Third trial lucky -
Pit Stop Ploughshares plough on again
It may seem incredible, and it is, but the third trial of
the Catholic Worker Five/Pit Stop Ploughshares (Deirdre Clancy,
Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran, Ciaron O'Reilly)
takes place starting at the Four Courts, Dublin on 5th July.
The previous two trials collapsed. The trial is for the 3rd
February 2003 nonviolent disarmament of a U.S. Navy War Plane
at Shannon Airport, Co. Clare. Solidarity is urgently needed,
including finance to bring relevant witnesses to court; donations
can be sent to "Ploughshares Defence Fund", 134
Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7, and donations can also be lodged
at any Bank of Ireland branch: "Ploughshares Defence
Fund", Account No. 80965573 Sort Code 900551. More
information at http://www.peaceontrial.com
or e-mail ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
If you are planning to be in Dublin for the trial, please
make contact at ploughshares@yahoo.ie
Quakers open new Moyallon
conference centre
The Religious Society of Friends in Ireland recently opened
a new residential conference centre in the grounds of a beautiful
historic Quaker Meeting House near Gilford, Co. Down. The
centre will sleep 60 (4 and 6 bedded rooms) and be a valuable
resource for local and international church, youth and community
groups. The committed group of Friends behind the project
hope that the modern, adaptable centre will provide opportunity
for inspiration, nourishment and personal development in a
neutral venue. For further information, contact either: Rosemary
Calvert, ph. (h) 028 – 92669253, e-mail moyallon@utvinternet.com
or Nigel Hampton, ph. (h) 028 38831752, (m) 07815 159516,
e-mail nigel.hampton@utvinternet.com
Cost per night is £11 per person (youth groups etc without
bedding) or £13 per person per night (with bedding),
and it is only currently available on a self-catering basis.
Wesleyan perspectives
on peace making
This is the theme of an international conference on peace
making taking place from 11th – 14th September at the
Clandeboye Hotel, Bangor, Co Down, asking questions such as
what is peace, is there a Wesleyan view of conflict transformation,
is social redemption a legitimate goal for a holiness church,
and whether there are principles of conflict transformation
and peace building that transcend culture. Speakers include
Ron Benefiel, Gustavo Crocker, Michael Mata and Glenn Jordan.
The full conference fee including meals and lodging is £300
(deadline 15th June) or conference and meals only £75
(deadline 15th August); contact Christi Difalco at cdifalco@eurasiaregion.org
to book. Local queries can go to Billy Mitchell at billy.linc@btconnect.com
and LINC will be providing a limited number of small bursaries
for low-paid/unemployed persons. The event is sponsored by
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries International (the social
action outreach of the Church of the Nazarene which is Wesleyan
in terms of theology and holiness), LINC Resource Centre and
the Centre for Contemporary Christianity in Ireland (the last
two based in Belfast). The conference is open to anyone interested
irrespective of denomination.
Irish Council for Civil
Liberties: 30 years a-growing
Recent news includes Mark Kelly starting as the new director,
and Amy Pearson as communications officer. The speech of Shami
Chakrabarti (Director, Liberty, UK) marking 30 years of ICCL
is available on the website, as is the current edition of
the ICCL Newsletter. ICCL expects to continue in its temporary
accommodation in Blackhall Place, Dublin until perhaps the
end of this year. Irish Council for Civil Liberties, DMG Business
Centre, 9-13 Blackhall Place, Dublin 7, ph. 01 – 7994500,
web http://www.iccl.ie/
and e-mail iccl@iol.ie
Irish Centre for Human
Rights, Galway – Mozart came too
In May, the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR) and Amnesty
International (Irish Section) hosted a one day international
seminar, with an expert panel of speakers, on the subject
of ‘extraordinary renditions’ including coverage
of the incompatibility of diplomatic assurances with the absolute
prohibition of torture and other cruel inhuman and degrading
treatment. Back in March the above two organisations published
a report on Irish institutional racism; ‘Breaking down
barriers; tackling racism in Ireland at the level of the state
and its institutions” by Louise Beirne and Dr Vinodh
Jaichand. Something different took place at the end of April
when a seminar followed by a short concert was held on the
theme of ‘Mozart and Human Rights’ – Prof
William Schabas, director of ICHR, played the cello for the
last piece of music with the Contempo String Quartet. Meanwhile
Michael D Higgins has been made Adjunct Professor affiliated
with the ICHR. Annual summer schools about to take place are
on ‘Minority rights, indigenous peoples, and human rights
law’ (10-16 June) and ‘The International Criminal
Court’ (8-13 July). Irish Centre for Human Rights, ph.
