Community Dialogue aims to encourage dialogue about
contentious issues in Northern Ireland. After twelve years based at
Forthspring, Community Dialogue has moved across Belfast to LINC Resource
Centre, 218 Shore Road, Belfast BT15 1GY where they are on the second floor of
LINC with their own meeting room, reflection space and good sized offices and
storage space. The phone number has changed as well, 028 - 90 351450, office
hours weekdays 9am – 4.30pm. Community Dialogue received funding from the
CRC Pobol Consortium, Peace III Acknowledging and Dealing with the Past to
implement the new project entitled “Steps into Dialogue”; Jim O’Neill was
appointed as the project’s Dialogue Development Worker and Maura Deconink as
Senior Project Administrator, joining Temporary Part Time Coordinator Anne
Carr. The e-mail address is admin@communitydialogue.org and the website (which
has been revamped) is at http://www.communitydialogue.orgIf you’re
interested in becoming a member, or being involved, please get in touch, or
visit the website for more information or their excellent summary of
contentious issues in Northern Ireland.
Coming from the
Silence: Quaker peacebuilding in Northern Ireland
“Coming from the Silence – Quaker Peacebuilding
Initiatives in Northern Ireland 1969 – 2007”, edited by Ann Le Mare and
Felicity McCartney, is an important record of various projects and initiatives
which stemmed from Quakers in this period. Quaker House, the Ulster Quaker
Service Committee, the Centre for Neighbourhood Development, and the Quaker
Peace Education Project are covered in depth as well as variety of other
initiatives. 220 pages, £8/€8.50. Published by
Sessions of York, it can be ordered via http://www.sessionsofyork.co.uk(ph 01904 – 697855/697892); it is
available via Amazon or over the counter at the Quaker Care shop, 514 Lisburn
Road, Belfast.
Afri Hedge School:
Food for Thought
Afri’s Hedge School this year takes place at the Glens
Centre, Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, 9th – 11th October, on the topic Food
for Thought with a blend of conversation, debate, music, fun and food. It will
look at issues of food and hunger as global systems spiral into crises and
global food prices increase. Resource people include Amál Abordán Bernal,
Charlotte Evans, Sean McDonagh, Pete Mullineaux, Craig Sands and Prin Duignan.
On Saturday the programme runs from 11.00 am through workshops in the afternoon
and craic agus ceoil on Saturday evening, and also some programme on Sunday
morning. The fee is €25 or 20 concessions and booking is essential. Further
details from Afri, 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7, ph 01 – 8827563,
e-mail afri@iol.ieand web http://www.afri.ie
Neutrality: Irish
Experience, European Experience
While a slim looking pamphlet at 36 pages (A5), this is
packed full, in small print, of the papers presented at a conference organised
by the Irish School of Ecumenics and Dublin Monthly Meeting Peace Committee of
the Religious Society of Friends/Quakers in May 2009 (see NN 169). Edited by
Iain Atack and Seán McCrum, this pamphlet is an important addition to
discussion of the issues with various aspects of Irish neutrality explored as
well as looking at EU policy in relation to neutrality, and Swiss and Swedish
practice. It is available at a suggested donation of €5 ,
payable to the Irish School of Ecumenics, from Iain Atack, ISE, Bea House,
Milltown Park, Dublin 6 (ph 01 – 260 1144). See also http://www.dublinquakerpeace.organd http://www.tcd.ie/ise
Housmans Peace
Diary 2010
The ‘millennium’ seems not so long ago but it is almost a
decade on and time to get your copy of Housmans Peace Diary for 2010 – as
well as a week to two pages and anniversaries etc, this includes a listing of
almost 2000 national and international peace, environmental and human rights
organisations in 150 countries [it is a shorter, selected extract of those
listed in the World Peace Directory on the web, featured immediately below].
The price remains at £8.95 a copy, plus postage of £1 in UK or £2 overseas. It
can be ordered to Housmans, 5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, London N1 9DX or
online at http://www.housmans.comBuy now while
socks last!
World Peace
Directory on the web
Now online, this is a fuller and more frequently updated
listing of the peace, environmental and human rights organisations in the
Housmans Peace Diary. An invaluable resource, the address at http://www.housmans.info/wpdshould be
bookmarked by any activist in these fields. Please note that the easiest way to
bring up all the results for a particular country (and Ireland is listed under
‘Ireland, Northern’, and ‘Ireland, Republic of’) is to use the ‘Advanced
search’ option and not limit the search with any of the other criteria –
but you can, equally, narrow down very considerably what you are looking for,
e.g. contacts for a particular organisation. Updates also welcome from around
the world – see ‘Contribute’ tab. Compiler Albert Beale, take a bow.
10 years of Irish
Centre for Human Rights coming up
The Irish Centre for Human Rights in Galway welcomed its
first LLM students in September 2000 and will soon be celebrating the 10th
anniversary of the Centre’s establishment. A number of events are planned for
2010 to celebrate this including seminars, lectures, exhibitions and concerts;
the main event will be the hosting of a major academic conference on the theme
of “Forgotten Rights, Forgotten Concepts” to take place 19th - 20th November
2010. Meanwhile a number of lunchtime lectures take place this October and
November – check the website for details. Irish Centre for Human Rights,
National University of Ireland, Galway, ph 091 - 493948, e-mail: humanrights@nuigalway.ieand web http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/index.html
Mediation Northern
Ireland trainings
Mediation Northern Ireland (MNI) has three forthcoming
open access trainings.
1. The
first course, Handling Aggression,
is on the 17th November; this focuses on handling aggression from other people,
however, it also includes looking at our own aggression in order to understand
the dynamics and to be aware of own reactions within an aggressive encounter. 6
hours non-accredited, Belfast, fee £135 inclusive.
