• On Monday 10th May at 7pm there is a picket on the Council offices because of the Freedom of the City being bestowed on Hilary Clinton who will be talking about the US President's 'continuing quest for peace' and on Wednesday 12th May there will be a demo at UCG, also organised by the No to War Campaign on the same theme. Tel: 091 - 565430.

Chernobyl Children's Project
The Chernobyl Children's Project (CCP), based in Cork (note address change below but phone and fax are the same) will again be hosting over a thousand Chernobyl-affected children this summer in 60 different areas; Belarussian scientist Vladimir Nesterenko has found that children visiting Ireland return with their radiation levels having fallen 30 - 50%.

Meanwhile the Coveney family who have sailed the world in aid of CCP arrive in to Crosshaven around 10am on Saturday 15th May after 18 months away. The 26th April was the 13th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster and a press briefing from CCP details the horrific outcome; according to UN estimates, at least 9 million people have been directly or indirectly affected. Medical effects are worse than predicted. For the first time in Belarussian history, the death rate is higher than birth rate; there is a 43% increase in the incidence of neuro-psychotic diseases in new born babies and Belarussian scientists maintain that by the year 2030 the gene pool of the Belarussian race will be irreparably damaged. CCP has sent 13 convoys of aid valued at £12 million and has a fleet of 110 ambulances with full maintenance programme; it has provided five thousand children from contaminated areas with rest and recuperation breaks in Ireland. Chernobyl Children's Project, 2 Camden Place, Camden Quay, Cork. Tel: 021 - 506411; Fax: 551544. Website http://www.aardvark.ie/ccp/ E-mail: adiroche@indigo.ie

As their walk booklet says; To be taking on associate membership of NATO, at a time when NATO is at war for the first time in its 50 year history, in circumstances which many consider illegal, is astounding. The fact that it is being done despite pre-election pledges to the contrary and without the opportunity for the people of Ireland to vote on the issue in a referendum "is a serious breach of faith and fundamentally undemocratic". AFrI is calling for a referendum on the issue and asking people to raise it with candidates in local and European elections in June. They have available a position paper 'Should Ireland join PfP?' which looks at the issue in the context of both the Balkans and wider afield. Details: AFri (Action from Ireland), Grand Canal House, Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. Tel: 01-4968595/4968610, Fax: 496 8592, E-mail: afri@iol.ie

Membership of PANA is £10, £2 unwaged, and £20 for groups. PANA, 113 Springhill Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Tel: 01-2808247, 2844765, 2894315, 2806700, Mobile: 087-2611597. E-mail: silchester@tinet.ie

Amnesty International
The Irish Section's Annual Review for 1998 (available on request) details some of the work done during the last year. Amnesty International (AI) in Ireland were involved in lobbying for setting up the permanent International Criminal Court. Then of course there was the 1,014,016 pledges in support of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. AI in Ireland has specialist groups as follows; Anti-Death Penalty, Children's Action, Lawyers' Group, Health Professionals, Refugee Working Group and Religious Network. It was volunteer country co-ordinators on Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria and Turkey.

Amnesty in Northern Ireland is at 80a Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AD, Tel: 01232-666216, Fax: 01232-666164.

Green Living Fair At Castle Espie
Castle Espie, Comber, Co Down sees a Green Living Fair taking place on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th June from 10.30-6.00pm with workshops, demonstrations, talks, trade stands and children's activities (free park and ride from Comber; parking at Castle Espie £2). Ideas explored will include renewable energy, reed bed filtration, composting, recycling, holistic medicine, etc. Further details: Alison or James at 01247-874146. Adults admission £3.25, children £2, family (2 + 3) £8.50, concession £2.70 (includes for cyclists!).

Pax Christi AGM
This took place in Dublin on 25th April with around forty people in attendance. Invited speakers dealt with Kosovo, restorative justice, and the Women's Coalition. Pax Christi business dealt with included the International Route which was held in Ireland in '98, landmines issues, the Northern Ireland working group, seminars held on various topics, and local work. Peadar O'Neill is continuing as chairperson; re-elected to the executive were Sr Marie Duddy, Mary Clinton and Richard Sheehy. Subscriptions to Pax Christi are minimum œ15 waged, œ5 unwaged. Pax Chrsiti is an international Catholic peace movement open to all people of goodwill. Pax Christi, 52 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. Tel: 01-4965293; Fax: 4965492.

