This is an archive of material
mainly from 1992 until December 2020.
Please go to our CURRENT WEBSITE
for material from January 2021 onwards.
What's new?

Billy King

Editorial

Nonviolence News

 

Deadline for the next issue is 28 February 2021

Current editorial
Current Billy

February 2021
January 2021 (supplement)

December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020 (supplement)
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020 (supplement)

December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019 (supplement)

December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018

December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017 (supplement)
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017 (supplement)

December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016 (supplement)
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016 (supplement)

December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2014 (supplement)

December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014 (supplement)

December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013 (supplement)

December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012

December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011 (supp)

December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010 supp.

December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009 (supp)

December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
July 2008
Aug 2008 (supp.)
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008

December 20007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007

December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006

December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005

December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004

July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004

December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003

(Issues 58-107)
(Issues 1 to 57)
Dawn Train

Issue 155: December 2007

Contents

Raytheon 9 – support them at trial
At a packed Derry Anti War Coalition meeting on 2 August 2006, 3 days after the Israeli bombing of a shelter and mosque in Qana, south Lebanon, killed 52 villagers including 15 disabled children, the idea of occupying the offices of Raytheon in Derry emerged. It was known that Raytheon supplied the Israeli Defence Forces with ‘bunker-buster’ bombs that were being used against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. It was later confirmed that the bomb used at Qana was a Raytheon MK-84 guided bomb.  It was also known that Raytheon in Derry was involved in military work although their press release on their arrival in the city on 24 August 1999 described Raytheon as “one of the world’s leading providers of international air traffic control systems.”
Colm Bryce,
one of the Raytheon 9 said, “We’ve been protesting Raytheon since it came here in 1999. They said they weren’t doing any military work. However, former employees have told us they were doing military work. At the height of the Lebanese war we found out that U.S. cargo planes were rushing bombs to Israel. We felt this sort of thing is happening all the time. Just like the U.S. military uses Shannon airport here in Ireland to transport troops to Iraq. It felt unbearable. This is not about us. This is about what’s going on in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan day in and day out. We want to put Raytheon and the war on trial.”

On the morning of 9 August, the anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bombing, over 30 people gathered to picket and occupy the Raytheon site. Goretti Horgan delivered a short speech: “We are here to take a stand against the violence of the US/Israeli wars in the Middle East. We must not offer violence to any other person. We will do what we can to get into Raytheon. And when and if we get in, we should leave Raytheon and the political parties of this place with no room for doubt that that are many of us who won’t rest until we get this company out of Derry once and for all.” Raytheon’s military work in Derry was halted as the offices were occupied for 8 hours and computers were decommissioned.

Eamonn McCann remarked: “If the Raytheon 9 are branded criminals then we are being asked to accept that it is a crime to occupy the office of an arms company, but not a crime to occupy a country; that it is a crime to drop computers from an office window, but not a crime to drop missiles on innocent people. The Raytheon 9 will face the court as the accusers of Raytheon, not the accused, and will use the trial to highlight the war crimes of the U.S. and UK governments.”

The trial of the 9 who are charged with criminal damage and affray is due to start in January in Derry. Support at the trial is welcome and it is expected to run for several weeks. See http://www.raytheon9.org  for details.

New director for CAJ, and lessons from the conflict in NI
The executive of CAJ (Committee on the Administration of Justice) is very pleased to announce that after an open advertising and recruitment process, and a strong field of candidates, it has appointed Mike Ritchie to be the organisation's new Director, replacing Maggie Beirne who is returning to London after 15 years in Northern Ireland.  Mike worked for CAJ in the late 80s/early 90s, then for several years with NIACRO, and more recently with Coiste. Meanwhile, at the AGM in October the following executive committee was elected: Chair, Kieran McEvoy; Vice Chair, Pat Conway; Treasurer, Les Allamby; Parliamentary Liaison Officer, Paddy Hillyard; Minutes Secretary, Fiona McCausland; Membership Secretary, Barbara McCabe; Just News Editor, Fionnuala Ní Aolain.