091 – 493948, web http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights
and e-mail humanrights@nuigalway.ie
Put aside your TV or
PC, become a monitor
Mediation Northern Ireland (MNI) is looking for additional
volunteers to add to its monitoring team. The aim of the monitoring
project is to contribute to peace, order and improved relations
in situations of communal tension – the success of the
initiative in recent years has shown it to be a timely method
of peacekeeping. If you are flexible, patient, impartial and
willing to volunteer, induction training (4 sessions for all
new volunteers) takes place in Belfast from late June. The
closing date is 9th June. If you’re interested, please
contact Máire Patton phone 028 – 90438614, or
e-mail maire@mediationnorthernireland.org
MNI, 83 University Street, Belfast BT7 1HP.
Corrymeela summer programme:
Treat yourself, Mary Ann
The Corrymeela Community still has places free for volunteering
during its annual Summer Programme which runs for 8 weeks
between July and August. Corrymeela hosts a series of weeklong
programmes for various groups around Northern Ireland and
the world. Those interested in volunteering during this time
will enjoy working in a variety of tasks including centre
maintenance (i.e. housekeeping, kitchen duties and reception),
worship, arts and crafts, outdoor activities and also working
with specific groups. Placements are available for applicants
aged 18 or above for between 1 and 3 weeks, although numbers
are limited. Full board and accommodation is provided. For
an application form, or further information, please e-mail
Jimmy Gordon at volunteersupport@corrymeela.org
the phone number at the Ballycastle centre is 028 2076 2626.
Meath Peace Group: Irish
involvement in WW1
The next Meath Peace Group Public Talk entitled “Irish
Involvement in the Great War, 1914-18”
will take place on Monday, 12th June, 2006 in the Ardboyne
Hotel Navan, [note different venue!] Co. Meath at 8 pm. Speakers:
Professor Paul Bew (Politics Dept., Q.U.B.) and Tom Burke,
MBE (Chair, Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association). Talk will
be chaired by Cathal MacCoille of RTE. The Ardboyne Hotel
is situated on the N3 (Dublin to Navan road), on the Dublin
side of Navan. For inquiries, contact meathpeace@hotmail.com
or Julitta Clancy 01 - 8259438. Also see our website for reports
of previous talks http://www.meathpeacegroup.org
IFOR seeks new international
coordinator
IFOR, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, based
in Alkmaar, Netherlands, seeks a new International Coordinator
to replace David Mumford. The Coordinator oversees organizational
and financial management and takes direction from the decisions
made by the IFOR Council and International Committee and carries
out their mandates. The deadline for applications is 15th
July and the post would start late 2006 or early 2007; detail
on IFOR website. Meanwhile staff additions at IFOR include
Marc Forget as field officer and Naomi Bolderheij as communications
officer. IFOR’s Council will meet in Japan in October.
Patterns (pamphlet) No. 9 on ‘Peace services in the
Abharamic traditions’ has just been published. Fuller
information on all these matters at http://www.ifor.org
including ‘IFOR in Action’ newssheet and Women
Peacemakers Program newsletter ‘Cross the Lines’.
IFOR affiliates in Ireland currently are INNATE and the Peace
People. IFOR, ph +31 72 512 3014, e-mail office@ifor.org
ICR and Belfast Interface Project
‘Reducing tension’
The Institute for Conflict Research and Belfast Interface
Project have co-produced a 50-page publication “Working
at the Interface: Good practice in reducing tension and violence”
by Neil Jarman. It includes a list of organisations working
in interface areas in the North, mainly Belfast. See http://www.conflictresearch.org.uk
for details (and PDF download); Belfast Interface Project
website is at http://www.belfastinterfaceproject.org
ICR, ph 028 – 9074 2682 Email: info@conflictresearch.org.uk
Incinerate,
incinerate, incinerate By Mary 0’Leary
Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment
(CHASE) is an alliance of communities in the greater Cork
harbour area who are against the principle of the commercial
burning of waste i.e. mass incineration, as it is a 19th century
solution to a 21st century problem.
Much remains to be done with our waste in terms
of recovery, recycling, separation of waste streams, product
redesign and elimination of organic material to landfill.
Newer safer and more innovative technologies come on stream
on a regular basis that will allow us to deal with our waste
in a safer and environmentally responsible manner If all the
above are put onto operation, the need for incineration can
be eliminated, as other countries have shown.
CHASE promotes sustainable waste management.
