Tag Archives: Ireland

News, November 2025

Nonviolent News, ,

PBI: The work goes on – though PBI Ireland is laid down

The Irish country group of Peace Brigades International (PBI Ireland) has been wound down and no longer exists as a separate organisation but Peace Brigades International continues to work in solidarity with peace activists and human rights defenders around the world. PBI field projects play an important role in accompanying activists in the countries in which they operate, and the PBI International Office in Brussels supports and coordinates that work through its advocacy and fundraising. PBI Ireland is grateful for the support it received over many years from volunteers, other NGOs, journalists, universities, government officials, politicians, trade unions, and more to help raise awareness among people and policy-makers in Ireland about the work of PBI and the brave and inspiring individuals and groups with whom PBI works. There are on-going PBI field projects in Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Kenya, Nepal, Honduras, Indonesia, and Nicaragua. Further information about the work of PBI and all of its projects can be found on its website: www.peacebrigades.org and PBI can also be contacted at: contact@peacebrigades.org

AVP / Alternatives to Violence Project

The Alternatives to Violence Project continues its work; as of early October there had been 300 participants in 28 different workshops, and the biannual community gathering took place in Limerick in September. Over the summer AVP ran 6 community gatherings in prison with more than 60 participants, reconnecting with AVPers from past workshops, refreshing skills, and offering taster sessions for those who were curious to try AVP for the first time. AVP is a network of volunteers running workshops for anyone who wants to find ways of resolving conflict without resorting to violence; if you are interested you can join the next open online information session, simply send AVP an email to info@avpireland.ie and they’ll be in touch. https://www.avpireland.ie/

Corrymeela 60

Corrymeela is continuing to celebrate its 60th anniversary and at the end of October there was a celebration in Ballycastle which included several people who were at the original dedication, performed by Tullio Vinay of Agapè, in 1965. https://www.corrymeela.org/news/267/corrymeela-celebrates-60-years A fundraising concert ‘A Season to Sing’, a choral reimagining of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons takes place, takes place in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, at 7.30pm on Saturday 22nd November. https://www.corrymeela.org/events/267/a-season-to-sing There is much more happening, details on the website https://www.corrymeela.org/ including podcasts https://www.publictheologyireland.com/podcast

Legal observers at work

The first report from the Irish Network of Legal Observers, set up by ICCL/Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the Irish Centre for Human Rights in Galway (see NN 332) is available at https://www.iccl.ie/press-release/report-finds-that-gardai-violated-garda-policies-and-human-rights-obligations-when-policing-protest/ This came from a team observing the policing of a pro-Palestine demonstration at the Dublin Port tunnel on Saturday, 4 October 2025, when Gardaí deployed physical force and pepper spray against peaceful protesters, resulting in a broken wrist and other injuries. Gardaí responded to the report, justifying their actions by claiming protesters were forcing through Garda lines and throwing missiles. However the observers response was “…the UN Human Rights committee explicitly states that “mere pushing and shoving or disruption of vehicular or pedestrian movement or daily activities do not amount to ‘violence.’” It also states that “isolated acts of violence by some participants should not be attributed to others, to the organizers or to the assembly as such”. “

Housmans Peace Diary….. and World Peace Database

Paper diaries may have gone out of fashion for many but the Housmans Peace Diary is special for peace activists with its quotes and marking of special days for celebration or protest. The featured article this year is on modern efforts around the world to resist the war machine through non-violent means. The diary has been redesigned and the 2026 diary is in A5 format and no longer contains a world peace directory (see below). Individual copies are £9.95 from Housmans Bookshop in London, plus postage (UK postal area £2.95), with reductions for bulk orders. https://housmans.com/peace-diary/

l The invaluable World Peace Database covering peace, green and human rights or social change organisations, an edited or shorter version of which previously appeared in Housmans Peace Diary, is available online at http://www.housmans.info/wpd/ It is worth reading the background information on the site home page to get the best use out of it, whether the country concerned begins with any letter from A to Z.

