After Jo’burg hit the iceberg.....
'So that was Johannesburg - Now what?' is the title of a conference to plan the way forward after the World Summit on Sustainable Development, organised by Feasta in association with the Irish Doctors' Environmental Association and Trócaire, taking place on Saturday 21st September from 9.00 am - 17.50. This will take place in TCD Dublin and the fee is €25 waged, €15 unwaged, with light lunch and tea/coffee who those who have booked. Speakers include Paul Connolly, Brian O'Riordan, Frank Doyle, James Heffron, Michael O'Brien, Frank Corcoran, Emer O Siochru and Richard Douthwaite.

That same evening there is an informal networking session, 'Reflecting on the Earth Summit', featuring short reports from representatives of Ireland's environmental and development sector who attended the WSSD, in the Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2 (off Georges Street) starting at 7.30 pm; all welcome. Bookings; contact Feasta feasta@anu.ie or phone 01 - 4912773 for a booking form. Feasta, The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability, 159 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 2.

Mediation Northern Ireland; 
T'raining prospectus
Mediation Northern Ireland has launched its training and learning prospectus. It is offering a variety of courses including three core courses; 

1. Handling conflict (2 days),
2. Foundation training in mediation (6 days), and
3. Intermediate training in mediation (6 days). 

Also available from early 2003 will be an NVQ Level 4 in Mediation, aimed at professionals using the skills of mediation within their work or voluntary setting. Other courses available include Building Community Relations (10 evenings), Handling Conflict in the Church (1 day), and Facilitating Decision Making in the Church (1 day). Customised workshops and training can also be arranged for groups. Mediation Northern Ireland offers creative approaches to better relations; methods of work include consultancy, facilitation, mediation, training and learning, social development, negotiation and conciliation.

The Training and Learning Prospectus (which includes details of fees) is available on request from; Mediation Northern Ireland, 10 Upper Crescent, Belfast BT7 1NT, ph 028 - 9043 8614, fax 9031 4430, e-mail info@mediation-network.org.uk and web www.mediation-network.org.uk

AVP/Alternatives to Violence Project @ Coleraine
The weekend 18th - 20th October sees an AVP/Alternatives to Violence Project Basic (first) level course take place at Kilcranny House, running from 6pm Friday to 6pm Sunday. AVP looks at nonviolent solutions at a personal level. The fee is £20 waged, £15 unwaged including meals; B & B can be provided at Kilcranny for £13.50 waged/£10 unwaged per night. Further details; Lyn Moffett, Coordinator, Kilcranny House, 21 Cranagh Road, Coleraine BT51 3NN, ph. 028 - 7032 1816, e-mail info@kilcranny.thegap.com. Regarding AVP in general you can contact avpbelfast@hotmail.com or, in the Republic, robert.campbell@oceanfree.net

White Poppies: 
support a culture of peace
As we get towards Remembrance day and month, many people like to display their support for peace in the future as well as remembrance of the past. The white poppy is a powerful symbol of remembrance for all those killed in war and of commitment to a culture of peace. As well as white poppies (which are available in packs of 5, 10, 25 and 100 at UK£3, £6, £12.50 and £35 respectively; UK postage £1.90 extra) there are a variety of resources including study documents, an interactive CD on 'Voices for peace' (available in October), a pack on women and peace, on children and peace etc. Check out the website at www.whitepoppy.org.uk or contact PPU (Peace Pledge Union), 41b Brecknock Road, London N7 0BT, ph. 0870 770 7944, and e-mail wp@ppu.org.uk Leaflet enclosed for those receiving this as a postal mailing.

Grassroots Gathering, Belfast
26th - 27th October sees the next Grassroots Gathering taking place in Belfast This follows gatherings in Dublin last autumn, and Cork in the spring. The gatherings are based on the principles that people should control their own lives and work together as equals, and rejecting hierarchical and authoritarian forms of organisation of any form within the network. It calls for solutions that involve ordinary people controlling their own lives, and the abolition, not reform, of bodies like the World Bank and WTO, and arguing for a sustainable environmental, economic and social system. To receive more info by email send an email to grassrootsgathering-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  By post you can send a letter to Grassroots Gathering c/o PO Box 505, Belfast BT12 6BQ or c/o PO Box 1528, Dublin 8 or c/o PO Box 31, Sorting Office, Cork. By email contact at GGcontact@yahoogroups.com or info on the web at http://grassrootsgathering.freeservers.com

Communities of Reconciliation - a manual
'Communities of reconciliation - Living faith in the public place' is the title of a course handbook by Johnston McMaster and Cathy Higgins of the Irish School of Ecumenics which will be out in October. Developed with people from local communities, it consists of five courses including guidance for facilitators, focusing on the challenge of being church in 21st century, the Bible in the public square, Biblical tension between institutional religion and community, exploring nationalism, identity and violence from a biblical perspective, and the Bible as a political text. It is 288 pages, paperback ISBN 1 904242 04 9 and retails at £9.99. Also available is a set of 85 photocopiable (Mc)masters (ISBN 1 904242 06 5) available at £20 (available direct from publisher). Published by Colourpoint Books, Unit D5, Ards Business Centre, Jubilee Road, Newtownards, Co Down BT23 4YH, ph 028 - 9182 0505, e-mail sales@colourpoint.co.uk UK post free; Republic £1, elsewhere £2.50.

A Time to Heal; 
Perspectives on Reconciliation
This is the title of the latest offering from the Faith and Politics Group and is partly a (useful) summary and restatement of previous publications and a generalisation of learning within the group. One of the starting points is the dangers of "too much memory or not enough; too much enshrinement of victimhood or insufficient memorializing of victims and survivors; too much past or too little acknowledgement of the past's staging of the present..." (Martha Minow); it goes on to chart a course through this minefield. 43 pages, A5, £2.50 plus 44p postage from Faith and Politics Group, 8 Upper Crescent, Belfast BT7 1NT, web www.fpireland.org

Bethlehem 2002 - 
Palestinian and Christian Perspectives
Meath Peace Group in association with Navan Amnesty Group are holding a public talk with the above title on Monday 9th September at 8 pm in St Columban's College, Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath (situated on the N3 Dublin-Navan road about 3 miles south of Navan). Speakers include Ali Halimeh, Desmond Sinnamon, Jennifer Sinnamon and Khalid Ajamieh; the chair is Mary Fakher-Eldon. Further information; Julitta Clancy, Parsonstown, Batterstown, Co Meath, ph 01 - 8259438, or 046-73368 or 046-21525.

Peace News: Culture and resistance
The current issue of Peace News, the excellent quarterly English-language magazine 'for nonviolent revolution', is on Culture and Resistance. Subscribers (new or old) to PN internationally, or to PN and the British monthly 'Nonviolent Action', currently receive a free anti-militarist CD 'Fight war not wars' (also available at UK$6.50 inc. postage). Check details at http://www.peacenews.info  or you can contact admin@peacenews.info

1500 take Iraq pledge in Britain
Over 1500 people have signed ARROW's 'Pledge of Resistance' to take part in, or support people who do, nonviolent civil disobedience in the event of a major US/UK attack on Iraq or other countries.

WRI Triennial - Stories and Strategies
A report on the WRI Triennial appears in the e-mail and web edition of Nonviolent News; other comments and reports welcome for next issue. The daily 'DCU' newsheet produced during the Triennial appears on the WRI website at www.wri-irg.org