Up Down for Thales
On Monday 16th August Down District Council passed the following
motion on Thales Air Defence by 14 - 7 votes (the motion was
tabled by Cllr Raymond Blaney, Green Party): “That Down
District Council recognises that Thales Air Defence is an
integral part of the international arms trade and wants no
part of that trade in our council area. In particular we declare
our total opposition to the assembly and test firing of missiles
at the Lough Mann site and the use of public money by the
MOD to subsidise an industry which promotes the continuation
of war and instability.”
The Council also agreed to lobby the Ministry
of Defence on behalf of local constituents who are being denied
planning permission on the grounds that their property lies
within a 'safeguarding area' which is secretive to the extent
that the planning office is reluctant to disclose its boundary.
Down DC also agreed to request a site visit of the Thales
Air Defence testing facility at Lough Mann which is 4 miles
south of Ballynahinch on the Downpatrick road. So Down District
Council has joined Derry City Council (see NN116)
in opposing the arms trade.
‘Only in Norn Irony’:
Meanwhile almost £900,000 of EU Peace and Reconciliation
money has been allocated to Thales. Thales UK Air Defence
System (TADL) was recently awarded a £180 million contract
from the MoD (British Ministry of Defence) for a tranche of
Starstreak High Velocity Missiles (HVM). The multi-billion
pound French owned company at present employs 580 people in
Castlereagh and was awarded the funding through Invest NI.
To qualify for funding under the Peace II programme, all applicants
were required to demonstrate the extent to which their proposal
either addressed the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland
or would take advantage of opportunities arising from peace!
For action/information concerning the arms trade
you can contact any of the following, as well as Amnesty International
(in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, see contacts NN120)
which focuses on human rights implications:
Community Dialogue on
the IMC report
You can trust Community Dialogue to come up with a handy guide
to discussion points on any big issue of contention in Northern
Ireland. Their latest is “IMC Report: Truth or political
manipulation”, and, as before, they manage to squeeze
background, different responses, and questions into just 4
sides of A5, which is quite an achievement. The Independent
Monitoring Commission report is a big issue in the Northern
Ireland community sector at the moment with worries about
political vetting versus concerns to move on and away from
the violent past. Community Dialogue, 373 Springfield Road,
Belfast BT12 7DG, phone 028 – 9032 9995, fax 9033 0482,
e-mail admin@communitydialogue.org
and website www.communitydialogue.org
Peace Studies at Saor
Ollscoil
The Peace Studies course is taught as part of the BA degree
programme at SO; the course is an introduction to the Study
of Peace, looking at the various ideas/philosophies of peace
that have been put forward from the ancient to the modern
world. Other areas include the study of the causes of war
and violence looking at some case histories. As part of our
commitment to international peace organisations we look at
the problem of Genocide and the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. Term Starts Monday 4th of October and Peace
Studies is on Wednesday evenings from 6th of October. Saor-Ollscoil
na hÉireann - The Free University of Ireland, 55 Prussia
Street, Dublin 7. Phone 012-8683368, www.saor-ollscoil.ie
Poppy the question
It’s not long now to the ‘remembrance’ season
in this part of the world, and for those who wish to display
a symbol of opposition to war itself, the white poppy is a
key symbol. They are available from the Peace Pledge Union
office in London in a variety of sizes of packs, along with
other resources including an interactive CD, ‘Voices
for Peace’ which includes looking at beliefs about
war through changing attitudes to remembrance day and other
material (UK£12.50, available October). Poppies cost
UK£0.60 each for less than five, £3 for 5, £6
for 10, £12.50 for 25 and £40 for 100, minimum
order £3 and P & p £2. PPU, 1 Peace Passage,
London N7 0BT, ph 0870 770 7944, fax 0870 770 7945, e-mail
wp@ppu.org.uk and web www.whitepoppy.org.uk
[Leaflet enclosed for most paper copies of NN]
Mediation Northern Ireland
of courses
This autumn Mediation Northern Ireland will be conducting
open-access courses in Handling Life's Conflicts, Foundation
Training in Mediation, and Group Mediation Skills. We are
just completing a Principled Negotiation Skills course but
if you are interested in future courses please let us know.
Contact Sheila Hoyer at Mediation Northern Ireland 028 - 9043
8614 for more information. MNI, e-mail info@mediationnorthernireland.org
and web www.mediationnorthernireland.org
New face at Quaker House
Belfast
The new representative at Quaker House, Belfast, is Anne Bennett
who is looking forward to meeting people (she succeeds Mark
Chapman). Quaker House, 7 University Avenue, Belfast BT7 1GX,
phone 028 – 90 24 92 93, e-mail quaker.house@ntlworld.com
Just the job to put
a WRI smile on your face?
