Monitors, not minotaurs,
for the North
Mediation Northern Ireland (MNI) is looking for an additional
20 volunteers to add to its monitoring team. The aim of the
monitoring project is to contribute to peace, order and improved
relations in situations of communal tension - the success
of the initiative in recent years has shown it to be a timely
method of peacekeeping. If you are flexible, patient, impartial
and willing to volunteer, induction training (3 sessions for
all new volunteers) takes place in Belfast on 25th May, 1st
June and 8th June. If you're interested, please contact Maire
of Peter at MNI, phone 028 - 90438614, or e-mail maire@mediationnorthernireland.org
MNI, 83 University Street, Belfast BT7 1HP.
Afri Famine walk 2005;
Right of migrant workers to organise
The Afri famine walk 2005 is on the theme of Supporting the
Right of Migrant Workers to Organise - in the spirit of Mother
Jones. It takes place on Saturday 28th May the 10 miles from
Doolough to Louisburgh, Co Mayo, the walk beginning at 2pm
(shuttle buses from Louisburgh from 1pm). Walk leaders are
Andy Irvine, Said El Bouzari and Fr Pádraig Ó
Máille. Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones (1830 - 1930) was
born in West Cork and became a workers' rights champion in
the USA . A bus from Dublin is bookable through Afri. Extra
events on Friday 27th May from 8pm in Louisburgh Town Hall.
Co-organised by Louisburgh Community Project. Afri is celebrating
'30 Years of Action for Peace' as it was founded in 1975.
Further details; Afri, 134 Phibsborough Road, Phibsborough,
Dublin 7, ph 01 - 8827563, e-mail afri@iol.ie
and web http://afri.buz.org
- In a special event to celebrate its 30th anniversary, Afri
has its international patron Desmond Tutu speaking on
'War and Peace in the 21st Century" on 7th June
at 7pm, central Dublin venue, admission €10; bookings
to Afri.
World Culture of Peace
Day, Cork
Nagasaki Day, Tuesday 9th August, has a day long programme
of events organised by Gearóid Duffy of Pax Christi,
beginning at 10.00 a.m. and running right through to an evening
event starting at 8.30 p.m. Events include Journeys of hope
- healing broken lives and restoring relationships at 11.00
a.m., a lunch time talk by Fr Alex Reid, 'Point of Light',
a Peace Skills workshop on Inter-Personal Conflicts and Communication
with Evelyn O'Callaghan-Burkhard, 4.15pm, a Prayerful Remembrance
Gathering marking the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing
of Nagasaki and commemorating all war victims, 7.00 pm. E-mail
for full programme, all welcome and events free. Contact:
Gearóid Duffy, ph 021 - 4541207, e-mail cultureofpeaceday@eircom.net
and web http://www.cultureofpeace.info
Pax Christi Ireland
Meanwhile Pax Christi Ireland has been continuing its work,
including a recent landmines campaign update tour with meetings
in Belfast, Derry, Limerick, Galway and Cork. After the recent
AGM, members of the executive committee are; President, Bishop
Raymond Field, Spiritual Director Richard Sheehy, General
Secretary Tony D'Costa, plus John Harkin, Ailish D'Costa,
Sr Nuala Kennedy, Gearóid Duffy, Michael Prior and
Fintan Mullally; the chairperson is Bryan Maguire. Membership
for 2005 is €25/£20 or €10 unwaged. Pax Christi,
52 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6, ph 01 - 496 52 93, e-mail
info@paxchristi.ie
Arms trade goes boom
INNATE and the Peace People are jointly organising a one day
conference on the arms trade in Ireland and further afield,
taking place at Frederick Street Friends Meeting House, Belfast
on Saturday 21st May from 9.45 a.m. through to 4 p.m. Speakers
include Mike Kavanagh (CAAT), Patrick Corrigan (AI), Peter
Doran (FEIC) and Tim Hourigan (Limerick/Shannon). All interested
welcome, £5 fee including light lunch (£3 unwaged).
Please book via booking form to indicate potential workshop
preferences. Phone queries 028 - 9029 3623, mobile 0771 -
5110517, e-mail antiarmstradeday@ntlworld.com
or INNATE postal address.
Friends and FOEs
Friends of the Earth has recently opened an office in Dublin
and is actively recruiting members in the Republic. With one
million campaigners and supporters organised in 70 countries,
Friends of the Earth is the world's largest network of environmental
activists. Environmentally, it's clear Ireland is living over
the limit. On climate we are failing to live up to our commitments
to cut carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. Rather than
building peat-fired power stations we should be investing
in renewable energy where Ireland could be a world leader.
There is a mounting waste crisis. It's not made easy enough
to reuse and recycle and yet the government is intent on building
incinerators, which only encourage more waste production to
keep them viable. Friends of the Earth produces quality research
to identify practical solutions and mobilises members and
local groups to press for change. Three local groups have
already formed, in Clare, Kilkenny and Kerry. Individual members
can join for as little as €40, €20 for students
and unwaged. Supporters are urged to consider signing up as
monthly contributors. After all, it is the members who guarantee
the organisation's independence and influence. In future the
website will offer all-comers the opportunity to take instant
action online concerning the environmental challenges we face.
