Stair na Síochána in Éirinn
This 300 page book, in Irish, by Risteárd Mac Annraoi on the history of peace in Ireland is an important addition to thinking about peace and the story of peace in Ireland. It is published by Coiscéim at €20. It is available at some Irish language booksellers (e.g. An Siopa Leabhar in Harcourt Street, Dublin) and by post (search online). It is reviewed by Máire Úna Ní Bheaglaoich in the email and web editions of this issue of Nonviolent News.
New Afri Coordinator
The incoming coordinator of Afri is Katie Martin, taking up appointment at the start of September; Joe Murray, Afri coordinator for the past thirty years is retiring at that point. Katie Martin is a Global Citizenship Education practitioner who has worked with Development Perspectives since 2018 and has been Coordinator of the post-primary projects (the SDG Challenge Schools and Water Wise Explorers). She has a BA in International Relations and an MA in International Peacebuilding, Security and Development Practice, and is a member of Comhlámh Justice for Palestine, a former Board Member of AfrI, and an activist. Meanwhile Joe Murray was surprised with a farewell party he knew nothing about, at the Teachers’ Club in Dublin on 6th June…a hundred people gathered to pay tribute to him and the work Afri engages in without him knowing anything about it beforehand! Afri website www.afri.ie For a photo of Katie and Joe at the farewell party for Joe, see https://www.flickr.com/photos/innateireland/53826121818/in/dateposted/
lAfri Doolough Famine Walk video
A 12 minute video on this year’s Afri Doolough Famine Walk, including extracts from powerful talks by Faten Sourani and Donal O’Kelly on Palestine, is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2iCG99vN_E with the text of those talks available on the Afri website at www.afri.ie
Conflict Textiles; Threads of Empowerment
A new Conflict Textiles exhibition, Threads of Empowerment, with nearly thirty arpilleras on violence and conflict, human rights violations, poverty, oppression and environmental issues, is on display in the Ulster Muesum, Belfast, until January 2025. It is arguably the most powerful presentation of arpilleras in Ireland to date. Other contemporary displays of arpilleras/textiles are in The Troubles and Beyond exhibition also at Ulster Museum; at McClay Library, QUB; UU Coleraine campus and Belfast campus; Linenhall Library, Belfast; Tower Museum, Derry; the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny; and Ballymoney Museum. Full details at https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/conflicttextiles/ and click on ‘Events’.
Shannon vigils, July and August
Suggested by Kinvara Palestine group, in the summer months there will be an increased number of anti-war vigils at Shannon with vigils proposed every weekend with the theme “US military out of Shannon – No complicity with war crimes”. kinvarasolidarity@gmail.com and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554239395818 but for seeing the timetable and slots to volunteer contact Barry Sweeney barrysweeney11@gmail.com
GAAW: Galway Alliance Against War – Hiroshima and more
GAAW’s annual Hiroshima event will be on Saturday 3rd August at 2pm in Eyre Square, Galway; the speaker will be Jeremy Corbyn. GAAW continues to be active in a variety of areas including Shannon antiwar solidarity, work to get trade unions to oppose US military use of Shannon, working to defend the Triple Lock, and demanding the freedom of the city be removed from Hilary Clinton for her opposition to a ceasefire in Gaza. You can get put on their mailing list to be kept up to date: galwayallianceagainstwar@gmail.com and https://www.facebook.com/groups/312442090965
Caverns are not great gas
Campaigners against giant gas caverns in Larne Lough won a victory in the NI Court of Appeal in mid June when there was a ruling that the matter should have gone to the whole Northern Ireland Executive. Campaigners, including No Gas Caverns, Friends of the Earth NI, and the PILS Project, celebrated the overturning of a previous decision by the (ir)responsible minister to allow these giant caverns to be made locking the North into fossil fuels and with great environmental risks. Word search for further info and see https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/no-gas-caverns-under-larne-lough
Tools for Solidarity: 40
From 3rd to 7th July, Tools for Solidarity is celebrating four decades of work. The big celebration event will be on Friday 5th July at the Dockers’ Club, 57 Pilot Street, Belfast with the Hoakers and others, plus Tim McGarry and Terri Hooley; 7.30pm for 8pm, suggested donation £10/£7 unwaged. There is an open day workshop at their Sunnyside (up!) Street headquarters, Belfast from 11am – 5pm, also on 5th July, and the following day, 6th July, a treasure hunt beginning at Belfast City Hall at 12 noon. Tools For Solidarity is a not-for-profit organisation in Belfast which is fully run by international, local and supported volunteers; the main focus is to support artisans in the poorest parts of the world and mostly in the countries of Africa. Lots more info at https://www.toolsforsolidarity.com/
