The Free Gaza Movement has
bought a 1200 tonne cargo ship at an auction in Dundalk, purchased by the
Malaysian-based Perdana Global Peace Organization, and the vessel will be
re-named the MV Rachel Corrie, in memory of the 23 year old solidarity activist
crushed to death in 2003 by an Israeli bulldozer as she attempted to prevent
the demolition of a Palestinian home in Gaza. The Free Gaza Movement now owns
four ships including three passenger vessels. Free Gaza’s ships will take part
in an international flotilla taking humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza strip
this May. Passenger and cargo ships are also being organised by the Turkish
humanitarian organisation I.H.H. and by groups in Greece, Sweden, Malaysia and
Belgium. Free Gaza has launched eight missions to Gaza over the past two years;
five were successful and the last two were violently stopped by the Israeli
Navy. The Irish ship will be taking 500 tons of cement, as well as medicines,
medical equipment and educational materials to the people of Gaza. Derek Graham
of the Free Gaza Movement said, ‘We have international law and the conscience
of the people of the world on our side. We know the Irish people will not stand
by and let the people of Gaza be starved and punished by Israel any longer’. In
preparation for the launch of the Irish ship, hospitals, trade unions,
churches, mosques, families and community groups are being invited to sponsor
bags of cement to help the people of Gaza to rebuild. Contacts: Caoimhe
Butterly ph 087 - 6114553sahara78@hotmail.co.ukNiamh Moloughney ph 085
7747257 / 091 472279niamh@freegaza.orgor Ken Fleming ph 087 6478636.
Sponsor a bag of cement for
Gaza: The people of Gaza are being denied the right to rebuild. Israel’s
blockade of Gaza is in its third year and virtually all reconstruction
materials are being locked out. For just €5 your family, work-place or
community can sponsor a bag of cement to help the people of Gaza rebuild their
schools, hospitals and homes. Bank account - Bank of Ireland, Bridge St, Cork,
sort code 90 27 92 and a/c number 28114114.
Raytheon 14 for trial
14 Derry Anti War Coalition
people, including 9 women, are on trial at Belfast Crown Court from 4th May on
charges related to nonviolent direct action during the war on Gaza at the start
of 2009. Specifically, the women are charged with burglary and attempted
criminal damage, actual criminal damage and one of with assault. The five men -
who were protesting outside in support of the women inside - are charged with
being in possession of a spray can with intent of doing criminal damage, actual
criminal damage (with the spray paint), obstructing police officers, and one is
charged with assaulting a police officer. One of the original Raytheon 9 is
charged with impersonating a police officer as he tried to get into the
building to help. Solidarity is being organised in Derry, Belfast and
elsewhere; there is a Belfast solidarity meeting on Wednesday 14th April at
7.30pm in the Community Arts Forum, opposite St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast.
Contact: by e-mailraytheon14@gmail.comor phone 07740988321 (Sharon,
Derry) or 07534269417 (Donal, Belfast), or on www.facebook.com - Solidarity with
the 14 Raytheon Accused
The Afri Famine Walk 2010 will
be on the theme 'Hunger in a World of
Plenty: Sowing Seeds of Hope' and will take place on Saturday, 22nd May at Doolough, Co. Mayo, beginning 2pm. Organised
by Afri in partnership with Trócaire and the Irish Seed Savers Association.
