human rights
Boris Johnson’s government and the military: a look ahead at 2020
Could you take a seat for the next generation?
Our Peaceworker, Jen Harrison, writes about attending the DSEI arms fair and how arms companies target young people as future employees and supporters.
Facts or Anecdotes? The battle for the truth over the outcomes of military service
We look at recent reports on the levels of abuse in the armed forces and growing ackowledgement of the systemic failures in how complaints are handled.
Scottish Government ignores child rights concerns around armed forces activities in schools
06/09/2019
Quakers in Scotland and ForcesWatch are disappointed that the Public Petitions Committee of the Scottish Parliament have decided to close further investigation of how to implement their own recommendations around oversight of armed forces activities in schools.
Issues relating to Service Complaints system and the youngest armed forces personnel
May 2019
In this written submission to the Defence Committee's inquiry into the work of the Service Complaints Ombudsman, we focus on how issues with the complaints system may affect the youngest serving personnel in the armed forces, particularly those under 18 years old, and recommend that the youngest members of the armed forces are considered as a distinct group in relation to the functioning of the service complaints system.
Armed Forces Human Rights Helpline
January 2019
The human rights organisation Liberty have a new Armed Forces helpline which will give legal advice for serving and former members of the UK armed forces.
Historical allegations: fact vs fiction
With the recent reporting about relaxed rules of engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan, we take a quick look at some of the key questions around the allegations of abuse and killing by UK troops.
Personnel are being failed by the military justice system
We welcome Liberty's Second Rate Justice report and the launch of their new Human Rights Helpline for the UK Armed Forces.
Submission to the Human Rights and the Scottish Parliament inquiry
April 2018
This submission made by ForcesWatch and Quakers in Scotland to the Scottish Parliament's human rights inquiry details our concerns around the need for regulation and transparent accountability of military activities in schools, the lack of education about peace and human rights, and the continued recruitment of children into the UK armed forces.
Answering difficult questions about militarism
February 2017
With the presence of the military in public spaces increasing and a high level of popularity for the armed forces, it is not always easy to respond to challenging questions that people pose in when faced with concerns expressed about militarism. In this briefing we explore some responses to questions about how much the armed forces should be involved in our everyday lives, how they relate to young people, and the effectiveness and consequences of military action.