THURSDAY, November 5th
- 14-17: visit to NATO (make sure you have your passport or ID-card with you!)
- 18: dinner
- 19: press conference (Jacques Brel)
- 20: evening geared mainly for a Belgian public, but of course all participants at the conference are welcome (simultaneous translation):
- short testimonies by 2 Flemish and 2 foreign grassroots peace activists on WTR and PTC
- short reactions by 4 Belgian politicians on pending Peace Tax legislation
- experience of a lobbyist from the USA
- break followed by debate
FRIDAY, November 6th
- 9-12.30: introduction to the European Community and the Council of Europe, in collaboration with the Quaker Council on European Affairs.
- 9: leaving Jacques Brel for the European Parliament (make sure you have your passport or ID-card with you!)
- 10-11: meeting with Richard Balfe, MEP 11: return to Jacques Brel and coffee
- 11.30: Information on the Council of Europe
- 12.30: lunch
- 14: FORMAL START OF THE CONFERENCE
- 14.15: lecture by Prof. Dr. Theo De Roos (professor of law at Maastricht University; legal advisor for the drafting of the Dutch peace-tax bill) on: Conscientious Objection to taxation for military purposes as a human right. Legal and constitutional aspects. (room: Egmont/Hoorn)
- 16.30: coffee/tea
- 17: meeting of the steering committee (at least one person per country/organisation is asked to attend) on some practical matters: (room: Egmont/Hoorn)
- program of the conference
- how do we assure the follow-up of the agreed decisions?
- International project: evaluation of the Innu project; new project (please bring proposals with you); who will be responsible for the next two years?
- place of the Vth conference
- 18.30: dinner
- 20: forum: presentation of new developments in WTR-PTCs in a few countries
SATURDAY, November 7th
- 9 till 12.30h (including break): you can choose between four WORKSHOPS:
- Peace Tax legislation in various countries: state of affairs, comparison, prospects; Resource persons: Phil Rimmer, Malcolm Reid; Chairperson: Kees Nieuwerth
- Peace Tax as a human right in international fora (U.N.O., Council of Europe, European Community,..); Resource person: Barbara Forbes; Chairperson: Erik Hummels
- Analysis of successes and failures of some national campaigns (France, Italy,..); lessons from protests against a war tax for the Gulf War; Resource person: Joel Tanaff; Chairperson: Franco Perna
- Conscience, non-violence and WTR for the 21st century, particularly as seen from the viewpoint of the non-Western world. With testimonies by non-Western participants; Resource person: Arya Bhardwaj; Chairperson: Trix van Vugt
- 12.30: lunch
- 14.30 till 18.00h (including break): you can choose between four WORKSHOPS:
- WTR at a grass-roots level: experiences, seizures, ideas, strategies; Resource persons: NWTRCC (USA); Chairperson: Klaus Hecker
- Lobbying for peace tax legislation: how do you do it? Plus ideas how to gain support from trade unions, peace movements at large, Third World groups, etc.; Resource person: Marian Franz; Chairperson: Kees Nieuwerth
- Religious bodies; the consular process and WTR; Resource persons: G. Momigliano, G. Marasso, A. Grassis; Chairperson: Martin Arnold
- Court cases: facts, evolutions; Resource person: Erik Hummels, Chairperson: Hans Mulder
- 18: dinner
- EVENING FREE (?!) for writing reports, drafting resolutions,.. AND for informal get together
SUNDAY, November 8th
- 9: plenary session: reports from the workshops; resolutions
- 12: Closure of the conference
- 12.15: lunch
- 14: AU REVOIR !
- 14.30-17: Guided tour of Brussels with very qualified guides. In order to be able to get a good picture of the whole geographical and historical dimensions of Brussels, the guides have recommended using a bus. Because of a massive interest for Tour A, and practically no response to Tour B (urbanisation et architecture, en françals), we have decided to annul Tour B. We are sure language difficulties will not be able to prevent conference participants from enjoying Tour A (with a little help from the friends...):
- Tour A: a tour with a more sociological emphasis with as themes poverty, the demolition of neighbourhoods and the impact of the European Community (English)