All articles

Fri
28
Feb

Call of Duty: Feeding the Venezuela Haters or Just Dumb Fun?

Almagro is a red-beret wearing, Simon Bolivar-admiring and vehemently anti-US Venezuelan dictator who used petrodollars to forge a nightmare alliance of South American nations.

Ryan Mallett-Outtrim -

If ideology shapes our fantasies as Zizek suggests, then Call of Duty: Ghosts is imperialism distilled.

“How do we experience ourselves ideologically? What do we find worth fighting for? What's the meaning of our life?”

This is how Slovenian philosopher Slajoj Zizek launched a response to the question of why he finds cinema such a useful tool for analysing modern capitalist ideology during a recent interview with Vice.

Answering his own questions, he continued, “You have to look at Hollywood, where you get it [ideology] in pure, distilled form.”

The interview was about Zizek's latest film, The Pervert's Guide to Ideology. In the film, Zizek essentially argues that even in our dreams and fantasies, we cannot escape the dominant ideologies of our time.

Fri
28
Feb

Myanmar frees 96 child soldiers from armed forces, but children are still in the military

Photo: Catholic.org

Myanmar's army has freed 96 children and young people from its armed forces, the United Nations has said. This was the largest single release of child recruits in Myanmar since the country's government entered into an agreement with the UN in 2012 on the issue. The army has released a total of 272 children and youth over the past 18 months, but has not completely stopped its use of children. According to Al Jazeera, no record of verifiable figures exists to prove how many children currently serve in Myanmar's military.

Children in Myanmar have been widely used in armed conflict by both state armed forces and non-state armed groups.

Tue
25
Feb

Video: 'Oblava'. Illegal and Forced Recruitment in Tajikistan

This is a repost, with thanks to Global Voices

Video: 'Oblava'. Illegal and Forced Recruitment in Tajikistan
Thu
20
Feb

Women Paint For Peace at Glasgow Recruiting Office

2 March 2012

Wed
19
Feb

Book Excerpt from The Green Zone: The Environmental Costs of Militarism

The Green Zone

AK Press -

Mon
17
Feb

On Earth Peace: Peace Curricula and Peace Retreats for Youth

Peace Retreats for Youth Groups

Peace Retreats for Youth

On Earth Peace offers overnight and weekend-long peace retreats for youth.  Working with local hosts- congregations, districts, camps, organizations, Peace Retreats are tailored to each group's learning and fellowship goals.  Topics can include:  bullying, Christian advocacy, just peace, Brethren peacemakers, Christian nonviolence, peacemaking in everyday life, communication and listening, global justice issues, conscientious objection, understanding difference, Biblical roots of peacemaking, conflict resolution, and peacemaking and the creative arts.

In addition, On Earth Peace offers four fully designed retreats:

Mon
17
Feb

No place for “Noobs: Computer games and the militarization of youth culture

Computer games and the militarization of youth culture

John Martino -

Sat
15
Feb

Countering the Militarisation of Youth - Conference Reader

Countering the Militarisation of Youth - preliminary conference programme

"In Europe, and to some degree on a global level, there are presently two trends which both contribute to an increased militarisation of youth. The first is the end (or, more exactly, the suspension) of conscription in most European countries. The second is an increasing “normalisation of war” stemming from the 'war on terror and the use of military force as a means of politics. Both trends reinforce each other in strengthening the militarisation of youth from an early age- something we are committed to working against.

The project, which includes an international meeting in Germany, and a post-conference publication, hopes to bringing together activists from all over the world.

Fri
14
Feb

Mind the Gap: Education for minors in the British armed forces: report

Mind the Gap: Education for minors in the British armed forces

Child Soldiers International / Forces Watch -

 The minimum recruitment age for the British armed forces – 16 years – is one of the lowest in the world. The Ministry of Defence has traditionally justified recruiting from this age group by asserting that 16 years reflects the minimum statutory school leaving age.

However, as a result of successive governments’ policies to increase upper secondary education participation rates, over recent decades the number of young people leaving education and entering employment before the age of 18 has decreased significantly. Today, only a very small percentage of young people leave education at 16 (six per cent in 2009/2010). Apart from the Ministry of Defence, the only other institution which seeks to attract and retain this age group is the education system itself. It is with schools and colleges, not other employers, that the Ministry of Defence directly competes to recruit young people.

Fri
14
Feb

Chris Rossdale, City University London: Raising awareness, taking action: video

Forces Watch -

The Militarisation in Everyday Life in the UK conference was held in London in October 2013 and was organised by ForcesWatch. It brought together academics, writers, activists and campaigners who are researching, writing, campaigning on, or just concerned about the implications of the militarisation of everyday life in the UK.

Chris Rossdale, City University London: Raising awareness, taking action: video

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