Presenting the Irish arms trade to official scrutiny
The existence of an Irish arms trade has for the first time been acknowledged in a Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment report which came out in August. Entitled “Export licensing for military and dual use goods”, it highlighted some of the problems such as the lack of control in the Republic over arms dealing which could lead to UK based arms dealers avoiding tightened legislation there by taking advantage of gaps in the Irish legislation. It also showed an official figure of the value of military licences in 2000/2001 as €11.27 per capita in the Republic (€34.4 million in arms and €4.6 billion in dual use goods in 2002). Meanwhile an informal coalition of NGOs is working on the issues involved (this includes Amnesty International, Oxfam and Afri; contact any of these as appropriate).

IAWM Iraq demos
As part of an international time of action, the Irish Anti-War Movement has demos in Belfast and Dublin on Saturday 27th September beginning at 2pm. The Belfast demo, “End the occupation of Iraq, No more war lies’, assembles at the Art College Gardens (beside St Anne’s Cathedral); contact 07740 683 767 or e-mail nowar_belfast@hotmail.com

The Dublin demo, ‘End the occupations of Iraq and Palestine, US military out of Shannon’, assembles at the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square; contact IAWM, PO Box 9260, Dublin 1, ph 087 – 6329511, website www.irishantiwar.org and e-mail info@irishantiwar.org

The IAWM also has a petition (downloadable from their website) calling for a constitutional amendment outlawing participation of the Irish army in military alliances. A fuller list of IAWM contacts appeared in NN 108.

Mediation Northern Ireland training courses
A new training brochure is available from Mediation Northern Ireland (MNI). This covers a variety of courses over the autumn and winter including Negotiation Skills, Handling Life’s Conflicts, Foundation Training in Mediation Skills, and Group Mediation Skills. MNI will also be offering NVQ Level 4 in mediation for those already using the skill of mediation within their work or voluntary setting. These and other courses are also available on request for groups of twelve or more, e.g. on Building Good Relations. For further details contact; Training and Learning Unit, MNI, 10 Upper crescent, Belfast BT7 1NT, ph 9043 8614, fax 9031 4430, e-mail info@mediationnorthernireland.org and website www.mediationnorthernireland.org 

Let’s Talk – primary school resource
“Let’s Talk – Dealing with Conflict in the Primary School” is the final part of the Little Pathways programme for 4 – 8 year olds. Let’s talk provides children with a simple strategy for dealing with conflict in the classroom; it encourages listening, taking responsibility, looking for solutions and coming to an agreement. Produced by Elaine Hall for the Churches’ Peace Education Programme, 48 Elmwood Avenue, Belfast BT9 6AZ, ph 028 – 9066 2992, fax 9066 4160, e-mail irish.churches@btconnect.com It is free to schools in Northern Ireland; otherwise contact for details. The other materials in the series are ‘Getting to know me’ (Year 1, dealing with emotional awareness), ‘The zig zag carpet’ (Year 2, dealing with fairness, actions and consequences) and “Let’s be friends” (Year 3, friendship and the use of circle time etc).

White Poppies for a culture of peace
As ‘remembrance’ time approaches once again, the Peace Pledge Union once again makes white poppies available. White poppies for peace were conceived by the Women’s Co-Operative Guild in Britain and made their appearance 70 years ago on Armistice Day 1933. The PPU also has an interactive CD, ‘Voices for peace’, examining beliefs about war through changing attitudes to remembrance day, and other publications including ‘Women and Peace’. White poppies themselves run from £3 for a pack of 5 (plus £2 postage). PPU, 1 Peace Passage, London N7 0BT, ph 0870 770 7944, e-mail wp@ppu.org.uk or visit www.whitepoppy.org.uk  

Celebration of the life of Victor Jara, NCH Dublin, 11th September
11th September is the 30th anniversary of the coup in Chile which brought Pinochet to power. During that coup, leading Chilean singer/songwriter Victor Jara was brutally tortured and murdered. The Latin America Solidarity Centre (LASC) is organising a concert in Dublin at 8 pm to mark the date and celebrate the life of Victor Jara and of collective cultural expression. It will be an evening of music, poetry and song featuring members of Kila, Katell Keinig, Tommy Sands, Jayro Gonzalez and others; tickets at €25, €15 from the National Concert Hall, ph 01 – 417 0077, www.nch.ie LASC is an initiative for development education, cultural promotion and campaigning solidarity, linking Ireland and Latin America. LASC, 5 Merrion Row, Dublin 2, ph 01 – 676 0435, fax 662 1784, e-mail lasc@iol.ie and website www.lasc.ie

New Corrymeela leader, former leader brought to book
The newly elected leader of the Corrymeela Community is David Stevens, currently general secretary of the Irish Council of Churches and involved in a wide variety of community relations and other issues. He is the fourth leader of Corrymeela (in succession to Ray Davey, John Morrow and, most recently, Trevor Williams) and is the first lay person to hold the job. He will be fully in post by the start of 2004.

