school demilitarization

Wed

Apr

2015

Kindergarten kids holding 'AK-47s' during 'patriotic class' cause outrage in Russia

New translation available

Submitted by antimili-youth

Moscow: Pictures of young Russian children posing with mock AK-47 rifles and other weapons at a kindergarten have provoked a storm of controversy, but some defended them as patriotic education.

Pictures making the rounds online show boys...

Mon

Sep

America’s Tween Soldiers

Submitted by Gary on Mon, 14/09/2015 - 21:31

August Say, 12, holds out his arm to determine where he should stand in class in the new Dragon Leadership Corps at his middle school in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Seth Kershner, In These Times

Last year, Henry F. Moss Middle School in Bowling Green, Ohio, offered students a brand new course. And, as a headline in the local newspaper proclaimed, this was “not your traditional class.” For starters, the teacher—an army sergeant—had told the Bowling Green Daily News that one of his goals was to expose these seventh- and eighth-graders to “military values” that they could use as “building blocks” in life. To that end, students in the class earn military style ranks, engage in army-style “PT” (physical training) and each Wednesday, wear camouflage pants and boots.

This is the Moss Middle School Leadership Corps, part of the growing trend of military-style education for pre-adolescents.

Wed

Jul

German army targets youth with war propaganda

Submitted by antimili-youth on Wed, 01/07/2015 - 16:12

By Franzi Vier

When were these images last seen in Germany? Children clamber on tanks, sit in military helicopters, hold anti-tank weapons in their hand and receive orders from soldiers in uniform about their functions. The army and military equipment are shown as a seemingly acceptable part of free time and family excursions.

These images come from Germany’s armed forces day, the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the Bundeswehr on June 13. “Believe it or not, it was 60 years waiting for this day,” states the Bundeswehr’s official homepage. But now it was finally here: “German armed forces day is being celebrated for the first time at 15 locations nationwide.”

Tue

Jun

Young People, the Military, and the Aftermath of the UK’s General Election

Submitted by antimili-youth on Tue, 23/06/2015 - 15:59

It has been more than a month since the General Elections in the UK which ended up with a Conservative Party majority in the Parliament. We asked Forces Watch* to review these results and their implications on the militarisation of youth in the UK for Antimili-Youth.

Tue

Jun

Frieden lernen? Perspektiven einer Friedensbildung im 21. Jahrhundert

Konferenz zur Friedensbildung an Schulen

vom 15. bis zum 17. Oktober 2015 an der Universität Koblenz-Landau, Campus Koblenz

Eine Veranstaltung

der Friedensakademie Rheinland-Pfalz - Akademie für Krisenprävention und Zivile Konfliktbearbeitung

und des Projekts "Friedensbildung, Bundeswehr und Schulen" (EAK & AGDF)

Thu

Mar

The British Armed Forces: Propaganda in the classroom?

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?

Thu

Mar

Critique launched by Forces Watch and Quaker Peace & Social Witness against the UK Government's 'learning resource'

Submitted by antimili-youth on Thu, 05/03/2015 - 15:29

This week Forces Watch from the UK launched a critique, with Quaker Peace & Social Witness, against the Government's 'learning resource' about the UK armed forces.

The report and video examines The British Armed Forces Learning Resource (published in September 2014 by the Prime Minister's Office and promoted to schools by the Department for Education) and finds that it:

is a poor quality educational resource, unsuitable for many of those it is aimed at (pupils aged 5 to 16)
is politically-driven

Fri

Feb

Changing Military Recruitment Policies in Schools: One Phone Call and Email at a Time

Submitted by antimili-youth on Fri, 27/02/2015 - 17:35

The Experiences of a Santa Barbara Mother in Finding Alternatives Are Inspiring

By Kate Connell / Draft NOtices

In the spring of 2014, I went to observe a career day at Santa Barbara High School, where my son is enrolled. There were a variety of organizations with representatives and literature tables. The Marines and the Navy recruiters were also there. They were soliciting student contact information.

Tue

Feb

Canada: Military training for high school credits questioned at meeting

Submitted by antimili-youth on Tue, 10/02/2015 - 16:50

A new programme that gives credits to students for military training has its first participants in Regina, Canada. The programme heavily criticised by the peace activists who previously mobilized with a petition to stop it begins this month with its first enrolees. As part of the programme, the students will complete basic military training and earn two high school credits for it.

Tue

Mar

Counter-recruitment and School Demilitarization Activism: From Past Victories to the Challenges Ahead

Submitted by Gary on Tue, 18/03/2014 - 21:01

Education Not Arms Coalition: In the audience are about 70 students, parents and others showing their support for the policy

Rick Jahnkow -

Counter-recruitment and school demilitarization work in the U.S. has gone through several cycles of expansion and contraction during the last few decades. The first expansion was during the early 1980s when it was supported by a small number of national organizations, such as the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), War Resisters League, Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO) and National Lawyers Guild. Most grassroots activities at the time were carried out by chapters of these organizations and a number of independent community peace groups (including COMD and, eventually, Project YANO).

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.