A knife through the heart
The Catholic church in Ireland , both as an institution and as a people, has been going through some trauma as the sex abuse cases continue regarding clerics, at least one recently in a senior position, though nothing like the trauma of the victims. However information given at a conference in April indicated that Ireland in general has a more serious sex abuse problem than either North America or Europe in general. The truly shocking statistic given in the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's report 'Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland' was that 42% of women and 28% of men have been sexually abused or violated in their lifetime and that the most serious form of sexual violence, forced penetration, has been experienced by 10% of women and 3% of men. Particularly telling are the comparative rates for adults who experienced sexual abuse in childhood for Europe, North America and Ireland; the respective figures for women are 17%, 29% and 30%; for men they are 5%, 7% and 24%. - the last being nearly five times the rate for European males.  

We can't blame it on the rain and the weather. And clearly by the figures, sex abuse by priests and clerics is only a small part of a greater picture. It has to be to do with the culture and the power which adults have exercised over children, and the access they had to them. And the legal system clearly does not help people to report such crimes (47% of those reporting sex abuse in this random survey of 3,000 adults contacted by phone, of whom 71% agreed to take part, said they had never told anyone before; just 1% of men and 7.8% of women had told the Guards about the abuse).

Is Ireland still so woefully abusing its children and young people? Has the tearing of the veil of silence on sex abuse, at least in part, empowered children to speak out in a way they couldn't before? When you consider the effect of sex abuse in destroying lives, relationships, and the very core of a person's being, then a thorough review is necessary of whether young people's lives continue to be blighted in this way, and whether everything is being done to protect them from the destructive power of a perverted sexuality. What a crying shame that such a positive energy can be used to destroy. And what a crying shame it will be if the new government in the Republic does not take action to ensure everything is done to ensure that today's children are not the victims of today and tomorrow.

SECT-ARYAN-ISM
Sectarianism is still alive and sickingly well in Norn Iron as a glimpse at the media may inform you. The depths to which people will go is amazing, though why we should be amazed after thirty/a hundred and thirty/ five hundred years is also a mystery. On the 1st April a guy got off a bus in Belfast and was approached by four young men, one dressed in a Glasgow Celtic top. It wouldn't take a genius to work out that, by the laws of sectarian identity, they were Catholics. So, despite being a Protestant, he proclaimed himself a Catholic - and was then stabbed and beaten (Bele Tele 2nd April). His attackers were Prods as well it turned out, masquerading as Catholics. It shouldn't take a genius to work out that anyone of any religion asked their religious identity by a guy in a Celtic top would be likely to say 'Catholic' if they were interested in their health and well being - or, conversely, approached by someone in a Rangers shirt would proclaim themselves a Prod. So another brilliant own goal by the 'football ' fans of Belfast, interested in kicking heads in and not balls into nets.

VeeDuhPee
To have come to this. Despite increasing spending in the Republic on health, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, or the VDP or SVP as known, has been paying for private medical care so people don't die on waiting lists (Irish Times 15th May). "In one case an elderly woman with gangrene in both feet was refused admittance in south county Dublin as there were no public beds. The local SVP paid for her to be privately treated and she was admitted immediately". Pretty appalling, huh. The 'new' old government has got some work to get sorted out health care in the Republic if it's to avoid private opulence and public squalor which seems to have been the motto of the last government, certainly if the division of income is anything to go by. Such a story would be a disgrace in any country let alone one which purports to be a modern western European country. The prospects for an equitable health service in the light of the Republic's current financial situation do not look good given a renewed centre-right coalition between Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats (again) and the PDs in particular who would privatise their grannies if they got a chance. And in the North there is a massive capital shortfall for expenditure on health and education without the capacity to vary taxation from the UK norm (though a revision of the rates system may provide some taxation power in the medium term). Don't hold your breath. Especially if you're waiting to get into hospital, North or South.

