Information on the Commission may be obtained from the Irish Commission for Justice and Peace, 169 Booterstown Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin. tel. Dublin 288 50 21 / 288 3866. Fax: Dublin 283 41 61. E-mail: icjp@eircom.net or peaceeducation@eircom.net

PANA - Peace and Neutrality Alliance
PANA is working to establish a PANA group in every constituency throughout Ireland - one already exists in most constituencies in the Republic. PANA has 5 objectives - the first two are that "It is within the OSCE and a reformed United Nations, and not the EU, that Ireland should pursue its security concerns." and "Ireland should pursue a positive neutrality and independent foreign policy and not join or form an association with any military alliance, such as the WEU or NATO". While PANA's Bulletin says that those supporting neutrality will have to become a great deal stronger to reverse the process of the militarisation of Europe (and Ireland joining PfP/Partnership for Peace) the failure of the Government to live up to its promise of a referendum on the issue "did show that the Leaders are frightened of the people they claim to lead". At the Helsinki Summit the EU Leaders agreed to establish a 60,000 strong army as a result of the Amsterdam Treaty; PANA estimates 'defence' spending in the Republic will rise dramatically. Meanwhile PANA would like to build up links with other peace groups, political parties and individuals, at home or abroad, who oppose militarisation. PANA, 113 Springhill Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Various phone numbers: 01 - 2806878, 2808247, 2844765, 2894315. 2806700. E-mail: silchester@eircom.net
Individual membership of PANA is £20 waged, £5 unwaged.

Trauma, Healing and Reconciliation
A half day seminar on this topic is taking place in Belfast on Wednesday 16th February from 10am - 2pm with speakers David Bolton and William Stevenson. Cost is £5 including lunch. It has been organised primarily for clergy and full-time lay church workers but is open to others. Further details from/bookings to the organiser: Doug Baker, Mediation Network, 128A Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BG. Tel: 028 - 90 438614.

EMU - Birds fly in and out
A number of staff changes have taken place at the EMU Promoting School Project in Derry; Brendan Hartop and Seamus Farrell have both left to go to the School of Education at the University of Ulster to work on a Bosnia-related educational project. Roisin McConnellogue is working as a temporary clerk-typist; Nick Tomlinson as a temporary advisory teacher until April, and Lucia McGready has joined as advisory teacher. Jerry Tyrrell continues as director. Meanwhile they are appointing a part-time worker for the 'Time To Listen' programme in Craigavon, supporting schools in developing community based relationships. Their 'Games Book' (see NN70) is selling well but still available at £5 (+ 50p post). EMU PSP, Magee College, Northland Road, L'Derry BT48 7JL. Ph. 01504 - 375225, fax 375550. E-mail J.Tyrrell@ulst.ac.uk Web: www: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/emu/

RAFIKI - World Learning For Children
Trocaire has produced an interactive CD-ROM for Irish children, home or school use, to learn about the lives of children around the world with lots of activities, games and stories. As anti-racist education becomes imperative this is surely the right tool at the right time. It sells at £29.99, from Trocaire (phone Dublin 288 5385, Belfast 238586) or from shops.

Visions of Peace
Saor-Ollscoil na hEireann (Free University of Ireland) is organising a major international conference in Dublin from 22nd - 27th May 2000 under the title ‘Visions Of Peace - Before The Cathedral Comes The Vision Of The Cathedral’, as part of UNESCO's programme for the International Year of the Culture of Peace. Papers/presentations are invited. Further details; Saor Ollscoil na hEireann, 55 Prussia Street, Dublin 7. Tel. 01-8683368/ 045-879553, or E-mail to Sean English at senglish@iol.ie

Irish Government Falling Down on Rights - ICCL
The Irish Government is falling down on implementing key human rights pledges in the Good Friday Agreement, Irish Council for Civil Liberties co-chair Michael Farrell has claimed. There is still no date for a Human Rights Commission in the Republic almost a year after the establishment of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; legislation was introduced but seems to have disappeared off the Oireachtas timetable. The Government is also dithering on incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic legislation - embarrassingly the only one of 41 member states of the Council of Europe not to have done so. ICCL has also responded to aspects of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture report, among other things supporting reform of complaints against members of the Garda Siochana, and dealing with the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum. Meanwhile ICCL has launched its new website - www.iccl.ie - note new website address. And ICCL's new administrator, Imelda McGowan, has just started in her post. Subscriptions to ICCL; Individuals £15, double £22, unwaged £5, organisations from £50. ICCL, 40 - 41 Lower Dominick Street, Dublin 1. Tel: 01 - 878 3136, fax 878 3109. E-mail; iccl@iol.ie

Community Environmental Leadership Course
Conservation Volunteers Ireland and Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland are running a Community Environmental Leadership Course at least four times between February and June as a joint initiative; the course will take place over two weekends, one at Townly Hall near Drogheda and the other at Clandeboye Estate near Bangor. Due to Peace and Reconciliation funding the event is free. The course assumes no specialist knowledge and is open to anyone interested or active in developing an environmental project in their community; modules are on community, communication and leadership, environmental knowledge, and practical skills. Further info/expressions of interest (to receive pack and booking info); Conservation Volunteers NI, Clandeboye Estate, Bangor, Co Down BT19 1RN. Tel: 01247 – 852817, Fax: 853752.

