Warrior Nation

Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform. Kathy Kelly is a renowned American peace activist, a founding members of Voices in the Wilderness, and, until the campaign closed in 2020, a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. As part of peace team work in several countries, she has traveled to Iraq twenty-six times, notably remaining in combat zones during the early days of both US–Iraq wars. Her recent activism has focused on Afghanistan, Yemen, Gaza and US drone policy. She has been arrested more than sixty times, and written of her experiences among targets of US military bombardment and inmates of US prisons. She joined us in mid-March, ahead of the UN ceasefire vote. You can read about her current anti-arms trade campaign Merchants of Death here and find out about supporting the Afghan Peace Volunteers here. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation And follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis. Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had multiple global impacts. From the rise in global food and oil prices to the increased threat of nuclear war, it's hard to find hope. But many thousands of Ukrainians, Russians and Belorussians have refused to engage in the fighting, fleeing to Europe to avoid the draft. Marah Frech is a board member of Connection, a German anti-militarist group which supports deserters and resisters. We explore this new front of struggle which exists at the intersection of war, migration and asylum. You can read about Connection here. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation And follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis. Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform. Israel is one of the profoundly militarised countries in the world, with terrifying impacts for occupied Palestinians, as well as Israelis. But how do you support war resisters in a nation which considers itself permanently at war? We spoke to Or, an activist and therapist who works with feminist, anti-militarist organisation New Profile. Topics include helping objectors, government repression and the cultural and therapeutic implications of war. You can read about New Profile here. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation And follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis. Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform. First up, Demilitarise Education's co-founder Jinsella Kennaway. This dynamic group opposes the arms trade on university campuses and is one of the most exciting organisations to emerge in recent years. You can read more about Demilitarise Education's work here and follow them on Twitter and Instagram. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation And follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis. Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Warrior Nation returns with a series exploring the work of leading anti-militarist organisations from around the world. With wars raging in Gaza, Ukraine and beyond, platforming critical voices has never been more important. So we've sought out people and organisations who resist every day to ask them how they develop the strategies and tactics to challenge the powerful forces which drive militarism. Follow ForcesWatch on Instagram (@forceswatch). Support the show

Whether it is Brexit or historical allegations, the colonial legacy of Northern Ireland haunts British politics. With a controversial bill on the war having just been approved in Parliament, Forces Watch found three unique voices whose lives and work have been profoundly shaped by the so-called Troubles. What does the war in Ireland share with the so-called War on Terror? Award-winning national security journalist Ian Cobain's extensive work on British post-9/11 human rights abuses led him to look more deeply at the war in Ireland. His most recent book, 'Anatomy of a Killing', seeks to understand the war in the North through the prism of a single deadly attack. Ian joined us to discuss his journalism, the relationship between the two conflicts and the prospects for accountability and peace in Ireland. You can follow Ian on Twitter here. You can order Anatomy of a Killing, and Ian's other books, here. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Whether it is Brexit or historical allegations, the colonial legacy of Northern Ireland haunts British politics. With a controversial bill on the war having just been approved in Parliament, Forces Watch found three unique voices whose lives and work have been profoundly shaped by the so-called Troubles. What is it like to be occupied by the British military? In episode two of our special mini-series on Britain's war in Ireland, we speak to Fiona Gallagher. A proud Derry woman, Fiona grew up in a Catholic family during the worst years of the so-called Troubles. She told us about the growing up amid riots, house raids and checkpoints in an aggressively securitized city, the killing of her brother by a British soldier and her hopes for the future of her country. You can hear more about Fiona in the BBC's Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Whether it is Brexit or historical allegations, the colonial legacy of Northern Ireland haunts British politics. With a controversial bill on the war having just been approved in Parliament, ForcesWatch found three unique voices whose lives and work have been profoundly shaped by the so-called Troubles. In the first episode of this three part special series, we speak to former British soldier Lee Lavis. Lee served in Ireland as an infantryman and settled there after leaving the military. We discuss the prospects for peace and reunification, the class dynamics which sectarianism obscures, Lee’s work with former paramilitary prisoners and the dangers and inequities of the new Northern Ireland legacy bill. You can read more about Lee's story and reconciliation work here. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

