Hello ,
In this moment of our continuous war economy, groups that push back against the cultural militarism that permeates our society are facing difficult decisions. Peace activists and their organizations are experiencing existential challenges that threaten their continuation while trying to relate to a rapidly changing landscape consumed by digital media distractions and a flailing political structure that more resembles a reality television show every successive season.
In the last two decades for activism against war and militarism, whether from mass demonstrations from millions of people globally in 2003 or a handful of people protesting in front of a military recruitment center, those who profit from war, respective of the prosperity for the few or the declining standard of living for the many, are not open to negotiation.
Militarization and the justifications for our wars and their enormous expenditures and personal sacrifices are interchangeable and largely meaningless to those who profit.
Constant and protracted witnessing to the moral and ethical contradictions of our war economy are our historical response to war makers and still an important role we perform reminding those who can be awakened enough to understand our addiction to war and become influencers themselves for peace.
Equally important, activist efforts are there to remind the vast majority who have become normalized to our system of violence for profit, that there is a discontent within the system and powerful arguments against it, whether they are willing to listen or not.
Our children and youth are being indoctrinated into a permanent war culture more clearly than ever before and the resources allocated to this banal evil is increasing as our groups pushing back against the militarizing of young minds are diminishing. In the NDAA budget for 2022 military programs like JROTC seek to double the amount of corps programs in our public high schools from 3500 to over 6000.
Counter-recruitment activists provide an alternative narrative to challenge military recruiters in public schools because speaking out against our captive war economy and its human costs to our future generations must be done; bottom line. It is time to inspire another generation to take up counter-recruitment activism in schools and online and to innovate ways to keep it relevant and accessable to the same youth that the military has access to.
Below are examples of those who have struggled and provided witness against the abuses of our cultural militarism in the last year of 2021.
#counter-recruitment | #nnomypeace | #peacefulcareers | #revisitingouroutrage | www.nnomy.org