North Belfast Conflict Transformation Forum
(NBCTF)
North Belfast is known for its multiple interfaces
and around 30% of deaths related to the ‘Troubles’
in Northern Ireland. This Practitioners’ Forum was launched
in April, though work has been going on for the last 3 years.
It includes a wide range of groups including
An Eochair, Ardoyne Focus Group, Ashton Community Trust, Ballysillan
Forum, Cliftonville Regeneration Trust, Concerned Residents
of Upper Ardoyne (CRUA), Corrymeela, Ex-Prisoners Interpretive
Centre, Good Morning Ballysillan, Intercomm, LINC Resource
Centre, Ligoniel Improvement Centre, Lower North Belfast Community
Council, Monkstown Community Resource Centre, North Belfast
Alternatives, North Belfast Developing Leadership Initiative
CEP, North Belfast Interface Network, Protestant Interface
Network (PIN), Teach na Failte, Mediation Resource Centre,
and Tar Isteach. The aim is to strategically address issues
of sectarianism and the negative aspects of parochialism and
competitiveness that exist within the different areas and
organisations. It will promote learning opportunities for
practitioners and seek to develop best practice in transforming
conflict through cooperation and dialogue. NBCTF can be contacted
by e-mail louise.linc@btconnect.com
or ph 028 - 9074 5983.
The Black Shamrock campaign
The Black Shamrock Campaign emerged out of a need for an image
that would visually communicate the extent of opposition in
Ireland to Irish involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
It symbolises our mourning for the loss of Irish Neutrality
and for the tens of thousands of lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan
as a result of the US-led wars in which our leaders, north
and south, have been complicit, and for which the airports
at Shannon, Aldergrove and Baldonnel have become pit-stops.
Equally the economies both north and south are
daily becoming more integrally linked to the fortunes of the
US led ‘military industrial complex’. We who support
the campaign would ask what price is being paid for ‘peace’
in the north and ‘prosperity’ in the south with
the arrival of Raytheon (the world’s largest Missile
manufacturer) in Derry and companies like Timoney, Data Devices
Corporation, Zillings and Moog Ltd (all of whom make components
for the international arms industry) in the south.
The Black Shamrock is also, of course, a symbol
of resistance. In wearing it you become part of the campaign,
visually voicing your opposition to any Irish involvement,
be it economic, strategic or logistical, in these unjust and
illegal wars and so disassociating yourself from the collusion.
The beauty of the campaign, like any campaign that employs
the power of non-violence, is that it allows the whole of
civil society, children, young people, adults, the elderly,
coming from all walks of life to take part. Choosing to wear
it not only voices your opposition but invites comment, thus
encouraging the debate necessary if we are to break civil
society out of its passivity, and mobilise it to stop the
collusion. So while there is much work to be done beyond wearing
a badge for those who are up for it, wearing a badge is an
important act of support and encouragement to those who can
do more. So a key piece of work at this stage in the campaign
is to spread the word and get badges out. Badges can be ordered
in batches no smaller than 100 through the website or via
e-mail address sundayproductions@lineone.net
at a cost of UK£10 + post & packaging. People are
encouraged to ask for donations and donate profits to the
campaign or other peace building project. So the badge is
not just a campaigning tool but a fund raising tool as well!
The Black Shamrock campaign
is a grassroots non-party affiliated (and so open to
the support of all parties) campaign to highlight the views
of the majority of people in Ireland and in the rest of the
world; that we want no part in these dirty occupations and
instruct our leaders to follow Irish and International law
and immediately withdraw support for the occupations.
