On 23-29 November this year, activists from across the world are taking action against the militarisation of young people in their countries, cities and towns. Join us this November in the International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth with your own nonviolent actions... + continue reading
Warfare has changed. For many years, war has been waged through conscripted armies, often sending 'boots on the ground': soldiers to occupy or overtake land, often in adjacent of closeby places.  Conscription is alive and well in many nations, but the trend internationally is towards... + continue reading
The militarisation of youth does not go unnoticed and unchallenged. When War Resisters' International initially discussed how to respond to the challenges of changes in military recruitment, we were encouraged by the long and inspiring history of counter-recruitment work in the USA. ... + continue reading
Have you read this website and recognised that there is a problem with youth militarisation where you live? On this page you can find out what to do next. Here are some ideas: Visit the links page to see if there are organisations working on this near you Support WRI's work on... + continue reading
This page is a celebration of things that have gone well for those campaigning against the militarisation of youth! It's a place to find inspiration for your own actions. Anything you'd like adding to this page, please submit it at http://antimili-youth.net/node/add, or email... + continue reading

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Introduction to Countering the Militarisation of Youth

From the moment we are born, in many cultures children and young people are exposed to the military and military values around them. We call this the militarisation of youth. Militarisation of young people goes far beyond overt recruitment from the armed forces. It includes the presence and influence of the armed forces in education, social media, public military events such as street parades and memorial, military-themed and violent video games and across many other forms of entertainment and fashion.

This website is part of a project to identify and challenge the many ways in which young people around the world are encouraged to accept the military and military values as normal, and worthy of their uncritical support. For more info, visit About Us.

Countering the Militarisation of Youth is a project of War Resisters' International.

Featured Content

13/01/24
On December 11, 2022 the New York Times printed its lead story titled, “ Thousands of Teens Are Being Pushed Into Military’s Junior R.O.T.C.” The New York Times reviewed over 200 public records requests and found schools in Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Mobile, Alabama were automatically enrolling... + continue reading
Image: US Department of Defense
16/04/23
The branches of the U.S. military have long seen high schools as optimal recruiting grounds. Some veterans are beginning to fight the propaganda and tell students the truth about military service. April 3, 2023 / Ruben Abrahams Brosbe / Yes! Magazine - March 20 marked the 20th anniversary of the United States’... + continue reading
The G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School Naval JROTC Unit cadets at the Miami Beach, Florida Veterans Day Parade, November 11, 2022.
18/02/23
The Pentagon’s signature program for instilling military values in American schools, the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), has a long history dating to 1916. But it hasn’t endured such bad press since the 1970s. In several damning articles, the New York Times revealed the structure of what’s wrong with high... + continue reading

Recent Content

Young men in Syria fear being conscripted into the regime's army
Updated: 07/04/2022 - 23:38

Many young men in Syria's southern Daraa province are refusing to join the Assad regime's military forces and now fear for their fate as a conscription deadline approaches.

Young men...

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Updated: 20/01/2022 - 15:25

Two former child soldiers reflect on their experiences during Sierra Leone's brutal civil war and their lives since.

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons
Updated: 24/12/2021 - 01:30

Dozens of Kurdish parents and activists protested outside the United Nations offices in Qamishli, Syria, on Sunday against the recruitment of children by local military groups.

The demonstration took place after several teenage girls were...

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