For more details visit http://www.foe.ie,
contact the office at info@foe.ie or +353-1-6794178. Postal
address; 22 South Great Georges Street, Dublin 2.
Friends of the Earth in Northern Ireland is
continuing to work hard on a variety of matters. It was been
very active on sewage issues where the European Commission
is now one step away from formal court action against the
Department of the Environment (DOE). It is involved in campaigning
on Kilroot power station's plans to extend its aging coal-fired
plant. And of considerable use locally is a guide to fighting
pollution written by FOE's Lisa Fagan; a copy can be downloaded
from the website at http://www.foe.co.uk/ni
or e-mail colette@foe.co.uk
or phone. FOE, phone 028-9023 3488 or foe-ni@foe.co.uk.
7 Donegall Street Place, Belfast BT1 2FN.
Peace Brigades International
exhibition in Ireland
Peace Brigades International (PBI) bring its travelling photo
exhibition to Northern Ireland where it will be
on show during May and June. It will start at the premises
of Healing Trough Remembering on May 3rd (Alexander House,
17a Ormeau Avenue, Belfast BT2 8HD). It will then go to Corrymeela
Ballycastle from May 23rd to 10th June. After that it is going
to Derry to a place to be determined. We hope the tour will
end in Dublin by the end of June. The exhibition, entitled
'Making Space for Peace', shows human rights defenders in
some of the most volatile countries in the world going about
their daily work, accompanied by PBI's volunteers. The exhibition
seeks to capture the importance of international solidarity
to human rights activists working under conditions of intense
repression. It is composed of a series of powerful images
of human rights defenders, peace communities and PBI volunteers.
The photographs are accompanied by text explaining the context
of PBI's work in these countries.
In response to requests, PBI sends volunteers out to Colombia,
Guatemala, Mexico and Indonesia to accompany grassroots organisations
working for justice, peace and human rights. These groups
are routinely subjected to threats, intimidation and in some
cases violence. PBI's presence sends a signal to potential
aggressors that the international community intends to ee
human rights upheld. For further information or if any group
would like to have this exhibition exhibited in June, contact
Roberta Bacic at monitos@compadres.fsnet.co.uk
See also http://www.peacebrigades.org
Body Awareness as a
Tool for Conflict Transformation
This is a weekend workshop from Friday evening 27th May to
Sunday 29th lunchtime with Kate Jobe and Joe Goodbread, taking
place at the Junction, Bishop Street, Derry. Stress-related
health problems are well known hazards of transforming conflict
work; touching on the framework offered by Process Oriented
Psychology, the seminar will focus on the body, to ease suffering
under stress and tension and then as a resource for crafting
novel interventions. Bookings a s a p with £50 deposit,
full cost £120, to CDLI. Contact: Eamon Baker/Mary O'Connor,
CDLI, 10 - 12 Bishop Street, Derry/Londonderry BT48 6P)W,
phone 028 - 71377940, e-mail cdli@btconnect.com
Make Poverty History
- Drop the Debt
There is a Dublin rally at the Spire of Dublin (a-spiring
to end debt - Ed) on Thursday 30th June at 6.30pm organised
by Debt and Development Coalition Ireland (DDC) on behalf
of Make Poverty History - Irish Campaign. Meanwhile DDC's
twelfth AGM takes place on Tuesday 24th May at 3pm in central
Dublin, enquire for details; this will be followed by a Campaign
Meeting and Action at 6pm at Central Hotel, Exchequer Street,
Dublin, with a speaker, sharing of ideas, and Mystery White
Band solidarity action. DDC Ireland, All Hallows, Gracepark
Road, Dublin 9. Phone 01 - 8571828, e-mail campaign@debtireland.org
and website http://www.debtireland.org
Amnesty International
Current priorities for Irish Amnesty International include
working on the human rights crisis in Nepal where human rights
defenders, and others, are abducted and imprisoned, and the
media is totally muzzled. See here
and here
Work continues on corporate accountability, especially on
justice for Bhopal
as well as on other issues (violence against women, arms)
and particular countries (Zimbabwe, Mexico, Israel and Occupied
Territories). Further details on the website at http://www.amnesty.ie
Subscriptions are €40 individual, €10 unwaged or
€60 household/couple (you can pay securely by credit
card on the website). AI, 48 Fleet Street, Dublin 2, phone
01 - 677 6361
Irish AI has local groups in the following locations
(listed geographically by county, details on website); Schull,
Co Cork; Cork City; Clonakilty; Letterkenny, Co Donegal; Dun
Laoghaire/Blackrock, Co Dublin; Dublin West; Rathgar; Dublin
Central; Tallaght; Galway City; Tralee, Co Kerry; Kilkenny;
Limerick; Dundalk, Co Louth; Kells, Co Meath; Tullamore, Co
Offaly; Sligo; Cashel, Co Tipperary; Waterford; Wexford; Enniscorthy;
North Wicklow/Bray, Co Wicklow.