In our final episode of Series 4, we speak with Paul Rogers on the parallels and differences between the invasions of Iraq and Ukraine, and reflect on some of the key themes that have emerged across the past five months. Paul is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies in the Department of Peace Studies and International Relations at Bradford University, and an Honorary Fellow at the Joint Service Command and Staff College. You can read his rich body of work as openDemocracy’s international security correspondent by following this link. He is on Twitter via @ProfPRogers. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

It cannot be denied that the police are becoming more militarised - not just in the United States but here in Britain. Yet this focus on hardware presents the cops and the military as separate entities. In reality, they are built from the same foundations. In this episode we speak with academic and activist Chris Rossdale about the colonial history of the police, how the military is overwhelmingly used in policing roles and why we should see the two institutions as part of the same apparatus of oppression. Part of the discussion centres around the chapter Chris wrote for the book Abolishing the Police. To get a copy, head over to the Dog Section press website now! You can also read Chris' article on the Black Panther Party approach to militarism, co-authored with Nivi Manchanda, in the journal Security Dialogue. And to learn more about Adam Elliot-Cooper's book Black Resistance to British Policing, check out this excellent review on Abolitionist Futures. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Think-tanks are a key part of the political process in the UK - indeed globally - but do they actually promote democracy? Which ones have influence, how are they funded, and what role does legacy media have in amplifying their ideas. In this episode we speak with Rethinking Security coordinator Richard Reeve and academic Kjølv Egeland, experts in the multifaceted world of defence and security think-tanks. They discuss how funding plays a key role in think-tank output, constraining critique and ensuring the most dominant ideas remain within the boundaries of the status quo. You can read Kjølv's latest research into think-tanks here or catch up with Richard's work over at the Rethinking Security website. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

As the impacts of the climate crisis escalate, there is a growing trend for securitised responses that foreground the role of militaries in tackling the fallout. But whose interests do these militaries serve and what role have they played in bringing about environmental catastrophe. In this episode we speak with Nick Buxton, a communications specialist with 20 years experience in climate sustainability and international development, to pick his brain on the intersection between climate change, the military and security. Nick has produced an incredible body of work for the Amsterdam-based Transnational Institute, covering climate change, border securitisation, Big Tech and much more. Follow this link to read Nick's Primer on Climate Security | Transnational Institute (tni.org). You can also follow him on Twitter via @nickbuxton. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

As the sentiment goes, there always seems to be money for warfare but never quite enough for welfare. So what's the picture in the UK - that tiny collection of islands with its towering defence expenditure. In this episode, we're joined by Matt Fawcett from the Global Campaign on Military Spending UK to discuss the dark economics of Britain's war machine. Matt talks about the troubling gaps between what Britain spends on its military and what it spends on climate mitigation or carbon reduction targets. Not to mention international aid budgets. He also adds the GCOMS take on NATO spending commitments and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, arguing against the dominant Atlanticist notion that Putin's aggression is due to NATO underspending. You can access all of GCOMS resources via their website. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Foreign and military policy doesn’t cut through to voters, or so it is said. What matters to the public is bread and butter economic policy or GP surgery hours. Yet, is it really the case that people simply don’t care about, for example, Yemen? And if not, why not? Is it the case that the main parties are so alike on these matters that there appears to be no space for debate? Much was made of Qatar's human rights record during the men's World Cup, but where was any critique of the RAF's role in training Qatari pilots? And what would it take to put the military industrial complex front and centre, where it arguably should be? In this episode we speak with journalist Mark Curtis, founder and editor of Declassified UK, on the issue of reporting critically about British foreign policy and why think-tanks and the mainstream press help perpetuate a myth of Britain's role in the world. To learn more about Mark's work head over to the Declassified website. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) is the preeminent anti-arms trade organisation in the UK. Their advocacy for a safer and fairer world extends into many realms, including Parliament – where defence firms wield unchecked influence over elected politicians. In this episode we speak with Katie Fallon, CAAT’s Parliamentary Coordinator, to discuss the difficulties of working in spaces where militarism and war are seen as inevitabilities. Our discussion is wide-ranging: from the revolving door to the multi-faceted opportunities for lobbying in a broke political system. You can keep up to date with CAAT's incredible work here. Support us via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