2. Handling Life’s Conflicts takes place
in Belfast on 20th and 21st January and is an introductory course designed to
provide participants with tools to handle every day conflicts more
constructively within the workplace, groups and organizations. 2 days
non-accredited or 3 days accredited including a learning portfolio. Fee £270
inclusive. This course or equivalent is a prerequisite for the foundation
course in mediation.
3. Foundation Training in Mediation runs
on 10th, 11th, 18th and 25th February and 4th and 11th March. This course
introduces a basic mediation process for use in disputes between two people.
Through discussion, teaching and skills practice, participants develop their
ability to facilitate mediation effectively and to understand basic factors which impact on the mediation process, and is
suitable for a wide range of occupations. For OCN accreditation at Level Two,
participants will engage in skills practice and complete a learning portfolio.
Fee £795 inclusive.
On 22nd September, Dr Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer and
human rights activist who became the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman
to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, was involved in launching the Irish
Section of Scholars at Risk (SAR), part of a global network of universities
working to promote academic freedom and protect the human rights of academics
and scholars around the world. See the Amnesty International site at www.amnesty.ieor contact Justin Moran,
Communications Co-ordinator of Amnesty International Ireland, e-Mail: jmoran@amnesty.ieor ph 01 863 8300 ext. 8334.
Burma Action
Ireland
Burma Action Ireland (BAI) has drawn attention to the
fact, detailed in a Human Rights Watch report, that the Burmese military
government has more than doubled the number of political prisoners in the past
two years, including more than a hundred imprisoned in recent months. Sentenced
to long prison terms for their involvement in peaceful demonstrations in 2007,
and for assisting civilians in the wake of the devastating Cyclone Nargis in
2008, the political prisoner population has reached more than 2,200. See http://www.hrw.org/node/84743 On
International Day of Peace, 21st September, BAI held a public commemoration in
Dublin of Burma’s Saffron Revolution, calling for peace and democracy in Burma.
Burma Action Ireland is a voluntary group established in May 1996 to raise
awareness in Ireland of the current situation in Burma and the nature of the
ruling regime, the State Peace and Development Council. The association is
non-party political, non-denominational and committed to non-violent means.
Contact ph 087 1261857, e-mail info@burmaactionireland.org and website http://www.burmaactionireland.org
ARAN rally 6th
December in Dublin
Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) are planning another
Dublin rally against cruelty to animals, on Sunday, 6th December at 1.30pm
sharp at the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin (top of O'Connell Street). Contact:
John Carmody 087-2391646. See here for ARAN
videos on You Tube. Website http://www.aran.ie
Cultivate moves,
Wicklow OOOOBY’s
Cultivate is moving to Green House, 17 St Andrew Street,
Dublin 2, and will be reopening soon. See http://www.cultivate.iefor further
info (aim “to provide access to the knowledge and tools to cultivate
sustainable lifestyles and resilient communities”). You can receive their
excellent monthly e-newsletters free by subscribing via the website. The
current issue includes the news that an OOOOBY store has opened in Glenealy, Co
Wicklow; Carraig Dúlra Organic Farm has opened an Out Of Our Own Backyard
non-profit store, encouraging local food consumption and a community network.
It’s at Glenealy Landscape Centre and open 9-5 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays, and from 11-2 on Saturdays. See http://www.dulra.org/ooooby
Pax Christi on
Military Spending and Development Aid
CGE: Promoting
Development Education in Youth Work Training
The Centre for Global Education recently carried out a
practice-based research project, in partnership with the Community Work Youth
Work Team at the University of Ulster Jordanstown (UUJ), with the aim of
enhancing development education practice in youth work training. A 40-page
report is available. Centre for Global Education, 9 University Street, Belfast
BT7 1FY, ph 028 – 9024 1879, e-mail info@centreforglobaleducation.comand web http://www.centreforglobaleducation.com
Ethical investment
The first National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW) runs
from 8th – 14th November. Its intention is to raise awareness of the
environmental and social consequences of our use of financial services, and to
encourage choices which respect our personal values.
Further information and campaign materials are available from the NEIW website http://www.neiw.org .
Members of Christian churches can download an Action Guide for Church Groups
from the website of the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility: http://www.eccr.org.uk/Article152.html
Pacem in Terris 2009 Peace & Freedom Award
On 20th September Dr. Hildegard Goss-Mayr of Vienna,
Austria received the Pacem in Terris 2009 Peace and Freedom Award in Davenport,
Iowa. Goss-Mayr, often nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, is a preeminent
teacher of nonviolence. The Honorary President of the International Fellowship
of Reconciliation, she has taught the theory and practice of active nonviolence
throughout the world. http://www.ifor.org
Pax Christi
International Peace Award 2009
The Executive Committee of Pax Christi International and
the Cardinal Bernardus Alfrink Peace Fund have decided to present the 2009
award to Justine Masika Bihamba, from Goma in the North Kivu Province of the DR
Congo. For many years, Justine Masika has worked to improve the lives of rural
women, defend human rights and assist victims of war, especially women who have
been targeted by acts of sexual violence. Since 2003, she has been the
coordinator of Synergie des femmes pour les victimes des violences sexuelles
– SFVS – Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence. SFVS is a
collective of 35 women’s organisations in the DR Congo that defends the dignity
of women and girls who have been raped or otherwise traumatised by war-related
sexual violence. More about the Peace
Award here.
INNATE networking group meets next on Wednesday 14th
October at 7pm in Corrymeela House, 8 Upper Crescent, Belfast.
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