See attached a communication from ForcesWatch who we cooperate with over opposition to military recruitment of children. This is mainly aimed at Celtic League members and supporters in the Celtic countries in the UK where there is pressure to get parliamentary oversight:
?Dear Friends,
Ask your MP/MSP to sign the parliamentary motions
Please ask your MP to sign this Early Day Motion on The Recruitment of Minors into the UK Armed Forces based on the Medact report.
If you are in Scotland, ask your MSP to sign this motion on the Medact Report on British Armed Forces Recruitment
Medact is a public health charity. Their report The Recruitment of Children by the UK Armed Forces: A Critique from Health Professionals looks at the psychological and psychosocial vulnerabilities of adolescents in the context of military recruitment marketing strategies and making long-term risky decisions; and examines the evidence that under 18 recruits face greater risks to health than adult recruits, across the course of an armed forces career. In summary, the report calls for the recruitment age to be raised to 18.
The report further states that military recruitment marketing and practices take advantage of adolescent cognitive and psychosocial vulnerabilities.
See here for more details of the motions and what to say when asking your MP/MSP to sign.
Contacting your representative is really important to the campaign, especially as figures released last week reveal that the British Army has increased its intake of 16-year-olds in the past year, defying calls from the UN and children?s rights organisations..
Last week at the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee has been further reviewing the petition we submitted with Quakers in Scotland. The petition calls for more scrutiny and guidance on armed forces visits to Scottish schools.
The Committee has now agreed to seek more evidence from parents, teachers, schools, child rights organisations, young peoples? organisations, veterans and careers services. Read our blog about the hearing and press coverage.
Many thanks for your support,?
ForceWatch web pages are at this link this appeal can be found top right:
Related link:
Image: Wayne Sharrocks featured in The Guardian article link above: Enlisted at 17 years of age: He served in Afghanistan where he was injured and was subsequently badly let down by the Army and MOD.
BERNARD MOFFATT
pp Celtic League Military Monitoring.
30/11/16
■