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Afri Féile Bríde Gathering - Seeds of Change, Seeds of Hope
This begins at 1.30pm on Sunday February 8th at Derby House Hotel, Kildare Town. Speakers include former UN Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday and Frida Berrigan, Senior Programme Associate of the Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation. The conference will also include a celebration of the work of the Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA), and chef Richard Corrigan will be cooking and chatting about food with Anita and Tommy Hayes of ISSA. Please note that conference takes place on a Sunday this year. Admission is €25, concession €20, and dinner an extra €20 (check options before booking); the programme includes a céili starting at 9.00 pm (admission free for participants) Afri, 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7, e-mail afri@iol.ie and phone 01- 8827581, web http://www.afri.ie
The Organic Centre
The Organic Centre is a non profit organisation set up in 1995, with the aim of providing public education, training and information about organic growing and sustainable living. The Centre is located on a 19 acre site in Rossinver, Co Leitrim, and we have outreach centres in Co. Clare and Co. Wicklow. We run workshops on organic horticulture, gardening, green building, alternative energy, and artisan food production. The Centre is a recognised eco-tourism destination. Our facilities include demonstration gardens & polytunnels, an orchard & soft fruit area with heritage varieties, a café using seasonal organic produce from our gardens, an eco-shop selling garden tools, books, seasonal vegetables, etc.
Projects run by the Centre include Community Food Projects funded by the HSE, and a cross-border schools programme and women’s cross-community project promoting peace through gardening together, funded by the IFI. We enjoy the support of a wide network of friends. Our Friends Scheme offers a range of benefits including free entry to our gardens and open days, gardening advice, and 10% discount on shop & seed sales, and training courses. New for 2009 is our online shop for quick and easy shopping on our website at http://www.theorganiccentre.ie
The Centre is open daily from 10am to 5pm and the Café is open weekends from 7th February to 29th November 2009. Potato Day is Sunday March 15th from 11am – 5 pm.
Violence against women in war: ICJSA statement
The Irish Commission for Justice and Social Affairs (ICJSA) issued a 4-page statement in mid-December on the topic “Violence against women in war – We cannot remain silent”, including recommendations to the Irish government. It is available on the new ICJSA website (a sub-section of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference website ).
Another point of interest is “In the Wake of the Celtic Tiger:
Poverty in Contemporary Ireland” (40 page booklet launched in January). Irish Commission for Justice and Social Affairs, Columba Centre, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, ph 01 5053016, e-mail icjsa@iecon.ie
Raytheon actions in Derry
On Friday 9th January, as Israel continued its attack on Gaza, over 70 anti-war protesters took part in a dawn blockade of the Raytheon offices in Derry, organised by Derry Anti-War Coalition (DAWC); this continued until 10 a.m. with Raytheon workers not crossing the line (they may have worked at home). See report in Indymedia
On Monday 12th January at 2.30 pm, nine women from DAWC entered the building in Springtown that houses Raytheon and chained themselves to each other and to the internal doors leading to Raytheon's part of the building. The women made it clear that they were there to highlight Raytheon's participation in war crimes and that they would come out if the police agreed to investigate the extent to which Raytheon was implicated in the war crimes being carried out in Gaza using weapons created and supported by Raytheon.
At 5:45 pm the women emerged to be greeted by loud cheering and chanting from the anti-war campaigners outside. As the DAWC statement said “Raytheon is one of Israel’s main suppliers of the weapons being used in the attacks on Gaza.” A spokeswoman for the nine said: "While inside the building, we had a series of discussions with the Foyle commander of the PSNI, Chris Yates. As a result of these discussions between ourselves and Chief Inspector Yates, it was agreed that he would accept delivery of our dossier of evidence and arrange that it be studied to determine whether a basis exists for criminal charges against Raytheon.” See the video here
For DAWC, contact e-mail resistderry@aol.com or phone 075 21527208.
Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns from WRI
War Resisters International (WRI) launches its “Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns” on 14th February. The 'Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns' includes sections on: developing strategic nonviolent campaigns, preparing for effective nonviolent actions (complete with checklist), exercises for working in nonviolence (including group dynamics and gender issues) and stories and strategies both showing the use of nonviolent organising tools in specific settings and describing global campaigns. ISBN 978-0-903517-21-8, 152 pages. Single copies; UK postal area £7 including postage, or €12 elsewhere. It can be ordered from WRI at 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX, or their webshop.
INNATE will also have copies for sale.
Shannon war monitor website
A new website www.shannonwatch.org was launched in December to provide information on war-related traffic and rendition flights through Shannon Airport. The website, which is an initiative of local anti-war and human rights activists in the Shannon area, will provide monthly statistics on all US Air Force aircraft that land at the airport as well as details on airlines carrying US troops and of planes known to be used by the CIA for illegal prisoner renditions. The website came under sustained cyber attack in January but is still up and running. The next monthly vigil at Shannon Airport will take place on Sunday, February 8th from 2 - 3pm. E-mail shannonwatch@gmail.com
Meanwhile Tim Hourigan has started an online petition about the fact that taxpayers’ money is used to subsidise US military use of Shannon Airport (through the Air Traffic Control Fees that the US refused to pay, and the taxpayer paid for instead, including the army and garda security around the military flights, and CIA aircraft). See and sign it at this link.
Irish Peace Centres
Co-operation Ireland in partnership with the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation, the Donegal Peace Centre at An Teach Ban and The Corrymeela Community has recently been awarded EU Peace III funding to undertake a project aimed at cultivating and sustaining positive relationships between people living on the island of Ireland. Collectively known as the Irish Peace Centres, the project partners aim to embed reconciliation within and between communities. For further information on the project, contact the peace centres team at info@cooperationireland.org
CRC Resource Fair, Community Relations Week
The Community Relations Council is hosting a Resource Fair showcasing the resources and training services that are available from CRC funded groups. The venue is Farset International, 466 Springfield Road, Belfast on Friday 13th March from 10 am—12 pm. This is a great opportunity to come and see the most up-to-date training and resources available in the sector. All Welcome. Please contact Ellana Tomasso on 90227500 or etomasso@nicrc.org.uk to confirm your attendance.
