Change at Pax Christi
Tony D'Costa, the General Secretary of Pax Christi Ireland takes up new challenges with World Vision Ireland in July 2000 as Director of Communications and Advocacy after serving Pax Christi since 1987. Pax Christi is a membership organisation and Tony will continue to remain involved with the organisation. Direct your communications to Ailish D'Costa at the Pax Christi office address. Pax Christi subscriptions are £15 a year, unwaged £5. Pax Christi, 52 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6, phone 01 - 496 5293. - While Ailish D'Costa is continuing to serve PC in a voluntary capacity, we would like to congratulate both Tony and Ailish for their longtime selfless service to Pax Christi and associated causes, especially the landmines campaign. - Ed

Training Opportunities for Transforming Conflict – MNNI
The Mediation Network for Northern Ireland will soon be launching an extensive new curriculum of training for people from all sectors who wish to develop new skills to approach conflict in a positive way. Courses, which start in the autumn, will include an introductory course which will provide participants with tools to handle everyday conflict more constructively and a series of three courses which will build on participants' competencies to facilitate mediation. To obtain further information please contact The Mediation Network at its new address, 10 Upper Crescent, Belfast BT7 1NT, or phone 028 90 438614, or email: info@mediation-network.org.uk

Amnesty International NI - Rights, Dalai Lama, International lawyers
Amnesty International (AI) in Northern Ireland is continuing their youth (11- 18 years) and schools competition, 'The Rights Stuff!' to get young people to feed their ideas for inclusion in the new Northern Ireland Bill of Rights (there are prizes too); this runs to the end of October. AI is organising a Human Rights Celebration with music, song, and a lecture by the Dalai Lama, at the Ulster Hall, Belfast on Thursday 19th October from 5.30 - 7.30; tickets can be reserved (priced £6, £4 concession) by phoning the number below. From 6 - 8 October there'll be a major AI international conference, 'The role of lawyers in protecting human rights', taking place at the Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast. AI-NI has local groups in Belfast, East Belfast, Foyle, Mid Down, Newry, North Down, Omagh, Queens, UU Coleraine, UU Jordanstown, and a lawyers group; public meetings will take place in Derry, Coleraine and West Belfast in September and October to start or revitalise groups there. Details; AI, 80a Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AD, Tel: 028 90 66 62 16. [NN80 featured AI in the Republic].

Peace Brigades International - Introductory workshop
Peace Brigades International (PBI) British section, a human rights organisation working for the transformation of conflict, is organising an orientation weekend for prospective volunteers wanting to work as International Human Rights Observers in Colombia, Mexico, The Balkans, and Indonesia and West Timor. You must be over 25 years and speak the language of the country concerned. As part of the training, potential volunteers have to go on this orientation weekend which takes place in October (PBI Britain handles training and queries for country projects internationally); these weekends allow volunteers to explore issues such as the role of a non-partisan human rights organisation implementing non violent alternatives in conflict areas, PBI's mandate, principles and detailed info on projects. For further info send an A4 SAE to PBI British Section, 1a Waterlow Road, London N19 5NJ. Tel: 020 - 7281 53 70, email: pbibritain@gn.apc.org

Asylum Seeker/Refugee Pack from ICJP
The Refugee Project at the Irish Commission for Justice and Peace has produced a photocopiable information pack on refugees and asylum seekers (31 sides A4). While written in the context of the Republic it includes information useful elsewhere (definitions, myths, racism, encountering other religions) and specifically Irish resource groups and materials. Available from agencies working in this field or directly from; The Refugee Project, 169 Booterstown Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, tel: 01 - 288 47 13, fax: 283 41 61, email: refproject@eircom.net

On the Green Grassy Slopes - Boyne 2000
Peace Pledge Ireland is organising its 10th annual gathering at the Boyne, on 16th July at the Oldbridge Battlefield Site (3 miles from Drogheda on road to Slane) as a celebration of hope and reconciliation. There'll be a symbolic walk at 4pm, an ecumenical service at 5pm, and a peace concert from 6 - 9pm. The speaker will be Rev Russ Parker of Acorn Trust. Details from David Bleakley, 8 Thornhill, Bangor, Co Down BT19 1RD, Tel: 028 91 45 48 98; Drogheda contact Tomas O hEoghaidh at 041 - 983 82 09, or Declan Smith at Dublin 01 - 280 74 52.

