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£1.7 trillion military spending 'destroying global economy'

By agency reporter
April 7, 2016

Conscience, the peace building NGO, is supporting the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS) this year (18 April 2016) by raising awareness of the £1.7 trillion spent by governments on war.

The Global Day of Action coincides with the release of the anuual world military expenditure figures by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. It is also timed to tie in with Tax Day in the US, when Americans pay taxes and debate their use.

GDAMS UK is calling for:

Military spending to be shifted towards social and environmental needs. These needs should take priority over aircraft carriers, long range strike aircraft, armed drones, weapons exports and weapons of mass destruction.

No replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system. Redirecting its cost alone could prevent many of the key public sector cuts in the UK.

The huge subsidy to the arms industry to be redirected towards renewable energy and energy-saving measures, allowing diversification and conversion of the arms industry and enabling our public resources to tackle climate change which is a huge source of human insecurity.

Shaughan Dolan, Conscience Campaign Manager said: “Nearly three-quarters of British government spending goes towards military campaigns. This comes at an enormous cost in human lives and tax-payers' money. Global Day of Action on Military Spending is a reminder to us all that £1.7 trillion, enough to end world hunger twice over, is instead invested in ending the lives of others. We believe there is another way.”

Conscience, working with Ruth Cadbury MP, will be tabling the Taxes for Peace Bill which would allow conscientious objectors to redirect the military portion of their taxes to non-military means of protecting our national security. (http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/22606)

Shaughan Dolan added: “ We should be working to invest in the global economy. Not destroying it. The Taxes for Peace Bill would enable individuals conscripted through the tax system into funding war, to instead finance more peaceful conflict resolution.”

* Global Campaign on MIlitary Spending UK https://demilitarize.org.uk/

* Conscience http://www.conscienceonline.org.uk/

[Ekk/4]

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