Naming the Children
‘Naming the Children’ exhibition, portraits of twenty children ‘in times of peace and war’, continues at Ards Friary, Creeslough, Co Donegal until 23rd November; it is open each day from 2.30 – 5.00 pm and admission is free. It is sponsored by the Connemara Peace Group, EIL Intercultural Learning, Letterkenny Credit Union, Raphoe Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation group, Trócaire, and Veterans for Peace. It is curated by Christina Rodgers of the Tory Island Painters. “This exhibition invites us to see reality through the eyes of twenty children who were murdered, and through the eyes of their family and friends, if any survived. These children and teenagers are from countries in Asia, the Americas, Australia, Europe and the Middle East...” Contact: Jim Farrell jfcoaching1@gmail.com / Alanna Robins info@alannarobins.com / Ed Horgan edwardhorgan45@gmail.com Suggestions for locations to show the exhibition are welcome.
Regarding the Naming the Children project, Ed Horgan writes: “We estimate that the up to one million children have died due to conflict related causes including violence, disease and starvation. While our primary objective is to seek to reduce the number of children being killed by exposing the reality of these crimes being caused or facilitated by Western countries or their allies, and being caused also by local factors and groups in the Middle East. We know we will only ever manage to find names for only a small proportion of those killed, but we consider those we do name to be representatives of all those children killed. We arrange different events to commemorate specific groups of children and we try to make these commemorations as appropriate and sensitive as possible. Our most recent event .... an exhibition of paintings of 20 children by twenty Irish artists ... in the Ards Friary in Creeslough, NW Donegal.” The Naming the Children website is at www.namingthechildren.com
Countering incitement to hatred in Northern Ireland
A 2017 conference looked at when public authorities can or must act against speech and cultural expression in order to protect the rights of others. The event was organised by the Equality Coalition (which is convened by CAJ and UNISON) with support from the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. From the proceedings of this conference, a comprehensive 90 page report has been published, see bit.ly/2nTM8xr also www.equalitycoalition.net and e-mail equalitycoalition@caj.org.uk
Successful World Beyond War conference
A successful international conference was held by World Beyond War (WBW) in Limerick on 5th and 6th October and material including videos and photos can be found on the WBW website worldbeyondwar.org/nowar2019/ - there are lots of goodies there you can dip your toes into. A moving demonstration took place at Shannon Airport including conference participants on the second day. INNATE material on the conference includes a report in the e-mail and web editions of this issue of Nonviolent News, and a set of photos.
Shannon LNG
Despite the ban on fracking in the Republic of Ireland, the Government plans to sanction the building of a terminal for imported fracked gas from the USA in the Shannon estuary. The terminal is to be built in a UN special area of conservation for wildlife. It will be a huge contributor to already out-of-control climate change and global warming, emitting methane gas which is 86 times more harmful than Carbon Dioxide. On 4th October, Minister Richard Bruton approved Shannon LNG as an EU Project of Common Interest, meaning it can by-pass Irish law and receive many millions in EU funding yet the majority of Irish MEPs and 44 TDs oppose Shannon LNG; he did subsequently say he would not approve an EU funding application until a security of supply review was completed and reviewed by government and Dáil. Sources: Afri www.afri.ie and stopshannonlng.ie A word search will throw up lots more.
More Boots on the Ground for Freedom
Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff of Veterans For Peace started Phase 2 of their ‘Boots on the Ground For Freedom’ walks on Monday 28th October, going from Dun Laoghaire to Dublin and then along a route to Drogheda and Dundalk to end at the border near Kilcurry. Ken and Tarak are awaiting trial here for protesting the well over three million US troops that have landed in Shannon as they travel to and from their perpetual wars. Despite a clear intention to face trial to highlight their defence of the policy of Irish Neutrality, they were forced to surrender their passports and are in effect exiled in the Republic of Ireland until the trial date, instead of being allowed to return to their families. See; www.youtube.com
Since their release on bail Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff have actively campaigned against the use of Shannon Airport by the US military in a variety of ways including these ‘Boots on the Ground walks’. ‘Legs’ of the walk still to come include Sunday 3rd November – noon - Laytown train station to Drogheda Laurence’s Gate [11km]; Monday 4th November – noon – Drogheda Laurence’s Gate to Murray’s Cross [11km]; Tuesday 5th November – noon – Murray’s Cross to Castlebellingham [14km]; Wednesday 6th November – noon – Castlebellingham to Dundalk St. Patrick’s Cathedral [12km]; Thursday 7th November – noon – Dundalk St. Patrick’s Cathedral to border near Kilcurry [10km]. Support welcome, contact Ken Mayers on 089 9881173.