Further details; Afri, 134 Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7, ph 01 882 7563/7581 e-mail:afri@iol.ieand webhttp://www.afri.ie
Meath Peace Group seminar: Identity
'Identity on the Island of Ireland – some historical and
contemporary aspects' is
the topic on Saturday 17th April at St Columban's College, Dalgan Park, Navan,
Co Meath, running from 9.30-4.30pm. Opening session: 'The Peoples of Ireland' (talk
by Shane Hegarty, Irish Times
columnist and author of The Irish and
Other Foreigners). Other sessions include panel discussions on: 'Unionism
in the 21st Century' (chaired by Brendan O'Brien, author and broadcaster), 'The
Challenge of Change', 'The Orange Order Today' etc. Booking essential as places
limited: contact Julitta Clancy, 01 - 8259438; emailmeathpeace@hotmail.comReports on public talks held between 1993 and 2007 are available in the
archives section of the group's websitehttp://www.meathpeacegroup.org
Community Relations Week in the North
Community Relations Week is an
annual showcase for many projects and organisations beavering away, and this
year runs from 26th April to 2nd May. Almost 150 events have been organized
across all parts of Northern Ireland and beyond as part of the Week; these
include a wide variety of talks, discussions, exhibitions, launches, schools
and children’s events, and events featuring history, cultures, art, music,
drama and food. They reflect progress in projects already underway as well as
ideas and plans for future action. Most of these events are open to the public.
Full information will be on the CRC website at http://www.community-relations.org.uk/
and printed copies of the programme will also be available.
MA in activism at Maynooth
There is a new MA in Community
Education, Equality and Social Activism at Maynooth. The Departments of
Sociology and Adult & Community Education are collaborating to develop
thinking about critical pedagogy in community education, power and praxis in
social movements and understandings of equality, transformation and
sustainability. Three core strands of thinking will be explored in this course
– 1) Critical and praxis-oriented forms of thinking, 2) Understanding
equality and inequality: economics of equality, and 3) Power, politics and
praxis. For more information, please contact the Department of Adult and
Community Education, NUI Maynooth, Co. Kildare, e-mailadcomed@nuim.ieor
01 - 7083937. The course website is http://ceesa-ma.blogspot.com The
course is being launched with a "Masked Activists' Ball" in Seomra
Spraoi on Thursday 15th April (details on the website).
The Irish School of Ecumenics,
Trinity College Dublin, is committed to the study and promotion of dialogue,
peace and reconciliation in Ireland and around the world. It is recognized for
its interdisciplinary approach to taught programmes and research drawing on the
fields of politics, sociology, ethics, theology and religion. Applications are
now invited for the postgraduate programmes it offers in Dublin and Belfast
starting in September 2010:
M. Phil. in
International Peace Studies (Dublin)
M. Phil. in
Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies (Dublin) – New course
M. Phil. in Conflict
Resolution and Reconciliation (Belfast) – New course
Postgraduate Diploma
in Conflict and Dispute Resolution Studies (Dublin)
In a statement, Shannonwatch
have said “While most of the world was turning green for St Patrick's Day,
Ireland was committing itself to an ongoing role in the unjustified war being
waged in Afghanistan. President Barrack Obama thanked the Irish Government for
allowing US troops to stop off at Shannon Airport on their way to and from Iraq
and Afghanistan. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton even landed at the airport
herself to further embed our support for the US war machine into the nation's
psyche. Together these amount to a breach of international laws on neutrality
and a gross affront to Ireland's proud tradition in this regard. They also
signify a new low in Ireland's sell-out to the U.S. war industry.
According to official figures,
over 5,000 U.S. troops a week pass through Shannon on their way to or from Iraq
and Afghanistan. Figures released by Shannonwatch in February indicate that
more than 25 U.S. military flights a week use the airport. This has turned it
into a de-facto U.S. military base, without the permission of the Irish people.
The U.S. use of Shannon Airport by CIA rendition crews has also been well
documented over the last decade. These are in breach of international and
national laws, including the Criminal Justice Act (UN Convention Against
Torture) Act 2000. These were not mentioned during the Obama – Cowan
meeting as far as we are aware, but Shannonwatch are concerned that these too
may be allowed to continue.”
