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CAAT Research Commissions: End militarisation of Police and Borders

As part of the development of our new short-term strategy, CAAT is looking to work with external researchers on two exciting commissions supporting our ongoing work on Militarised Borders and Policing in the UK and internationally.

CAAT Research Commissions: End militarisation of Police and Borders

NB: The deadline for applications is now closed.

Introduction

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) is a UK-wide campaigning organisation working to end the International Arms Trade. CAAT’s research underpins much of our campaigning work and helps inform the overall direction of the organisation, as well as providing a resource for others working on arms trade issues.

The organisation has recently developed a new Short-Term Strategy, focusing on four key areas of campaigning work. Strand three of the strategy is focused on Militarised Borders and Policing and as such, we are looking to work with a freelance researcher or researchers to help us move the work into its next stages.

 

As such, we are inviting proposals for two research packages, detailed further below:

  • Research package 1), Policing, including a research/policy report, with additional material on relevant companies and technologies for the CAAT website – estimated 33-40 days work, £10,000
  • Research package 2, Borders, including a short internal briefing, and material for the CAAT website on relevant companies, technologies, and exports – estimated 13-16 days work, £4,000

 

** Please note: Applicants are welcome to apply for both or just one of these commissions **

 

Research package 1: Policing

Overview

UK policing is rooted in racism and colonialism and this is evident in both the nature of policing in the UK (counter-insurgency) and in the international relationships where the training and exported equipment reinforces a repressive status quo. We want to clearly underline this, and note we are uniquely placed to be able to meaningfully relate the nature, culture, history and structures of policing and borders to the overall militarisation process taking place because of our knowledge of arms companies and equipment. 

Examples of this work in recent memory include work done in 2020 to support the work of BLM activists in the UK and USA as well as Nigerian protesters leading the #EndSars Movement, by undertaking useful research that helped to support their campaign messages and contribute information that was easily accessible through mainstream media. We would hope to be able to do more such work and, for example, find ways to identify equipment being used against protesters internationally, that could be traced back to the UK government and its decisions.

 

What is the overarching goal of CAAT’s work in this area? 

We aim to actively work on disarming the police and the military in the UK and abroad through at least one focused campaign and high-level work targeting particular arms and borders-related companies.

 

Our key impact areas that form our longer-term vision are:

  • To end the export of anti-protest weaponry and police training
  • To strengthen protest rights and demilitarise the policing of protests
  • To end the use of repressive tech in UK

 

Key research outputs

1.) The researcher will produce a report of length approximately 40-60 pages (including cover pages, tables of contents, images, etc.) on the militarisation of policing in the UK and its links to militarised policing in other countries, including through military and police training, and the export of anti-protest (“crowd control”) equipment, surveillance equipment and technology, and other relevant internal policing and security equipment and technology

    • We understand surveillance is of particular importance when considering policing tactics in the UK, as well as the exporting of police training as soft power, so we expect this to also be a key area of focus.
    • Additionally, we expect the report to explore the real-life impacts of live issues such as the passing of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill and other methods of repressing resistance through policing.
    • The report will be jointly published, launched, and distributed by CAAT and our partners Netpol in summer 2022. The researcher will not be expected to organise the launch and distribution of the report, though they may be invited to speak at the launch event.

 

2.) The researcher will produce five short company profiles for use on the CAAT website, of companies with particular importance for militarised policing in the UK and internationally, including a description of the relevant equipment, technologies and services provided by these companies, their exports, and where known the use of the companies’ products and services for repression in the UK and internationally.

 

3.) The researcher will produce five short profiles of key repressive technologies for use on the CAAT website, of importance with regards to militarised policing in the UK and for UK exports, training and influence internationally. 

 

It is likely that significant portions of the material produced for 2) and 3) will also be used for the report. 

 

The research for all three outputs will be packaged up and published in a number of different ways, including infographics, webpages for the CAAT site, and video content for social media platforms in order to reach wider audiences. (This will not be the responsibility of the researcher, though the researcher will be credited in all media where their research is used).

 

It is expected that this research will lay the foundations for the scoping by CAAT of a future campaign to scrutinise, restrict, and ultimately end the export of policing equipment and training from the UK to the rest of the world.

 

The researcher will work closely with CAAT’s Research Coordinator, Sam Perlo-Freeman, and our campaigns lead for Policing and Borders, Siana Bangura, and will have the opportunity to discuss the work and present progress with CAAT and Netpol.

 

Requirements

  • At least 2-3 years of relevant research experience in academia, civil society, and/or activist and community organising spaces.
  • Experience of producing substantial research and/or policy reports or similar outputs
  • Proven track record of interest in the subject matter, deep understanding, and commitment to working to challenge and dismantle the systems of oppression, of which racist policing is a key part.

 

Fee:

£10,000 for 33 – 40 days of work between February 2022 – July 2022

 

Research package 2: Borders

Overview

Racism and colonialism are front and centre of the Global North approach to borders. Colonialism drained vast wealth from the Global Majority. This has continued through ‘post-colonial’ economic structures and resource extraction. Further massive societal costs are imposed by climate change, generated by the Global North, and conflict, which is often directly waged by the Global North or supported by it. Militarised borders then effectively refuse people of the Global Majority access to these stolen resources as well as safety from the impacts of climate change and conflict.

Far from being seen as a humanitarian issue, let alone a justice issue, migration is framed by Global North governments as a security problem and a threat. As well as being a government narrative, it is also pushed by the military and security industry. Many arms companies profit twice from militarism: they profit from selling weapons that fuel conflict and force people from their homes; the same companies then profit again by building the fences and walls, and by producing the technologies and warships to police borders.

 

What is the overarching goal of CAAT’s work in this area? 

 

We aim to actively work on disarming the police and the military in the UK and abroad through at least one focused campaign and high-level work targeting particular arms and borders-related companies.

 

Our key impact areas that form our longer-term vision are:

 

As well as our aims across the policing areas of work (noting that there is considerable crossover)

 

  • End UK sales and UK use of equipment and technology that maintain closed and militarised borders

 

Key research outputs

 

1.) Produce a short internal briefing for CAAT, based on Freedom of Information requests and other relevant sources, on UK official links to Frontex.

 

2.) Produce an internal briefing for CAAT on UK exports of border control equipment, technology, and services.

 

3.) Research and produce information, for use on the CAAT website, on 3 key repressive technologies, for which production takes place in the UK, and which are used for border control.

 

4.) Produce company profiles of Serco and Elbit, for use on the CAAT website, focusing on their activities relating to border control.

 

The above research may be packaged up and published in a number of different ways, including infographics, webpages for the CAAT site, and video content for social media platforms in order to reach wider audiences. (This will not be the responsibility of the researcher, though the researcher will be credited in all media where their research is used).

 

The researcher will work closely with CAAT’s Research Coordinator, Sam Perlo-Freeman, and our campaigns lead for Policing and Borders, Siana Bangura.

 

Requirements

 

  • At least 1-2 years of relevant research experience in academia, civil society, and/or activist and community organising spaces.
  • Proven track record of interest in the subject matter, deep understanding, and commitment to working to challenge and dismantle the systems of oppression, of which racist border controls are a key part.

Fee:

£4,000 for 13 – 16 days of work between February 2022 – June 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

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