International

Thu

May

2015

Call for Articles for the New Militarisation of Youth Bulletin

New translation available

Submitted by antimili-youth

Countering the Militarisation of Youth Programme (CMoY) at WRI is launching the first issue of its new periodical which will specifically focus on the issues surrounding youth militarisation. In the CMoY bulletin, you'll find articles addressing...

Tue

Sep

Subvertisers' gallery

In this gallery we're collecting examples of the military's messages being 'improved' / changed by those who want to undermine their attempts to make war sounds good!

Some people call this billboard improvement, some people call it graffiti, some call it subvertising. Whatever you call it - we think it's a good idea!

Also see this video of an action in Belgium to alter the army's messages on Valentine's day...http://antimili-youth.net/videos/2014/09/make-love-not-war

Tue

Sep

UN condemns recruitment of child soldiers and attacks on schools or hospitals

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 02/09/2014 - 11:27

7 March: By Peter James Spielmann

The Security Council on Friday condemned the recruitment of child soldiers into military forces, guerrilla movements and Islamic militias around the world and demanded an end to attacks on schools and hospitals in conflict zones.

The council unanimously approved a resolution with those demands after hearing testimony from a former child soldier from Sierra Leone, which became notorious for guerrilla groups that amputated the limbs, ears and lips of civilians to leave them as living emblems of fear.

In 2001, when he was 14, Alhaji Babah Sawaneh became the first ex-child soldier to speak before the council, and he spoke again Friday as a campaigner against the practice.

He told the council that he was "one of the children that were forcefully abducted and conscripted into an armed group at the age of 10."

Fri

Aug

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.

Tue

Aug

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 12/08/2014 - 12:04

Article 1

States Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that members of their armed forces who have not attained the age of 18 years do not take a direct part in hostilities.

Article 2

States Parties shall ensure that persons who have not attained the age of 18 years are not compulsorily recruited into their armed forces.

Explanation

by Lothar Krappmann (member, Committee on the Rights of the Child)

Tue

Aug

Civilian Ally: Veterans as an Affected Population

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 12/08/2014 - 12:00

This manual focuses on building the GI resistance movement, and doing so requires an understanding of how veterans are directly impacted by war and militarism. Civilian organizers need this awareness in order to to build relationships and organize effectively in the military community. Below we explore veterans’ experiences with the military.

Tue

Aug

Militarization and masculinities: Refusing militarism is not possible without refusing hegemonic masculinity

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 12/08/2014 - 10:24

It’s one thing to call a ceasefire, another to decommission militarized masculinity

Andreas Speck

“Questioning the militarist value system and its practices which are identified with military service, one is also obliged to question the hegemonic understanding of masculinity. In Turkey, military service is a laboratory in which masculinity is reproduced. The patriarchal system is solidified through military service. I objected to military service, because I am also against this laboratory manufactured masculinity. The struggle against militarism defined in heterosexist terms through sexist structures finds its fundamental expression in anti-militarism. This refers to freedom of sexual orientation, gender equality and total and unrestricted freedom”.1

Mon

Jun

Webinar: Militarisation of youth and child soldiers

Submitted by hannah on Mon, 02/06/2014 - 16:06

Dereje Wordofa presents the trend of "militarisation of youth and child soldiers" in Africa, despite the international instruments for human rights.

Dereje Wordofa is Regional Director for Africa at the American Friends Service Committee. He is committed to lasting peace, sustainable development and social justice.

https://vimeo.com/96791815

Webinar: Militarisation of youth and child soldiers

Wed

Apr

New Tactics Online Conversation: Tactics for Combating Militarisation

Submitted by hannah on Wed, 09/04/2014 - 17:45

Between June 10 to 14, 2013, War Resisters International and the New Tactics community joined together to hold an online conversation on tactics for combating the militarisation of education, public spaces, vulnerable communities, entertainment and culture.

Wed

Mar

Countering the Militarisation of Youth

Submitted by hannah on Wed, 19/03/2014 - 11:03

This video was used in the crowdfunder campaign for WRI's Countering the Militarisation of Youth work.

// SCRIPT //

https://vimeo.com/88753548

Countering the Militarisation of Youth

Tue

Mar

Child Rights International Network

Our foundation is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which we use to bring children's rights to the top of the international agenda and to put pressure on national governments to promote and protect children’s rights.

Pages

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.