CAJ will be publishing a report entitled “The War on Terror: Lessons from Northern Ireland” by January 2008; the November issue of their newsletter, Just News, had a summary of the key lessons including as No.1, “Human rights abuses fuel conflict” and at No. 6 “Special or emergency legislation can lead to serious abuses and be counter-productive.”   CAJ’s detailed Annual Report for 2006-7 is now available – contact the office. CAJ, 45/47 Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2BR, ph 028 – 90961122, e-mail info@caj.org.uk  and web http://www.caj.org.uk  

INNATE holds Open Space conference on nonviolence in Belfast
Saturday 19th January in Belfast sees an Open Space ‘conversation’ taking place from 10 am – 4 pm organised by INNATE, partly to celebrate its 20th/21st birthday.  This is a series of small group conversations determined by who wants to discuss what aspects of nonviolence, and related matters, on the day; people vote with their feet.  The day will end, for those who wish to stay, with a presentation on INNATE’s work over the years. Fee: £7/€10 (£5/€7 unwaged) including lunch. Bookings: INNATE, 16 Ravensdene Park, Belfast BT6 0DA . Please send your full contact details including phone, e-mail and a cheque payable to ‘INNATE’, and info on any special dietary or other requirements.  Queries to 028 (048 from Republic) - 90 64 71 06 or innate@ntlworld.com   Further details will be sent to those requesting and to people who book. Information leaflet (pdf 1.3Mb)

European Mediation Conference in Belfast; booking open
The European Mediation Conference, organised by Mediation Northern Ireland and the Scottish Mediation Network, takes place at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast from 10th (morning) – 12th April (lunchtime) 2008 with the overall title ‘Building Relationships and Getting Results’. The primary aim of the conference is to advance mediation in the service of economic and social progress in a changing Europe; the plan is to reflect on the task of building peace for Europe and the world; explore developments in the practice of mediation; raise awareness of mediation among policy makers, opinion formers, and the general public; strengthen relationships in the European mediation field; and make a record of the conference widely available.

There are a wide variety of themes and strands running through the conference which can be found on the website at http://www.mediationconference.eu including keynote speakers Professor John Paul Lederach, Ambassador Herbert Salber (Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre) and Jan Egeland (Director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and a Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on matters relating to the prevention and resolution of conflict).  The range of workshops (for four sessions) and training sessions are also listed on the website. Fees are payable in UK£ with early registration (by end of January) costing £120, £220 or £270 for 1, 2 or 3 days. European Mediation Conference, 1 Dublin Road, Belfast BT2 7HB, ph 028 – 9023 5001, info@mediationconference.eu

Sound the Alarm for Action on Climate Change
From 3rd – 14th December 2007 the UN Climate Change Conference will take place in Bali, Indonesia. World leaders will meet to discuss the roadmap for future global action to avert the worst ravages of climate change. The outcomes of this conference will have implications for everyone on the planet. To coincide with the conference, an international day of action on 8th December has been announced. Marches and demonstrations will be taking place across the world, including in the UK and Ireland, which will illustrate the demand for strong action to be taken by governments on climate change.
lIn Northern Ireland Christian Aid, Trócaire and Friends of the Earth have teamed up to organise “Sound the Alarm for Climate Change.”

From half past one on that date, activists will gather on the steps of St Anne’s Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. There will be no need for banners or placards. Instead we are asking everyone to bring their alarm clocks. At 2pm precisely we want everyone to set off their alarms in unison, to represent the 2 degrees temperature rise threshold that we cannot cross if we are to avoid the worst ravages of climate change. If you haven’t got a portable alarm clock, the alarm function on your mobile phone will suffice. If you haven’t got a mobile phone, bring a whistle or a drum. Bells will also ring out in St Eugene's Cathedral, Derry; Cathedral of St Patrick and Colman, Newry; St Macartan's Cathedral, Enniskillen; St Malachi, Hillsborough; St Columba's, Omagh; St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh; Christ Church, Lurgan. If you would like more information then please call Niall Bakewell on 028 9089 7592 or email niall.bakewell@foe.co.uk.
lIn Dublin a public ‘Parade for the Planet’ for action on climate change will take place from the amphitheatre at Dublin’s Civic Offices to the Custom House on Saturday 8th December from 1pm organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, see http://www.stopclimatechaos.ie  There’ll also be events in Mayo, Kilkenny and Kildare  - see website for details. See also http://www.foe.ie

