Invest NI funds arms production including F-35s….as used in Gaza
This detailed and shocking 30-page report by Act Now on ‘Invest NI, F-35s and Israel: Public Money for War Crimes?’ is available at https://www.actnowni.org/invest-ni-f-35s-and-israel-public-money-for-war-crimes-report As the report states “Invest NI used nearly £20 million of public money to fund four NI-based companies who produce components for the F-35 programme…….F-35s are being used by Israel to bomb and massacre Palestinians in Gaza.” The report includes looking at Invest NI’s lack of accountability and transparency, the firms involved, and concludes by mentioning a forthcoming judicial review brought by a member of Cairde Palestine.
Deirdre Duffy the new CEO for FOE
Irish Friends of the Earth has a new CEO, Deirdre Duffy, who will take up the post in late August, replacing Oisin Coghlan who moved on from the post earlier this year. Deirdre Duffy is currently Director of Impact, Grants and Donor Care at Community Foundation Ireland; she was also Campaign Manager for Together for Yes, which successfully worked for the Repeal of the 8th amendment, and she also held senior roles in the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, drawing on her background as a civil rights lawyer. An interview with her appears on the FOE website at https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/news/an-interview-with-our-new-ceo/
World Peace Gathering in Dripsey, Cork
From 18 – 20 July there is a 3 day gathering “uniting global voices for peace, healing, cultural exchange, and Indigenous wisdom” taking place at Dripsey Castle, Co Cork. It will feature indigenous leaders from the Americas and elsewhere “all joining with the Indigenous People of Ireland and European communities to walk a path of healing, solidarity, and shared purpose” and be “a call for Ireland to rise as a bridge between worlds, cultures, and peoples”. Further details at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/world-peace-gathering-2025-tickets-1236838038869 As this approach is different to what most peace activists are familiar with, we asked Helen Henderson (not involved in organising the above) to write something about her approach in this area and her article, Duchas, appears in the email and web editions of this issue.
Corrymeela 60
Corrymeela has been planning a variety of events to mark its 60th anniversary – it was founded in 1965 and the only ‘pre-Troubles’ peace and reconciliation group in the North. There will be a residential reunion in late August for those who have been part of the Corrymeela story over the years, a special service in the Croi on 30th October, Dublin programme on 1st and 2nd November (held jointly with Glencree for their 50th anniversary and Dublin north inner city community). On Saturday 22nd November there will be a ‘Sounds Connected’ Fundraiser Concert featuring the premiere of ‘A Season to Sing’ in Belfast Cathedral. Look out for more details and you can sign up to receive the monthly Corrymeela newsletter on their website at https://www.corrymeela.org/
Amnesty International report on threats to journalists in NI
Northern Ireland is the most dangerous place in the UK to be a journalist and AI’s recent report “Occupational Hazard? Threats and violence against journalists in Northern Ireland” https://www.amnesty.org.uk/resources/occupational-hazard-protect-journalists-northern-ireland-report gives the details. The threats are from paramilitaries and organised crime groups. Research for the report revealed 71 incidents of threats or attacks on journalists in Northern Ireland since the start of 2019 – but that is only part of the picture. Recommendations in the report include coordination of state responses, effective investigations and prosecutions, home protection and police training.
AVP Ireland: 50 years of AVP internationally
Three members (Charming Claire, Dazzle Donna, and Gentle Jenny in the adjective naming style of AVP) represented AVP Ireland at the AVP 50th Anniversary Gathering in New York in May. “Over five inspiring days, they joined AVP facilitators from around the world to exchange best practices, reflect on AVP’s past, present, and future, and explore the evolving role of AVP International.” As Dazzle Donna reported “What stood out most were the testimonies of how AVP workshops have been adapted and delivered in a wide range of communities (prisons, youth, migrants, communities, justice systems) with each having their own unique challenges and strength. What unites all of these different settings is the belief in the power of experiential learning, deep listening and nonviolent communication to unlock empathy and change.” Meanwhile at home there have been over 180 participants workshops this year, and in the last quarter three Training for Facilitators workshops. Enquiries about volunteering with AVP welcome, see the website https://www.avpireland.ie/ or email info@avpireland.ie and there is a link to make financial donations to support the work on the website.