This means regarding waste as a resource. It means embracing
newer and better technologies. And it means managing our waste
in an environmentally friendly way. In the opinion of international
experts such as Mr Martin Keyes (UK) and Professor Ken Guiser
(US), it is premature for Ireland to consider mass incineration
at this stage, as we in Ireland are coming to waste management
later than any of our European neighbours and can learn from
their mistakes.
The perceived waste management crisis in Ireland
is in fact, a case of mis-management. At the recent National
Waste Management Summit speakers from our biggest waste management
companies, outlined the problems facing waste recovery. They
explained that the success of recovery and recycling will
be severely hampered by the EPA or planning, creating excess
capacity in incineration or landfill and that waste separation,
recovery and recycling cannot succeed in this climate.
Another speaker indicated that there is no crisis
in hazardous waste management in Ireland. There is plenty
of capacity overseas, where producers can choose with whom
and how they want to dispose of their waste. This keeps costs
down, gives producers’ choice, and avoids a monopoly
situation. It also gives us the opportunity to explore newer,
cleaner and safer technologies. Once incineration is adopted
we are married to it for the next 30 years while newer, better
technologies pass us by.
According to Dr Paul Connett (U.S) (who recently
appeared on Primetime) a chemist and scientist with 20 years
experience in waste management and alternatives to incineration,
burning is a wasted opportunity to move in the right direction
of sustainable waste management.
Consumer response to waste separation and recycling
has been phenomenal. It shows that there is tremendous willingness
on behalf of the public to do “their bit”. But
we need kerbside separation and collection, adequate recycling
facilities and meaningful financial incentives to make it
work. We also need to see a real response from the Government
to set up facilities at all landfills to treat all organic
matter which according to the Minister on a recent radio programme
(RTE News) makes up to 75% of what goes to landfill.
In a properly structured waste management system,
none of this organic waste should go to landfill as this is
what causes all the problems of methane production and harmful
leachate. All organics should be removed, processed using
mixed biological treatment and what is left can be used as
a soil improver thus dealing with our waste in a sustainable
way.
A major problem with the incineration solution
is that it is so poorly thought out. It is not the quick fix
our government portray it as. It does not make waste disappear;
it simply changes it from one form to another. It does not
do away with the need for landfill. It produces toxic ash
and toxic emissions which ultimately lead to deterioration
of the environment. Northern Europe may have some of the highest
recycling rates and a large numbers of incinerators, but it
also has the highest levels of dioxins and the most polluted
air in the Northern hemisphere.
Dioxins are some of the most toxic chemicals
known to science. Once dioxins have entered the environment
or body they are there to stay, due to their ability to dissolve
in fats and to their rock solid chemical stability. Humans
absorb 90-95% of dioxins through the food chain, of which
two thirds comes from the consumption of meat and dairy products.
This is why it is vital for Ireland to resist incineration
at all costs in order to protect one of our most important
industries, the food and agriculture sector which is worth
a staggering €7 billion to the national exchequer per
annum.
The truth is, Ireland is not in a position to
monitor or regulate commercial incinerator facilities. This
was the finding of the government’s commissioned report
on the health effects of incineration and landfill carried
out by the Health Research Bureau.
There are health effects from incineration even at present
EU limits. At the Ringaskiddy Incinerator EPA Oral Hearing
2005, Dr. Gavin Ten Tusscher, a Paediatrician in Holland,
presented evidence that damage is occurring to the most vulnerable
in our society; the young, the unborn and breast feeding infants,
at present emission levels. The EU is now looking at lowering
limits of emissions. The US EPA have said there are no safe
levels of dioxins .That the Irish EPA have ignored all this
evidence and air-brushed it out of their decision to grant
a waste licence, does nothing to assure the public of their
commitment to protect the people they are meant to serve.
The most recent health report published in December
2005 carried out by the British Society of Ecological Medicine
clearly concludes that new facilities emitting substantial
quantities of particulate matter, volatile heavy metals and
hazardous organic pollutants should not be built i.e. incinerators.
.They also conclude that there are alternative methods of
dealing with waste that would avoid the main health risks
of incineration and would be cheaper in terms of health costs
in the long run.
In relation to the proposed incinerators in
Ringaskiddy, the site has failed the World Health Organisation
criteria for site selection for Hazardous waste incinerators.
Strict adherence to these criteria is vital to the safety
of host communities. These criteria are critical to the WHO
giving any support to incineration. Local and national plans
have been contravened, international guidelines misinterpreted,
local government decisions overturned, scientific evidence
disregarded, public safety discounted, and the views of over
30,000 people and their public representatives ignored.
