At this year’s National Alternative Remembrance Ceremony, Academy Award–winning actor and long-standing Conscience supporter Sir Mark Rylance delivered a powerful public letter calling for the UK to uphold the right of conscientious objection in the face of escalating global conflict. Reflecting on the rising toll of civilian casualties — especially children — he questions why taxpayers are compelled to fund war through the military portion of their taxes

The UK likes to see itself as a force for peace and stability. Yet when we look at where our money goes, a very different picture emerges. Each year, Britain spends over £50 billion on defence, while just a tiny fraction of that is directed towards peacebuilding.

Next week marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, acts that ushered in the nuclear age with unfathomable destruction and loss of life.