Billy King looks at Ian Paisley's standard
of truthlessness Go...
New Glencree CEO / LIVE
Convention
The new CEO of Glencree Centre for Reconciliation is Máirín
Colleary. She is a founder of the Educate Together initiative
in Ireland and has been involved in Glencree for a number
of years as a Council member and later as chairperson; her
professional background is in business.
Meanwhile this year’s LIVE (Let’s
Involve the Victims Experience) Convention takes place at
Glencree from 25th – 27th June with the theme “Our
visitors to these shores – their experience of conflict
in other lands’, people currently living in Ireland
who have come from other countries that are experiencing or
have experienced conflict, looking at how they have managed
their conflict, particularly the aftermath from the point
of view of the victims/survivors. For details contact Hillary
Doyle or Jacinta De Paor by 17th June. Phone 01 – 2829711
or e-mail LIVE@glencree-cfr.ie
For details of Glencree work in general, see
NN115. Glencree Centre for Reconciliation, Glencree, Co Wicklow,
phone 01 – 282 9711, e-mail info@glencree-cfr.ie
and web www.glencree-cfr.ie
Cyclical visit to major
arms dump in Co Down countryside
Thales Air Defence (ex Shorts Missile Systems) is the North’s
biggest arms producer and dealer, with a turnover now around
£100 million a year, supplying weapons around the world,
e.g. its Hellfire missiles are regularly used by the Israelis
to attack Palestinian targets. On Saturday 19th June BLEIC
(Belfast and Lisburn Ethical Investment Campaign) is organising
a cycle run from Thales plant at Alanbrooke Road, Castlereagh,
Belfast, to their storage and testing facility (arms dump)
at Loughmann, near Drumaness, Co Down, where there will be
a picnic at 12.45 and speakers at 1.30 pm (the site is 4 miles
from Ballynahinch on the Downpatrick road). Meanwhile the
cycle (20 miles each way) leaves from outside Thales, Alanbrooke
Road, at 10.30 a.m., or Ormeau Park main entrance at 10.15.
All welcome at any point and by any means of transport. Enquiries
to BLEIC at 0771 – 5110517 or c/o INNATE.
Bating about the Bush
Protesters are unlikely to get within some distance of the
US President on his short visit to Ireland on 25th - 26th
June for the US-EU summit but many would be keen to put a
different worldview forward and also reluctant to seem acquiescent
to a president with so many policies inimical to the wellbeing
of the world. Here are just some of the events – there
will be others, so keep your eyes and oranges peeled:
10.00 a.m. Saturday 26th June in Co Clare (let
the message to GWB be loud and Clare) for the main menu at
the venue, called by the Stop Bush Campaign ( www.stopbushcampaign.org
which is supported by NGO Peace Alliance, Irish Anti-War Movement
(IAWM), Peace and Neutrality Alliance, some trade unions and
political parties). This will be followed by a march to Shannon.
Look out locally for news of buses. The previous evening there
is a major demo in Dublin at 7 pm at Parnell Square (Friday
25th); IAWM is organising simultaneous demos at 7pm in Galway
(City Hall), Waterford (Red Square), Tralee (Brandon Hotel)
and Sligo (Town Hall); see www.irishantiwar.org
for further details. And at 4pm on Saturday 26th there is
a Picnic for Peace near the US Ambassador’s residence
in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.
Other websites worth consulting include www.ngopeacealliance.com
(click on ‘latest news’) and www.ambush2004.org
the site of the ‘Grassroots’ unwelcome Bush campaign
which has news of Grassroots actions including ones in Galway
and Dublin, and a peace camp at Shannon from Thursday 24th
to Saturday 26th June. Ambush will be supporting a Reclaim
the Skies with Light and Noise protest called by Anti War
Ireland, gathering at Lidl, Shannon town centre at 7.00pm
on Friday 25th June as George Bush lands, see website for
details; it also mentions a critical mass bicycle rally leaving
Dublin on 19th June for Shannon. Remember to check out the
always useful www.indymedia.ie
for reports.
Amnesty International;
Stop Violence Against Women, Arms
Amnesty International Irish Section has a number of campaigns
underway; the main ones currently are the Stop Violence Against
Women campaign, the Control Arms campaign and Crisis response
to the situations in Sudan and Haiti. The Stop Violence Against
Women campaign is a two-year campaign which began in March
and aims to highlight violence against women as a global human
rights crisis and calling for adequate protection from authorities.
It aims to underline the varying social, cultural and economic
factors oppressing women. For more info on this campaign visit
www.amnesty.ie/content/view/full/1382
and to download the report “It’s in our hands,
Stop violence against women” visit (same prefix) ….
/full/1707/
The Control Arms campaign has two recent useful reports, ‘Undermining
Global Security, the European Union’s Arms Exports’
which is available at www.amnesty.ie/content/view/full/2107
and the other on Ireland’s arms exports, ‘The
Claws of the Celtic Tiger’, available at www.amnesty.ie/content/view/full/2127
Information on Sudan is at the same prefix … /view/full/2235/
Amnesty International Irish Section, 48 Fleet Street, Dublin
2, phone 01 – 677 6361 and website www.amnesty.ie
For a listing on Amnesty local groups in both
the Republic and Northern Ireland see NN113.
