conscription

Mon

Apr

2016

Statement in solidarity with the conscientious objectors of Bolivia for ANOOC, Colombia

New translation available

Submitted by hannah

This year on the 22nd of March, the Bolivian Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (PCT) rejected the right of conscientious objection as an alternative to its obligatory military service. This has occurred in spite of the generally agreed-upon...

Thu

Aug

While bombs fall on Gaza: Resisting militarism in Israel

Submitted by hannah on Thu, 21/08/2014 - 16:30

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?

Tue

Aug

The life story of a true Israeli: On the militarization of youth in Israel

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 12/08/2014 - 11:06

“A true Israeli doesn't dodge draft!” [1] – this slogan stands at the centre of a large-scale publicity campaign in Israel. The campaign was not run by the Israeli military, and it was not aiming to add more soldiers to the dwindling ranks of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Israel has (at least de jure) universal conscription, for both men and women. But this slogan did express, and strengthen, how most Israelis understand the role of military service in the life of an Israeli – a true Israeli.

Tue

Aug

On militarisation in Colombia

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 12/08/2014 - 10:53

The most recent manifestations of the conflict in Colombia date back to 1948, when the presidential candidate Jorge Eliecer Gaitán was assassinated, cutting off the possibility that socialist-leaning ideas might have a place of decision and power in the Colombian state.

Tue

Aug

The Militarization of Young People in Chile

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 12/08/2014 - 10:43

When examining militarisation and young people in this country, we must necessarily look back and take into account the hundreds of years of militarism in the area's history: land occupations and violence by European colonists, construction of the 'national heroes' to motivate patriotism, legislation of obligatory military training, exponential military spending versus the social spending diet, introduction of of military training in civilian schools, and mutation of the armed forces according to the dominant economic model. All of these measures have targeted sectors of the population that are economically vulnerable but are also potentially quite strong in political terms: the boys and girls and young people of this country. The vulnerability of this sector of the population allows militarisation to settle in comfortably and then neutralize possible pockets of resistance.

Tue

Mar

Israel Bans Activists From High School Civil Rights Debates

Submitted by Gary on Tue, 18/03/2014 - 19:54

Young Israeli women who refused to serve in the IDF

New Profile -

New Profile, the feminist movement to civil-ize Israeli society, wrote Minister of Education, Gideon Saar, this morning, strongly condemning his recent instructions to prohibit its members' participation in high school debates convened by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) on questions of human rights and freedom of expression.

New Profile wrote the minister that his act had exposed the government's true stand on civil rights and freedom of expression, also belying the Education Ministry's professed respect for tolerance.

“The minister's step was taken in tandem with the decision he took to send yet more military personnel into schools—a move designed to increase enthusiasm for fighting,” New Profile advised in its letter.

Tue

Mar

Countering the Militarisation of Youth

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 11/03/2014 - 17:56

A new area of work for War Resisters' International

Mon

Mar

The Military Enlistment Opportunity Act: a New Kind of Draft?

Submitted by hannah on Mon, 10/03/2014 - 17:12

Rick Jahnkow

Originally posted on Draft Notices

It’s well established that many people who join the U.S. military do so because of their economic status. It could be that they do not see options for a civilian job that pays a livable wage, they cannot afford health insurance, or they believe they’ll never be able to go to college without financial aid from the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Whether this belief is accurate or based on an individual’s limited awareness of alternatives, military recruiters are effective at exploiting economic predicament to meet their monthly quotas. Many of us refer to it as economic conscription or the “poverty draft.” It is the reason why counter-recruitment groups spend much of their time and energy gathering and distributing information on alternative sources for job training and college financial aid.

Fri

Mar

Baku State University’s rector: conscription of master’s degree holders and doctoral students leads us to ruin

Submitted by hannah on Fri, 07/03/2014 - 14:51

Read full story: http://abc.az/eng/news_13_11_2013_77359.html

Mon

Jan

Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth

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 and events!

Thu

Jan

Violence, military service, and the education system in Chile

Submitted by Gary on Thu, 16/01/2014 - 14:50

Dan Contreras

In order to relate militarisation and youth in Chile, we must look to the past and recognise the hundreds of years of militarism in the history of this region. Chile has seen territorial and violent occupations by European colonists, the construction of 'homeland heroes' as the core motivational idea behind patriotism, the legalisation of mandatory military training, huge increases in military spending as compared to social spending, the incorporation of military practices within civilian schools, among many other examples. The brunt of these actions has been born by the population’s most economically vulnerable group, but potentially the strongest in political terms: the country’s boys, girls and young adults. The vulnerability of this segment of the population has allowed it to be exposed to militarisation with ease; potential pockets of resistance are neutralised.

Today, militarism is instilled in society through three different approaches:

Pages

Languages

Countering Military Recruitment

WRI's new booklet, Countering Military Recruitment: Learning the lessons of counter-recruitment campaigns internationally, is out now. The booklet includes examples of campaigning against youth militarisation across different countries with the contribution of grassroot activists.

You can order a paperback version here.