All articles

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Dec

2024

“You Can’t Buy Paradise with Blood”

Submitted by Gary

Fri

Mar

Baku State University’s rector: conscription of master’s degree holders and doctoral students leads us to ruin

Submitted by hannah on Fri, 07/03/2014 - 14:51

Read full story: http://abc.az/eng/news_13_11_2013_77359.html

Fri

Mar

Survey findings: Public discourse and Education

Submitted by hannah on Fri, 07/03/2014 - 14:18

Public discourse

In many countries (twenty of the thirty-two), celebrities are used to promote the military. By contrast in Kenya, the military is almost secretive (although the Maroon Commandos, a band, are very popular). The military in half of the countries have a website aimed specifically at young people. Although Switzerland doesn't, its military does sponsor youth websites.

Fri

Feb

Call of Duty: Feeding the Venezuela Haters or Just Dumb Fun?

Submitted by Gary on Fri, 28/02/2014 - 12:33

Almagro is a red-beret wearing, Simon Bolivar-admiring and vehemently anti-US Venezuelan dictator who used petrodollars to forge a nightmare alliance of South American nations.

Ryan Mallett-Outtrim -

If ideology shapes our fantasies as Zizek suggests, then Call of Duty: Ghosts is imperialism distilled.

“How do we experience ourselves ideologically? What do we find worth fighting for? What's the meaning of our life?”

This is how Slovenian philosopher Slajoj Zizek launched a response to the question of why he finds cinema such a useful tool for analysing modern capitalist ideology during a recent interview with Vice.

Answering his own questions, he continued, “You have to look at Hollywood, where you get it [ideology] in pure, distilled form.”

The interview was about Zizek's latest film, The Pervert's Guide to Ideology. In the film, Zizek essentially argues that even in our dreams and fantasies, we cannot escape the dominant ideologies of our time.

Fri

Feb

Myanmar frees 96 child soldiers from armed forces, but children are still in the military

Submitted by hannah on Fri, 28/02/2014 - 00:00

Photo: Catholic.org

Myanmar's army has freed 96 children and young people from its armed forces, the United Nations has said. This was the largest single release of child recruits in Myanmar since the country's government entered into an agreement with the UN in 2012 on the issue. The army has released a total of 272 children and youth over the past 18 months, but has not completely stopped its use of children. According to Al Jazeera, no record of verifiable figures exists to prove how many children currently serve in Myanmar's military.

Children in Myanmar have been widely used in armed conflict by both state armed forces and non-state armed groups.

Tue

Feb

Video: 'Oblava'. Illegal and Forced Recruitment in Tajikistan

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 25/02/2014 - 12:58

This is a repost, with thanks to Global Voices

Video: 'Oblava'. Illegal and Forced Recruitment in Tajikistan

Thu

Feb

Women Paint For Peace at Glasgow Recruiting Office

Submitted by hannah on Thu, 20/02/2014 - 19:28

2 March 2012

Wed

Feb

Book Excerpt from The Green Zone: The Environmental Costs of Militarism

Submitted by Gary on Wed, 19/02/2014 - 22:59

AK Press -

Mon

Feb

On Earth Peace: Peace Curricula and Peace Retreats for Youth

Submitted by Gary on Mon, 17/02/2014 - 22:55

Peace Retreats for Youth

On Earth Peace offers overnight and weekend-long peace retreats for youth. Working with local hosts- congregations, districts, camps, organizations, Peace Retreats are tailored to each group's learning and fellowship goals. Topics can include: bullying, Christian advocacy, just peace, Brethren peacemakers, Christian nonviolence, peacemaking in everyday life, communication and listening, global justice issues, conscientious objection, understanding difference, Biblical roots of peacemaking, conflict resolution, and peacemaking and the creative arts.

In addition, On Earth Peace offers four fully designed retreats:

Mon

Feb

No place for “Noobs: Computer games and the militarization of youth culture

Submitted by Gary on Mon, 17/02/2014 - 19:05

John Martino -

Sat

Feb

Countering the Militarisation of Youth - Conference Reader

Submitted by Gary on Sat, 15/02/2014 - 21:28

Countering the Militarisation of Youth - preliminary conference programme

"In Europe, and to some degree on a global level, there are presently two trends which both contribute to an increased militarisation of youth. The first is the end (or, more exactly, the suspension) of conscription in most European countries. The second is an increasing “normalisation of war” stemming from the 'war on terror and the use of military force as a means of politics. Both trends reinforce each other in strengthening the militarisation of youth from an early age- something we are committed to working against.”

The project, which includes an international meeting in Germany, and a post-conference publication, hopes to bringing together activists from all over the world.

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.