The 'Group for a Switzerland without an Army' ('GSwA';
German: 'Gruppe für eine Schweiz ohne Armee', 'GSoA';
French: 'Groupe pour une Suisse sans Armée', 'GSsA';
Italian: 'Gruppo per una Svizzera senza Esercito', 'GSsE') is a
Swiss organization seeking the abolishment of the
Swiss Armed Forces, which include the
Swiss Army and
Swiss Air Force.
Presentation
The Group was created in
Solothurn on
12 September 1982 by around 100 people, and has grown to approximately 25,000 members, consisting largely of
pacifists. The group is politically active and spreads awareness of its' cause in several ways:
★ practical information, such as the alternative of
Swiss Civilian Service, often opted for by
conscientious objectors
★ legal information
★ news, covering subjects such as equipment sales
★ merchandise
Initiatives and referendums
In early 1986, the group launched its' first initiative, named "Für eine Schweiz ohne Armee und für eine umfassende Friedenspolitik" (''For a Switzerland without an army and an overall peaceful political stance''), which gathered 111,300 signatures (100,000 were required to initiate a vote). On
26 November 1989, 68.6% of eligible voters cast their ballot, resulting in 1,052,218 (35.6%) votes for the motion.
External links
:''As of time of writing (
2 June 2007), the English and Italian websites are very basic, containing only short informative mission statements.''
★
Official website
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Official website
★
Official website
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Official website