Editorial:
No government once again in Northern Ireland.
Billy
King; Billy gets caught red-handed (of Ulster) and compares
George B*s* and George B*s*.
Taking on liberties, South and North:
ICCL – Irish Council for Civil Liberties
Main areas of focus include:
CADIC (Coalition Against the Deportation
of Irish Citizens): Formed in response to the Supreme
Court decision in January of this year, that non-national
parents of Irish-born children do not have an automatic right
to citizenship, the coalition involves the following groups:
Immigrant Council of Ireland, Free Legal Advice Centre, Irish
Council for Civil Liberties, Children’s Rights Alliance,
African Women’s Network, Irish Refugee Council. The
group has published an information leaflet for migrant parents
of Irish-born children and also information on citizenship
and constitutional rights of Irish child citizens –
these are available on the ICCL website at www.iccl.ie The
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform recently announced
that some deportations of immigrant parents and their Irish-born
children have already taken place and that deportation orders
have been issued. The Coalition immediately called on the
Minister to halt the deportations and to provide free legal
assistance to those families facing deportation.
Participation and the Practice of Rights:
Insider/Outsider – Changing Relationships This
is an on-going collaboration between the ICCL, ICTU, CAJ,
CPA, and the NIVT. The groups have successfully secured funding
for a six-month pilot project for the north-inner city areas
of Belfast and Dublin. This will involve two appointed interns
working with the grassroots and human rights organisations,
to identify and map the issues surrounding three main areas
(education, health and policing)
‘Know Your Rights’ Publication:
Know Your Rights, an ICCL information pack has been
published and is available from the office (email: iccl@iol.ie)
or on our website (www.iccl.ie). This publication offers advice
to citizens on the rights which should be upheld, on getting
into trouble with the gardaí. The advice contained
in this publication is not intended as a substitute for legal
advice.
Finally, the ICCL is pleased to announce that
Tanya Ward is joining the team as Senior Research & Policy
Officer this month.
ICCL subscriptions are €31.74 individual,
€57.14 for couples/double, and €6.35 unwaged. ICCL,
Dominick Court, 40 – 41 Lower Dominick Street, Dublin
1, ph. 01 – 8783136, fax 8783109, e-mail iccl@iol.ie
and website www.iccl.ie
CAJ – Committee
on the Administration of Justice
The fourth edition of CAJ’s Civil Liberties
in Northern Ireland Handbook will appear during November,
edited by Brice Dickson and Martin O’Brien. This comprehensive
reference work has 22 chapters and extends to 614 pages, including
new chapters on environmental rights, mental health and general
equality; it will retail at £9.50 (postage extra if
getting it from CAJ).
Meanwhile CAJ’s commentary on the NI
Policing Board is now out and will be featured in
the November issue of Just News.
CAJ’s Annual Report (58
pages, A4), just out, gives a detailed overview of the work
in the last year and of publications and reports produced.
Members of the CAJ committee, recently elected,
are: Chair, Kieran McEvoy; Vice-Chair, Paddy Hillyard; Treasurer,
Les Allamby; Minutes Secretary, Ann Godfrey; Editor of Just
News, Fionnula Ní Aolain, and Membership Secretary,
Lesley Emerson.
Subscriptions to CAJ are £17 or £5
unwaged, or £12 to receive Just News only. CAJ, 45/47
Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2BR. Phone 028 – 9096 1122,
fax 9024 6706, website www.caj.org.uk
Mediators Institute
Ireland annual conference The Mediators Institute conference is to be held 14th
and 15th November at Druids Glen Hotel, Netownmountkennedy,
Co Wicklow. The Keynote Address will be given by Michelle
LeBaron on “Bridging Troubled Waters: A Relational Approach
to Resolving Conflicts”; Professor LeBaron will explore
the contours and implications of a relational approach to
conflict resolution which is centred not in formal analysis
but in stories, metaphors and shared experiences. Sector meetings
taking place at the conference include Family Mediation, Restorative
Justice, Workplace Mediation, Commercial Mediation, Community
Mediation and Environmental Mediation. There will also be
a Northern Ireland regional meeting and other extensive programme.
MII accredits practitioners who have completed recognised
training - today there are almost 100 practitioners working
in the fields of family mediation, business/workplace disputes,
restorative justice and community mediation. Contact: MII,
72 Beechpark Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18 or by e-mail: Information
- info@mediatorsinstituteireland.ie Chairperson - chairperson@mediatorsinstituteireland.ie
Accreditation - accreditation@mediatorsinstituteireland.ie
Phone: 01 - 6618488 or see the MII website at www.mediatorsinstituteireland.ie
Sligo-Kitwe Link Co-operation
Committee Not all town and city twinning is of the North-North
variety. As well as a couple of European linkages, Sligo is
twinned with Kitwe, in Zambia. The Sligo-Kitwe Link Co-operation
Committee, which implements twinning between Sligo and Kitwe,
is holding two public meetings on debt and development during
One World Week. One will be at the Hotel Silver Swan, Monday
17th November at 8 pm with Ann Reilly of Debt and Development;
another meeting for students and staff will take place at
lunchtime on Tuesday 18th November. The Sligo-Kitwe committee
is ten years in existence and has run exhibitions and international
cultural competitions with educational impact in both cities.
