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Skattebetalare for Fred

The Swedish organisation 'Skattebetalare for Fred' (Taxpayers for Peace) reports as follows:
From September 1994 - November 1996 we had two campaigns related to the yearly tax declaration. We call it 'Fifty for peace' (in Swedish 'Femtio for Freden', FFF). The resulting money was sent in 1995 to WRI's International project. In 1996 we sent the resulting money to a Swedish organisation 'Det Andra' (The Alternative), working at the presentation of good models for students. This spring the organisation invited the Dalai Lama to speak to the students and there was also a peace project in Stockholm schools. In 1997 the organisation hopes to welcome Desmond Tutu.

Since the yearly meeting in May 1995 our organization has been practically dormant. I, as retired chairman, and some of the members of the board organized the FFF campaign in 1996 and did some essential administration.

One of our members, a former member of the board, has taken his legal case for 'peace tax' through all levels of the Swedish judicial system. Late in 1995 his case was brought to the European Commission of Human Rights - Council of Europe, Strasbourg. As yet we don't know how it will proceed. One bad thing is that we have not found any lawyer willing to help us with the case.

Despite being dormant since May 1995, we still have around 200 members with another 100 on the mailing list. Our members are most positive and now and then we get letters and telephone calls wishing us good luck and telling us that they try to withdraw their taxes as in our FFF campaign.

We have just held an extraordinary meeting and I am glad to say we now have a new chairman and a new board. Time to wake up!

Eva Parrell