Cardiff event on ‘Red Hand Day’ 2015: ‘Ban schoolyard recruitment’

On Red Hand Day (the annual international day of campaigning against the use of child soldiers), 12 February, 2015, a well-attended event at Cardiff’s Temple of Peace called for an end to military presence and influence in schools and colleges in Wales. Organised by Cardiff United Nations Association, and featuring speakers from ForcesWatch and Fellowship of Reconciliation Wales, the event explored the nature of armed forces visits to schools and colleges in Wales, as well as the military’s ‘engagement’ with young people in Wales more broadly (hearing young people’s perspectives by watching the short film ‘Engage: the military and young people‘), and then looking at ways in which this has and can be challenged, before opening the floor to questions and discussion.

Some of the event was filmed by Made in Cardiff TV. Click here to watch their short video piece. Our Education Campaign worker Owen also gave a short interview to Cardiff News Plus: click here to listen to it, or here for the write-up of the interview. For more information on the event, go to the Facebook page here.

See more: military in schools/colleges, recruitment, recruitment age, Wales, education, military ethos