A lightbulb moment
Petition the Irish Government to ban energy-wasting lightbulbs - Ireland currently has the highest energy consumption per household for lighting in the EU with energy being wasted by grossly inefficient lighting like incandescent bulbs and old halogen lights. Ireland should take the lead in Europe and the world by passing a law setting mandatory, ever-improving, efficiency standards for lightbulbs by January 1, 2010. Visit Greenpeace Internation site

Joint SCI-Youth Memorial International work camp in Russia 2008
No one knows how many people suffered and died in the Soviet Gulag camps. Historians estimate that between 12 and 20 million people were sent to the Gulag between 1928-1953, and as many as 95 percent may have perished. This excludes the millions killed by planned famines and summary execution. The Memorial Museum of the History of Political Repression and Totalitarianism in the USSR, located in Russia’s Ural region on the site of the Perm-36 Gulag is to serve both as a reminder of the past and a warning for the future. The aim of the common workcamp for 10 international SCI volunteers and 10 volunteers from Memorial will be to renovate dilapidated parts of Perm-36 in order to preserve its memory as a reminder for future generations. The study theme is "Democracy in Russia and Western Europe - then and now". Memorial is one of the biggest and well-known NGOs in the Russian Federation. Contact VSI/Voluntary Service International for further details: E-mail info@vsi.ie  and website http://www.vsiireland.org  

VSI publishes a detailed e-mail information bulletin on its own and related activities – contact office for details. VSI, 30 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1, ph 01 -  855 1011.

Death of Steve Williams
We very much regret to record the sudden death on 3rd December of Steve Williams, a worker in the vineyard of conflict transformation and among many things a former representative at Quaker House in Belfast, most recently living and working in England. Our heartfelt sympathy goes to Sue and his wider family and circle of friends.

Across de water with de Borda
The de Borda Institute, in partnership with the nef (New Economics Foundation), has just completed a pair of seminars, in Oxford and London, where both the theory and practice of multi-option decision-making were subjected to analysis. It is all part of a JRCT (Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust) funded project, to see whether the adoption of a more consensual methodology might not lead to a more civilised world, and as part of this project, we now hope to undertake five pilots. The report of the seminars is available on request from: Peter Emerson, Director, The de Borda Institute, 36 Ballysillan Road, Belfast BT14 7QQ, ph 028 90 711795 / 078 377 17979, e-mail pemerson@deborda.org
and web http://www.deborda.org

Quaker House Belfast new address
Quaker House Belfast is now at; Third Floor, 21 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast BT2 8HD. The phone and e-mail address have not changed: 028-9024 9293, e-mail therepresentative@quakerhousebelfast.org 

Looking peaky
You can now download the lecture Peak Oil: The End of Economic Growth by Charles Hall from the Feasta website. Charles Hall has developed the concept of EROI, or energy return on investment, and this lecture focuses on the past, present and future energy cost of energy itself, and how that is likely to effect investments, economic growth and discretionary spending. See http://www.feasta.org

Nonviolent News
There will be, as usual, no January issue but there could be an e-mail supplement if the news in warrants it. The next full issue will be dated February, deadline 30th January.

 

Nonviolent News is usually produced 10 times a year (on paper) and extended e-mail and web editions

Subscriptions for the printed edition are; UK£5 or €8 minimum (£3 or €5 unwaged or you can have Nonviolent News e-mailed (suggested donation £2 or €3 minimum).

Additional donations welcome and vital to keep INNATE afloat. Submissions are welcome - the deadline for the next issue is noted on the left.

You can browse through previous issues from the menu on the left.

Copyright INNATE 2021