All articles

Wed
27
Aug

China’s People’s Liberation Army recruitment video promises aerial dog fights, lots of dancing

Source: Rocket News

Making a recruitment ad for military service is probably one of the hardest sells around. It’s easy to make someone want to buy a cookie. In fact, I want to buy a cookie just after typing that sentence, but motivating someone to put their life on the line takes a whole lot of finesse.

China’s People’s Liberation Army recruitment video promises aerial dog fights, lots of dancing
Tue
26
Aug

Militarized Parenthood in Israel

Image: In this ad, LG is announcing a special promotion wherein soldiers are invited to a shopping mall where LG representatives will do their laundry for them, so as to, quote "Take the load off of mom".This ad is invoking the role of mothers as supporters in order to align their product with the war effort.

Ad by Yarkoni, 2010

Recently I received a petition, created by a group of 40 mothers, stating very clearly, “We do not wish to hand our boys to the IOF” (Israeli Occupation Forces), and calling for social responsibility and the end of Israel’s occupation of Palestine. This document is uplifting1.

Thu
21
Aug

While bombs fall on Gaza: Resisting militarism in Israel

Photo: Direct action against Gaza attack by ActiveStills

Originally posted at: http://afsc.org/friends/while-bombs-fall-gaza-resisting-militarism-israel

While the bombs fall on Gaza and the majority of Israeli society seems to support the continuance of the military attack on Gaza, we, as Israelis horrified by the actions of our government, find our voices lost. What can we say and do? What value might this have? How can our echoes have any impact on the situation now?

Wed
20
Aug

LETTER FROM LONDON: British army’s adverts sell dreams of adventure

FOR a South African unused to it, it’s startling to see the number of gung-ho military recruitment advertisements flighted on British television. Targeted at youths who have grown up playing Call of Duty on their gaming consoles, the adverts make military life look like a scene from a video game.

There’s much fun to be had and skills to acquire. It’s like the Boy Scouts, but you get to play with real tanks, shoot real guns, blow stuff up, build bridges over rivers in far-flung locations. Kwaai, ek sê.

Join the Royal Marines and you could stalk and capture baddies with the sharp skills they’ll teach you.

The advert for the reserves must get a special mention. That particular message can be summed up thus: you might be a stationery salesman in a digital age, so why not ditch the daily drudgery for camouflage on the weekends and be more than a pencil pusher?

Tue
19
Aug

The Arms industry in schools

The opening of South Wiltshire University Technical College in September 2015 will allow arms companies and the armed forces to directly influence and shape the running of a school and its curriculum.

The South Wiltshire University Technical College will teach science and engineering for ages 14 to 19 “in the context of the defence industries”, and is sponsored by weapons manufacturers Chemring, Qinetiq, security giant Serco and the Army's 43 (Wessex) Brigade.

Chemring, one of the companies sponsoring the South Wiltshire College, produce munitions, bomb detectors, countermeasures and pyrotechnics and supplies some of the world's most repressive regimes. The CS gas canister on the right was used against protesters in Egypt in 2011. (Copywrite Orhamilton/flickr)

Fri
15
Aug

Govt rejects compulsory military training

The government walks a tightrope between inculcating discipline and physical fitness in the country's youth, while also safeguarding against a militarised society from where extremist groups can draw on disgruntled youngsters with military training.

While the defence ministry expands the National Cadet Corps (NCC) from 1,500,000 students countrywide to 1,850,000, Defence Minister told Parliament on Friday that the government does not favour compulsory military training.

Fri
15
Aug

German Federal Armed Forces in Schools: More Criticism Ensues

Members of the German Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) are always welcome as guests in parliament. In schools, however, they are not as welcome by the representatives of the peace initiative. Photo: dpa

Fri
15
Aug

Five ways to counter military recruitment in your school district

How can you help stop the intrusion of the military into people’s lives?

Here are five ways to take action:

Campaign for an ordinance for equal access in your school district.

Equal access mandates that for each military recruitment session done in the district’s schools, peace groups are allowed equal time and access to the students to offer alternatives to enlistment. See examples of other successful campaigns and how-to organizing guides

Distribute opt-out forms at local high schools.

At the beginning of the school year, parents have the option to opt-out of allowing their children to be contacted by military recruiters. You can download opt-out forms to distribute.

Tue
12
Aug

Chile: Student movement blamed for fall in numbers of volunteers for the military

Chile reformed its military service seven years ago, to focus recruitment for military service on volunteers. Ever since, Chile's armed forces were able to fill their ranks entirely with volunteers, although generally a process of conscription was started in October to select potential conscripts as a backup. In October 2008, 70,461 youth were chosen in the "sorteo general" (recruitment lottery) and had to report to the recruitment authorities, but in the end nobody was called up for military service against his will. This was repeated in the following years.

However, in October 2011, the military announced that only 14,127 persons had so far volunteered for military service, compared to 20,431 the year before. The military plans to recruit 11,340 soldiers by spring 2012, and according to the recruitment department they would need 2.5 times the number of volunteers.

Tue
12
Aug

Example: Committee on the Rights of the Child on the USA

CRC/C/SR.1321 5 June 2008 (Summary record)

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF STATES PARTIES (continued)

Initial report of the United States of America under the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict (CRC/C/OPAC/USA/1, CRC/C/OPAC/USA/Q/1 and Add.1, written replies by the United States of America, document without a symbol distributed in English only) (continued)

1. At the invitation of the Chairperson, the members of the delegation of the United Statesof America resumed places at the Committee table.

Pages