Afri Famine Walk, Easter demo
You don’t need to remember your shovel, just your walking
boots, for this year’s Afri Famine Walk, co-sponsored
with Louisburgh Community Project on the theme ‘Land
for people not for profit’, commemorating the 150th
anniversary of the birth of Michael Davitt. Walk leaders are
Christy Moore, Dr Owens Wiwa, Vincent McGrath, and Maureen
McGrath. It ‘runs’ the ten miles from Doolough
to Louisburgh, Co Mayo on Saturday 20th May beginning at 2pm
(there is a bus from Dublin bookable in advance) with programme
on the Friday evening and a céilí on the Saturday
night. Afri, 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7, ph 01 –
8827563, e-mail afri@iol.ie
and Louisburgh Community project, Long Street, Louisburgh,
Co Mayo, ph 098 – 66218, e-mail louisburghproject@eircom.net
Meanwhile Afri organised an alternative 1916
parade outside the GPO on O’Connell St. in Dublin on
Easter Monday, April 17th at 12 noon. This event reflected
on the health of the nation, 90 years after the Easter Rising;
Afri’s Easter Monday event was entitled a ‘show
of strength’ and focussed on those abandoned by the
government on trolleys in hospital corridors. Afri queried
whether the official 1916 parade, a display of militarism,
was the best way for a self declared neutral country to celebrate
its independence. Afri’s argument is that Ireland should
demonstrate its strength, not by the size and weaponry-range
of the army, but by the health and welfare of all the citizens
and by the strength of commitment to working for an end to
poverty and war throughout the world.
Rossport Solidarity
Camp
The Shell to Sea campaign, and the case of the Rossport Five,
is now quite well known both in Ireland and internationally;
Shell’s attempt to put a potentially lethal pipeline
with gas at high pressure close to homes and roads has received
much attention, partly through the 94 day imprisonment of
the ‘Rossport Five’. But that certainly does not
mean that the issues are won (see http://www.corribsos.com
). Shell wants to restart work this year. Rossport Solidarity
Camp was set up in June 2005 with the aim of stopping Shell;
it is organised non-hierarchically and committed to non-violent
direct action, among other guidelines. People are needed throughout
2006 to help prevent Shell putting people’s lives at
risk and destroying the area. The camp welcomes people of
all ages, abilities and skills. Directions for getting there
are included on the website but please contact before arriving
(and see their wish list!):
http://www.struggle.ws/rsc/ and e-mail rossportsolidaritycampaign@gmail.com
or you can phone landline 097 – 20944, or mobiles 086
– 3201612, 086 – 3588890 or 087 – 6543425.
CAJ/Committee on the
Administration of Justice
CAJ has been having a busy time, launching an international
Anthology of international contributions to the debate on
a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland (available at £10);
issuing its report into the devolution of criminal justice
(£9); and acting as local secretariat for the Eminent
Jurists Panel which visited Northern Ireland to hear what
lessons the jurisdiction has to offer to a discussion of "terrorism,
counter-terrorism and human rights". If you want more
information on any of these activities, or general activities
related to the celebration of its 25th year promoting justice
for all, contact http://www.caj.org.uk
CAJ, 45-47 Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2BR, ph 028 –
9096 1122.
Justice Not Terror visits
Thales
Thales Air Defence is Ireland’s largest arms manufacturer,
making missiles in suburban Belfast (Castlereagh) with a turnover
of £15.3 million in 2005. On 27th April the Justice
Not Terror Coalition held a demonstration there including
speeches, banners, a die in and ‘blood’ on the
ground, blocking the front gate for the best part of half
an hour, and the call to Thales included to start making socially
useful products rather than weapons on destruction. The action
was part of a response to the Global Call to Action (http://globalcall.org)
for an end to US military occupation of Iraq. See also the
report at Indymedia
7 Meetings continue at Peace House, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast
on Tuesdays at 7.30 pm for further actions in July/August.
JNTC, e-mail jntcx@bonbon.net
or phone 0771 – 511 0517.
