War Tax Resistance: How You Can Help War tax resistance is an important part of the struggle against militarism in many countries. The largest campaigns are probably those in the United States (where there are 20,000 war tax resisters) and Italy (nearly 10,000 resisters). Organised campaigns are also conducted in many other places including Canada, several European countries, Japan and Palestine. War tax resistance is rapidly gaining momentum worldwide and is starting to make its mark in Australia. I have been a war tax resister since 1983; previous articles in Nonviolence Today have explained why. In essence, it is an expression of my commitment to nonviolence and feminism. One of the main reasons for this commitment is that both nonviolence and feminism identify the importance of personal behaviour as a locus for change. There is little point doing the hard work 'out there' if you are not willing to do the more difficult work 'in here'. Overt violence and silent exploitation, whether the result of personal or state behaviour, have the same effect. Moreover, as Gandhi stressed repeatedly, only powerful individuals are effective agents of change. In his view, a powerful individual is someone who has 'power over oneself'. This is why he stressed ongoing review of personal values and attitudes and continuing modification of personal behaviour. What can you do to help bring about a nonviolent world? In the past I have encouraged people to work for peace, social justice, development and environmental harmony in nonviolent ways of their own choosing, and to consider war tax resistance if they felt it was appropriate for them. However, I have now decided to make five specific suggestions intended to undermine the structural and cultural roots of violence in our society, and I ask for support from readers of Nonviolence Today to help me spread awareness of these suggestions. If you wish to support what I am doing, adopting these suggestions is a powerful way of doing so. Firstly, I ask all men to continually examine the ways in which they benefit by living in a patriarchal society. Patriarchy is a system of structures which oppresses and exploits women and which legitimises the use of violence against women. I ask all men to work conscientiously to change their own attitudes, language and behaviour in order to eliminate their personal oppression and exploitation of women. I also ask them to challenge the sexist language and behaviour of other men. Secondly, I ask all non-Aboriginal people to acknowledge Aboriginal sovereignty in Australia and to Pay the Rent for their use of Aboriginal land. The Australian continent was invaded and occupied. This violent occupation and illegal dispossession continues. Reconciliation can only occur when non-Aboriginal Australians acknowledge the historical truth and demonstrate their willingness to work with the legal owners of this land. Rent (1% of income) can be paid to a local Aboriginal organisation or to any of the grassroots organisations listed at the end of this article. Thirdly, I ask everyone to become a vegetarian. The consumption of meat exploits the people of Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as non-human species and the environment. It exploits people by diverting vast quantities of resources (including land, fossil fuels, water and food grains) into meat production for the 'rich' world while denying cheaply produced foods to the people of the 'poor' world. It exploits non-human species by treating them as objects for human use. And it exploits the environment by causing forest clearance (for sheep and cattle grazing) and soil degradation. Forest clearance also destroys habitat which leads to species extinctions. Fourthly, I ask everyone to plant their own vegetable garden, to organise or participate in a community garden, or to buy organically grown food from a local food cooperative. This will increase the degree of your economic self-reliance. The global economic system called capitalism, and its offshoot socialism, are grossly inadequate economic systems which are not designed to satisfy the needs of ordinary people. Capitalism is like a giant game of Monopoly. In Monopoly, the aim is to progressively eliminate all other players until only the winner is left. Similarly, capitalism works by concentrating wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people while increasing the number of people who are excluded from the mainstream economy. We must recognise that the answer to our economic problems has nothing to do with changing the rules of the game; for example, through government intervention to modify the excesses of capitalism. The only long-term solution, no matter how difficult, is to invent a new type of global economy which facilitates self-reliance, cooperation, decentralisation and ecologically sustainable development. We can be a part of this process by making changes in our own lives and in our own communities. Fifthly, I ask everyone to refuse to vote in federal and state elections and to express their political commitment in more creative ways. The structures of parliamentary government are neither truly representative nor genuinely accountable. Moreover, they are part of a political framework that is totally inadequate for dealing with existing social, economic and environmental problems. Seeking solutions within this framework is like looking for something in box A when it is located in box B. Conventional politics is primarily concerned with preserving existing organisations (including political parties) and personal privileges; it is not concerned with satisfying the needs of ordinary people. In order to successfully tackle our problems we must create new political and economic structures. And we must do it soon. If these briefly stated explanations are not entirely convincing, I am sure that some reading, reflection and discussion will help to clarify their importance. In my view, the violence of military spending and war itself are logical extensions of the violence and structural exploitation built into our society. This violence and exploitation is directed against women; Aborigines; the people of Africa, Asia and Latin America; non-human species; the environment and working people generally. If we are willing to ignore this exploitation which occurs when society is functioning normally, then we have failed to understand the main purpose of military violence: to defend these structures of exploitation as a source of power, profit and privilege for narrow vested interests. By making changes in our own lives, we can act personally to undermine the main types of global exploitation. Unfortunately, of course, this is not enough. In fact, there is a great deal of work to be done before a truly nonviolent society comes into being. Thus, while I am anxious that more people get actively involved in nonviolent struggles directed against violent state and corporate structures, I recognise that this is more likely to occur when people FEEL powerful. Indeed, empowered individuals are the fundamental link in the chain of nonviolent struggle. By thinking through the suggestions made above, and by committing yourself to act upon them, you will increase your personal power to act in other ways. Robert J. Burrowes Eds note: See Rob's letter on the last page of this issue. Grassroots Aboriginal Organisations National Aboriginal Government Aboriginal Tent Embassy Lawns of old Parliament House, Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2600. Alanna Doolan or Kevin Wyman (018) 63 3642 N.A.G. Commonwealth Bank a/c: # 062-919-10029200 Redfern Vegetable Garden c/o IWDA GPO Box 720, Sydney New South Wales 2001. Margaret Vincent (02) 318 1496 (W) Nyinkkanyunyu (school) P.O. Box 1108, Tennant Creek Northern Territory 0861. Harold Ylamarri (089) 62 3270 (W) Aboriginal Provisional Government GPO Box 2025, Brisbane Queensland 4001. Bob Weatherall (07) 839 9322 (W) Nunga Art Expressions Lion Theatre Cnr. North Tce & Morphett St, Adelaide South Australia 5000. Ruby Hammond (08) 207 7131 (W) Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre GPO Box 569F, Hobart Tasmania 7001. Brian Mansell (002) 34 8311 (W) Miminie Burri Health Clinic 13 Forest St, Bendigo Victoria 3550. Gail Madigen (054) 41 5881 (H) Pay the Rent Group P.O. Box 117, Fitzroy Victoria 3065. Robert Thorpe (03) 478 6181 (H) Fringedwellers of the Swan Valley Post Office, Guildford Western Australia 6055. Gladys Yarran (09) 328 3717 (W), Robert Bropho (09) 279 1636 (W)