White poppies for peace

In the ‘season of remembrance’ of the World Wars and other conflicts, wearing a white poppy is one way of showing remembrance of all victims but also opposing war and militarism. White poppies were first produced in Britain in 1933 in the aftermath of the First World War, by members of the Co-operative Women’s Guild, many of whom had lost family and friends in the First World War – they wanted to hold on to the key message of Remembrance Day, ‘never again’. You can buy them online from the Peace Pledge Union in Britain at https://shop.ppu.org.uk/ including packs numbering from 5 to 100. In Ireland you can buy them from Little Acorns Bookshop in Derry and from Winding Stair Bookshop in Dublin.

l On Armistice/Remembrance Day see also World Beyond War website https://tinyurl.com/yum86c95

Advancing nonviolence webinar with Nicolás Paz

This webinar will take place on Tuesday 2nd December @7/7.30pm (TBC) via Zoom. Nicolás is the chairperson of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, a programme of Pax Christi International https://paxchristi.net/cni-about-us/      He is Associate Professor and Mediator at Pontifical University of Salamanca and in his role focuses on the intersection of faith, nonviolence and social justice. Organised by Sylvia Thompson, Pax Christi Ireland member and convener of a small ‘Nonviolence Conversation Group’, and Pax Christi Scotland https://www.paxchristiscotland.org/ Further Information and to receive the link: contact Sylvia Thompson by email sylviajms11@gmail.com

Chernobyl nuclear plant attack: Statement by Adi Roche

Founder and Voluntary CEO of Chernobyl Children International, Adi Roche, issued a statement at the start of October following a drone attack on the nuclear plant at Chernobyl. “…This war has changed everything.  Never before in the history of the atomic age have nuclear stations been used as weapons of war.  They should remain globally ‘off limits’ because of their lethal potential to destroy the planet.  The weaponising nuclear facilities has resulted in a collision between warfare and nuclear power, which is a whole new threat with potentially devastating, unimaginable consequences for humankind for centuries to come.  This is nuclear terrorism…….In the name of humanity, in the name of the children, please stop this war and declare the Chernobyl and all Nuclear Power Plants and their supportive infrastructures as ‘No War Zones’”. https://www.chernobyl-international.com/

Amnesty International on British government and legacy
Amnesty has been commenting on both the mid-October UK Supreme Court case by the British government to retain secrecy powers and from other changes made. AI-UK “welcomed the publication of the UK Government’s Remedial Order and new Legacy legislation, describing them as “a long-overdue step towards correcting historic wrongs”, but warned that retaining powers to block disclosure on so-called national security grounds risks undermining the promised “new start”. “ Their key tests for legislation are: Full compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights; No retention of the Secretary of State’s power to veto disclosure; Independent and transparent access to all relevant information; Restoration and expansion of inquest rights and civil actions; Independent appointments and adequate resourcing for the Legacy Commission; Equal rights and protections for all victims, with no political interference. https://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/Northern-Ireland

Sperrins goldmining enquiry restarts April ‘26

It has been announced by the NI Planning Appeals Commission that the (previously botched) inquiry into Dalradian’s plans for goldmining in the Sperrins will retstart on 13th April 2026. Sam McBride of the Belfast Telegraph, who visited the site, was told £250 million had already been spend by Dalradian but estimates as to the value of gold there reach £20 billion. For community resistance see e.g. https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurSperrins/ including podcast links.

SCI: Tackling hate and violent extremism

The Social Change Initiative (SCI – the same initials as Service Civil International – Ed) have published some learnings on community-based responses to tackling hate, based on a previous seminar; see https://www.socialchangeinitiative.com/tackling-hate-violent-extremism-what-works There will be a follow up to this on Monday 8th December at 2pm when Eric Ward of Race Forward in the USA will speak in Belfast.

info@socialchangeinitiative.com and website https://www.socialchangeinitiative.com/

FOE: Tenants for climate justice

Friends of the Earth are now focusing their warm homes campaigning on tenants and renters in private and social housing – an issue of both climate and social justice https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/warm-homes-for-all/tenantsforclimatejustice They are campaigning for minimum BERs (Building Energy Ratings) in privately rented accommodation, something the Government committed to in 2021 but have not acted upon; a PBP motion comes up for debate on this in the Dáil on 13th November.

End Fossil Power climate march

This will be on Saturday 15th November at 1pm from the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin, during COP30. Organised by Stop Climate Chaos Coalition https://www.stopclimatechaos.ie/

Lex Innocentium anniversary, Palestine, videos
Lex Innocentium 21st Century recently celebrated its first anniversary and a 14 minute video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81eFb5BIU1A and another, 12 minute, video of its involvement with the European Peace Project Manifesto for Palestine at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i_U7sN9EgA in a ceremony at the Famine Memorial in Dublin.

Our House: Human rights information on Belarus

Belarusian organisation Our House is an excellent source of information about Belarus, reports on it, and also the fate of resistance activists from there including grave difficulties in exile. https://news.house/

Church and Peace European conference

The ecumenical peace organisation Church and Peace held its annual European conference in Germany in late October and a report is available at https://www.church-and-peace.org/en/ (see under News) and there is also a call to support the nonviolent resistance in Serbia.

