All articles

Sat

Jan

2024

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

Submitted by nnomy

Tue

Sep

Central African Republic: Freed Child Soldiers to Join Their Families

Submitted by antimili-youth on Tue, 01/09/2015 - 17:35

By Emmanuel Kendemeh, AllAfrica

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) is working to reintegrate 163 child soldiers with their families where possible, or provide job and skill training along with psychological services, Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF's representative in the Central African Republic said, Associated Press reported.

Thu

Aug

MPs back signing of optional protocol on child soldiers

Submitted by antimili-youth on Thu, 27/08/2015 - 18:01

By Ei Ei Toe Lwin, The Myanmar Times

The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw has approved an optional international protocal which aims to keep children out of armed conflict.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted a proposal to proceed with the ratification of the United Nations protocol to parliament on August 20. It was approved without objection yesterday.

The optional protocol – an addition to the Convention on the Rights of the Child – requires states to “take all feasible measures” to ensure that soldiers under the age of 18 do not take a direct part in hostilities. They are also required to raise the voluntary recruitment age above 15 years, and cannot conscript anyone under 18. Parties to the optional protocol must also take measures to stop non-state armed groups from recruiting and using children under the age of 18 in conflicts.

Mon

Aug

National Assembly of Conscientious Objectors (ANOOC) Statement

Submitted by hannah on Mon, 17/08/2015 - 16:55

August 2015

In a country that has gone through many stages of armed conflict throughout its history, where the military has been permeating the fine threads of social relations, various women and men have decided to move forward in the belief that war is not an engine of history and development, neither a condemnation, nor a destiny which we cannot escape; it is the expression of a way of solving social conflicts, used to deflect the factors that create it, maintaining their conditions and creating better conditions in order to perpetuate itself as a naturalized social dynamic.

Mon

Aug

Harper Announces Expansion of Junior Canadian Rangers

Submitted by hannah on Mon, 17/08/2015 - 11:05

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that a re-elected Conservative government would expand the number of Junior Canadian Rangers by 15% to 5,000. This expansion will be completed in time for the 20th anniversary of the permanent establishment of the Junior Canadian Rangers, in 2018.

Junior Canadian Rangers, aged 12-18, are taught traditional skills, life skills, and Ranger skills in 135 remote and isolated communities across Canada. The Junior Canadian Rangers are affiliated with the Canadian Rangers, who support national security and public safety objectives and act as the military’s eyes and ears in northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada.

Fri

Jul

Anti-Isis summer camp: Schoolboys trained by Iraqi government-backed Shia militias

Submitted by antimili-youth on Fri, 31/07/2015 - 15:26

By Lizzie Dearden, The Independent

The use of teenage suicide bombers and boy soldiers by Isis is well-documented but the so-called Islamic State is not the only militant group abusing children in Iraq.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a coalition of Shia militias sponsored by the Iraqi government and reportedly using American weapons, has also recruited an “unknown number” of minors.

Investigators with the UN’s children and armed conflict office reported last month that the PMF was searching for child soldiers from conflict zones across Iraq, as well as in Baghdad and Basra.

Tue

Jul

Two Conscientious Objectors Murdered in the Suruç Massacre

Submitted by antimili-youth on Tue, 28/07/2015 - 17:10

Association of Conscientious Objection/Istanbul

On 20th of July, many young people from different cities took the road for the re-construction of Kobanê which is the city that has been resisting against the attacks of ISIS for several months. Those young people wanted to re-build the city which was destroyed by war and bring life back to the children who are sentenced to death in the pillaged land.

But they could not success. Everlasting war policy turned to a bomb and exploded right at the middle of the crowd of young people who were resisting to build the peace. Tens of people lost their lives and hundreds of them were injured.

Mon

Jul

Al Scorch - Povery Draft (Live @ Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2013)

Submitted by Gary on Mon, 27/07/2015 - 23:32

Al Scorch perform "Poverty Draft" live at the LC King factory during the 2013 Bristol Rhythm & Roots.

Al Scorch - Povery Draft (Live @ Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2013)

English translation unavailable for .

Thu

Jul

More than 50 IS child soldiers killed in Syria in 2015

Submitted by antimili-youth on Thu, 16/07/2015 - 16:01

More than 50 child soldiers recruited by the Islamic State group in Syria have been killed since the beginning of this year, a monitoring group said Wednesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the deaths of 52 child soldiers, all under the age of 16, who had been part of IS's "Cubs of the Caliphate" program.

The programme provides intense military and religious training to children throughout IS's areas of control in Syria, the Britain-based Observatory said.

As many as 31 were killed in July alone, in explosions, clashes, and air strikes by Syria's regime and the US-led coalition.

Tue

Jul

Care for depression, anxiety helps war-exposed children long-term

Submitted by antimili-youth on Tue, 07/07/2015 - 16:42

By Anne Harding

Treating depression and anxiety in youngsters affected by war may have lasting benefits for their mental health and ability to function in society, new findings suggest.

The study, of former child soldiers and other young people affected by Sierra Leone's civil war, found that those with higher levels of anxiety and depression two years after the end of the conflict had the highest levels of these “internalizing symptoms” four years later. They also had worse post-traumatic stress symptoms and exhibited more anti-social behavior.

The findings suggest that treating anxiety and depression in war-affected youth could have multi-faceted effects on their future mental health, attitudes, and behavior, the researchers write in Pediatrics.

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.