Community Relations Week in Northern Ireland takes place this year from 27th April to 2nd May. The entry form can be downloaded from here.
To ensure your event will be included in the brochure please return the form to chloe.elliott@jprni.com by Monday 2nd March. Events received after that date may still be included in the programme but will miss inclusion in the printed
brochure. If you have any queries about the inclusion of your event please contact Ray Mullan at the Community Relations Council at rmullan@nicrc.org.uk or ph 028 – 90227500.
Lisbon fundraiser
CAECU-SAY NO to Lisbon is holding a fund raiser in the Laughter Lounge, Eden Quay, Dublin 1 on Thursday 12th of February. Free Cocktail from 7.00pm and the show starts at 8.30pm. Tickets €25: Please contact Joe Kelly ph 086-1723535.
Meanwhile PANA, the Peace And Neutrality Alliance, is also appealing for funds in a year when there will be a second referendum on Lisbon any time from April; please send financial donations to PANA, Dalkey Business Centre, 17 Castle Street, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, or see http://www.pana.ie
New Housmans website
Housmans, the bookshop in London for all things peace, nonviolence, and radical, has a new website at www.housmans.com – worth a visit. Housmans, 5 Caledonian Road, King’s Cross, London N1 9DX, ph 020 7837 4473, e-mail shop@housmans.com
Rossport on tour
Rossport Solidarity Camp has new flyers available for downloading, both general on Shell to Sea and about the Camp itself. They are currently engaged in a speaking tour of Scotland and England (and again in March) and welcome invitations to speak around Ireland - speakers available include Maura Harrington, The 'Chief' Pat O'Donnell, camp speakers and others and latest campaign DVDs are available for show.
The word is that Shell will begin work at the landfall site at Glengad in the beginning of March; there will be working weekends in Erris, to prepare, beginning Friday 13th February and continuing thereafter. See leaflets under Films and Resources) or e-mail rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com Site phone 085 – 1141170, media contact/Niall 086 – 0444966.
Financial contributions can be made to: The Rossport Solidarity Camp Account, Bank of Ireland, Belmullet, Co Mayo, A/c number 24306733, sort code 905299.
UNHCR
A UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) website has been developed for Ireland, which will be used as a source of news on activities and for general information; www.unhcr.ie
UNHCR Representation in Ireland, 1-3 Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2.
Advocacy package on Czech missile defence system from PCI
Pax
Christi International (PCI) has put together a very useful advocacy package on the proposed Missile Defence System in the Czech Republic. This package contains an overview of the Missile Defence System and detailed information about the situation in the Czech Republic. It also explains reasons why Pax Christi International is involved and provides plenty of concrete tips for advocacy work. It is available from PCI and is being put up on their website at http://www.paxchristi.net Pax Christi International, Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains 21, B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgium.
Robert Fisk on the Middle East
The University of Ulster hosted Robert Fisk, veteran journalist reporting on the Middle East, as part of the Tip O'Neill Lecture series. His lecture on 5th January is available as a podcast.
For further information contact: Press Office, Department of Communication and Development, ph 028 9036 6178, e-mail: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk
Pat Finucane, his life and his legacy: Conference, 14th February
British-Irish Rights Watch is to hold a conference to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the murder of Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane in 1989. At the conference, Mr. Finucane will be remembered by his wife, Geraldine, and this will be followed by a series of lectures and discussions on issues of policing, detention and prisoners’ rights, inquests and the intimidation of lawyers and collusion.
The conference will take place on Saturday 14th February 2009 at the Edmund Burke Theatre in Trinity College, Dublin. There is a fee of €115 (concessions €25) to attend. To register, contact Finucane Conference, BIRW, 13b Hillgate Place, London SQ12 9ES, UK or soraya.nadji@birw.org.
Thirty-nine year old Pat Finucane was shot dead at his home in Belfast. He had acted as solicitor on behalf of a range of high profile figures such as hunger striker Bobby Sands and other IRA and INLA hunger strikers in the Maze Prison in 1983.
Transcend Peace University courses
In March 2009
TPU offers 23 online courses. The duration of each course is 12 weeks. Students are welcome to take one or several courses, depending on their availability. Generally, in order to benefit fully from the course, participants are advised to dedicate not less than 8 hours per week for each course. Whether you are a beginner, a seasoned government or NGO practitioner, entrepreneur or social worker, lecturer or artist, student or politician: if you want to develop your skills in order to be able to peacefully transform conflicts and to contribute to peace - TPU is the right place for you! Courses are varied and full details are available at www.transcend.org/tpu or contact TPU by email at tpu@transcend.org or by phone at +43 3355 20568. Fees are €450 for participants from OECD countries (€225 non-OECD).
New on our photo site: Bishopscourt
Bishopscourt Peace Camp 1983-86
52 photos from the Peace Camp and blockades of the RAF Radar Base at Bishopscourt, Co Down, are included in a new set illustrating many different aspects of life associated with this Peace Camp in the early mid-1980s – down to the camp toilet!
These photos complement the broadsheet history of the camp which originally appeared in Dawn Train and is now on this website under ‘Pamphlets’ or visit Flickr to see the photos.
INNATE networking group meets next at 7pm on Wednesday 18th February in Corrymeela House, 8 Upper Crescent, Belfast – contact us for details, all welcome.
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