Step by step, a military presence is entering schools across Britain. This is part of a conscious strategy to increase support for the armed forces in the wake of unpopular wars. Quakers in Britain have produced The Unseen March, a short film to start a public debate about the militarisation of education.
Military shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield sell in their millions, dominating the charts and presenting a very particular view of war and how it is fought. Fans call it escapist entertainment, but with armies recruiting directly from gamer communities, and drone warfare becoming ever more automated and game-like, how long can developers absolve themselves of sociopolitical responsibility? Is it still OK to play at being soldiers in games that barely register the complex realities of the conflicts they represent?
This year, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, CND Peace Education are hosting a creative writing competition on the theme of “The day the bomb fell”. The competition aims to give young people a chance to nurture their creative talents whilst learning about the human and environmental consequences of this historically significant event.
Submitted by antimili-youth on Thu, 05/03/2015 - 16:56
Here is a critical review of The British Armed Forces, a "learning resource" produced by the UK government and sent to schools. The video is made by Quaker Peace & Social Witness as part of their joint project with ForcesWatch. Read a full analysis here.
The British Armed Forces: Propaganda in the classroom?
This touring show was commissioned by Central England Quakers in response to the increasing influence of military values in everyday life, especially in our schools (ex-Education Minister Michael Gove’s professed wish to see a ‘military ethos’ in all schools). As has been demonstrated recently by Gove’s successor, Nicky Morgan, this policy is still being pursued and if anything, is being ‘upped’.
Over the Top focuses on the dilemma created when two contrasting points of view over the role of the military in our schools clash and come to a head-on confrontation.
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.