On 23-29 November this year, activists from across the world are taking action against the militarisation of young people in their countries, cities and towns. Join us this November in the International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth with your own nonviolent actions... + continue reading
Warfare has changed. For many years, war has been waged through conscripted armies, often sending 'boots on the ground': soldiers to occupy or overtake land, often in adjacent of closeby places.  Conscription is alive and well in many nations, but the trend internationally is towards... + continue reading
The militarisation of youth does not go unnoticed and unchallenged. When War Resisters' International initially discussed how to respond to the challenges of changes in military recruitment, we were encouraged by the long and inspiring history of counter-recruitment work in the USA. ... + continue reading
Have you read this website and recognised that there is a problem with youth militarisation where you live? On this page you can find out what to do next. Here are some ideas: Visit the links page to see if there are organisations working on this near you Support WRI's work on... + continue reading
This page is a celebration of things that have gone well for those campaigning against the militarisation of youth! It's a place to find inspiration for your own actions. Anything you'd like adding to this page, please submit it at http://antimili-youth.net/node/add, or email... + continue reading

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Introduction to Countering the Militarisation of Youth

From the moment we are born, in many cultures children and young people are exposed to the military and military values around them. We call this the militarisation of youth. Militarisation of young people goes far beyond overt recruitment from the armed forces. It includes the presence and influence of the armed forces in education, social media, public military events such as street parades and memorial, military-themed and violent video games and across many other forms of entertainment and fashion.

This website is part of a project to identify and challenge the many ways in which young people around the world are encouraged to accept the military and military values as normal, and worthy of their uncritical support. For more info, visit About Us.

Countering the Militarisation of Youth is a project of War Resisters' International.

Featured Content

Sofia Orr was the second person to refuse military service since October 7, 2024. (Oren Ziv / +972 Magazine)
07/12/24
An interview with Sofia Orr - Nineteen-year-old Sofia Orr was jailed for refusing to enlist in the Israeli military. In an interview with Jacobin, she explains the disturbing authoritarianism of an Israeli society that has rallied behind the massacre in Gaza.  Since the start of the war in Gaza, Israeli society has been caught up in a... + continue reading
Senate version of NDAA to require automatic draft registration for all citizens
15/07/24
Edward Hasbrouck  / Antiwar.Blog - Contrary to earlier reports, the U.S. Senate has joined the House of Representatives in moving toward a foolhardy attempt to ‘automatically’ register all draft-eligible U.S. citizens and residents for a possible military draft, by extracting and aggregating information obtained from other Federal... + continue reading
13/01/24
On December 11, 2022 the New York Times printed its lead story titled, “ Thousands of Teens Are Being Pushed Into Military’s Junior R.O.T.C.” The New York Times reviewed over 200 public records requests and found schools in Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Mobile, Alabama were automatically enrolling... + continue reading

Recent Content

Young men in Syria fear being conscripted into the regime's army
Updated: 07/04/2022 - 23:38

Many young men in Syria's southern Daraa province are refusing to join the Assad regime's military forces and now fear for their fate as a conscription deadline approaches.

Young men...

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Updated: 20/01/2022 - 15:25

Two former child soldiers reflect on their experiences during Sierra Leone's brutal civil war and their lives since.

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons
Updated: 24/12/2021 - 01:30

Dozens of Kurdish parents and activists protested outside the United Nations offices in Qamishli, Syria, on Sunday against the recruitment of children by local military groups.

The demonstration took place after several teenage girls were...

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