Education
Opposing Militarization of Youth
Military recruiting of high school students has been a tactic of the United States military services and a concern for many parents, grandparents, and families for decades. Recently, meeting recruitment goals has become more difficult for military recruiters, so much so that there are alarming reports of students in high schools across the country being assigned to military classes without electing to be in them (Thousands of Teens Are Being Pushed Into Military’s Jr. ROTC, New York Times, December 11, 2022).
This on line webinar will examine the increasing militarization of our entire society and explore methods for interfering in the militarization of youth. Given the gargantuan size of the Pentagon budget, we know that money is not a concern for military recruiters who are resorting to offering “sign on bonuses” to entice young people, in addition to promises of education and improved job prospects after leaving the military.
Rick Jahnkow is a co-founder and board member of the Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities (www.projectyano.org), a nonprofit counter-recruitment organization based in San Diego County, California. For 34 years Rick has organized around the issues of military recruiting, high school Jr. ROTC, and the general militarization of K-12 schools.
Gary Ghirardi is the communications staff person for the National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth. He has developed web based projects for the Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft, The Project on Youth and Non-military Opportunities, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, U.S. Section, and War Resisters International in London.
on line event
