Global Day of Action on Military Spending

In 2011, global military spending surged to US $1.74 trillion. Given the numerous crises facing the planet — economic, environmental, health, diplomatic — it is imperative that we create a global movement to shift this money to human needs. We know that there are thousands of organizations and millions of individuals who support this point of view – what is needed is to begin a serious mobilizing effort to make it visible.

We are organizing a Global Day of Action on Military Spending each year in April to coincide with the release of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) annual figures on world military expenditures. It is also Tax Day in the US. In 2013, GDAMS will take place on Monday, April 15. On this day, people on all continents will join together in joint actions to focus public, political, and media attention on the costs of military spending and the need for new priorities. Such events will help us to build an international network around this issue.

While each location will craft its own approach, there will be a common focus on calling attention to the overall size of global military spending. This would need in most cases to be linked to a national, local or international issue, such as the Afghanistan war and other wars, the anti-bases efforts, arms trade deals, work against small arms and nuclear weapons, resources for nonviolent conflict resolution, Article 9 campaign etc. We very much hope that peace groups will use this as an opportunity to connect up with development, anti-poverty, environmental, pro-democracy organizations and others who share our perspective.

As for types of actions: a whole range is possible — from street theatre/demonstrations, putting up banners to seminars, signature collection, flash mobs and much more. A key aspect is the visual side. By generating some captivating images, we plan to attract widespread media coverage and make available photos of our rallies and events. >additional information<