StoP the arms trade; Raytheon Derry exit chronicled
StoP, Swords to Ploughshares, is the name of the relatively new network on the arms trade in Ireland. It meets online about every 6 weeks and, as well as business and planning sessions, organises speaker webinars. The last one, in mid June, was on how Raytheon was forced to leave Derry in 2010 due to hard work and campaigning over the period of a decade by FEIC, Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign, and DAWC, Derry Anti-War Campaign. The speakers at this session were all Derry activists in the campaign – Jim Keys, Eamonn McCann, and Goretti Horgan. The video of the speakers, running for just under an hour, is available at https://youtu.be/Y0MxO1GmACQ and it makes for a riveting and rewarding view.
An article by Eamon Rafter, summarising the webinar, appears in the e-mail and web editions of this issue of Nonviolent News.
In addition, there is now an album of Derry Raytheon campaign photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/innateireland/albums/72157719426151321 consisting of well over a hundred images (with more photos and links still to be added).
StoP is run on a cooperative basis by people from a number of different groups and places, including 5 cities on both sides of the border, and can be contacted c/o INNATE innate@ntlworld.com You can ask to be added to the mailing list.
Shannon Airport viability should not depend on the US Military
The peace and human rights group Shannonwatch have called on the Irish government to avoid using the US military to help keep Shannon Airport open as it struggles to remain viable. In light of the recent Aer Lingus announcement that it was closing its passenger operations at Shannon, Shannonwatch call for a development strategy for the airport that does not include a reliance on the transit of foreign troops and their weapons to keep it open.
“US troop carriers, US Air Force planes and other military and diplomatic flights continue to pass through Shannon with worrying regularity” said a Shannonwatch spokesperson. “Despite Covid-19 travel restrictions, these flights have continued uninterrupted throughout the pandemic. Not only is this a breach of Irish neutrality, it has also put the health of workers at the airport at risk. Over just three days at the end of May, Shannonwatch recorded nine US military related flights at Shannon.
The Shannonwatch spokesperson said “At a time when Foreign Minister Simon Coveney was quite rightly critical of Israel for failing to protect civilians in Gaza during two weeks of bombing, he is allowing their staunchest ally, the US, to take troops and military planes through Shannon without any oversight or inspection. Both Israel and the US have obligations under international law, as do all States. We cannot be critical of one while supporting another as its ignores the mechanisms of the United Nations and continues to create instability globally”.
Shannonwatch have resumed their peace vigils one Sunday in the month at 2pm at the entrance to Shannon Airport. These call for an end to the US military use of Shannon Airport, and will be conducted in line with Covid-19 regulations. For more information, see http://www.shannonwatch.org/ which includes evidence from June 2021 of arms coming and going from theatres of war, contrary to the assertions of Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs. Also contact 085 8519623 or email shannonwatch@gmail.com
Peace Brigades International (PBI)
PBI Ireland, founded in 2014, is part of a community of country groups worldwide who work to strengthen and support the protection of human rights defenders that it offers in its field projects. It promotes nonviolent approaches to conflict resolution and contributes towards building a culture of human rights that it believes will lead to a more just and peaceful world. See the website https://www.pbi-ireland.org/ for more details (you can also donate financially via the website). It periodically looks for volunteers for field projects, e.g. recent calls for Mexico and Honduras, typically for one year minimum. You can see its videos at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKBprJmEBhEBaLMp-fpRrtg
AVP working away
AVP, the Alternatives to Violence Project, is working away ‘quietly’ with six week postal courses, and, for example, has been delivering a course for 5-6 participants in Limerick Prison every month, and have run a first successful pilot workshop in Addiction Response Crumlin (Dublin). Their website is at https://avpireland.ie/ and their newsletter (and link to previous ones) at https://mailchi.mp/a19b6795333e/avp-newsletter-summer-2021?e=df6e54c0da AVP Ireland is a community of volunteers inside and outside prisons who run experiential workshops in conflict resolution and restorative practices. AVP is for anyone who wants to learn to build better relationships, prevent conflict and resolve it when it occurs and who is willing to share his/her skills and experience. Workshops are non residential and are run mostly in prisons around Ireland and during week-ends.
Good Relations Week 2021
This year it runs from Monday 20th to Sunday 26th September and is an opportunity for groups in Northern Ireland to showcase their ‘good relations’ related work. The theme is ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ which celebrates and spotlights the range of projects young people are involved in to break down barriers, unite communities and act as a catalyst for meaningful change in society. See https://www.goodrelationsweek.com/ for more details and registration.
