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Sat

Jan

2024

Elective Military Corps Programs in Schools Should Not Be Forced Upon Minority and Low-income Students

Submitted by nnomy

Thu

Jan

SNP Youth disappointed as party MPs block military recruitment motion

Submitted by hannah on Thu, 12/01/2017 - 18:30

SNP National Council knocks back motion on raising age of military recruitment

SNP YOUTH LEADERS have called on a number of their party's leading MPs to rethink opposition to raising the age of British military recruitment from 15 to 18.

Read more at Common Space...

Thu

Jan

Teachers' Union poster questioning military recruitment draws fire

Submitted by hannah on Thu, 12/01/2017 - 18:10

Veterans, military members, and even some teachers are expressing outrage at a B.C. Teachers’ Federation poster discouraging military recruitment.

The poster calls recruiting a “social justice issue,” and encourages teachers to ask their boards to ban recruiting in schools.

Thu

Jan

Disgruntled ex-Maoist child soldiers padlock party office

Submitted by hannah on Thu, 12/01/2017 - 17:55

Former Maoist child soldiers, discontent with the party for discarding them unceremoniously during the peace process, padlocked the CPN (Maoist Centre) office on Monday demanding their proper rehabilitation. Seven Maoist leaders were still trapped in the office as the Post went to press.

Read more at the Kathmandu Post...

Photo: PRAKASH CHANDRA TIMILSENA

Thu

Jan

Underage Soldiers in German Military at Record Highs

Submitted by hannah on Thu, 12/01/2017 - 17:24

According to a new report published in Die Welt, the German military recruited a record number of underage soldiers last year. Despite efforts from Germany’s Die Linke (Left Party) to end underage recruitments, the military has come back saying everything is being done in accordance with the law.

Read the full story on German Pulse...

Thu

Jan

American Teens Get Israel-Style Military Training — at New York Sports Camp

Submitted by hannah on Thu, 12/01/2017 - 16:36

It looks like a slick military recruiting video – exciting background music pulsing in the background, soldiers in training wearing camouflage and face masks crawling through the mud as a commander urges them on, wielding rifles as they ambush an enemy in the wilderness, and, at the end, an Israeli flag waving patriotically in the background with the message to “Enlist Now” printed across the screen.

Read the full story on Forward...

Wed

Jan

UK: Veterans warn young people about ‘traumatic’ army training

Submitted by antimili-youth on Wed, 11/01/2017 - 15:54

Army training is ‘traumatic’ for young recruits and damages the adolescent mind, according to British infantry veteran Wayne Sharrocks, who features in a series of short films released this week by Child Soldiers International. The films offer young people and their parents a frank alternative to army recruitment materials which, say many veterans, present a sanitised and unrealistic impression of military life. In particular, Wayne Sharrocks wants young people to know that the psychological effects of training can be harmful and permanent.

Wed

Jan

South Sudan: More than 17,000 children used in conflict since 2013

Submitted by antimili-youth on Wed, 04/01/2017 - 16:01

Three years after fighting first erupted in South Sudan, children continue to be recruited by armed forces and armed groups, with 1,300 children recruited in 2016, UNICEF said today. This brings to more than 17,000 the total number of children used in the conflict since 2013.

“Since the first day of this conflict, children have been the ones most devastatingly affected by the violations,” said UNICEF’s Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Leila Gharagozloo-Pakkala.

Catalonia: Activists demand military-free educational events

Submitted by antimili-youth on Tue, 20/12/2016 - 16:32

On 29th November, the campaign Demilitarise Education from Catalonia organised an action in front of the Consortium of Education of Barcelona, calling on the officials to ensure that military will not take place in any future educational events in Catalonia. As part of the action, activists handed in letters addressing the official bodies responsible for avoiding the military participation in educational events, and organised a press conference.

Previously in November, the organisation committee of the Festival of Childhood in Barcelona, which is one of the educational events the armed forces joined previously, made a statement announcing that the military or any police bodies will not be taking part in the festival this year, which will take place between 27th December and 4th January.

Mon

Dec

3rd International Week of Action held with events organised across the world

Submitted by antimili-youth on Mon, 19/12/2016 - 15:43

The 3rd International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth was held between 14-20 November with the participation of various groups taking actions and organising events across different countries. This year it has been the third time War Resisters' International called activists from all around the world for actions and events raising awareness of, and challenging, the ways violence and military values are normalised for young people.

Throughout the week we had street actions, workshops, vigils and other public events all which were touching upon those many ways young people's minds and bodies are recruited by militaries and other war profiteers.

Mon

Dec

Thailand: Interview with the conscientious objector Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal

Submitted by antimili-youth on Mon, 19/12/2016 - 14:22

During a War Resisters' International trip to Thailand last month we met Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, a conscientious objector. Here's a short interview by WRI staff member Hannah Brock, talking with Netiwit about conscription and the role of the army in Thailand.

Make sure 'CC' is on if you want subtitles (in English).

Thailand: Interview with the conscientious objector Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal

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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.