Fundamentalism in Religions:
Faith, Scope and Clarity
The Inter-Faith Roundtable and the Department of Peace Studies
at Saor-Ollscoil na hÉireann, are organising their
2nd Annual Religious Peace Conference in St. Brigid’s
Community Centre, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 on Saturday 10th
June 2006 from 8.30am to 4.30pm. The topic is as above. Our
inaugural conference last year was very successful in bringing
together religious scholars, academics, politicians, members
of different faith communities and the media, both national
and international, to address issues of peace between creeds
and adherents of creeds. Saor-Ollscoil na hÉireann,
55 Prussia Street, Dublin 7, phone 01 – 863 3368.
Kilcranny House - Community
liaison worker
Kilcranny House in Coleraine have a vacancy for a Community
Liaison Worker including work with local and residential groups
and schools. Experience of group work and training is essential.
An understanding of community relations or community development
work is essential, also of the principles of non violence,
and consensus decision making is desirable. Salary –
£21,439.60. Closing date for applications: Monday, 22
May at 12.00 noon. Interviews will be held on Tuesday, 30
May. For further details; send a stamped addressed envelope
to: Siobhan Atkins, Kilcranny House, 21 Cranagh Road, Coleraine,
BT51 3NN or e-mail: info@kilcranny.thegap.com.
And web http://www.kilcrannyhouse.org
International Experiences
of Days of Remembrance and Reflection
This report from Healing Through Remembering (HTR) was launched
at the end of March (60 pages A4) available in paper or downloadable
from the HTR website at http://www.healingthroughremembering.org
HTR welcomes comments and invitations for discussion and will
be producing a discussion paper on proposals for a day of
reflection (in Northern Ireland). HTR, 17a Ormeau Avenue,
Belfast BT2 8HD, ph 028 – 9023 8844 and e-mail info@healingthroughremembering.org
Irish School of Ecumenics
Courses
The Irish School of Ecumenics has three taught masters courses;
an M.Phil in Reconciliation Studies (taught in Belfast) and
International Peace Studies and Ecumenical Studies (both Dublin).
In addition, ISE offer postgrad programmes leading to M.Litt.
and Ph.D. degrees in these three areas. It has a Postgraduate
Diploma in Conflict and Dispute Resolution Studies which is
a one-year part-time evening postgraduate diploma, based in
Dublin, plus adult education work etc. Further details at
http://www.tcd.ie/ise
including information on fees. Dublin phone 01 - 260 1144,
Belfast 028 - 9077 5010
ISE has recently launched 'Explorations
in Reconciliation: New Directions in Theology', edited
by David Tombs and Joseph Liechty. The book comprises 9 essays
on reconciliation by the following: Marc Gopin, Miroslav Volf,
David Herbert, Joseph Liechty, Ad María Isasi-Díaz,
David Tombs, Wilhelm Verwoerd, Cecelia Clegg and Geraldine
Smyth OP. It is published by Ashgate and is 161 pages long.
Copies can be ordered through the publishers www.ashgate.com.
The cover price is £45.00.