Meath Peace Group: Bombings
and their aftermath
Meath Peace Group invites you to a Public Talk "Bombings
and their Aftermath - Birmingham and other experiences"
on Monday 9th May 2005 in St. Columban's College, Dalgan Park,
Navan, Co. Meath at 8pm. Speakers: Michael Nangle (Lord Mayor
of Birmingham) Jacinta de Paor (Co-ordinator, L.I.V.E. programme,
Glencree Centre for Reconciliation). This talk is dedicated
to the memory of Niall O'Brien, SSC. Further talks provisionally
planned for Monday 23rd May and Monday 20th June. St. Columban's
College, Dalgan Park, is situated on the N3 (Dublin to Navan
road), c. 3 miles south of Navan (bus route 109). New
website or phone 01-8259438.
Centre for Contemporary
Christianity in Ireland
This is the new name from early April of ECONI (Evangelical
Contribution on Northern Ireland) which has been for 18 years
to the forefront in challenging churches and Christians to
think biblically about peacebuilding. Centre for Contemporary
Christianity in Ireland, Howard House, 1 Brunswick Street,
Belfast BT2 7GE, phone 028 - 9032 5258, e-mail info@contemporarychristianity.org
and web http://www.contemporarychristianity.org
Ploughshares weekly
vigil, Dublin
There is a weekly Anti-War Vigil at the GPO, O'Connell Street,
Dublin, 4-6pm each Monday; please consider joining or start
your own vigil in your locality. 90,000 U.S. troops through
Shannon in the first 3 months of this year. See http://www.PeaceOnTrial.Com
or e-mail ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
Phone: 087 - 918 4552.
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 Extended details below:
M.Litt. & Ph.D.
Research Degree Programme
The doctoral programme at ISE is geared for students who want
to pursue pure research in an interdisciplinary setting with
supervision and support from the School's teaching staff in
one of the four programme areas. Additionally, ISE is ideal
for those whose research interests cross the axis of Ecumenical
Studies, International Peace Studies, Reconciliation Studies
and Conflict and Dispute Resolution Studies. Email: ressec@tcd.ie
and phone 01-206 0353.
M.Phil. in Ecumenical
Studies
Ecumenical Studies focuses on three key arenas of dialogue
in order to promote a critical understanding of relationships
within and between traditions - dialogue within the Christian
traditions, with other religious traditions, and with others
committed to a study of the ethical dimensions of political
engagement. Courses offered: World Christianity and Interreligious
Dialogue; Authority, Tradition and Experience; Ethics, Theology
and Social Theory: Christian Ethics Between the Local and
the Global; Islam and Muslim-Christian Relations; Identity,
Truth and Power: Interpreting Ecumenical Ecclesiology; Northern
Ireland: Conflict and the Politics of Peace; Judaism and Jewish-Christian
Relations; Ethical Globalisation: The Religions in Global
Civil Society; Issues in Buddhist-Christian Dialogue. Full-time
for 12 months, part-time for 24months, one-term sabbaticals
available. Email: ecumsec@tcd.ie
and phone 01-2060353.
M.Phil. in International
Peace Studies
International Peace Studies examines the problems of war and
political violence from the perspectives of international
relations, global justice and conflict resolution. A particular
aim of the programme is to address the wider ethical and philosophical
questions that arise through examining peace and war in the
context of social sciences. Courses offered: The Politics
of Peace and Conflict; The Politics of Development; International
Politics; Ethics in International Affairs; Conflict Resolution
and Nonviolence; The Politics of the Idea of Europe; Northern
Ireland: Conflict and the Politics
of Peace; The United Nations and Peacekeeping; Human Rights
in Theory and Practice; Gender, Conflict and Social Change;
Contemporary Islamic Politics. Full-time for 12 months, part-time
for 24 months, one-term sabbaticals
available. Email: peacesec@tcd.ie
and phone 01-218 0532.
M.Phil. in Reconciliation
Studies (Belfast)
Reconciliation Studies seeks to develop a fuller, more complex,
and more systematic understanding of theoretical and practical
approaches to reconciliation. Students take five courses and
are assessed on four including Dynamics of Reconciliation.
Courses available currently are Dynamics of Reconciliation,
Theology of Reconciliation, Conflict Transformation, Northern
Ireland - Conflict and Reconciliation, Hermeneutics and Reconciliation,
Resources for Reconciliation in World Religions, When the
Fighting stops - Trauma and Healing in Individuals and Communities,
Conflict and Corporate Identity - Ethnicity, Nationalism and
Religion. Full-time for 12 months, part-time for 24 months;
teaching takes place in Belfast over two 10-week terms, October-December
and January-March. E-mail reconsec@tcd.ie
and phone 028 (048 from republic) - 9077 0087.
Postgraduate Diploma in Conflict
and Dispute Resolution Studies
This one-year part-time evening postgraduate diploma, based
in Dublin, is for those who seek to enhance their knowledge
and skills in conflict analysis, management and resolution.
Those who complete the programme will have a deep understanding
of the nature of conflict, the various Conflict Resolution
processes available and how to apply them. Teaching takes
place on two evenings a week. There are also two Saturday
workshops. Email: cdrssec@tcd.ie and phone
01-218 0532.
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