Mediators Institute Ireland
Recent events run by Mediators Institute Ireland (MII) include their annual conference, a residential two day event for practitioner mediators, and a seminar on bullying, harassment and discrimination in the workplace. The MII Newsletter, 'Agreement', provides a run down on developments and training, and lists family mediation practitioners in the Republic. Subscriptions are; Associate member £30, Associate practitioner member £30, Registered practitioner member £55. MII correspondence should currently go to; 95 Stillorgan Wood, Stillorgan, Co Dublin. Tel: 01-288 4190, Fax: 278 3453, E-mail: corry@indigo.ie

AFAN
Atlantis Foundation Action Network; Faslane February blockade
AFAN (meaning 'urgency' in Spanish) works to protect the rain forest, for nuclear disarmament and human rights. It is active on a wide range of issues locally, nationally and globally as its newsletter portrays. Currently AFAN is looking for people to travel to Faslane in Scotland for the Trident Ploughshares (etc) blockade of the nuclear submarine base there on the morning of 14th February. Details of AFAN or Faslane visit: AFAN, Atlantis House, Burtonport, Co. Donegal. Tel: 075-42304.

Denis Barritt Remembered
Denis Barritt has sometimes, rightly, been called the 'father' of the peace movement in Northern Ireland; he died in 1993 (his widow, Monica, sadly died suddenly last summer). This writer remembers him most for taking part in a risky demonstration a few years before he died when he had already been seriously ill a few years earlier; it was deliberately a Prods-only action (as it was leafletting Protestants) and Denis' one problem before participating was deciding whether as a Quaker he counted as a Protestant! This memoir by Joyce Neill is titled 'Denis Barritt - Cheerful Saint' (ISBN 1-900259-45-1, Curlew Productions, 58pp, £6.50 or £7 inc. post from Curlew Productions, Thirlestane House, Kelso TD5 8PD, Scotland). It covers the main aspects of his life and his enthusiasm and commitment. - RF

Democratic Dialogue
Democratic Dialogue is an independent think tank based in Northern Ireland which was set up in 1995 to encourage fresh political thinking, broaden participation, and work in partnership with a wide spectrum of organisations in problem-solving. It aims to influence policy formation, engaging economic, social and political actors, including individual citizens, through a diverse programme of research, lectures, round-tables, focus groups and publications. Democratic Dialogue, 53 University Street, Belfast BT7 1FY. Tel: 028-90220050, Fax: 220051. Web site: www.democraticdialogue.org

A simple E-mail to info@democraticdialogue.org will get you on their electronic mailing list. [Leaflet enclosed for those receiving 'Nonviolent News' as a mailing].

Peace Making and Peace Movements in Israel/Palestine
This is the title of a public talk taking place on Monday 21st February at Bellinter Conference Centre (Our Lady of Sion), Bellinter, Navan, Co Meath, organised by the Sisters of Sion in association with Meath Peace Group. The speaker is Dr Yehezkel Landau, lecturer in Tantur Institute, Jerusalem and Director of Open House for Jewish-Palestinian Reconciliation in Ramleh. It will be followed by open discussion on the Irish peace process. Refreshments served afterwards; donation £3 to help cover expenses. For further information: Bellinter 046-21141, or Meath Peace Group c/o Julitta Clancy 01-8259438. Directions; Travelling from Navan, turn right at Tara na Ri pub, drive straight on for c.2.5 miles until you see a green sign pointing up the drive to Bellinter. Travelling from Dublin; turn left at Tara na Ri pub (c.3 miles before Navan) and proceed as above.

Conflict Transformation Program Fellowships
This is the Winston Fellows Program at Eastern Mennonite University USA. Eligible candidates are highly motivated individuals who do not yet have extensive work experience and for whom an experience in working in peacebuilding with an NGO or IGO (intergovernmental organisation) might be formative in making a career choice. The fellowship consists of two parts, professional training and an applied internship. Costs including travel are covered and a small living stipend. Priority is given to NGOs or IGOs operating in region of violent or acute intergroup conflict or from field offices of international NGOs working in such contexts. Details and application forms from; Conflict Transformation Program, Eastern Mennonite University, 1200 Park Road, Harrisonburg, VA 22802, USA. Tel: 540-432-4490. Fax: 540-432-4449. E-mail: CTProgram@emu.edu Web: www.emu.edu/ctp/ctp.htm

Peaceworkers:
New Initiative for a Global Nonviolent Peace Force
Another initiative has emerged working on a global nonviolent peace force, arising from the Hague Appeal for Peace Conference in May 1999. The goal is to create a well trained, standing, nonviolent peace force that will be deployed to conflict areas at the invitation of local groups committed to peaceful change and to work in co-operation with these groups. (Editor's note: This is a perennial topic, e.g. there was a Global Peace Service consultation took place in New York in 1993, report available, but the idea goes back much further than that). A draft proposal for an International Nonviolent Peace Force has been issued, written by Mel Duncan and David Hartsough. Contact; Peaceworkers, 721 Shrader St, San Francisco, CA 94117. Tel: 415-751-0302. E-mail: peaceworkers@igc.org