When it comes to critiquing and analysing how Government works to support the military, the focus is always on politicians and the lobbying work that seeks to influence them. But what about the people in Whitehall who oil the political machine? Civil servants out-live the ministers, cabinets and governments they work for, and have more influence than we fully understand. If the overall culture within the civil service is pro-military, then it stands to reason that the mechanics of government will naturally support the armed forces. In this episode we speak with Hannah Wright, a scholar who has looked in great detail at how militarism and militarist assumptions infuse and shape security and foreign policy. Hannah is an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary University of London but also worked as an advisor for Saferworld, PAX and other peace-focused NGOs. Her PHD examined the civil service through the lenses of coloniality and feminism. You can discover Hannah's work on the Queen Mary website. Support us via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

From Deepcut to sexual abuse cases and war crimes, the UK military and MOD are no stranger to legal controversy. And when you read back through the reportage around this lamentable list one name recurs again and again, acting in opposition to power and in favour of fairness and human rights. Emma Norton is Director and co-founder of the Centre for Military Justice, whose work we at Forces Watch greatly admire. She is also former head of the legal team at human rights organisation Liberty and lectures twice a year at the Defence Academy on human rights and the armed forces. Emma joins us to explain the glacial pace of service justice reform and what it’s like to challenge the power of the British military. Trigger Warning: this episode includes discussion of sexual violence. You can read more about the work of the Centre for Military Justice on their website and Twitter (@cmjhq). Support us via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Sign-up to our newsletter. You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

Back in 2003, every national British newspaper bar the Guardian supported the invasion of Iraq - including The Guardian's sister paper, The Observer. Unfortunately, this was not an anomaly (dodgy dossiers or not). The sad truth is that it is very hard to find critical pieces on the UK's armed forces. And since the Edward Snowden leaks, Britain's intelligence establishment has worked assiduously to ensure that even The Guardian begins to tow the line. You really can’t talk about British defence and security journalism without mentioning today’s guest. Richard Norton-Taylor covered defence and security for The Guardian newspaper for over 40 years, reporting on everything from the Cold War to the 'War on Terror'. Winner of a number of awards he was once described by a GCHQ officials as a thorn in the side of the intelligence establishment. Support us via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forceswatch/ Sign-up to our newsletter. You can discover Housmans Bookshop's amazing selection here: https://housmans.com/ Music by Esion Noise. Support the show

In this special episode of Warrior Nation, Joe is joined by Dr Ross McGarry to discuss the deeper and varied meanings behind Armed Forces Day. In 2017, when Liverpool hosted the Armed Forces Day national event, Ross ventured out onto the streets of his home town to experience proceedings with a critical - and analytical - eye. He reflects on his findings and highlights how the event offered up a sanatised view of military life that is out of touch with the reality. You can read Ross' 2019 article in the journal Visual Ethnography here. To find our more about his research areas you can head over to his profile on the University of Liverpool website. Support us via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNation Or follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch). Music by Esion Noise. [Original image used in art-work was taken by Ross McGarry during his ethnographic study] Support the show

In the final installment of our series on war and memory, Joe speaks with Essex University historian Lucy Noakes and Chicago-based artist Michael Rakowitz on the creation of cultural memories around armed conflict. They cover a wide array of topics, including the Churchillian turn of British World War II narratives and how the words monument and demonstrate are linked by their roots in Latin. Their discussion beautifully encapsulates a number of topics covered across the series and explores more radical ways of remembering - or remembering better. Lucy Noakes is a social and cultural historian with specific interests in war, memory and gender. She is co-editor of the book British Cultural Memory and the Second World War, sits on the Academic Advisory Board of the Imperial War Museum's Second World War Galleries redevelopment project, and is a series editor for the Social History Society book series New Directions in Social and Cultural History. Michael Rakowitz is an Iraqi-American artist working at the intersection of problem-solving and troublemaking. His anti-war statue April is the Cruellest Month formed part of the Turney Contemporary for the English coast series in 2021. Michael is also Professor of Art Theory and Practice at Northwestern University. As always, the show was presented by our very own Joe Glenton. If you'd like to learn more about Joe's new book Veteranhood (as mentioned in the podcast by Michael) then head over to his publisher Repeater. ForcesWatch is a small organisation funded by grants and donations. All contributions - no matter the size - can make a huge difference. If you want to support our work then please follow the link below. Support the show