Equality Coalition report on local councils and equality in NI
“Screened Out Without Mitigation – Returning Equality in Northern Ireland to the Margins” is a new report, written by Robbie McVeigh, from the Equality Coalition in Northern Ireland critically examines how Northern Ireland’s 11 local councils implement their statutory equality duties nearly three decades after the Good Friday Agreement and highlights serious gaps between equality obligations on paper and actual outcomes on the ground. Findings include persistent inequalities in workforces, equality screening failures, misuse of equality mechanisms, and weak oversight. Recommendations are made on a centralised database, screening and reforming the interpretation of “good relations” to ensure it does not override equality obligations, among other points. See https://caj.org.uk/publications/reports/screened-out-without-mitigation-returning-equality-in-northern-ireland-back-to-the-margins/ The Equality Coalition is a civil society body with over a hundred NGO and trade union members. https://www.equalitycoalition.net/
CGE podcast: Joe Murray on peace, justice, demilitarisation
The Centre for Global Education’s ‘Reimagining Development’ podcast series includes one with Joe Murray, former coordinator of Afri, as he reflects on his career as an educator, activist and campaigner for social justice, peace and sustainability. https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cge-belfast/episodes/Peace–Justice-and-Demilitarisation-with-Joe-Murray-e31mjmo and CGE is at https://www.centreforglobaleducation.com/
Glencree
Glencree CEO Naoimh McNamee and Community & Political Dialogue Manager Pat Hynes were were in Zagreb in May invited by the Croatian Foreign Ministry to discuss issues arising after 30 years since the Dayton Accords that ended the Balkan wars. The team also shared Glencree’s experience of the Northern Irish peace process and implementation of the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement. Meanwhile Glencree’s podcast on their dynamic dialogue approach is available on their website at https://glencree.ie/resources/podcast-3/ where Barbara Walshe talks to Ian White, Geoffrey Corry and Pat Hynes abut this approach and its use in their work.
80 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki: PCI webinar
A recording of the recent Pax Christi International webinar marking 80 years since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and looking at the commitment to nuclear disarmament and lasting peace, is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcaxUQkgoWE and runs for 99 minutes with speakers from different Pax Christi sections and from ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons). https://paxchristi.net/ https://www.icanw.org/
FOE continue data centres campaign
Irish Friends of the Earth are continuing their data centres campaign with astounding figures about data centre electricity, water and land use. They report that “With over 80 data centres currently, Ireland now accounts for 25% of the European data centre market. Data centres use a whopping 21 per cent of Irish electricity compared to an EU average of around 2 per cent (the next highest country is the Netherlands at 5 per cent).” This is more than all urban homes in the country and is forecast to grow to 30% by 2030; it also puts a huge demand on an area’s water supply. Half their energy comes from fossil fuels but they also gobble up renewable energy – “One data centre in Wicklow, Echelon, which is positioning itself to plug into the Arklow bank wind farm, is estimated to use 50% of all the renewables produced there.” Friends of the Earth is calling for a moratorium on new data centre developments and expansion until data centres can operate within climate limits, and wants strict limits on electricity consumption used by existing centres, not only new connections. Go to https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/act/data-centres/ for more info.
The website of FOE in the North is at https://friendsoftheearth.uk/northern-ireland
All Island of Ireland Interfaith Gathering for Peace
This inclusive online gathering, organised by Dublin City Interfaith Forum and the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum, takes place on Tuesday 16th September from 7.00 – 8.30pm. Facilitators are Adrian Cristea, Edwin Graham and Lynda Morissey. Details at https://tinyurl.com/3mkezh3s Source: Eco Congregation Ireland https://www.ecocongregationireland.com/
Input to Dáil Joint Committee on Defence and National Security
Input by Karen Devine, John Maguire, and Ray Murphy to the above committee and its pre-legislative scrutiny of the Defence Amendment Bill 2025 – intended by the government to remove the Triple Lock on deployment of Irish troops overseas, can be found at https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/joint_committee_on_defence_and_national_security/2025-06-12/ and go to 27 minutes in.
l A letter from 409 academics to the Taoiseach, written in March this year, urging the retention of the Triple Lock can be read on the PANA website at https://www.pana.ie/posts/open-letter-from-irish-academics-on-triple-lock
Death of Sunny Jacobs
We regret to record the death of Sunny Jacobs and her carer, Kevin Kelly, in a house fire in Co Galway on 3rd June. Sunny was a well known humanitarian and human rights activist. See more at https://www.afri.ie/category/tribute-to-sunny-jacobs/ and through an online search.
INNATE’s posters on peace, green issues and human rights
A new A4 size mini-poster on the economic cost of militarism has been issued by INNATE; go to https://innatenonviolence.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Cake-anti-militarist.pdf This is one in a set of over 120 mini-posters which are intended for home, school/college and office use and can easily be run off on a computer printer. https://innatenonviolence.org/wp/posters/