The secretary, Garreth Byrne, can be contacted at 071 –
9134985 or at Dromahair, Co Leitrim.
Debt and Development
Coalition The Debt and Development Coalition Ireland has launched
the next stage of its campaign to get the Irish government
to prioritise debt cancellation during the EU Presidency.
This targets the European Parliament and MEPs; you can send
a postcard (available from office) to local MEPs or do it
via the website at www.debtireland.org Also being organised
is a public seminar on ‘Who rules the world? Global
Democracy: Role of the WTO, IMF, World Bank’ organised
jointly with Trade Matters Ireland on Saturday 29th November,
11am – 2pm at Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street, Dublin
2. There’ll also be a multicultural Advent service at
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin at 8pm on Wednesday 10th
December. DDC, All Hallows, Grace Park Road, Dublin 9, ph/fax
01 – 857 1828, e-mail ddc@connect.ie
Housmans Peace Diary
2004 Another year older….and wiser too if you’re
the campaigning sort and get your indispensable Housmans Peace
Diary, the portable tool for the busy activist that doesn’t
require batteries or go on the blink….and if you are
an activist that goes on the blink, well, even more reason
to buy one. Its World Peace Directory has almost 2,000 national
and international peace, environmental and human rights organisations
listed in 150 countries. ISBN 0 85283 259 1. Cover price is
UK£6.95 or £7.95 including postage and packing
anywhere. Discount on 5 or more (20% on 5 copies, £6.36
each) post free. Production is running a bit behind normal
but orders will be fulfilled during December. Housmans, 5
Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX, ph 020 7837 4473, e-mail diary@housmans.idps.co.uk
GM-Free Ireland GM foods have been receiving some bad reviews, such
as the test results from Britain, but it will take a lot more
to stop the genetically modified juggernaut in its tracks.
GM-Free Ireland is an umbrella body with free membership for
all kinds of people and organisations opposed to GM crops.
It argues that Ireland (because of its isolation, 80% wind
flow from Atlantic, and low exposure to GM to date) should
be a GM-free biodiversity reserve. GM-Free Ireland’s
website is at www.gmfreeireland.org or the chair, Michael
O’Callaghan, can be contacted at phone 0404 43 885.
Low Cost Solutions
to Ireland’s Waste Crisis Three leading Irish Environmental NGO's - VOICE, An
Taisce, and the Zero Waste Alliance - are holding a conference
titled, 'Low Cost Solutions to Ireland's Waste Crisis' on
Friday, 21 November 2003 at Tailor's Hall, Back Lane Dublin
8. As Ireland looks to the future, solutions to the escalating
waste crisis must be found which are cost effective and safe.
This conference will examine international experience of such
solutions and seek to place them in the Irish context. Fee:
€75 per delegate (concessions available for not-for-profit
environmental organisations). Contact: VOICE, 7 Upper Camden
Street, Dublin 2, ph 01 - 475 0467, e-mail: avoice@iol.ie
Mediation Northern Ireland
posts Mediation Northern Ireland is currently advertising
for two posts, with a closing date of 28th November:
1. Development Officer (Associates) This key post is tasked with developing a flexible
and sustainable team of Associate Mediators, capable of providing
quality services to sustain peace and build good relations.
Amongst the criteria for the successful candidate are: Experience
in mediation in a community relations context; Experience
in co-ordinating and supervising the work of a team; A minimum
of OCN Level 2 (or equivalent) accredited training in mediation;
Experience of monitoring and evaluation. Salary scale starts
at MNI point 160 (currently £22,296) plus a 6% pension
contribution. The post has a two-year fixed term contract
which may be extended by a further year subject to funding.
2. Executive Assistant (Civic Leadership
Project) This part time post will provide support to Mediation
Northern Ireland’s Civic Diplomacy activities specifically
through providing logistical support to the Civic Leadership
project and personal and executive assistance to the Director.
Amongst the criteria used to select the successful
candidate will be: Event management experience; Experience
as a P.A. for a senior executive; An appropriate text/word
processing qualification to meet a minimum of 50 words per
minute; Interest in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
Salary scale starts at MNI point 160 (currently £12,248
for 20 hours per week) plus a 6% pension contribution. The
post has a two-year fixed term contract.
