In the last couple of months the necessity of a „second Croatian War of Independence“ has been propounded, and a part of our fellow citizens robes uniforms again for the need of protests. The Centre for Peace Studies opposes  the idea for a relaunch of military service. CPS wants to believe that all of this is about inconsiderate and insubstantial political statements and media spins, and not about real needs for draftees.

CPS calls Mrs. President to consider youth exchange programmes with which new generations can gain knowledge about interculturality, peacebuilding and non-violence instead of a compulsory military service. It also recognizes that the number of requests for civil service – in the last couple of years when military service was obligatory – has surpassed the number of those who responded to do military service several times. CPS is deeply convinced that this situation hasn't changed and calls out to young people to loudly oppose the idea of compulsory military service.

Furthermore, CPS calls the Croatian government to give up on organizing a military parade on the occasion of marking the anniversary of 20 years since the operation „Oluja.'' The Republic of Croatia never stopped celebrating war and using military symbolism for particular political aims after the survived war destructions. Sadly, this need hasn't disappeared even 20 years after the end of war. Instead of exhausting discussions between the Croatian government and Mrs. President about finding an appropriate location for the military parade, CPS suggests that Croatia finally start marking a peaceful reintegration of Croatian Podunavlje, where without a fired shot and without one lost human life a whole territory has been returned into full sovereignty of Republic of Croatia. It's incomprehensible why peaceful integration has been ignored for years and has been neglected by state institutions. Victories made by agreement have to become more important than those made by guns.

War is over, give us peace!