May 24 was the International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament, a women’s day we in the US hear very little about. The US Memorial Day is for honouring and mourning the military personnel who have died while serving in the US Armed Forces as colonizers and more latterly in the name of “national security.” But many of us know that armed conflict and militarism go hand-in-hand with global capitalism. I remind listeners also that working-class men and women of colour are disproportionately represented among the military enlistees and casualties. Women in the military also face domestic violence and sexual assaults committed by male military personnel. On today’s show, Guests, Rev. Deborah Lee, Gwyn Kirk and Martha Matsuoka with host Margo Okazawa-Rey will emphasize peace, disarmament, and decolonization while we mourn.
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| Cornerstone of Peace Naha, Okinawa |
We’ll be asking you to rethink the various aspects of the military apparatus in the US, from the war-based economy and military spending, to environmental impacts of wars and military operations, and the militarized violence especially against women and civilians. We will talk about other causalities of wars and militarism. These are especially relevant in the current Pandemic when we see the militarized responses to it in many places around the world including the US. We see in the US especially the failures of the state, the economic systems, and political and moral leadership currently in place. Finally, and most important, we’ll be urging you to imagine what real security, all the way from in your lives and communities to the entire country and the world, would look and feel like, and to think about useful ways young people can work in their communities to realize that vision, rather than serving in the military.