This week is the International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth

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This week (20-26 November) is the International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth. During the week activists from various countries will be taking actions and organising events to raise awareness of how the military and military values are promoted to young people, and how we can challenge it.

In Czech Republic, NESEHNUTÍ is organising a screening of the movie “Výchova k válce” (Education for War), followed by a panel session on the militarisation of education in the country.

In Israel, activists from the Mesarvot network - a solidarity network supporting political conscientious objectors in Israel - is organising a demonstration in Tel Aviv in support of the young refuser, Matan Hellman, who's declaring his conscientious objection on 20th November.

In Finland, activists from AKL (the Union of Conscientious Objectors) are organising actions in front of the military recruitment centre in Helsinki during the week and inform young people of the right of conscientious objection.

In Greece, World Without Wars and Violence, Association of Conscientious Objectors, Service Civil International Hellas, and the feminist collective the Purple are meeting in front of the Military Recruitment Office and the Military Court in Athens on 26th November, reading their poetry for peace and informing the public about how to resist the militarisation of youth in the country.

In South Korea, activists from Peace Education Project MOMO are organising an exhibition on the nonviolent means of resolving conflict with the North, sharing material from their recent event “Peace Colleges”.

In Paraguay, activists from The Latin American and Caribbean Anti-Militarist Network (RAMALC) have organised a panel on resisting youth militarisation in Latin America. This included speakers from various Latin American countries. During the week, they will also be campaigning on social media to raise awareness on challenging the militarisation of young people in different countries in Latin America.

In Germany, DFG-VK activists will be circulating counter-recruitment resources in different cities.

In the UK, Peace Pledge Union activists from different cities will be informing public via leafleting about how to take action against the militarisation of youth in Britain. Women in Black activists in London have organised a vigil and circulated a petition to the Prime Minister Theresa May in Central London, calling on the British Government to cease engagement of the armed forces with schools and education authorities.

National Network Opposing the Militarisation of Youth from the USA will be publishing articles on resisting youth militarisation in the States.

Many others will share from their countries and their resistance on social media with the hashtags #demilitarisedyouth and #weekofaction, growing our resistance against the militarisation of youth internationally.

Join the action!

If you'd like to take part in the week, it's not too late to organise your small actions or events. Get in touch with us via cmoy@wri-irg.org and we will support you by giving connections and providing material.

Follow us on social media (Twitter and Facebook) and make your own posts with the hashtags #demilitarisedyouth and #weekofaction.

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