Global Day of Action on Military Spending on April 12th

Coming up on April 12th is a Global Day of Action on Military Spending, organized by the International Peace Bureau and the Institute for Policy Studies. Their “invitation” goes thusly:

In 2009, global military spending surged to an all-time high of US $1.53 trillion. Given the numerous crises facing the planet—economic, environmental, health, diplomatic—it is imperative that we create a global movement to shift this money to human needs. We know that there are thousands of organizations and millions of individuals who support this point of view—what is needed is to begin a serious mobilizing effort to make it visible.

We are organizing a Global Day of Action on Military Spending on April 12, 2011 to coincide with the release of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) new annual figures on world military expenditures. On this day, people on all continents will join together in joint actions to focus public, political, and media attention on the costs of military spending and the need for new priorities. Such events will help us to build the international network around this issue.

They’ve got lots of good information about global military spending on their website, and there are actions planned around the world. Find the one nearest you on the events page.