Conscription

Conscription, or drafting, is the compulsory enlistment of people in a national service, most often a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names. The modern system of near-universal national conscription for young men dates to the French Revolution in the 1790s, where it became the basis of a very large and powerful military. Most European nations later copied the system in peacetime, so that men at a certain age would serve 1–8 years on active duty and then transfer to the reserve force.

In China, the State of Qin instituted universal military service following the registration of every household. This allowed huge armies to be raised, and was instrumental in the creation of the Qin Empire that conquered a large area of what is now China in 221 BC.

Conscription is controversial for a range of reasons, including conscientious objection to military engagements on religious or philosophical grounds; political objection, for example to service for a disliked government or unpopular war; and ideological objection, for example, to a perceived violation of individual rights. Those conscripted may evade service, sometimes by leaving the country. Some selection systems accommodate these attitudes by providing alternative service outside combat-operations roles or even outside the military, such as Zivildienst (civil service) in Austria and Switzerland. Most post-Soviet countries conscript soldiers not only for Armed Forces but also for paramilitary organizations which are dedicated to police-like domestic only service (Internal Troops) or non-combat rescue duties (Civil Defence Troops) – none of which is considered alternative to the military conscription.

The Stream

The Stream is a daily television programme on Al Jazeera English. It is branded as a “Web community With a Global TV show”. On television and online The Stream taps into the extraordinary potential of social media to disseminate news.

The Stream is an aggregator of online sources and discussion, seeking out unheard voices, new perspectives from people on the ground and untold angles related to the most compelling stories of the day. The show's social media team and second screen technology enable viewers to engage 24 hours a day with new content, comments, user-generated videos and a variety of posts.

Previously, the show was hosted by Derrick Ashong and Imran Garda. Lisa Fletcher replaced them as the new presenter. On June 25, 2012, the Stream was relaunched with a new studio and opening graphics. Femi Oke replaced Fletcher when Fletcher was picked to host a version of The Stream on Al Jazeera America.

About the show

“The idea is to tap into conversations that are already happening around the world from people who understand the issues but don't have the opportunity to participate in mainstream media”. Ahmed Shihab-Eldin