For an application pack including full criteria
for either post, contact: Recruitment, Mediation Northern
Ireland, 10 Upper Crescent, Belfast, BT7 1NT. Phone 028 9043
8614 info@mediationnorthernireland.org
International Nonviolence Training for
Trainers
The costs from Ireland for this would be mighty
but where there’s a will… and some of you may
read this in more accessible locations to the course –
Ed
Training of Trainers in Non-violent Conflict
Transformation; An international non-residential course, March
2004 - March 2006. This training course prepares people to
work as trainers in non-violent conflict transformation. For
the first time four European training centres offer an international
training of trainers with a multicultural approach. The course
leads participants to a solid qualification as trainers and
enables them to apply the new skills in their professional
work. The trainees will be acquainted with special tools for
handling conflicts and crisis situations within communities
and groups.
The Program Objectives:
Raise awareness about and enhance confidence
in the possibility of the peaceful transformation of conflict;
Assess and enhance existing conflict resolution practices;
Create an awareness of a wider spectrum of conflict transformation
options; Equip participants with knowledge and basic conflict
transformation skills; Enhance trainees’ new conflict
transformation skills; Empower participants to carry out conflict
transformation training in team and initiate co-operation
between participants as a basis for future training work;
Identify potential linkages and partnerships for multiplying
the training outreach and the impact of the skills development.
Who should Apply?
Persons involved in peace promotion
and/or working with environment-oriented or human rights
organisations.
People who want to become more effectively
involved in alleviating or transforming conflicts at the
inter-personal, national or international levels
Colleagues involved in educational
programs, youth programs and social work.
Teachers.
Professionals in community development,
human service or religious organisations
People working in humanitarian projects.
Those who want to work as trainers
in non-violent conflict transformation, either at home or
abroad.
The courses are laid out for people working
in the field at various levels of experience and skills.
Requirements for participation: Professional
training completed. Working knowledge of English. Experience
in working with groups and in the field of conflict transformation
in social or international settings.
Deadline for applications is 15th of December
2003. Duration of the Training Course: 51 Seminar Days at
different training locations in Europe (Germany, Slovakia,
Bulgaria, Italy, Serbia) + 4 Days of Hands-on Training.
Program fees: 51 days of lessons including materials,
board and lodging will cost €5,500 (for Western European
countries) or €2,200 (for Eastern European countries).
The travel costs have to be covered separately. Participants
can apply for scholarships up to €4,000 (to cover partially
the program fee and travel costs).
Application, Information and Consultation: Bildungs-
und Begegnungsstätte für gewaltfreie, Aktion e.V.
KURVE Wustrow, Fynn Lüdtke, Kirchstr. 14; 29 462 Wustrow.
fon: (+49-5843) 9871-31; fax: 05843/9871-11
training@kurvewustrow.org www.kurvewustrow.org
International Peace and Nonviolence on
the Web We don’t have space/time/laws of
physics here to do a full review, which is for another time
maybe in the web edition, but here are a few worth visiting
(INNATE has associate/affiliate status with the first two);
War Resisters International; A very
full website includes information on Prisoners For Peace
Day (1st December) and links to member and associate websites
around the world. www.wri-irg.org
International Fellowship of Reconciliation;
This inter-faith nonviolence international can be found
at www.ifor.org and its excellent Women’s Peacemaker
Programme at www.ifor.org/WPP
- they produce an annual International Women’s Day
for Peace and Disarmament Pack (2004 one will look at Muslim
women’s peace initiatives).
Pax Christi International does the business
at www.paxchristi.net
including news reports from around the world.
Non-profit leadership course in USA
Boston College Irish Institute 2004 U.S. Exchange
Programmes
Non-Profit Leadership Programme (ref
NGO 04), February 29 – March 9, 2004
This programme is open to CEOs or Directors
of small nonprofit organizations, especially community organizations.
Representatives of arts organizations and universities are
not eligible. The group of ten will attend graduate seminars
with BC faculty and visit nonprofits in and around Boston
and Washington, D.C. Program topics include: partnering with
businesses and citizens, leadership, fundraising, strategic
planning, lobbying, and other techniques that enable a nonprofit
organization to become self-sustainable. Application deadline:
5:00PM, 18 November 2003.
This program is funded by the United States
Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The cost of flights, accommodation, transport, tuition, and
a stipend for meals will be provided.
Application procedure: Candidates should forward
a cover letter, outlining their suitability for the programme,
and CV, to the address below, no later than the stated deadline.
Applicants should be available for interview in the period
immediately following the application deadline. Selection
is on a competitive basis and not all applicants will be interviewed.
Please post applications to: Brian Kane, Director, Boston
College Centre for Irish Programmes, 42 St Stephen’s
Green, Dublin 2, phone 01 – 614 7450. Additional information
on the Irish Institute and its programs is available at: www.bc.edu/irishinstitute
Programmes are not open to U.S. citizens; past or present
'green-card' holders; those not resident in Ireland or N.
Ireland at the time of application; or past participants of
Irish Institute programs
lThe next Belfast networking meeting is on Monday
24th November at 7.30 pm in 7 University Avenue, Belfast when
we’ll look at some ‘Informed Dissent’ (Peace
News CD-Rom) as well as planning…anyone interested welcome.
Phone 028 – 90 64 71 06.
Nonviolent
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