legislation & policy
Selling the Military films
March 2019
At the launch event for our report with Medact on Selling the Military: A critical analysis of contemporary recruitment marketing in the UK, contributors and participants told us why they think this is an important issue. And a longer film of the presentation summarising the report.
Selling the military: A critical analysis of contemporary recruitment marketing in the UK
February 2019
This report, written by ForcesWatch and published with the public health charity Medact, analyses the way the armed forces market their careers to adolescents and young people, creating powerful messages that which exploit developmental vulnerabilities and social inequality, risking the health and well-being of recruits. Narratives of camaraderie and self-development also serve to promote an uncontroversial and depoliticised idea of the military more widely which promote self-fulfilment in the context of conflict.
Recruitment at any price
Our response to the Public Accounts Committee have today published their report Skill Shortages in the Armed Forces, which makes a number of problematic recommendations that put the military's operational needs over other considerations.
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.
‘Testing the Argument’: MSPs call for report into military visits in Scotland’s schools
Members of the Scottish Parliament have agreed to produce a report into military visits in Scotland’s schools in a response to our petition on the issue.
Harrogate abuse court martials
20/03/2018
On the day that the Harrogate abuse court martials were dropped and the press was allowed to comment after reporting restrictions were lifted, there was coverage in almost all the major news outlets. Our comments, and those of partner organisations, were also reported.
‘Selling the Myth’
We report on a recent meeting in Parliament with a range of speakers on the urgent need to raise the age of recruitment to the armed forces in the UK.
Making it 18 – the SNP votes yes to raising the age of recruitment
Douglas Beattie reports on an important campaigning moment.
Why We Must Take Children Out Of Military Environments
With former 17 former Army Foundation College Harrogate instructors facing court martial for mistreating recruits- including actual bodily harm and battery, we look at the evidence that military environment facilitate threats to child welfare. This article was first published on Huffington Post
The First Ambush: Effects of army training and employment
June 2017
This report from Veterans For Peace UK details how the Army's training process has a forceful impact on attitudes, health, and behaviour even before recruits are sent to war. The findings show that military training and culture combine with pre-existing issues (such as a childhood history of anti-social behaviour) to increase the risk of violence and alcohol misuse. Traumatic war experiences further exacerbate the problem.