The War Resisters International office in London is looking
for a full time Nonviolence Programme Worker; a commitment
to pacifism, experience with nonviolent campaigning, training
and fundraising essential; a second language, preferably Spanish,
is desirable as well as English. Salary £18,862, deadline
7th October, starting date January but negotiable. Application
pack from: WRI, 5 Caledonian road, London N1 9DX, +44 (0)20
– 7278 4040, website www.wri-irg.org
PBI seek international
observers
Peace Brigades International is in the process of recruiting
volunteers to act as international observers in Colombia,
Guatemala, Mexico and Indonesia; prospective volunteers need
to be over 25 and fluent in the language of the country concerned.
PBI aims is to help create a breathing space in conflict zones
so that the civilian population may organise to defend its
rights without fear of reprisals and violence. The next orientation
weekend is in England from 18th to 21st November; for further
information contact PBI UK, 1b Waterlow Road, London N19 5NJ,
phone/fax 020 – 7281 5370, e-mail pbiuk@gn.apc.org,
web www.peacebrigades.org/britain.html
Sustainable Ireland
Network Bulletin
This monthly e-mail newsletter is a ‘must have’
in the green/ecological scene in Ireland “produced
by the Sustainable Ireland Co-operative providing communication
and networking for individuals and groups working for a healthy,
just and ecologically sustainable world.” To be
put on the mailing list, contact Sustainable Ireland Co-operative,
Cultivate, 15-19 Essex Street West, Dublin 8. Ph: +353 (0)1
6746415 Web: http://www.sustainable.ie
Email: mailto:info@sustainable.ie
Here are brief mentions of a couple of current
news items from the September edition: lThe next Convergence
festival which is entitled 'Building The Eco-Economy' will
take place from the 14th of October to the 17th. For an outline
of the events see http://www.sustainable.ie/convergence
The inaugural Irish
Renewable Energy Summit takes place as a day long event
that will bring together the key players from within the renewables
sector and important stakeholders from the wider energy sector.
The venue and date: Tuesday 28th September 2004, Royal Hospital,
Kilmainham, Dublin.
Kerry Earth Day
Kerry Earth Day takes place on Saturday 25th September from
10.00 am to 4.30 pm at Béal, near Asdee, Listowel at
the farm of Kate Carmody; the theme is ‘Earth, Sky and
Sea’. Workshops on offer include birdwatching, cheesemaking,
organic farming, local heritage, sustainability, the local
sand dunes, a meditative walk and circle dancing. Cost €20,
organized by Kerry Diocesan Justice, Peace and Creation Committee;
further info from Sylvia Thompson, phone 066 – 7137484
or e-mail sylviathompson@eircom.net
At Ease, soldier
At Ease is a free and independent information service for
soldiers in the British forces who may have scruples about
being involved with a particular war, or war in general; At
Ease may also be able to help with other problems they might
have. It is completely confidential. Phone 0207 247 5164 Sundays
5 – 7 pm, e-mail atease@advisory.freeserve.co.uk
and web www.atease.org.uk
T-winning formula
Not all twinning is an excuse for junketing. Sligo’s
link with Kitwe in Zambia is one excellent example of a different
way of doing it. Among other work the Sligo-Kitwe Link has
run a successful art and literary competition, sold Zambian
art works and used the commission to support projects in Kitwe,
and worked locally on debt cancellation issues. See www.sligokitwe.ie
or contact Maura Foran at 071 – 9163614.
On the wings of a dove
25th November to 10th December sees a worldwide campaign on
Overcoming Violence against women and children as part of
the World Council of Churches Decade to Overcome Violence
2001 -2010, inviting churches to develop pastoral and practical
responses and actions to overcome violence against women and
children. Suggestions include providing safe spaces for telling
the stories of suffering, survival and resistance, making
linkages and alliances, exposing church practices that lead
to violence and developing practical and pastoral responses
towards justice and healing. On the Wings of a Dove, WCC,
PO Box 2100, CH-1211 Geneva 2, e-mail ag@wcc-coe.org,
and web www.wcc-coe.org
Death of Shirley Morrow
We very much regret to record the death of Shirley Morrow,
in July following heart surgery. She was a former chair of
the Corrymeela Council and chaired the committee which saw
through the rebuilding of the main house at Corrymeela, Ballycastle,
among many other involvements. Our heartfelt condolences to
John her husband (former leader of the Corrymeela Community)
and all her family.
Nonviolent
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