Last year global military expenditure was more than $1,739 billion (US$) - on average, more than $4.7 billion (US$) every day. By way of contrast, on average more than 15,342 children under the age of five die every day from mainly preventable causes - lack of access to adequate food, clean water and basic medicines. This is one of the prices paid, the collateral damage that is seldom talked about, for maintaining armed forces in a state of combat readiness around the world.

Here in Aotearoa New Zealand - where the number of children living in families with an income below the poverty line and the level of homelessness continues to rise, and there is a desperate need for more social funding - a record $3,755,683,000 was allocated for military spending in the 2018 Budget, that's an average of 72,224,673 every week.

Military spending and related updates

• Economic Case for Disarmament: First Committee Delegates Issue Calls to Trim Soaring Military Budgets, Reinvest Funds in Vital 2030 Agenda Goals, UN, 9 October 2018
• $2.346 billion for four warplanes to operate with Australia, Britain and the US, NZ government, 9 July 2018
• Budget 2018: Military spending increases again, time for alternative thinking, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 17 May 2018 ‣ On Facebook ‣ On Twitter ‣ On Scoop
  ‣ A4 poster for printing

2018 Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS), 15 April to 3 May

• 'Welfare or Warfare?' Pre-Budget lunchtime forum, Friday, 4 May - join us for a discussion on government spending priorities, with Paul Barber, Policy Advisor, New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services; Jacqui Southey, Children’s Rights Advocacy, Strategy and Research Director, Save the Children; and Edwina Hughes, Coordinator, Peace Movement Aotearoa, from 1pm to 2pm, at St Andrew's on the Terrace, Wellington. Your RSVP is essential because space is limited, please RSVP on Facebook or email Peace Movement Aotearoa. The A4 poster for the forum is available here.

• Global military spending increases again, will NZ's in this year's Budget? Peace Movement Aotearoa, 2 May 2018 ‣ On Facebook ‣ On Twitter ‣ On Scoop ‣ Formatted for printing

• Resources from SIPRI ‣ Trends in world military expenditure 2017, Fact Sheet, 2 May 2018 ‣ Global military spending remains high at $1.7 trillion, Media Release, 2 May 2018

• Global Campaign on Military Spending statement: 2018 Global Days of Action on Military Spending, Global Campaign on Military Spending, 2 May 2018

• If you would like to be involved in this year's Global Days of Action on Military Spending, please contact Peace Movement Aotearoa, thank you.

Military spending and related updates

• "Free" army dental care, really? Peace Movement Aotearoa, 12 March 2018
• On International Women's Day, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 8 March 2018
• Welfare or Warfare? Militarism, Peace and Planet public meetings - if you would you like to host a Militarism, Peace and Planet meeting or presentation, please contact Peace Movement Aotearoa, thank you.

‣ Presentation 'Pacifism or militarism: the life or death choice for people and the planet?', Rethinking Pacifism for Revolution, Security and Politics conference, 22 - 24 November 2017

‣ Presentation to Wellington Quakers, 12 November 2017

‣ Article Militarism: Welfare or Warfare? Dominant ideology challenged, Golden Bay Weekly, 6 October 2017

‣ Public meetings   ‣ Nelson, 27 September 2017   ‣ Collingwood and Takaka, 28 September 2017

• Election 2017: Our focus is welfare or warfare? ...
• Exhibition explores what country could spend with $3.69 billion military funding, Nelson Mail, 3 August 2017
• NZ Budget 2017 some facts and figures - On Facebook - A4 poster

2017 Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS), 18 to 28 April

• Forum: Welfare not warfare, Wellington, 28 April 2017 - On Facebook - A4 poster
• Global military spending increases again, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 24 April 2017
  - On Facebook - On Scoop Independent News
• World military spending: increases in the USA and Europe, decreases in oil-exporting countries, SIPRI, 24 April 2017
• Trends in world military expenditure 2016, SIPRI, 24 April 2017

