Quakers campaign against military spending
'US$2.44 trillion – Global military expenditure in 2023, according to a new report – the ninth consecutive year in which it has risen.'
The Northern Friends Peace Board (NFPB) has highlighted the Global Days of Action on Military Spending.
The period, which started in April and continues in May, is ‘an opportunity for Quakers to put forward alternative views, and questions, to political figures, faith and community organisations, arts and cultural bodies, and more’, it said.
‘In 2024, there is a growing chorus of political voices from across the world, our own government being no exception, calling for an increase in spending on weapons,’ said NFPB. ‘More than that, some parts of the armed forces establishment are encouraging a readiness for war in society more generally. This comes as international relations are under strain, with the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza being the closest to home.’
The witness also comes amid higher military spending across the world. Global military expenditure soared to a record $2.44 trillion in 2023, the largest year-on-year rise on weapons spending since 2009, according to a new Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report.
The figure is at an ‘all time high’, said the report, marking the ninth consecutive year in which global military expenditure rose.
