International Week of Action for Military-Free Education and Research: 25 - 31 October

Militaries across the world gain access to young people through education systems.

It gives them an extraordinary chance to shape every generation's perception of military violence and lay the groundwork for future recruitment.

25 - 31 October 2014 sees the first international week of action for military-free education and research: a concerted effort of antimilitarist action across the world to raise awareness and challenge of the role the military have in education, and to give voice to alternatives.

Last year saw the first ever international day of action for military-free education and research, with groups in India, Germany, South Africa, the state of Spain, Chile, Congo, the USA and Israel taking action to call for an end to the military's role in education and research. We hope that expanding the initative to a week will allow for even more actions over more time and with more creativity!

If you want to get involved this year, you are welcome to arrange your own autonomous actions, using the name and the logo above (a version in Spanish and German will follow) - if you would like to make another version in your own language, email cmoy@wri-irg.org for a version you can edit.

Those who took part in the day of action last year are working together to share ideas for a joint action concept for the week. When plans are finalised, we will post them here.

Confirmed

• 24th to 26th October: Congress in Hamburg: In Favour of Science and Culture of Peace
• 27th October: South Korea - Press conference and street action
• 29th October: Frankfurt am Main - Lecture and discussion - The battle for the home front (Der Kampf um die Heimatfront)
• 29th October: Trier, Germany: Information stall at Trier University
• 30th October: South Korea - Film screening of a Belgium movie Summer with Anton
• 31st October, Mainz, Germany: Rally for military-free education and research with live music
• 31st October: South Korea - An open forum on security education lead by the military
• 3 November (but also affiliated to the week of action): Scotland - Questioning the UK military's 'engagement' with young people in Scotland: a workshop with Forces Watch
• National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth will be extending the call to Save Civilian Public Education to encompass the week of action
• In Sweden there will be a public art-project where to 'recruit' for the peace movement instead of the military
• In Barcelona there will be symbolic street actions
• In Britain various Women in Black groups will be focusing their regular vigil on youth militarisation and education
• The international call to action '' will be published by War Resisters' International and others
• Other actions that are not being announced in advance. We will update the website during the week of action when they have happened.

More info on all these actions to follow!

What you can do

• Sign a call to action: A call to action will be launched by War Resisters' International and others. If you are interested in signing up to this call to action, please email cmoy@wri-irg.org for a copy
• Organise your own nonviolent action as part of the week of action for military-free education and research! Tell us what you are planning. If the action is public, we will publicise it to spread the word. Visit this page for some action ideas.
• Not sure what to do? Get in touch and we can discuss action ideas with you, or put you in touch with others in your country who are already planning something.

Background

These events are organised by individuals and groups (based in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America) within WRI's network who together want to challenge the presence and influence of the military in their countries's education systems: from recruiters' visits to schools to the government funding of military research, and the privileging of military approaches associated with this.

14 June 2013 was the first ever International Day of Action For Military-Free Education and Research. Inspired by a week of action that took place in many German towns and cities in September 2012, groups, organisations, and individuals from South Africa, Italy, the USA, India, Britain, Chile, Israel, state of Spain, the Democratic Republic of Congo came together under the same banner to take action in their own contexts. These included using street theatre to challenge the military's presence in schools in Israel, a film showing in South Africa, and vigils in the USA. Have a read of a report from the day of action here to get you thinking about what you and your group can do this year!