Allowing this development to go ahead represents
a clear failure of the democratic process.The fact that so
many checks and balances have been ignored fully justifies
people’s concerns about how business is done in relation
to such facilities. This point was succinctly made in a Government
commissioned report in relation to such projects which states;
“Public trust, whether it is placed in the regulators,
in compliance with the regulations or in the information provided,
will be fundamental in achieving even a modicum of consensus
for any future developments in waste policy in Ireland.”
(Crowley, Staines et al. 2002).
The communities have followed the democratic
process to the tee; have wholeheartedly engaged in the planning
process and the license process, at their own expense. The
incinerator proposal was refused by Cork County Council; the
inspector of An Bord Pleanala gave fourteen reasons why this
facility should not be built, not least that he could not
guarantee that it would not pose a threat to public safety.
No health impact assessment has been done on the effect of
such a facility on the host community.
The fact that the Irish Government has allowed
itself to be seduced by the simplistic idea that incineration
is the solution to waste management, has unfortunately had
the effect of hindering the development of a proper integrated
waste management system. Whatever the solutions are, they
must stand up to scrutiny and be totally transparent in relation
to all the checks and balances being observed. In the case
of the proposed toxic waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy this
has not happened and such a facility will never be accepted
by the communities in Cork.
Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment
(CHASE),
Bishop's Road, Cobh, Co. Cork, ph 021 - 481 5564 Email - info@chaseireland.org
and their (excellent – Ed) website is at http://www.chaseireland.org
- - - - - -
Let Mordechai
Vanunu go...
On leaving Israel/Palestine at the start of May, Mairead Corrigan
Maguire, who had spent 10 days in Israel-Palestine campaigning
for an end to the detention of Mordechai Vanunu, said:
"I believe it is sad and shameful that
the Israeli Government continues to detain Mordechai Vanunu
for this the 20 year of his internal exile within Israel.
He has no secrets. He is no threat to Israeli security. I
therefore call upon the Israel Government to uphold Mordechai
Vanunu's human rights to freedom of speech and freedom of
movement and let him go.
I also support his call for a Nuclear Free Israel,
Middle East and world and call upon the Israeli Government
to open Dimona for inspection, and to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation
treaty.
During my visit I have travelled to Jenin Refugee Camp, Hebron,
and Bethlehem in the Israeli Occupied Territories. I have
witnessed the daily suffering of the Palestinian people living
under an increasing and worsening oppressive Israeli occupation.
I believe there is a great desire for peace
amongst all the people, but in order to move into serious
dialogue and negotiations urgent steps, and the political
will; particularly from the Israeli Government, need to be
taken. I therefore make the following Appeal:
l) I call upon the International Community,
European Community, the United States of America, to intervene
to end the 40 year occupation by Israel and to end the Palestinian
suffering in Palestinian camps for 60 years. The International
Community must not be intimidated and silenced by threats
of being anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli, but must be bold in
demanding Israel upholds it obligations under International
Law.
2) The way for peace must be for Israel to end
the occupation and recognize and respect all the national
and international human rights of the Palestinian people.
3) I call upon the Palestinian people to use
the methods of Jesus Christ, Badshan Khan, Gandhi, Martin
Luther King of nonviolent resistance to the occupation and
apartheid system, which continues to cause so much suffering
to their people. And for the International Community to support
such a nonviolent resistance by the Palestinian people.
4) I call upon the Israeli Government to uphold
International Court of Justice and dismantle the Apartheid
wall, and the Apartheid system of injustice. To recognize
the democratically elected Government of the Palestinian people
and enter into serious dialogue with their new 'partner for
peace’.
5) I call upon Israeli Government, European
Union, United State, to restore Foreign Aid as the withdrawing
of this, is in effect. a collective punishment of the Palestinian
people, many of whom already live under great poverty and
hardship, due to the continuing illegal occupation and colonization
of the Palestinian Territories.
6) I call upon all Israeli and Palestinian people
to continue to hope and believe and act for peace, and to
do everything in their power to begin to build trust and friendship
amongst each other. Nuclear Weapons, militarism, and emergency
laws will not build trust, but overcome the fear of each other,
and continuing the great work already being done by both Israeli
and Palestinian peace activists, and many others, will bring
peace. The Israeli Government can help this process by making
it possible for people to actually meet each other, and build
a grassroots peace movement together.
I have great hopes for both Israeli-Palestinian
and leave strengthened and upheld by the love and affection
I have received from my many Israeli and Palestinian Friends.
Nonviolent
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