Mary from Bethlehem
My little comment last time about my e-mail entitled 'Mary from Bethlehem ' came before I had a chance to hear Mary Kelly talk at an Irish Anti-War Movement meeting in Belfast . It was a good illustration of the power of nonviolent accompaniment, i.e. internationals whose fate and eyewitness accounts would be of concern to, in this case, the Israeli state, when others (in this case Palestinians) don't count. She had got into the Church of the Nativity when it was besieged with supplies during a demo (though not on the first attempt) where her nursing skills were greatly needed, and was subsequently deported after the siege ended. Her nonviolent accompaniment work had included going with Palestinian ambulances where she was involved in one major confrontation where it sounded like international nonviolent accompaniment won the day (just). I was pleased to be able to ask a question about the Israeli peace and anti-occupation (of Palestine) groups because in that kind of meeting there can be a tendency to tar a whole people (again in this case the Israelis) with the same brush. She spoke warmly and in some detail of the support received from Israeli peace activists. She also was prepared to share the fears she had in the situation. Well done Mary in your work in Palestine , but then I wouldn't expect Atlantis members to be backward in coming forward in such a situation.

Up the poll
Didn't the Greens and the Sinners do well in the Republic's elections. Both are small (6 and 5 TDs respectively) but now established in the Dail as recognisable political parties (even if you need 7 TDs for proper recognition and certain privileges as a political party). I won't here address the fact of Sinn Fein still having an armed wing as that has been debated endlessly elsewhere (I'm not in favour of anyone having an armed wing, even the government!). So far as anyone knows the Greens have no armed wing, in fact you might hope that they can contribute to the disarming wing in Irish politics. Well, and Sinn Fein in the international context too.

One bright spot in the Republic's elections was that the Immigration Control Platform associated with Aine Ni Chonaill did very poorly. Deliberately choosing a couple of constituencies, in Dublin and Cork respectively, which have large numbers of new immigrants and asylum seekers, their votes were numbered in the hundreds rather than thousands (926 and 371). But the practice of tracking 'second preferences' is always a very illuminating, and sometimes confusing one. Who got the largest proportion of Immigration Control Platform second preferences in Dublin South Central? Well, Sinn Fein who got 220 of the 926, the next largest share being Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell with 105. You could see that people who voted against immigration might be 'nationalist/republican' and vote for Sinn Fein second. Unfortunately for psephological purposes (sounds like you've got dyspepsia - Ed) in Cork South Central another candidate, from the SWP/Socialist Workers' Party, was eliminated in the same round as Ted Neville of the Immigration Control Platform, so the redistribution of votes make it difficult to guess how many Green votes, if any, might have come from Immigration Control Platform first preferences, though pretty few I would guess. Can any Cork readers illuminate me? (Editor - They'd want a mighty strong light to illuminate you from Cork !). This constituency of Cork South Central went on to see Dan Boyle of the Greens elected on the 8th count. I remember meeting him at a CND workshop in Cork many moons ago so he has been at it a long time.  

I did hear of some other anti-immigrant sentiment around. In one case a Fine Gael candidate in the greater Dublin area was asked by a householder (who also happened to be involved in work with asylum seekers) what he thought of refugees and asylum seekers. The poor Fine Gael candidate misjudged the expected response and said "I'm against them all!", which does show racism and a particular expectation of where people might stand. But he chose the wrong person to give that answer too. Five minutes later he beat as hasty a retreat as he could out the gate with his tail between his legs.

100 And Counting
A hundred issues of Nonviolent News! The Headitor must be getting on seeing he has also given me information about another '100' issue Irish nonviolence publication he was involved in (see below). In fact INNATE began in 1987 and the first issue of 'Nonviolent Daily News', as it was then called, was 30th May 1990 . The 'Daily' bit came from the Headitor previously updating a newsheet he did according to demand during a nonviolence training project he worked for but it ('Daily') was dropped with issue No.25 (by which point, in 1995, 'Nonviolent News' had already became 'monthly', well ten or even eleven issues a year).

It is interesting the perceptions that people get of particular publications and organisations. Perceptions often totally mismatch reality. A certain amount of material for Nonviolent News is commissioned, some arrives in the letter or e-mail box, and then usually adapted to fit Nonviolent News' in-digestible form (how dare you - Ed). Sometimes we chase and chase with no result. Sometimes even getting ten words right can take a few successful phone calls (and many more tries). Most incoming material sits in a pile until the dreaded hour of getting it all together at the start of the month. Me? I've already written my Colm by that stage so it's not ME that delays it (very sarky -Ed).

Sometimes the newsheet comes together easily, sometimes it's laborious. The editor (sitting right beside me as I write so I have to put this in) does a spell check and then checks every single phone number and date or address 'so you can rely on Nonviolent News'. Well, usually. The Headitor says to say unsolicited material is always welcome and that while the paper edition will remain at 2 sides and 'paragraph format', the sky (or the web) is the limit for the e-mail and web edition.