Meanwhile, John Morrow’s “On the Road of Reconciliation – A brief memoir” has been published by Columba Press. ISBN 1 85607 411 0, 86 pages, priced UK£5.99. It covers the various aspects of his life on both sides of the border and in Scotland, and of course as leader of Corrymeela.

Corrymeela Community, 8 Upper Crescent, Belfast BT7 1NT; becoming a ‘Friend of Corrymeela’ costs £24 or £12 unwaged. Website www.corrymeela.org.uk and e-mail belfast@corrymeela.org.uk   

Mon Dieu, it’s Monbiot in Belfast
George Monbiot, author of ‘Captive State’ and ‘The Age of Consent’, and Guardian writer, will speak at events organised by the One World Centre, New Ireland Group and The de Borda Institute;

• The 2nd annual One World Centre lecture, 12 noon to 2pm, Thursday 9th October, Room G07, Peter Frogatt Building, Queen’s University, Belfast; everyone welcome. Info from One World Centre, 4 Lower Crescent, Belfast BT7 1NR, ph 9024 1879, e-mail stephen@owcni.org.uk 
• ‘Unionism, nationalism or Globalisation?’, 7.30 for 7.45 pm on Thursday 9th October in the Elmwood Hall, Belfast, tickets £5 inc glass of organic wine. Info/Tickets; New Ireland Group, 7 Slievedarragh park, Belfast BT14 8JA, e-mail sec.newirelandgroup@ntlworld.com or The de Borda Institute, 36 Ballysillan Road, Belfast BT14 7QQ, e-mail pemerson@deborda.org

Meath Peace Group; Reconciliation, Peacebuilding, Churches
The theme of the next Meath Peace Group public talk is ‘Reconciliation, Peacebuilding and the Churches’, at 8 pm on Monday 6th October at St Columban’s College, Dalgan Park (3 miles out of Navan on the N3); speakers include Archbishop Robin Eames and Mgr Raymond Murray. All welcome. Details; Julitta Clancy 01 – 825 9438 or e-mail meathpeace@hotmail.com  

Regime Unchanged
“Regime Unchanged: Why the war was wrong” is the title of a new book by Milan Rai, author of ‘War Plan Iraq’. Its 256 pages looks at how the anti-war movement forced the British Ministry of Defence to draw up contingency plans to pull out of the invasion force, days before the war began, and how UN weapons inspectors were about to begin a new and decisive phase of inspection on 19th March when they were shut down by the US. Further details about the book appear at www.justicenotvengeance.org  The book will be UK£10.95 in bookshops or £10 within UK including p&p from JNV/Justice Not Vengenace, 29 Gensing Road, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex TN38 0HE. Multiple orders; 5 copies at £45 including p&p.

Giros Belfast to receive last payment
Well known venue, Giros in Belfast’s Donegall Lane is to close from the end of September (end of lease and other factors) so the various musical, cultural and political projects based there have been looking for alternative homes. The Resource Centre/Info Shop hopes to continue – watch this space – and they can be contacted at infoshopbelfast@yahoo.com

‘The Northern Ireland Peace Process’; Accord supplement
Conciliation Resources ‘Accord’ review has published an update/supplement to ‘Striking the balance’ (1999, see NN 77). The contents are primarily a useful review by Clem McCartney, and a chronology 2000-3003. 24 pages, A4. Conciliation Resources, 173 Upper Street, London N1 1RG, ph 020 7359 7728, e-mail accord@c-r.org and website http://www.c-r.org 

Et Tutu, Joe Murray
Joe Murray, coordinator of Afri, was the first recipient of the Desmond and Leah Tutu award presented in Dublin in August for ‘unsung heroes’ in the NGO sector. Warm tributes were paid to Joe for working on so many campaigns, often in the background, including working for Afri for 21 years. Afri, 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7, ph 01 - 496 8595, e-mail afri@iol.ie  website www.afri.buz.org 

Poets for the Planet (Belfast branch)
The Green Party is holding an open evening of poetry and music on the theme of peace and planetary survival, taking place at the John Hewitt pub, Donegall Street, Belfast from 7.30 pm – 9.30 pm on Tuesday 28th October. Names include Jean Bleakney, Maureen Boyle, Ruth Carr, Paula Cunningham, Moyra Donaldson, Pamela Greene, Erin Halliday, Lindsay Hodges, Medbh McGuckian, and Adrian Rice, all under the baton of Tommy Sands. Details, contact 028 – 90 77 64 57. 

INNATE Belfast meetings
INNATE, the producers of this newssheet, hold monthly networking meetings in Belfast to plan work in the area of nonviolence, and discuss matters of concern to those attending. Anyone interested is welcome. Here is the schedule of meetings through to January (usually but not always on the 4th Monday of the month), each taking place at 7 University Avenue, Belfast (opposite Christian Science Church) at 7.30 pm: 22nd September, 20th October, 24th November, 15th December and 26th January ’04. Queries to 90 64 71 06.r