For further information contact
Shannonwatch on 087 - 8225087 or emailshannonwatch@gmail.comSee alsohttp://www.shannonwatch.orgThe new postal address is; Shannonwatch P.O. Box 476, Limerick
Delivery Services Unit Dock Road, Limerick
Chernobyl Week 2010
Monday, 26th April 2010 will
mark the 24th Anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. In recognition of this
anniversary, Chernobyl Children’s Project International (CCPI) will once again
roll out National Chernobyl Week (26th April to 2nd May) to commemorate and
honour the children and adults who live with the social, economic and medical
deprivation as a result of the disaster which happened 24 years ago. CCPI are
appealing to volunteers all over Ireland to help sell charity pens, pins and
magnets so they can offer more life-saving cardiac operations to children with
the ‘Chernobyl Heart’ condition. For more information contact Paula Kilcommons
on 021-431299 or e-mail pkilcommons@chernobyl-ireland.com
Meanwhile
Vesnova Children’s Mental Asylum has been voted the best orphanage for children
with special needs in Belarus due to its great living conditions and high level
of medical service; Chernobyl Children’s Project International (CCPI) has been
supplying regular humanitarian aid and Medical aid to this institution for
several years. CCPI provides ongoing refurbishments to the institution and has
recently pioneered a new project for independent living for teenagers in
Vesnova. More details on CCPI website which also has a link to Oscar-nominated
short film The Door on the story of a
man and his family dealing with the terrible aftermath of the Chernobyl
disaster. Chernobyl Children's Project International, Ballycurreen Industrial
Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork. ph 021 - 431 2999, and web http://www.chernobyl-international.com/
Movement People video
"Movement People" is a Niamh Heery and Eric Dolan of
SwanSong Films, Dublin. Three of the activists have links to the Catholic Worker movement - Colm Roddy
- the Ghost vigiler of Guantanamo, Ciaron O'Reilly of Pitstop Ploughshares,
Joshua Casteel of Iraq Veterans Against the War, former interrogator at Abu
Ghraib, and the other interviews are with Margaretta D'Arcy, Galway based
artist/activist formerly of Committee of 100, Greenham Common, etc, and Vincent
McGrath of the Rossport 5. Link to "Movement People" video athttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/96139
Biting Israeli bullets
An Israeli company is in the
running to supply the Irish Army with bullets, a not-to-be-wished for scenario
from a nonviolent point of view anyway, but doubly strange when Israeli secret
service Mossad agents recently used fake Irish passports (among those of other
nationalities) to assassinate a military commander of Hamas. Tenders to supply
the bullets are due in by 27th April after which the Irish government and Brian
Cowen, handling the military portfolio, will decide. You can sign a petition
against the deal, which specifically mentions the Goldstone Report as a reason
not to proceed with the deal, athttp://www.ipetitions.com/petition/israrms/
European tigers
The Secretary General of NATO,
Anders Rasmussen has stated in Brussels that, "Europe must pay more money
towards defence if it is not to become a ‘paper tiger’.” (Reuters 27/3/10). In
response Roger Cole, Chair of PANA (Peace And Neutrality Alliance, see http://www.pana.ie/ ) said: "The Celtic Tiger created by our political/media elite with their
total commitment to a militarised neo-liberal ideology has all but impoverished
the Irish people. So when the Secretary General of NATO calls upon
"Europe" to spend more money on weapons of war or become a
"paper tiger", PANA has no problem in telling Mr. Rasmussen that we
believe the Irish people have had enough of "tigers" paper or Celtic.
"Europe" or the EU should not have any military dimension of any
kind. It should have no military expenditure. The States of the EU should
withdraw their armies of occupation from Afghanistan including the 7 Irish
soldiers.
Unlike Rasmussen, PANA does not
want "Europe" to become a world power. Ireland was part of a world
power before; the British Union and thousands of Irish people were urged on by
newspapers like the Irish Times and
the Irish Independent, went out and
died pointlessly for that Union. To do so once in our history is enough. Far
from increasing military expenditure, the states of the EU should accelerate
cuts in expenditure and spend its money on providing decent health and education
services. PANA's demand is simple, “Jobs
at home, No war abroad." For more information contact Roger Cole Tel:
087-2611597 or Seamas Rathigan Tel: 086-8369793.
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