Mairead Maguire on Gaza
For links to talks by Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire on Gaza, and a written A plea for peace by a mother, see News items at http://www.peacepeople.com/
ICCL campaigns for Special Criminal Court abolition
ICCL, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, continues to campaign for the abolition of the jury-less Special Criminal Court, 52 years after it was introduced as an ‘emergency’ measure. Two different review groups have been established by the government to examine the Offences Against the State Acts and the Special Criminal Court, with reports in 2002 and 2023 but, to date, none of their recommendations have been implemented. ICCL continues to call for the Special Criminal Court to be abolished and the jury system to be reformed to protect jurors with proportionate measures ensuring human rights are not interfered with. https://www.iccl.ie/police-justice-reform/state-of-emergency-52-years-of-the-special-criminal-court/
CGE: Reimagining Development podcasts
The Centre for Global Education (CGE) in Belfast https://www.centreforglobaleducation.com/ has a new series of podcasts which aim to discuss new ways of thinking about and practising global education and international development. Go to https://open.spotify.com/show/0I9MX9YXBsq6Ldon9jyIQp
Amnesty International on ‘shocking’ PSNI surveillance report
Amnesty International’s Patrick Corrigan has said that ‘The police appear to have forgotten that journalism is not a crime’ following the publication of a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) report on their use of surveillance on journalists and lawyers. This showed 323 applications for journalists’ phone data including 10 attempts to identify confidential sources and 500 applications for lawyers’ phone data raising questions on compromised lawyer-client confidentiality in the reporting period 2011-2024. AI has also expressed concern about a 21% increase in the use of various forms of force by PSNI in the year to April 2024. https://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/Northern-Ireland
Political advocacy and communications with Rochtain/ICCL
Rochtain is taking expressions of interest in its training to build advocacy capacity and understanding of the political system with smaller community and grassroots organisations around the Republic. It has already provided three rounds of online training to over 150 organisations plus 1-to-1 sessions. Training is provided free. There is a survey on needs at https://www.surveyhero.com/c/gbmfunuy and you can enquire directly to ronan.kennedy@iccl.ie
Eco-Congregation small grants scheme
Eco-Congregation Ireland (ECI) has a new small grants scheme for churches and congregations for small scale practical projects which are either already running or will begin before the end of 2024. The church or congregation must have already registered with ECI (a very simple process) and begun their Eco-Congregation journey. The closing date for applications is 31st July. https://www.ecocongregationireland.com/ You can also sign up there to receive the regular ECI newsletter.
FOE Cuppa for Climate
Friends of the Earth Ireland is continuing its Cuppa for Climate campaign as a way of helping bring people together to talk about the climate crisis in an informal yet constructive way that leads to an invitation to explore positive actions together. It can be used as a fundraiser and/or as a way to mobilise people locally. More info at https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/cuppa-for-climate/signup and see also their Act Local project https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/act-local/
Bremen Peace Prize
Church and Peace has welcomed the award of the the Bremen Peace Prize, from the Schwelle Foundation, to its board member Maria Biedrawa for her work in various African countries including the Central African Republic: Connection e.V. was awarded the group peace prize simultaneously for its work protecting conscientious objectors. https://dieschwelle.de/en/home https://www.church-and-peace.org/en/
World Beyond War resources
While some of the material is US-centric, World Beyond War has a large variety of useful resources on its website including many podcasts, go to https://worldbeyondwar.org/resources/ and you can select what kind of material you are interested in.
Síolta Chroí courses
Courses at Síolta Chroí over the summer include An introduction to Ecosystem Renewal for community groups on 10th and 11th August, and a one day taster on Syntropic Agriculture (respecting the principles of life) on 13th July, both in Carrickmacross, Monaghan. More info at https://sioltachroi.ie/