The Belfast campus will be showing ‘State
of Fear’, a film based on the testimony of more
than 16,000 people to the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, on Tuesday 16 May 2006, 6.30pm - 9.00pm at Irish
School of Ecumenics, 683 Antrim Road, Belfast. The screening
will begin at 7.00pm, with drinks from 6.30pm and a short
time for discussion afterward until 9.00pm. For more details
on the film see http://www.skylightpictures.com
The evening is being organised in association with Chatham
House London. There is no charge but it is expected that this
event will be very popular, and since places are limited please
RSVP to Caroline Clarke tel. 028 9077 0087 or email reconsec@tcd.ie
Amnesty International
– put your face on (a Million Faces)
NI: Amnesty International (AI) will stage a Stormont briefing
on the campaign for an international arms trade treaty on
9th May at Parliament Buildings. Speakers at the event, held
with Oxfam, will be BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport,
Amnesty’s Patrick Corrigan, Oxfam's Colin Roche and
Rathmore Grammar School pupil Chris O'Hara whose Amnesty youth
group collected 850 faces for the Control Arms campaign 'million
faces petition', which will be presented to the UN small arms
conference in New York in June. The Stormont event is being
hosted by the Assembly's all-party group on international
development. More info from AI-NI at 028 - 9064 3000, 397
Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 3GP, web http://www.amnesty.org.uk/ni
Meanwhile Amnesty has its first Northern Ireland
billboard campaign currently on display, with a focus on challenging
complacency domestic violence - part of its global Stop Violence
Aginst Women campaign. The innovative campaign uses images
of bruised and battered women in a series of posters displayed
around Northern Ireland, supposedly advertising a new range
of make-up for “bruising relationships”. The Amnesty
campaign is being sponsored by trade unions UNISON and NIPSA,
which are also distributing thousands of notice-board size
versions of the posters for display in workplaces around Northern
Ireland. Copies of the A3-size poster are available free on
request from Amnesty: patricia.campbell@amnesty.org.uk
Amnesty International in Northern Ireland currently has 12
campaign groups: Belfast, Armagh, Foyle, Mid Down, Mid Ulster,
North Down, East Antrim, Lagan Valley, Fermanagh, Coleraine,
Newry & Mourne and Queen's University. Contact details
available online, at the soon to be re-launched website http://www.amnesty.org.uk/ni
Republic: Amnesty International
is in a crucial period of the Control Arms campaign. In June
2006, we plan to bring a worldwide petition will go to the
UN Conference on Small Arms, to show world leaders that people
will not tolerate the uncontrolled availability of arms that
kill, maim and torture on a daily basis around the globe.
This petition comes in the form of a Million Faces, collected
from around the world in solidarity for the Control Arms campaign.
In Ireland, we need 20,000 faces to send a clear message both
to the UN and to our own government that Irish people demand
stronger arms trade controls - another 10,000 faces are needed
before 25th May, when the Japanese Peace Boat will come to
bring the petition to New York. Please take photos of yourself,
friends, family & anyone else you know - holding a sign
saying Control Arms. Alternatively, you can get creative &
draw a self-portrait! Send pictures to us at Amnesty International
Irish Section, 48 Fleet Street, Dublin 2 or upload to http://www.controlarms.org
Local groups in the Republic include:
Cashel, Castlebar, Clonakilty, Cork City, Dublin Central,
Dublin Northeast, Dublin West, Dublin Rathgar, Tallaght Co
Dublin, Dundalk, Dun Laoghaire/Blackrock, Enniscorthy, Galway
City, Kells, Kilkenny, Letterkenny, Limerick, North Wicklow/Bray,
Portaloise, Schull, Sligo, Tralee, Tullamore, Waterford, Wexford.
Want to know more? Please feel free to ring Activism and Outreach
Officer, Kieran Clifford in the office on 01- 677 6361, ext.
226 or email kclifford@amnesty.ie.
The website is at http://www.amnesty.ie
Pax Christi Ireland
Pax Christi Ireland’s AGM takes place on Sunday 7th
May from 10 am through to 4.30 pm at a Dublin venue. the speaker
will be Rev John Marsden on ‘Connolly, Pearse and the
Legacy of the 1916 Generation’ and other business will
include a prayer service, reports and elections. Subscriptions
to Pax Christi Ireland are a minimum of €25 waged, €10
unwaged and €5 students (UK cheques acceptable). Pax
Christi Ireland, 52 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6, phone
01 – 496 52 93, fax 496 54 92, and e-mail info@paxchristi.ie
West Papua Action –
Dublin gig
West Papua Action have a gig/get together on Saturday 13th
May from 7.00 – 9.00 pm at Goggin’s Pub, Monkstown
village, Co Dublin (3 minutes from Salthill DART station,
opposite 7 bus stop) with Willie Comerford and the Barrow
Boys. Free in – voluntary contributions. E-mail wpaction@iol.ie
Web http://www.westpapuaaction.org
and postal address 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7.
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