Operation objection advises students to stay away from the military

Group launched in response to the Canadian Forces recruitment campaign

JENELLE PETRINCHUK STAFF

ACT for the Earth has launched a new anti-recruitment campaign, Operation Objection. Th is new campaign is informing students across the country about anti-war and anti-military options and discourages Canada’s youth from joining the military.

According to Dylan Penner, Executive Director of ACT for the Earth, groups across the country that are picking up the campaign include both student groups and anti-war groups. “Th ere’s about eight to 10 cities where people are actively beginning to take it up and we’re expecting that to continue to grow,” he said.

“Th e main idea is to let students across the country know that there are non-military options for the youth in Canada,” added Penner.

ACT for the Earth is an activist group that has been involved in peace, ecology and human rights movements for over 20 years.

Th e new campaign is in response to a program called Operation Connection, a campaign the Canadian Forces launched in February 2006 to transform the way they recruit people for the military.

In an issue of the Canadian Forces Personnel Newsletter it is explained that the Operation Connection initiative will be providing operational commanders with tools, information and inspiration to make connections with Canadians.

“Canadians are (justifi ably) proud of their Canadian Forces, and that pride is front and centre at every public event and ceremony you’re involved with,” stated the newsletter in March of this year. “Canadians are forever reaching out to make contact with you.”

“We’re basically now experiencing the largest Canadian military recruiting campaign in at least 15 years,” said Penner. “[Operation Objection] has also been inspired by the successes of the counterrecruitment movement in the U.S. which has managed to signifi cantly stall recruiting eff orts and persuade a large number of people not to join the U.S. army.”

Th e operation has been in touch with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) — which the University of Manitoba is currently a member of — and are still in the process of discussing collaboration. Th ey’re hoping to get involved with a number of student unions across the country and are hoping to speak at schools in the future.

Included in the Operation Objection background book is a report from CFS on what they feel are high tuition fees across Canada. In the article entitled, “Drop Fees Not Bombs,” it is noted, “While tuition fees in Canada are rising, so is military recruitment in high schools, colleges and universities. Th is is no coincidence.”

Th e article points to the fact that the military often targets lowerincome communities — what has come to be known as the poverty draft in the U.S. — and warns students to be aware of recruitment campaigns on campus.

Penner said that the fact that Canadians are now involved in the war in Afghanistan also played a big part in getting the campaign up and running. He added that the fact that most Canadians are opposed to this war and that there is now an emergence of Canadian soldiers who admit they are opposed to the war also contributed to the beginning of the campaign.

Although ACT for the Earth has been around since 1982, Operation Objection is barely two weeks old and is still in its initial stages. So far, Penner said feedback has been positive from students and peace activists across the country.

Aside from the positive feedback, the campaign has been getting attention from the Canadian Forces as well as members of the military. Penner said that they’ve received an e-mail directly from the Canadian Forces, and it didn’t surprise him one bit.

“If they’ve been paying any attention to what’s been going on in the United States with the counterrecruitment eff ort it’s probably quite clear to them how eff ective this kind of organizing can be,” said Penner.

Personnel from the Canadian Forces are currently unable to comment on the situation.

Karen Johnstone from the Canadian Forces media liaison offi ce stated that the recruitment department is currently going through a transition period.

“Within the next couple of weeks [they’re] going to make a big announcement about changing [their] strategy,” said Johnstone. “Th ey’re in limbo I guess. Th ey don’t want to talk about the way things are now because they’re about to change.”

Th e Canadian Forces will once again be taking interviews in a couple of weeks, after the announcement has been made.