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Comment article

Army recruitment practices exploit and widen class divisions

10/07/2017

ForcesWatch comment

New evidence confirms that the British Army recruitment marketing deliberately targets working-class young people.


Comment article

Stripping the Civilian – how army training isolates, disorientates and dominates recruits

04/07/2017

ForcesWatch comment

New findings highlight need to protect young people from harsh military training environments and inadequate safeguards in cadet forces.


Comment article

Militarism the whole family can enjoy

23/06/2017

ForcesWatch comment

Local authorities have become the military’s promotional agents and recruiting sergeants. This article was first published in The Morning Star.


Comment article

What would Lennon do on Liverpool’s Armed Forces Day?

21/06/2017

ForcesWatch Comment

"Peace is possible, and it isn't just inevitable to have violence... so advertise yourself that you're for peace if you believe in it." Imagine John Lennon alive today, with a ticket to ride back to his hometown, Liverpool, on 24 June 2017, the day that the city hosts Armed Forces Day.


Comment article

Do You Know The Agenda Behind Your School’s STEM Provision?

14/03/2017

ForcesWatch and Scientists for Global Responsibility

The military and arms industries are putting large sums of money into our education system and into STEM educational material for schools. Science4Society Week is a chance to focus on learning from less destructive employers.


Comment article

Army life: the other side of the story

17/01/2017

ForcesWatch comment

Telling adolescents that they can resolve their need to belong by joining the Army is simplistic and one-sided. The reality is many aspects of army life are potentially harmful, especially to vulnerable individuals. The other side of the story needs to be told. This is a longer version of an article first published by The Huffington Post


News

Enlisting at 16: the other side of the story

09/01/2017

Child Soldiers International

This series of 2-minute films by Child Soldiers International give a powerful insight into the reality of signing up as a young recruit, how training brutalises young soldiers and the long-term harmful effects of training and combat.


Activity

Petition FAQs

The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to ensure that:

  • Guidance is provided on how visits to schools by the armed forces should be conducted so that information presented to children takes account of the unique nature of armed forces careers, ensures political balance, and offers a realistic representation of the role of the armed forces and what a career in the armed forces involves.
  • Information is collected to enable public monitoring of the number and location of visits, the purpose and content of visits, and comparison with the number of visits by other employers.
  • Parents/guardians are consulted as to whether they are happy for their child to take part in armed forces activities at school.
Why is the petition asking for this?


Comment article

Scottish petition makes headway

30/11/2016

ForcesWatch comment

Members of the Scottish Parliament have agreed to seek further evidence on our joint petition – with Quakers in Scotland – calling for greater scrutiny and guidance around military visits to schools.


News

Army defies child rights campaigners, intensifies intake of 16-year-olds for riskiest roles

24/11/2016

Child Soldiers International press release

Figures released today reveal that the British Army has increased its intake of 16-year-olds in the past 12 months, defying calls from the UN, children’s rights organisations and others campaigning for an end to the recruitment of minors.