Billy King: Rites Again, 333

Billy King, Nonviolent News, , , , ,

Billy King shares his monthly thoughts

Hello – When I was writing my piece in the last issue about flagitis, the unfortunate and debilitating condition of using flags for ethno-nationalist purposes, I hadn’t referred to the fact that the disease had spread to the 26 counties, the Re:Public. This was remiss of me. The epidemic does not seem to be as widespread south and west of the border in Ireland but it is still present in many places, and it seems quite a virulent and nasty disease. I was writing about how it, obviously, has been endemic in the North but now spread to Britain where it seems to have spread like wildfire.

I hope that sensible precautions being taken will mean that it does not affect so many people and areas in the Republic; many people are already acting to welcome, and express welcome for, newcomers – who are actually needed as important parts of the economy and society. However we need to continue our research on developing effective vaccines for this terrible affliction of flagitis which poisons the whole of society.

And here we are with issue No.333 of this e-steamed publication. It is highly unlikely that it will ever reach issue 666, the supposed mark of the Divil himself, or indeed No.999 – at which point shouting ‘Help!’ might be appropriate – and at the current rate of production the latter would be sixty-odd years away. Anyway, on with my contribution to No.333…..

Jaw jaw and war war

The title of this piece is a reference to Winston Churchill’s supposed dictum that jaw jaw is better than war war, though it appears he actually said “Meeting jaw to jaw is better than war” and it was Harold Macmillan, another British PM, who actually said the “jaw, jaw…war, war” bit. In any case it is not a piece of advice Churchill necessarily observed himself.

Another relevant anecdote is about the man sprinkling salt on city pavements. When asked by a passerby what he was doing he said “It’s to keep away alligators.” The passerby responded “But there are no alligators!” and the salt sprinkler said “Exactly!” The absence of something does not prove a particular reason for that absence.

However you may have noted Donald Trump’s recent claim to have stopped a war between Cambodia and Armenia, two countries some thousands of miles apart who would be largely unaware of each other’s existence let alone engaging in armed conflict. He had however been involved with partially ending Thai-Cambodian clashes and for that we can be thankful (for small mercies which is what we are likely to get at best from the current US administration). Obama was – mistakenly – given a Nobel Peace Prize at the start of his presidency, something totally out of kilter with what the Nobel Prize for Peace is about. I have previously covered what the Nobel Peace Prize was meant to be about but hasn’t been, e.g. https://www.innatenonviolence.org/billyking/bk206.shtml However Trump’s response to some intemperate comments from a prominent Russian political figure was to send two nuclear submarines across the Atlantic and in my book that should automatically exclude him. But he continues to try to prise a Prize from the Nobel committee when his due is more a Nobel Piece of Rubbish Prize.

Trump’s UN claim to have ended seven conflicts is examined in more detail by different sources, e.g. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2025/sep/23/donald-trump/trump-ended-seven-wars-un-general-assembly/ which concludes “The status of the seven conflicts — and the nature of Trump’s role in easing them — are more varied and tenuous than his statement portrays. We rate it Mostly False.” It is not that he and his administration have done nothing but that in none of these has he ended ‘unendable’ wars. We note that the USA uses its military muscle – with the best part of a thousand military bases around the world including, de facto, Shannon Airport – primarily for its own ends. But can he stop or will he start a very uncivil civil war in the USA?

Oul books: Patriarchy in Ire-land

One of the features of being old, not necessarily a unique feature however, is that you may possess lots of books which are also oul – read, unread, half read, dog-eared, or even in pristine condition, and ranging from much treasured volumes through to those which raise questions about your state of mind at the time of purchase. Even occasional purges of those you definitely don’t want to keep, to the hoped for benefit of a local charity shop, doesn’t seem to do the trick in keeping them under control. And we all want, but seldom, achieve, Control.

Anyway, I thought it might be illuminating in this column – for me anyway [ !!!! – Ed] – to occasionally explore some of the oul books I have hanging about. The first to hand is Mary Condren’s “The Serpent and the Goddess: Women, Religion and Power in Celtic Ireland” first published in 1989 and then in Ireland in 2002 by New Island Books and this had a lengthy new introduction. The book is a wide-ranging dissection of religion, culture and patriarchy in Ireland – with wider significance I could add.

When I hear the term ‘patriarchy’ I think of many things, including numerous different aspects of violence and it is this that is the most relevant in the pages of Nonviolent News and which I will concentrate on here. But I also think of ‘paytriarchy’ as in “Remember the Golden Rule – He who has the gold makes the rules.” The victims of patriarchy are primarily women but, and to a much lesser extent and in a different way, men are denied or deny becoming the whole people that they could be. But on to Mary Condren’s book which is a study in partriarchalisation [Is that another of your made up words? – Ed] [Maybe, but you know what I mean so it’s a viable word – Billy].

