The History Project

Workshop Number 17

Led by Bart Horeman

Eight persons attended this workshop.

Bart explained that some two years ago he had proposed to Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI) to start a History Project. The proposal envisaged a historical worldwide study of precedents for war tax resistance and the recognition of the right not to pay for war. Until today, no such project had started.

Meanwhile, the CPTI board had suggested starting the project in a more simple way, and asking all CPTI member-organizations to contribute to it. Erik Hummels had produced a list of topics for contributors.

Participants in the workshop discussed how we could proceed. It was noted that we could follow two tracks at the same time:

  1. doing the study ourselves, and
  2. finding a historian or history department that would be interested in investigating the matter in a more comprehensive way.

We came to the following conclusions:

  1. Erik's list of topics should be a basis for further inquiry. It should be considered whether any amendments to that list are necessary.
  2. A small group should send out a questionnaire to a wide range of relevant groups and persons.
  3. This small group gathers responses and produces a form of bibliography from it.
  4. In the questionnaire we will ask if people know historians who might be interested in the broader study...
  5. Larry Rosenwald and Bart Horeman volunteered to carry out steps 1 - 4.

Bart Horeman, reporter