1996 (N° 15.075/96). This incorporation made CPTI eligible to apply for NGO status in the UNO.

1999 – CPTI is granted NGO ‘special consultative status’ with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. Advantages of such consultative NGO status are: attendance at meetings of the Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC), ability to propose items for the agenda, representative attendance at meetings at the UNO, and accessibility to documents. ECOSOC has a Commission on Human Rights.

2000 – CPTI participated in the NGO Millennium Forum (May 22-26, 2000), which preceded the Millenium Assembly of the UNO in September 2000.

Activities:

The task of getting incorporation occupied the first two years since its foundation. The main activity for 1997 and 1998 has been the preparation of publicity materials and attendance at the Second European Ecumenical Assembly on Reconciliation in Graz (Austria, June 1997) and at the European Conscientious Objectors' Meeting (ECOM) in Norway (August 1997). Materials were distributed at other relevant conferences and gatherings (such as the Osnabrück Peace Congress in May 1998, and the meeting of Christian grass-root organisations in Maastricht, August 29, 1998).

In 1999 a web site (http://go.to/cpti or http://surf.to/cpti) was created and subsequently improved.

Since 1999 the right to conscientious objection to paying for the military through taxes is being brought to the attention of international NGO’s and the appropriate bodies of the UNO.

CPTI IS NOT an umbrella organization of all WTR-PTC’s(War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns). Nor is it a board of the international WTR-PTC conferences, which have no board or governing body. The international conferences are organized and hosted by national movements. Those conferences have been held in Tübingen (Germany, '86), Vierhouten (The Netherlands, '88), Aosta (Italy, '90), Brussels (Belgium, '92), Hondarribia (Spain, '94), Hoddesdon (U.K., ’96), New Delhi-Bhajanpura (India, ‘98), and Washington, DC (USA, 2000).

>CPTI is an International non-profit organization (Belgium 15.075/98), an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

>Donations to CPTI can be paid directly into the Belgian post cheque account
000-1709814-92 of CPTI, Leuven, (agency: Kessel-Lo).
Also, cheques made out to CPTI in euros can be sent to Leuven.

For more information...
Please contact our secretary Dirk Panhuis: Conscience and Peace Tax International
Bruineveld 11, 3010 Leuven (Belgium)
Phone: +32-16-25 40 11
E-mail: [email protected]