Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth

action reports alternatives to militarism conscription counter-recruitment direct action education Education-Military-Industrial Complex International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth militainment public space resistance social media War Resisters' International International

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

What is the militarisation of youth?

counter-recruitment education

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

Countering the militarisation of youth

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

Where to go from here

counter-recruitment education resistance

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

Inspiration for resistance!

counter-recruitment inspiration resistance

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

Home

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

House and Senate Armed Services Committees vote to make women register for the draft

15/09/21

Edward Hasbrouck / Antiwar - On September 1st, 2021, the House Armed Services Committee joined the Senate Armed Services Committee in voting 35-24 to expand registration for a possible military draft to include young women as well as young men. Following this House committee vote and an earlier Senate... + continue reading

Human Rights Groups urged the UK military to stop recruiting under 18s

11/08/21

An open letter signed by a coalition of human rights groups, including Child Rights International Network, Amnesty International UK and Human Rights Watch, urged the defence Ministry to stop recruiting children aged under 18. The letter declared that the UK military recruits more soldiers at 16 than any other age, especially for combat infantry... + continue reading

Supreme Court asked to review Constitutionality of current male-only draft registration requirement

23/02/21

Edward Hasbrouck / Resisters.info - On January 8, 2021 the National Coalition For Men, a men’s rights organization represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Constitutionality — now that women are allowed in all military combat assignments — of the law which requires men but... + continue reading

Recent Content

Student activists blockade a door at the University of Melbourne

Lockout Lockheed: Melbourne students take direct action against university contract with Lockheed

Updated: 25/07/2018 - 12:41

Andrew Metheven, War Resisters' International

On 11th July students at the University of Melbourne took direct action to protest the universities collaboration with Lockheed Martin, the...

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WRI Training on countering youth militarisation held in Cyprus

Updated: 25/07/2018 - 12:46

On 26-28 May, activists from Greece, Israel, Russia, Turkey, and Cyprus (both south and north) gathered in Nicosia (Cyprus) for a 3-day training, Gender and Countering Youth Militarisation, organised by War Resisters' International....

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Nik Cruz, the Parkland shooter, and Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the Santa Fe shooter, uploaded these photos on to their Instagram account of their favorite pastime – First-person shooter games.

First-person Shooter Games, the US Military, and Serial Killers

Updated: 24/05/2018 - 19:28

Pat Elder - May 23, 2018 -

Both Nik Cruz, the Parkland shooter, and Dimitri Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the Santa Fe shooter, were emotionally distraught because of girls who rejected their advances. They were both outcasts in their respective...

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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.