Striking an Accord - Pack to the future
In NN77 we mentioned the Accord issue ‘Striking a Balance: the Northern Ireland Peace Process’, An education/discussion pack (for adults or older school students) with the same title has now appeared, also written/edited by Clem McCartney. The pack is 62 pages of A4 in a loose-leaf folder; it follows a similar path to the first publication (taking the whole process through the different stages) but with various exercises and extracts from the original. If you want a detailed study pack on the peace process through to the Good Friday Agreement then this is it. The pack is co-published by Accord/Conciliation Resources and the Community Relations Council at £10. The Community Relations Council Information Centre is at 21 College Square East, Belfast BT1 6DE, phone 028 - 90 22 75 55. Conciliation Resources, 173 Upper Street, London N1 1RG, Tel: +44 (0)20 - 7359 7728, email: accord@c-r.org.uk and website www.cr.org.uk

ECPCR4 - European Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution
The 36-page A4 report on the 4th ECPCR, 'Empowering local capacities for peace', which took place in Belfast in October 1998, is now being mailed to participants. The next one, ECPCR5, will take place in Katowice, Poland from 24 - 30 September 2001 with the title 'From systems to people'. Contact; Elaine Rowan, Community Relations Training and Learning Consortium, Unit T7, Dungannon Enterprise Centre, 2 Coalisland Road, Dungannon BT71 6JT, Tel: 028 - 87 72 96 10, email: elaine@crtlc.org

Barritt Family Concert: In memory of Denis and Monica
September 9th at 7.45pm in the Elmwood Hall, Belfast, sees a concert performed by members of the Barritt family in memory of Denis (1914 -1993) and Monica (1921-1999). It will include music by Bach, Debussy, Dohanyi, Mozart and items for strings and narrator; proceeds in aid of Quaker Service Committee work with disadvantaged families in Northern Ireland. Minimum donation £10 (£5 concession) to Ulster Quaker Service at 541 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7GQ, Tel: 028 - 90 20 14 44, or at the door.

Are you AFAN? - Atlantis Foundation Action Network
AFAN continues to provide info on green issues in Colombia and the work of Atlantis Foundation, Colombia for ecological farming, self sufficiency and human rights. They are currently calling for letter writing action in defence of Embera Indians whose lives are threatened by greed and government inaction. AFAN is also involved in nuclear disarmament and antimilitarist work in Europe. Contact AFAN through Mary Kelly, Atlantis House, Burtonport, Co Donegal, Tel: 075 - 42304, email: afan69@hotmail.com

Summer at Sonairte
Sonairte, the National Ecology Centre, is open every day over the summer (Mon - Fri 10 am - 5 pm, Sat 11 - 5, Sun 11 - 6), close to the Dublin/Belfast road at The Ninch, Laytown, Co Meath. Recently added to the facilities is a toddlers playground (see NN71 for mention of other facilities). Tel: 041 - 9827572 / 9827854, email: sonairte@drogheda.edunet.ie

National Peace Council in Britain Transmogrifies
Hard times at the National Peace Council (NPC) in Britain has meant that the company has been wound up but some aspects of work are continuing, e.g. peace education, and there'll be a meeting in November for members to plan the future. The NPC deserves much credit for consistent work on N Ireland over the years. The Culture of Peace committee, based at the same address, will carry on and Tim Wallis will also continue as a part-time coordinator (note new phone and e-mail). All donations gratefully received! Culture of Peace Committee, 162 Holloway Road, London N7 8DD, Tel: 020 - 769 709 49, email: cultureofpeace@hotmail.com

Open Letter to Israeli and Palestinian Friends
Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire has written an 'Open letter to my Israeli and Palestinian Friends' following a recent visit to that part of the world. While there she acted as an observer at the trial of Abu Faiz Shamasna who had been charged with illegally building his home in area C of the West Bank and it is this issue, the demolition of Palestinian homes, which is the main focus of the letter. Copies of the letter are available from the Peace People, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 6GE, Tel: 028 - 90 66 34 65, email: peacepeople@gn.apc.org

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