“I had to be under special advocacy and that caused a huge psychological impact. For a long time I thought I wouldn’t make it because this is one of the countries where human rights defenders are being killed.” ~Alejandro Parra Macías

Conscientious objection - the refusal to participate in military service based on personal moral, ethical, or religious beliefs - is nothing new, but with increased awareness of human rights, changing attitudes toward military service, and heightened global conflicts that provoke moral and ethical concerns, conscientious objection is becoming more prevalent.

In this episode, we learn more about what conscientious objection is, the enormous challenges many individuals face when it comes to evading military conscription - plus, we hear the fascinating stories of two conscientious objectors who, against all odds, evaded fighting on the front line.

Our guests are:

• Jeff Paterson - a former marine turned conscientious objector from the US

• Alejandro Parra Macías, Co-founder of the Collective Action of Conscientious Objectors (ACOOC) in Colombia

• Sofia Zelenkevich, coordinator for the Get lost project

Your hosts are:

• Dean Peacock, Project Director of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom's initiative on men and militarism

• Reem Abbas, Communications Coordinator for the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace Programme

Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace is a podcast from WILPF, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, in which we uncover the transformative power of feminist peace and explore how men can be active proponents of achieving gender equality and peace.

For more resources and information, visit wilpf.org and the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace project page here.

“There is a huge accountability void when it comes to these kinds of actors… It's very difficult because states haven't implemented the legal frameworks at the national level.”

The Middle East and North Africa region is a hotspot for mercenaries. This is partly due to the many conflicts in the region which attract them, coupled with the fact that mercenaries are cheap and efficient.

In this episode we discuss the history of mercenaries in the Middle East and how these groups have continued to rise in Syria, the differing reception mercenaries receive once they return home from armed conflict and what communities and organisations are doing to discourage people from joining mercenary groups. We also consider the role mercenaries will play in the MENA region going forward.

Our guests are:

• Bassam Al-Ahmad, co-Founder & Executive Director of Syrians for Truth and Justice
• Dr Sorcha MacLeod, Associate Professor in the Centre for Private Governance, Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen

Your hosts are:

• Dean Peacock, Project Director of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom's initiative on men and militarism
• Reem Abbas, Communications Coordinator for the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace Programme

Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace is a podcast from WILPF, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, in which we uncover the transformative power of feminist peace and explore how men can be active proponents of achieving gender equality and peace.
For more resources and information, visit wilpf.org and the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace project page here.

“Whenever we see a presence of mercenaries in an armed conflict, we see that armed conflict is more intense in combat, and it's very likely going to last longer.” - Jelena Aparac

It’s no secret that both governments and opposition groups are paying soldiers or former soldiers to fight in a foreign countries. These groups, known as mercenaries, are nothing new but they are becoming increasingly influential in ongoing conflicts. And the impact is far reaching.

In this episode we discuss how mercenary groups managed to infiltrate and cement themselves in politically and economically unstable countries in the Sahel region. What recruitment is like in these groups, why people in the area join them, and what impact the militarisation of society has on society and gender roles.

Our guests are:

• Jelena Aparac, former Chair of the UN Working Group on mercenaries
• Emadeddin Badi, an independent consultant on governance, post-conflict stabilisation, hybrid security structures and peacebuilding, and a fellow at the Atlantic Council
• Philip Obaji, an award-winning investigative journalist from Nigeria, documenting human rights abuses and exploitation by Russian paramilitaries deployed in West and Central Africa

Your hosts are:

• Dean Peacock, Project Director of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom's initiative on men and militarism
• Reem Abbas, Communications Coordinator for the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace Programme

Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace is a podcast from WILPF, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, in which we uncover the transformative power of feminist peace and explore how men can be active proponents of achieving gender equality and peace.

For more resources and information, visit wilpf.org and the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace project page here.