For the last two years, Peace News has sponsored Unarmed Forces Day as a modest initiative to counter the ministry of defence’s celebration of militarism, “Armed Forces Day”.
Unarmed Forces Day, held on the same day, is a chance for groups around the country to celebrate the power of nonviolent action.
Recruitment day
Officially, Armed Forces Day (AFD) is “an annual opportunity for the nation to Show Your Support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community”. However, the not-very-hidden agenda of AFD is to counter public hostility to the war in Afghanistan, and to boost recruitment and support for the war.
This year, Unarmed Forces Day provides an opportunity for the nation to show its support for the masses of women and men who created the extraordinary uprisings in the Arab world that have overthrown two dictators.
Peace News is inviting peace groups and individuals to hold public readings on 25 June, reading from the new book, Tweets from Tahrir, which records the citizen journalism of the Egyptian protesters who braved state brutality to bring down president Hosni Mubarak. (Tweets from Tahrir is reviewed on p9.)