MII annual conference opened by ministerial mediator
“2019 has provided many examples of the growth in usage of mediation in Ireland and across the world. The UN ratified a new convention on mediation to make it easier to settle cross-border commercial disputes, Ryanair sought mediation to help solve disputes with its pilots and the number of mediations conducted through the WRC and the Financial Services Ombudsman increased significantly,” stated President of the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland Margaret Considine at the opening of their annual conference in Kilkenny on 11th October. She went on to say “We are delighted that Minister Madigan an experienced qualified mediator is opening our conference this morning. The 2017 Mediation Act has provided state recognition of mediation as an effective and successful process for resolving disputes in a wide variety of contexts and mediation is fast becoming the preferred option for solving disputes”. The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland is the professional association for Mediators in Ireland and is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to promote the use of quality mediation. MII states that statistics show a success rate for mediation averaging 80 per cent. For further information see www.themii.ie
Climate, Jobs and a Just Transition, Belfast
“Climate, Jobs and Just transition – Responding to our climate emergency” is a one day conference taking place in Queen’s University Belfast from 9.30 am – 5.30 pm on Saturday 9th November in the Canada Room and Council Chamber, QUB. Registration free, all welcome; further details and to register go to go.qub.ac.uk/climate-jobs
Volunteer with CAJ volunteers
CAJ, the Committee on the Administration of Justice based in Belfast, is looking for someone to work on a voluntary basis for around two days a month as a Volunter Coordinator. The person appointed to this volunteer post will have a good knowledge of and commitment to human rights, an understanding of the role of volunteers, and empathetic personal communication skills. Application is by CV and a short declaration of interest. Further details from liz@caj.org.uk and the deadline for the receipt of declarations of interest is 30th November. See also caj.org.uk
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP)
AVP continues to be amazingly busy. Recently highlights has included work in open prisons and training of facilitators –10 new talented facilitators completed their training in Cork prison in October. One new venture in August was a special week-end training for active facilitators in Mountjoy PU around Trauma Awareness; this programme has been created by AVP facilitators within AVP International and was facilitated by very experienced international people. Forthcoming workshops in November include various level courses in the Midlands, Cork prison, Mountjoy (Dublin), Castlerea prison, Limerick (women), Wheatfield (Dublin) and Mountjoy PU (Dublin).
AVP is a training programme enabling participants to deal with potentially violent situations in new and creative ways. Workshops are non-residential, run by trained facilitators and experiential (not based on lectures). Further details at avpireland.ie and they are always looking for new people to train as volunteer facilitators.
Partition: A dividing Ireland in a dividing Europe, Cookstown
This is a one day conference on 21st November organised by Community Relations Council, Heritage Fund and Decade of Centenaries Roundtable to engage community-based participants in a practical day of learning to illuminate the period 1920-22. Speakers include Professor Alan Sharp, Dr Eamon Phoenix and Liz Gillis. Their input will set the scene for smaller group sessions in the late morning and a panel discussion in the afternoon. Relevant groups and agencies will also be displaying their work and resources in a market place format. The conference takes place in Cookstown from 9.30 am to 4 pm. Further details and booking at the CRC website www.community-relations.org.uk
Over 200 events took place as part of Good Relations Week in Northern Ireland in September and information on some of them can be found on the CRC website; you can also subscribe to receive monthly CRC events listing and quarterly newsletter.
Galway: An evening with Sally Hayden
One in the Irish Centre for Human Rights’ open events, ‘An Evening with Sally Hayden’, award-winning Irish freelance journalist and photographer focused on migration, conflict and humanitarian crises takes place in AM200, Arts Millennium Building, NUI Galway on Tuesday 12th November 2019 from 6.15pm. All welcome. See www.nuigalway.ie/irish-centre-human-rights
ICCL calls for action on image-base sexual abuse
In a submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has called for the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act to be amended to outlaw the creation and/or sharing of private sexual images without consent. ICCL also called for legal aid to assist victims to take cases when their rights have been violated. In ICCL’s research on the issue, most victims of online harassment are women and the perpetrators were most commonly found to be partners, prospective partners or ex-partners attempting to exert control. Full submission at www.iccl.ie
The Real Cost of War seminar, Birmingham
Church and Peace in Britain along with Fellowship of Reconciliation UK are organising this seminar on Saturday 22nd February, in the Priory Rooms (Bull Street Quaker Meeting House) Birmingham B4 6AF. The main speaker will be Maria Biedrawa, a peace deacon resident in Northern France, who represents FoR France on the Church & Peace Board. Based on her work in the Central African Republic and South Sudan; she will be talking about what armed conflict really means for people, and what unarmed, non-violent civilians do to face it. The event runs from 10 am to 4.30 pm and further details are available from forbesbarbarae@yahoo.co.uk
Jai Jagat wends its way
Jai Jagat is a global campaign for justice and peace that combines 370 days of March from Delhi to Geneva, with trainings, dialogues and outreach to inspire people and decision-makers to adopt nonviolence and ensure inclusion in tackling poverty, discrimination, violent conflicts and the climate crisis. The year-long foot March will cover 14,000 kilometers from New Delhi, India, to Geneva, Switzerland. It started on 4th October 2019 and will cross 10 countries: India, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Italy to arrive in Switzerland on 26th September 2020. Fifty marchers would be present throughout the whole walk and some people would keep joining in between. Geneva City and Canton are welcoming the marchers for a week-long program from 26th September to 2nd October 2020. You can sign up to receive updates. www.jaijagat2020.org
Nonviolent
News is usually produced 10 times a year (on
paper) and extended e-mail and web editions
Subscriptions for the printed edition
are; UK£5 or €8 minimum
(£3 or €5 unwaged or you
can have Nonviolent News e-mailed (suggested donation
£2 or €3 minimum).
Additional donations welcome and vital
to keep INNATE afloat. Submissions are welcome - the
deadline for the next issue is noted on the left.
You can browse through previous issues
from the menu on the left.