Military spending and related updates

• Caring for those in need is about priorities, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 19 April 2017
• Humanitarian crisis: urgent appeal is equivalent to less than one day of global military spending, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 14 March 2017
• Health spending vs military spending, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 9 February 2017
• Child poverty vs military spending, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 19 December 2016
• Emergency housing vs military spending, 8 November 2016
• Prioritising military spending while food a 'luxury expense' for poor, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 23 June 2016
• 2016 Defence White Paper, Peace Movement Aotearoa, June 2016:   ~ $20 billion for armed forces   ~   "$20bn on defence - but is it enough?"   ~   NZDF time machine
  ~ Poster: Government public spending priorities - Image on Facebook - A4 poster for printing
• Budget 2016: Welfare or warfare? Peace Movement Aotearoa, 26 May 2016
      - Image on Facebook     - A4 poster for printing

2016 Global Days of Action on Military Spending 2016, 5 to 18 April

• Welfare or warfare? 'Dollars and sense', public forum in Wellington on Wednesday, 6 April 2016   - A4 poster   - on Facebook
• Global military spending rises / Welfare or warfare? forum in Wellington, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 5 April 2016   - on Facebook   - formatted for printing
• How you can get involved in the 2016 Global Days of Action on Military Spending, Peace Movement Aotearoa, March 2016
• RNZ Interview: Families vs frigate combat upgrade, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 5 February 2016
• TPPA vs Military Spending, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 3 February 2016
• Military Expenditure, Public Spending and the Rights of the Child - Submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on Draft General Comment on Article 4 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: Public Spending, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 1 December 2015
• New Zealand National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 23 October 2015   - On Facebook   - Formatted for printing
• Submission to the Human Rights Committee for the General Discussion on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Right to Life, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 26 June 2015
• Public consultation: Defence White Paper 2015, Peace Movement Aotearoa, June 2015 - submissions are due on 22 June 2015
• The ongoing costs of militarism ... two airforce planes vs state housing, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 16 April 2015

2015 Global Day of Action on Military Spending, 13 April 2015 - was marked during the 2015 National Peace Workshops Remembering war / ending war: Challenging militarism and building peace, 18 and 19 April 2015

• Global military spending remains shockingly high, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 13 April 2015 - formatted for printing - on Facebook
• Statement on the Global Day of Action on Military Spending, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, 13 April 2015
• Global military expenditure in 2014 - SIPRI media release - SIPRI fact sheet - SIPRI site, 13 April 2015
• Disarm and develop - UN Expert urges win-win proposition for states and peoples, UNOG, 10 September 2014
• More military spending: new rifles for NZ armed forces, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 17 June 2014
• Frigates or Families / Welfare or warfare? Comments on Budget 2014, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 17 May 2014
• Budget 2014: Some comparative facts and figures, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 16 May 2014 - formatted for printing - on Facebook
• UN Expert urges states to be more transparent on military expenditure, UNOG, 16 May 2014
• Children's health or combat capability for frigates? Peace Movement Aotearoa, 2 May 2014
• Welfare or warfare? Peace Movement Aotearoa, 30 April 2014

2014 Global Day of Action on Military Spending, 14 April 2014

• Global Day of Action event details: 'Dollars and sense' forum in Wellington, and leafletting in Auckland - photo album
• Global military spending drops slightly, but not far enough, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 14 April 2014 - formatted for printing - on Facebook - on Scoop - on Yahoo news
• Global military expenditure in 2013 - SIPRI media release - SIPRI fact sheet
• Global Day of Action statement, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane, 14 April 2014
• Invest in social spending, cut military expenditure, UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order, 11 April 2014
• NZ Budget 2013: Some comparative facts and figures, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 17 May 2013   - document with figures   - graph

2013 Global Day of Action on Military Spending: 15 April 2013

• Global Day of Action event details, in Wellington on Monday, 15 April, and in Auckland on Monday, 15 and Tuesday, 16 April - Photo album
• Global military spending falls, but not far enough, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 15 April 2013 - Formatted for printing - On Facebook
• Global military expenditure in 2012 - SIPRI media release - SIPRI fact sheet
• Facebook link: information about the 2013 Global Day of Action in Aotearoa New Zealand is on Facebook here

2012 Global Day of Action on Military Spending, 17 April 2012

2011 Global Day of Action on Military Spending, 12 April 2011

If you are interesting in being involved in the Global Day of Action, or would like your organisation listed as a supporter of the Global Day of Action and of the urgent need to change spending priorities away from funding armed forces towards meeting human needs, please contact Peace Movement Aotearoa 'Global Day of Action support' in the subject line of your message.