ForcesWatch comment

‘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.

An inclusive, emotionally supportive British Army? Not yet.

ForcesWatch comment on the 2018 British Army recruitment advertising campaign: We welcome any commitments and improvements the military makes to the welfare of soldiers but caution that the reality of military life is not accurately represented in this new campaign, and that the welfare of recruits into the Army should not be overlooked.

A shorter version of this article is published by The Huffington Post

Only ‘Show and Tell’? Latest news on Scottish Parliament Petition

After hearing from the armed forces, the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee has decided they need to hear more from ForcesWatch and Quakers in Scotland before making decisions about our petition calling for greater guidance and scrutiny around military visits to schools.

Dissenting from the Old Lie

Every year, the fury levied at those who critique or refuse the red poppy obscures the complexity and spectrum of views such dissenters open up. What is lost in this explosion of vitriol and misunderstanding is the opportunity to allow us, as empathic human beings, to be open to divergent viewpoints, to think honestly about wars and to discuss their causes.

Take Action on Militarism 2017 pack launch

We report from the day of talks and workshops to launch the Take Action on Militarism pack which is designed to equip and support those challenging militarism in their communities.

Making it 18 – the SNP votes yes to raising the age of recruitment

Douglas Beattie reports on an important campaigning moment.

Is pushing the cadets really in pupils’ best interests?

Cadet units are not a social panacea but a recruitment tool. Our article, published in Schools Week, critiques the social impact report being used by the MoD to validate the expansion of cadets in state schools.

The Ministry of Defence has no place in our schools

Children don’t need militarism. They need a decent learning environment, writes Rhianna Louise. Our piece in The Morning Star about the latest announcement of more cadet units in schools and the problematic social impact report that has been published to support this.

Innovation not conformity

Dr Brian Belton, a leading international authority on youth work, gives his thoughts on the report: What is the social impact resulting from the expenditure on cadets? He argues that, 'the modern world does not require conformity, it demands innovation'.

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