From Gaza, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Ukraine, Venezuela and Iran, levels of violence, civilian suffering, and violations of international law have reached heinous heights, including the perpetration of genocide.
This surge in conflict is not accidental or inescapable, it reflects a broader resurgence of imperialism and militarization, spearheaded by the US, in which brute force, military might and coercion have become dominant tools of international relations. Powerful states and regional actors continue to wage and fuel wars – not only through direct intervention but also through extensive arms transfers, strategic alliances and geopolitical competition – prioritizing narrow interests over human security and peace.
In a correlated manner, global military expenditures are reaching record levels year after year, with no regard for issues which actually threaten people all across the globe, such as accelerating climate breakdown, deepening inequality, or chronically underfunded essential public services.
Together, these trends reveal a stark misalignment of priorities: ever more money for weapons, and ever less for human security, climate action, foreign aid, healthcare, decent jobs, housing, education…Our campaign is now more urgent than ever.
Will you join us?
GDAMS 2026 include:
– April 10: Launch Event (online)
– April 15: Tax Day in the USA
– April 22: Earth Day
– April 27: SIPRI’s release of new data on military spending (figures for 2025)
– May 9: Europe’s Day of Peace
How can you get involved?
If you’re part of an organization:
- Prepare your own GDAMS action or join activities prepared by other organizations near you. Once you know the details of your action please send us an email so we can also add them to our map & agenda and help you spread the word.
- Join our launch event and regional webinars to learn more about military spending and to connect with other partners.
- April 27 will be one of the main days of action. Using new military spending data released that day by SIPRI (figures for 2025), we’ll do media work and launch a Social Media Storm. We’ll send instructions for social media actions soon, and if you’re preparing media work in your city/country, we can help you plan it.
- Stay active during GDAMS by sharing ideas, articles, actions and discussions through your own network and social media, with other GCOMS partners, and with us (Bluesky and Instagram).
As an individual:
- Join a local group working on the issue, or set one up!
Here’s our list of partners. - Join our launch event and regional webinars to learn more about military spending and to connect with others.
- Do Online Campaigning: join our social media storm on April 27; use your social media to protest military budgets by sharing pictures, news, materials and actions;
- Send a letter to representatives in your country responsible for defense budgets.