Found 532 Results
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Army Recruitment: Comparative cost-effectiveness of recruiting from age 16 versus age 18
15/09/2014
This paper, published by ForcesWatch and Child Soldiers International, shows that the taxpayer would save approximately £50 million per annum if the minimum age of recruitment were raised to 18; it would also result in the army needing to find about 211 fewer new recruits annually, based on current numbers joining the trained strength.
The paper concludes that the case to cease recruiting from age 16 is now overwhelming and urges a full, independent review of the policy, with a view to phasing out the recruitment of minors as an unnecessary, cost-ineffective, and fundamentally unethical practice.
Engage: the Military and Young People
25/07/2014
A short film made by Headliners and ForcesWatch, 2014
Why does the military have a ‘youth engagement’ policy and why is the government promoting ‘military ethos’ within education? What is the impact of military activities taking place in schools? ForcesWatch have been working with the charity Headliners and a group of young people in London to produce this short film which explores these questions and gives teenagers the opportunity to voice their reaction to the military’s interest in their lives.
National polls show growing public support from raising UK army recruitment age
22/07/2014
A nationwide poll conducted in July 2014 by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd found that 78 per cent of respondents who expressed a view thought the minimum enlistment age for the Army should be 18 or above. Just 14 per cent of respondents thought the minimum age should be 16 (as it currently is) or less.
An identically worded poll conducted in April 2013 by ICM found 70 per cent of respondents who expressed a view thought the minimum enlistment age should be 18 or above, with 20 per cent supporting 16 or younger.
Launch of new film on the military and young people
01/07/2014
On Thursday 26 June 2014, we launched our new short documentary film ‘Engage: the military and young people‘, at Friends House in London. A packed and diverse audience watched the film, which was very well-received. Speakers included Ben Griffin, founder of Veterans for Peace UK, Sam Hepworth from Headliners (the youth journalists charity who made the film) and some of the young filmmakers, and Owen Everett, Education Campaign worker at ForcesWatch.
Armed Forces Day Kids with guns controversy at family celebration for British troops
30/06/2014
THERE are hook the duck stalls, fairground rides and countless ice-cream vans. But these are not the most popular attractions with the thousands of small children who descended on Stirling yesterday for Armed Forces Day. They seemed to prefer handling the high-velocity sniper rifle, getting to grips with an 81mm mortar or staring down the sights of a Starstreak II missile launcher, with its operator on hand to boast of its “multi-target capability” and 7km range.
War and peace
28/06/2014
Letter to The Times (see all signatories below)
On this day 100 years ago, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo in an action that led to the First World War. Unchecked militarism in Europe was also a major factor.
Today is also Armed Forces Day, one of the clearest indications of the re-militarisation of British society. Established in 2009 to increase public support for the forces, there are over 200 public events, many billed as ‘family fun days’. This week also saw Uniform to Work Day promoting the reserve forces and ‘Camo Day’ in schools.
Quaker report opposes increasing militarisation
“The stirring music, smart uniforms and synchronised marching that characterise Armed Forces Day are a glossy front behind which sits a deliberate strategy to manipulate the public,”
£1m for school cadets
Bursary scheme will allocate money paid in fines by British banks caught up in the Libor rate-fixing scandal to state schools to help them offer thousands more children the chance to join military cadet forces.
Army training scheme for long-term unemployed may be extended
26/06/2014
Scheme piloted in Telford and Stoke can raise awareness of army reserve and make people more employable, says officer
Engage: the Military and Young People – discussion points
24/06/2014
Why does the UK military have a ‘youth engagement’ policy and why is the UK government promoting ‘military ethos’ within education? What is the impact of military activities taking place in schools? ForcesWatch and Headliners worked with a group of young people in London to produce this short film which explores these questions. These discussion points can be used in education and youth groups.
Young people criticise military activities in schools as government announces more funding for cadets
23/06/2014
A week after the government pledged a further £1 million for more cadet forces in state secondary schools, a new film is launched which shows that many young people are critical of the promotion of military activities in their schools.
Gender & Militarism: Analyzing the Links to Strategize for Peace
17/06/2014
Gender and Militarism: Analyzing the Links to Strategize for Peace, published by the Women Peacemaker Programme in 2014, is a resource with contributions from many individuals and organisations, including some of the foremost researchers in the area.
The British Army frontline: women and children first
03/06/2014
Child Soldiers International: We now face the prospect of 16 year old girls joining the army in combat roles.
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