Yes, if you wont do either you get 197 days of prison. I dont see how some should get a free ride while others serve for the common good.

190.

200.

197? :hmm:

Beats me.:)

Where else is it like this? The conscripted nations I knew included the exception, but they are kept in low profile, pretty much hidden actually, to prevent every smart ass from abusing of it since the state doesn't have any means to tell a fair claim from a false one, just like it is forced to recognize as a religion anything that proclaims itself as one.

This is a very clever way of closing the gap. Who could have a problem with civil service? Actually, what is this civil service? The internet tells me it's basically governamental slave labor.

Civil service is not the same as military service therefore concientious objections do not apply.

I think in Israel you get jailtime if you refuse to serve, AL will know better. Altough they have some religious groups that are exempted but have an option to volunteer. We have the Jehovas witnesses as such a group. Dont know why, its been so from the beginning, there has been talk to end this privilege. Other exempted group is the swedish speaking population of the Åland islands, its an autonomous demilitarised region of Finland. Have to stress that the swedish speaking minority in the mainland do serve, they even have their own unit in the Navy, the Nyland Brigade, it gives training in swedish for coastal jägers. The civil service members work in retirement homes, schools, goverment etc. They first get training in civil service centers but after they get assigned somewhere they can do their service from home. This is why the lenght of the service is 13 months, Amnesty International still sees this discriminatory. They also consider the total objectors in prison as political prisoners.:roll:

Amnesty International needs to highlight that a small nation-state like Finland has to do this kind of thing to remain independent. But the civil service does smell because it sounds like a false alternative. You can't really refuse conscription, if you do, you'll just be conscripted elsewhere. You can choose between mud (or snow) and an office, but you're going to serve the state either way or go to jail.

It's similar to land taxes. You may have a property, but try refusing to pay the land tax to see how yours it really is. Of course, you are only forced to serve once, for a year or so, unless there's a war, I guess, while the tax will be there year after year after year.

I have a final question: can you apply for civil service in Santa's workshop?

And Finns understand this very well, we wouldnt be here with out this system.
Well actually theres refresher training for the reserves, some 30.000 train each year for some two weeks. Same amount takes part in voluntary exercises.
Dont know, have to write Santa and ask.:)

Finnish Isaf troops to receive 90 tonnes of kit

http://virtual.finland.fi/stt/showar...&group=General


Finnish priest who opposes female ordination wants to serve in Afghanistan

http://virtual.finland.fi/stt/showar...&group=General

I wonder what type of vehicle and from whom they were renting them from ? :hmm: