Mary E. Klassen -  

Because the U.S. military actively recruits in public schools, Elkhart Advocates for Peace and Justice is working to bring a counter message.

“Nurturing Peace in our Community Schools” takes an emphasis on peace education into school lunchrooms at three high schools: Elkhart Central, Elkhart Memorial and Concord.

“Our objective is for students to know about a wide range of information from alternative, peace-orientated sources before they make a dramatically life-changing decision to sign up for military service,” said Wendell Wiebe-Powell, one of the leaders of the counter-recruiting effort.

Fellow member Jorge Vielman notes that one doesn’t have to serve in the military to be a good citizen.

“Working at peace is an option that the nation doesn’t present to young people,” he said.

The volunteers who spend time at a “Peace Education Table” during lunch periods emphasize what they are for more than what they are against. Wiebe-Powell encourages volunteers to let the students know they respect those who serve in the military but want students to be aware of alternative information, perspectives and peace-oriented opportunities.

Many students are concerned about how they will pay for a college education, so one of the volunteers’ goals is to share information. They talk about alternatives for funding higher education and career and volunteer service opportunities outside of the military. They also share information about the realities of military service and war that military recruiters do not tell students.

“We’re trying to show them options they haven’t known about before,” Louise Claassen said.

At the table, labeled with a banner saying “A different way to serve,” volunteers visit with students, answer questions and provide handouts with information. They also test students’ interest in creating a peace club in their school. Since the start of the effort a year ago, more than 50 students in the three schools have expressed interest in being part of a peace club.

Read more ...

Sarah Jaffe | Originally published in Truthout - March 24, 2017

Donald Trump's budget slashes social programs while inflating an already massive military budget, meaning that for many people in already underserved and underemployed communities, the military will be the closest thing to a welfare state they have.

Today we bring you a conversation with Rory Fanning, a veteran and conscientious objector, and author of the book Worth Fighting For: An Army Ranger's Journey Out of the Military and Across America. His work centers on opposing US militarism at home. He is also the coauthor, with Craig Hodges, of the new book Long Shot: The Triumphs and Struggles of an NBA Freedom Fighter. He lives in Chicago, which has become ground zero for military recruiting in the country, and often speaks at high schools there. "There are more kids signed up in Chicago JROTC and NJROTC than any other school district in the country; ten thousand kids: 50 percent Latino and 45 percent Black," he told me. We spoke about opposing Trump's military buildup, the roles that veterans and athletes can play in movements for change, and the long tradition of imperialism in the US.

Sarah Jaffe: We will circle back, certainly, to talk about military recruiting, but because we are in the wake of Donald Trump's first quasi-budget (and it has a lot of cuts to social programs in order to put all of this money into the military), I wanted to talk to you about the role the military plays in this right-wing nationalist political buildup and how people can resist that.

Rory Fanning: I think it is important first to note that this request by this budget, particularly through defense, is not unprecedented. It really only takes us back to 2011 numbers when they kind of set a cap on military spending. But Obama asked for $700 billion for defense in 2012. I think Trump is asking for $600 billion, which is an increase of $56 billion over the previous year. It is still more military spending than the next thirteen countries combined. One of the most alarming things about this budget is the number of active-duty Army troops that are going to be increased. It is going to go from 475,000 to about 540,000 at a time when there is really no existential threat to the United States. It is kind of ridiculous. I think that is just going to mean more intense recruiting in the most vulnerable communities in the US.

Read more ...