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The 23-year-old Jehovah's Witness Muhammetali Saparmyradov was jailed for one year in March for refusing compulsory military service on grounds of conscience. He has joined 11 other jailed conscientious objectors in the labour camp in Seydi. Labour camp officials refused to discuss their prison conditions with Forum 18.

Activists have resisted and challenged arms fairs and exhibitions in Canada, Czech Republic, Israel and Spain in recent weeks.

Activists in Germany have disrupted the annual general meeting of arms company Rheinmetall, holding banners protesting the use of tanks manufactured by the company by the Turkish military in Kurdish regions.

French NGO “Disclose” has released details of the use of French weapons by the Saudi-led coalition in the war in Yemen, using leaked documents.

Unionised dock workers and activists have refused to load a Saudi ship – the Bahri-Yanbu - carrying weapons to Saudi Arabia.

World military expenditure has risen to $1.822 trillion in 2018, representing an increase of 2.6 per cent from 2017, according to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

WRI’s programme Countering the Militarisation of Youth (CMoY) aims to spread information, inspiration and practical tips on challenging youth militarisation. One important aspect of this is countering the recruitment of young people by militaries. Today, across many countries where there is no more conscription, militaries are running more and more sophisticated strategies to reach out to young people and convince them to join their ranks. Meanwhile recruitment of young people by paramilitary and other armed groups continues to be an issue in many other contexts. In response, various grassroots groups are running campaigns to counter the recruitment efforts of militaries and armed groups. Affiliates of WRI have said it would be helpful to have more information on counter-recruitment campaigns, so we plan to make a short resource on this theme in the form of a booklet.

Over the last few weeks and months, grassroots activism has pushed climate change into the media in the UK. This short article tries to set out how and why we need to understand militarism and climate change as two sides of the same coin - both intimately linked in the impact they have on our world, driven, supported and maintained by the same power structures.

Every year on 15th May, we celebrate International Conscientious Objection Day. On this day, we remember and celebrate conscientious objectors' resistance for peace, their refusal to bears arms and take part in war - throughout history and today. This year, we're focusing on Colombia and standing in solidarity with Colombian conscientious objectors. Read more here how you can support Colombian conscientious objectors.

In April 2018, a group of 25 children participated in a bootcamp in Koprivnicko-krizevacka County, a training event organised by a local airsoft team (Airsoft is a team sport where opponents shoot each other with pellets from replica weapons). The training included a mix of orientation in nature, first aid skills and something called "homeland education". Children were photographed giving salutes and holding guns. The whole event was supported by representatives of the local government who praised the educational value of such activities.