INNATE as a whole has worked out different to what was originally intended in 1987. Then it was hoped that a broad range of groups would not only be members and come to events but be actively involved. In fact the numbers actively involved are very small and member groups involved or others in contact with INNATE are usually happy not to come to networking meetings, which are held in Belfast , despite open invitations. People do come to seminars though. The networking group does operate on a 'volunteer yourself only' principle so that it doesn't scare people off, and anyone is always welcome even if they only want to drop in and see what's happening, we guarantee you won't be thrown (too far) into the deep end. The schedule of meetings are published in advance in Nonviolent News.

The whole operation of INNATE has no paid staff, no premises and little equipment. As the coordinator says "You can't sack me, I'm a volunteer!". But we always welcome assistance or offers of assistance, or, indeed, comments and suggestions. The networking function only works when those involved get the appropriate information to pass on, or do something with. If we don't know, or don't know in time, well, there ain't nuthin we can do.

Anyhow, here's to the next hundred issues of Nonviolent News and the next ten years . Phew. It's making me tired already. In fact its my innate sense of tiredness.....

100 and extinct
There was another Irish nonviolence publication which reached over 100 issues, Dawn magazine (1974 - 85) which produced 107 issues if my memory serves me correctly. It had been hoped that a new publication would be produced combining Dawn and some solidarity groups but these plans didn't come to fruition (the Headitor recalls dreaming at that stage of a group called 'Fine Gael Broad Left' being involved in these negotiations ! Weird or what). The occasional publication 'Dawn Train' struggled on for a few more years. Solidarity, activism and training were also features of Dawn as well as the exhausting production of a monthly magazine.

Issue No. 100 of Dawn appeared in May 1984 (1984! Doesn't the George Orwellian year seem so long ago now!) and in it the Headitor of this newssheet reflected on 'Behind 10 years of Dawn'. Included with his musings (surely you mean 'amusings' - Ed) (no, I think your sense of 'humour' has got worse over the years - Billy) was a 'Know your Dawn Questionnaire' which I reproduce here (the answers follow the questions!').

Questions

• Question 1. In what Irish city did the army examine Dawn files and explain their presence in the house by saying a soldier had been leaning against the front door which had then accidentally opened (one of several such raids and questionings)?

• Question 2. When and where was an issue of Dawn literally derailed?

• Question 3. a) In what Irish city was a member of Dawn questioned at home by plain clothes detectives and accused of being a member of the Provisionals? b) What would have been his quickest refutation of this?

• Question 4. What country seized about 94 out of a consignment of 100 or so copies of Dawn sent to an individual member in that country?

Answers

1. Derry , at the original subscription address of 56 Ferguson Street .

2. Early 1976, when the train Norman Lockhart was travelling on from Belfast to Dublin for a production weekend was bombed by the IRA and derailed, losing some of the production materials in the process.

3. a) Dublin . b) He was a Protestant!

4. The USA .

The piece about Dawn also refers to visiting Germans at the then Belfast address of Dawn. They were amazed to hear that this little terrace house was the base for Dawn because they imagined it was produced by a large commune somewhere in the country.... Nonviolent News? Well it is produced by leprechauns who live in the bicycle shed and hold endless editorial meetings over cups of dandelion coffee and squabble ceaselessly over what exciting news should be the lead story this month.....

PS Those involved in Dawn had a joke which went: 'Getting up for 'Dawn' leaves you exhausted by tea time!'. Another standing joke they had, I am reliably informed by the Editor-in-Chief of Nonviolent News (who is still sitting beside me, the 'chief' bit is because he has just blown his nose in his handkerchief) is about their 'Suicide issue'. When they wanted to go out with a bang and stop production, the theory went, they would produce an issue to offend everyone so that all would cancel their subscriptions simultaneously! Have to try that some time. Or say some more offensive things?

Well, that's me for this month, the longest day of the year is nearly upon us, the rain is warmer, summer beckons, the weeds are thriving in the garden, there's still rioting in Belfast, there's a War Resisters International Triennial to attend (and if I wouldn't be collapsing in a heap after that then Ecotopia in Kerry would have been nice, and on conflict resolution and all, maybe you can make it). See you next month before we break for the holliers. - Billy.