Amnesty International in Northern Ireland has
now achieved its highest membership ever, some 4,000, a remarkable
increase on a few years ago. Information about the UK Amnesty
campaign to Stop Violence Against Women can be found at the
website www.amnesty.org.uk/ni Amnesty is involved along with
other groups in Refugee Week 2004 from 14th – 20th June
which includes on 17th June the launch of ‘Measuring
Misery, the detention of asylum seekers in Northern Ireland”
by Cornelius Wiesener and Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty. AI-NI,
397 Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 3GP, phone 028 – 9064 3000,
e-mail nireland@amnesty.org.uk
INCORE’s new website
/ NGOs book
INCORE has a new website with easy navigation from the top
of the page to your preferred destination; the listed topics
of ‘Home / Research / Courses / Services / Policy &
Evaluation / Publications / Events’ open up to a variety
of sub-headings. INCORE is the international conflict research
unit of the University of Ulster and is affiliated to the
United Nations University. Visit the site at www.incore.ulster.ac.uk
Meanwhile you can also order Mari Fitzduff and
Cheyanne Church’s new book “NGOs at the Table:
Strategies for influencing policy in areas of conflict”
via the INCORE website. This is published by Rowman and Littlefield,
216 pages, ISBN 0-7425-2849-9 at £20.95/€35.94.
It looks at how differently focused NGOs of different sizes
in different parts of the world have successfully influenced
policy in conflict situations. [This book was mentioned in
e-mail and web editions of NN119].
Land of Unlikeness “The Land of Unlikeness – Explorations into
Reconciliation” is a detailed and perceptive study
of reconciliation from a Christian perspective written by
David Stevens, leader of the Corrymeela Community. It is well
illustrated with stories from Northern Ireland and around
the world and deals with a number of aspects in relation to
reconciliation, its meaning, forgiveness, biblical reflections,
churches and reconciliation, and dealing with the past. Much
of it, particularly chapters on the meaning of reconciliation
and dealing with the past, will also be of considerable interest
to those not identifying with Christianity. Published by the
Columba Press, ISBN 1-86607-437-4, 149 pages, it retails at
€9.99/£6.99. -For general information on Corrymeela,
see NN117.
Cwlwm Cymod Cymru-Corrymeela
Nia Rhosier, founder and coordinator of this Celtic Knot link
between Wales and Corrymeela reports that the All Wales Corrymeela
Sunday service was held this year in Cardiff on 21st March,
with David Stevens, leader of the Corrymeela Community, as
guest speaker. The Cardiff cell of the Fellowship of Reconciliation
was responsible for arrangements and hospitality, and a couple
of members of ‘Cwlwm’ attended the Living Spirituality
Network gathering at Corrymeela in April. For next year’s
40th anniversary of the founding of Corrymeela, the ‘Cwlwm’
will join with links in England at Saint Martin-in-the-Fields,
London on Sunday 13th March at 10.30 a.m. for the Corrymeela
Sunday service. Contact Nia at 01938 500631 or Honor Alleyne
on 0118 926 1062.
Whose Rules Rule? Debt
and Development Coalition Ireland
The Debt and Development Coalition Ireland is organising a
seminar on ‘IMF and World Bank’s 60th Birthday:
Whose Rules Rule?’ on Tuesday 22nd June from 11 am –
1 pm at Buswells Hotel, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, followed
by their AGM. The annual report for 2003-4 gives a detailed
account of work done recently. Debt and Development Coalition
Ireland, All Hallows, Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9,
ph 02 – 857 1828, e-mail ddc@connect.ie
and website www.debtireland.org
Community, Nonviolent
Direct Action and the Gospel
This is the topic of the Church and Peace regional conference
for Britain and Ireland taking place from 16th – 18th
July at Launde Abbey, East Norton, Leicestershire. Speakers
include Chris Cole (FOR), Beccie D’Cunha (SPEAK), Bishop
Colin Scott (Anglican Pacifist Fellowship), Vic Thiessen (London
Mennonite Centre) and a representative of the Bruderhof Community.
Cost is £110 single room, £100 double, £65
nonresidential. As the formal booking deadline has already
passed, contact ASAP; Tony Kempster, 11 Weavers End, Hanslope,
Milton Keynes MK19 7PA, ph. +44 (0)1908 510642. The Church
and Peace European network brings together groups, communities,
organisations and churches committed to becoming the peace
church of Jesus Christ in daily life and action. The website
of Church and Peace is at www.church-and-peace.org
Of Public Concern…
is a useful new British-based video hire library on social,
national and international issues, with some classics and
others that may be of use. Of public concern, Nacton, Ipswich
IP10 0LA, ph. +44 (0)1473 717088, e-mail ericwalker@gn.apc.org
See also www.concordvideo.co.uk
the website of Concord Video and Film Council.
All at Sea
‘All at sea’ is the featured topic for the latest
issue of the excellent international quarterly magazine ‘Peace
News’, looking at various aspects of maritime existence
including different aspects of nonviolent action at sea, and
rising seas in an era of global warming. Peace News, 5 Caledonian
Road, London N1 9DY, phone +44 20 7278 3344 and website www.peacenews.info
Nonviolent
News is usually produced 10 times a year (on
paper) and extended e-mail and web editions
Subscriptions for the printed edition
are; UK£5 or €8 minimum
(£3 or €5 unwaged or you
can have Nonviolent News e-mailed (suggested donation
£2 or €3 minimum).
Additional donations welcome and vital
to keep INNATE afloat. Submissions are welcome - the
deadline for the next issue is noted on the left.
You can browse through previous issues
from the menu on the left.