Earthwatch
Earthwatch Supporters' AGM takes place in Dublin on Saturday 15th May with workshops on using the Freedom of Information Act, transport, waste, agriculture, genetic engineering and local groups development. The summer issue of Earthwatch magazine (36 pages A3) covers an amazingly wide variety of green and campaigning issues, a snip at œ1. There are local groups in Carlow, Clonmel, Dublin, Drogheda, Dundalk, Galway, South Kerry, Kilkenny, Mullingar and Waterford.

Subscriptions (minimum) to Earthwatch are £15 individual, £20 household, unwaged £7.50. Earthwatch, 20 Grove Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Phone 01 - 497 3773 , E-mail: foeeire@iol.ie The magazine is at The Square, Bantry, Co Cork, Tel: 027 - 50968, E-mail: ewmag@tinet.ie

IVS/VSI/SCI Summer Brochure
The 1999 international voluntary work summer brochure, listing 500 projects worldwide and all those organised by International Voluntary Service in the North and Voluntary Service International in the Republic is now available. UK£2 from IVS at 122 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BG (Tel: 01232-238147), or IR£3 from VSI at 30 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1 (Tel: 01-8551011).

IRAQ: Nobel Laureate Visit
Mairead Maguire's report on the Nobel Laureate Delegation to Iraq sponsored by the USA Fellowship of Reconciliation (4 pages) is available from the Peace People or on their website. "…it is tragically not only the children who are dying or being damaged emotionally...the entire society of Iraq is slowly being destroyed'. Peace People, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 6GE;. Tel: 01232-663465; Website www.peacepeople.com The US FOR report is available on their website: http://www.nonviolence.org/for

Irish Peace Institute - Outreach programme
A review on the Outreach Programme has been published for 1998, available on request. The Institute's aim is to contribute to the process of peace-building through programmes of education, research and outreach directed to the development of mutual understanding and co-operation between the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Outreach Department, set up in 1994 under the direction of Dorothy Cantrell, is intended to complement the academic work and a wide variety of events have been organised. The Irish Peace Institute, Foundation Building, University of Limerick, Limerick. Tel: 061-202768, Fax: 202572, E-mail: dorothy.cantrell@ul.ie

Irish Peace Institute, c/o The Old Fire Station, 1a Hawkin Street, Londonderry BT48 6RD, Tel: 01504-263346, Fax: 262113. For academic programmes contact: Centre for Peace and Development Studies, Foundation Building, University of Limerick, Limerick. Tel: 061-202700, Fax: 330316. Website: http://www.ul.ie

Direct Action Against Apathy - Belfast
DAAA, as its called, has the aim of giving voice and space to individuals and groups working to improve their environment and community, aiming to inform, empower and entertain. It produces a magazine of the same name (£1.30 + 2 x 2nd class stamps if by post, available some shops Belfast & Dublin) and is releasing 'The Direct Action Against Apathy Guide to Belfast'. They produce Splurge, a monthly events calendar. They also organise gigs and video screenings. DAAA, c/o Green Action, QUBSU, University Rd, Belfast BT7 1NF, E-mail: daaa@hotmail.com Website: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/5944

Reviews:
(According to demand we could do more on reviews - Ed)

‘The Vision of Peace’
Subtitled Faith and Hope in Northern Ireland, this is a collection of Mairead Corrigan Maguire's thoughts over the years on different aspects of peace at home and around the world, edited by US peace activist John Dear. There are 27 pieces, divided into three sections (Peace in NI/Peace in the world/Peace for all humanity), the majority of them from the 1990s, the earliest 1981. The preface by the Dalai Lama and forward by Desmond Tutu are testimony to Mairead's international work and connections; this is a record of some of her thinking on peace, nonviolence and religion; one or two are relatively well known but the bulk previously unobtainable. ISBN 1-57075-251-6, Orbis Books, New York (US price $14). c.140 pages. Available in Ireland from Easons (in Britain Tel: 0117-9277750).

‘Transforming Violence - Linking local and global peacemaking’
Christians may be the only people to think that Jesus' teaching did not include nonviolence but there is nevertheless a small but important Christian nonviolence tradition and challenge. This really packed anthology is an important resource with much thought provoking pieces from some key thinkers, mainly but not exclusively from the English-speaking world, they include Jim Forest, Walter Wink, Dorothee Soelle, Elise Boulding, John Paul Lederach, Andrea Bartoli, Dekha Ibrahim among others. Edited by Robert Herr and Judy Zimmerman Herr it is in 17 chapters covering four sections; Foundations for a just peace, A local culture of peace, A global culture of peace, and Peacemaking in ecumenical perspective. Published by Herald Press at a very modest US$9.99 for 256 pages. ISBN 0-8361-9098-X