Glencree Journal: Legacy of conflict
There are 19 articles in the online 253 page edition of Glencree Journal 2021 on “Dealing with the legacy of conflict in Northern Ireland through engagement and dialogue”. You can choose from a wide number of areas addressed including loyalist women’s voice, the political theology of Fr Alec Reid, the bottom-down (!) approach to making peace with the past, the churches’ addressing of inter-communal violence, Protestant displacement in Derry/Londonderry, drama in addressing inter-communal violence, women in peace mediation among many others. To download go to https://www.glencree.ie/homepage-highlight/glencree-journal-abernethy-riley-murphy/
Front Line Defenders: Annual report, Cypher ‘zine
Front Line Defenders annual report for 2020 – with a global round up and analysis – is available on their website at https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/ And don’t forget their impressive ‘Cypher’ digital comics magazine illustrating (literally) stories of repression and human rights resistance – see under ‘Visibility’ on their menu bar.
Environmental Justice Network Ireland (EJNI)
EJNI, launched in 2019, is a community of practice connecting interdisciplinary academic researchers, NGOs, regulatory staff, environmental lawyers, representatives from industry and government with community activists and the ‘barefoot lawyers and planners’ . It aims to support communities and individuals that are engaged in both promoting environmental justice and challenging environmental injustice through enhancing knowledge about complex environmental and legal issues that exist on the island of Ireland. See their website at https://ejni.net/ for more details.
Feasta: Transformation catalysts
New material on the Feasta website includes Seán Ó Conláin interviewing Dr Sandra Waddock on her decades-long research into the role that certain organisations can play in bringing about societal change on a profound level; look under ‘Bridging the Gaps’ on their website at https://www.feasta.org/ Other new material includes a Feasta submission on the Irish government’s updated Climate Action Plan and a short piece on ‘cap and share’ for meat production (an issue not being tackled in Irish climate plans).
Eco Congregation Ireland: Gold awards
The Eco-Congregation Ireland Gold Award is for those churches who have already received their initial Eco- Congregation Ireland Award but have been continuing work in all four areas of their initial ECI Award, and mentor another parish/community on their Award journey. In June the first three Gold awards went to Westport Eco-Congregation, Co Mayo; Shankill Action for a Green Earth (SAGE), St Anne’s Parish, Co Dublin, and Faith in Action Group, Ballineaspaig Parish, Co Cork. See the impressive details at https://www.ecocongregationireland.com/2021/04/05/eco-congregation-ireland-launches-gold-awards/
People’s Vaccine Alliance Ireland
This has a petition to pressure the Irish government to support global COVID-19 vaccination efforts and end vaccine inequity by the temporary waiving of intellectual property rights to vaccines and by encouraging pharmaceutical companies to share their know-how, so that the manufacture of vaccines can be scaled up to meet demand. The campaign launch is 1pm on 8th July, online. See https://peoplesvaccine.ie/
Include military pollution in climate agreements
Due to action by the USA in 1997 at Kyoto, greenhouse emissions caused by military forces – a major contributor – is excluded in climate agreements and ‘not counted’ – but it does count to this globe and its people. World Beyond War is putting together a coalition effort to ask the COP26 climate meeting in Glasgow in November to include military greenhouse gas emissions in limits on such emissions: “We ask COP26 to set strict greenhouse gas emissions limits that make no exception for militarism, include transparent reporting requirements and independent verification, and do not rely on schemes to “offset” emissions.” See link at https://worldbeyondwar.org/
CAJ on vaccine passports, rights
The wide range of concerns dealt with by CAJ, the Committee on the Administration of Justice in Northern Ireland, is well represented on its website https://caj.org.uk/ including in the July issue of their publication “Just News” which leads with Brian Gormally’s analysis of the human rights implications of vaccine ‘passports’.
INNATE, an Irish Network for Nonviolent Action Training and Education, 16 Ravensdene Park, Belfast BT6 0DA, Phone 028 (048 from Republic) – 90 64 71 06, e-mail innate@ntlworld.com and web http://www.innatenonviolence.org and https://www.flickr.com/photos/innateireland Nonviolent News is produced in e-mail and web editions and usually a shorter paper edition – however It is intended to mail out the ‘missing’ (due to Covid) paper editions of Nonviolent News soon. As usual in summer, there is a short news supplement for August, deadline 2nd August, rather than a full issue; the deadline for the next full issue, for September, is 1st September. INNATE networking meetings are held regularly in Belfast, currently remotely; all welcome, please enquire for details. SUBSCRIPTIONS UK£10 or €15 minimum, £5 or €8 unwaged or you can have Nonviolent News e-mailed, suggested donation £5 or €8 minimum. Pay by British or Irish cheque or PayPal; subs are on a calendar year basis.