The story about St Patrick banishing snakes from Ireland is an interesting one because Mary Condren shows ‘the serpent’ as a symbol of old matriarchal and pre-monotheistic religions. The story is thus not just one of Patrick performing a miracle in banishing animals who weren’t here anyway but in banishing old pagan religions. Christianity was stamping its mark and stamping out snakes. But – snakes alive?! There are also some illuminating insights on Brigid, goddess and saint (both of these).

I am now going to be give a few quotes, to some extent out of context, which talk about patriarchy and militarism, and this piece is not a review of the book, merely picking up some points made on the themes involved. You can search out the original for the full meaning and context.

“Contact with women could weaken men’s potency when engaging in their two most powerful activities – hearing the word of God or going to war. In this we can see a very clear connection between the development of a militaristic culture and the development of a new male identity independent of the world of women or the world women had represented.” (page 18, 2002 edition).

Quoting some of Kuno Meyer’s writing on Adamnán makes a fascinating sub-text to the Law of the Innocents (page 52 and following). The mythology involved is too complex and long to include here but Mary Condren concludes “The story reflects a time when Irish women were greatly oppressed by the warrior elitist society. Christianity had come, yet obviously the priests, like Adamnán, needed drastic measures of persuasion before being prevailed upon to confront the ruling classes….”

In a chapter on clerical celibacy, she writes (page 145) “In the more stable from of politics, singular heroic acts would not be enough to support an ongoing kingly reign. What was needed was a much more reliable marriage of politics and religion that could be called upon at a moment’s notice. Standing armies would be one way of solving the political problem, but in the new arrangements between church and state, and with a church hierarchical structure based upon a military model, more symbolic changes would be needed……The priests, in effect, became the new heroes of the society. Previously their “heroic deeds” in the service of God simply would have been proof of great holiness. Now their great power enabled them to confer religious authority upon the kings…..male priests….became a permanent caste of heroes with a monopoly on religious power.”

And one of Mary Condren’s conclusions (page 198) is that “Instead of monotheism, we now have the working strategy of unquestioning obedience to military authority, which continues to sustain various forms of patriarchal power….Those soldiers willing to sacrifice their lives confer upon the military-industrial complex a new kind of theological status, that which represents the “whole” now that traditional religion seldom serves this purpose. Indeed, the inroads of secularism may have occasioned a “sacrificial crisis” or a “collapse of the sacrificial economy” in which the search for political absolutes now becomes dominant.” Seem familiar????

Anyway, the book is an oldie but a goldie and worth seeking out if you are interested in the themes explored – in great detail.

But I have a final thought arising from the book, and that is how the powers that be can dissemble and deceive. St Brigid’s Day has, for the last few years, been declared a public holiday in the Re:Public, the first named after/connected with a woman. Oh, how progressive! But does the Irish government pay one jot of attention to, let alone follow, what St Brigid was about? Peace, protection, mediation, welcoming, women’s assertiveness, all would be associated with Brigid. And what is Ireland doing? Cosying up to the Big Boys of militarism and power in NATO and EU militarisation, and doing less than the minimum for asylum seekers. So it is “Oh, how sad!” rather than “Oh, how progressive!”.

The wizard of ID

It takes some doing to get all the parties in de Nort agreed on anything but all seemed to support the idea that Keir Starmer’s proposed UK digital identity card, even if for a mobile phone, is a Bad Idea. And even if this ‘BritCard’ was slightly hidden and you only needed to have it with you for certain occasions or services, listing your nationality – Irish, British, Klingon – is Not A Good Idea in a contested-identity region like Northern Ireland. Commentators pointed to the difficulty for cross-border workers. And unionists felt it would make no difference to immigration anyway – which, as you may know, is tiny in the North compared to the Republic or Britain and most other European countries/areas, despite the noise some of the right try to make to exploit the issue. However another unionist commentator said it was a mistake to reject the idea and playing into nationalist hands, presumably on the rationale that forcing people to have and/or carry British identification that they rejected was Good For The Union.

Identity cards have a chequered history in general. The public services card in the Re:Public might have been pushed further as a more general id card if people hadn’t pushed back against the Irish government’s moves on this. But in a society like Northern Ireland where the need is not to abolish people’s chosen identities but make those of less consequence than common humanity and mutual acceptance, it is a step backwards. Cue pictures of someone on a backstreet in the dark stopped by vigilantes or paramilitaries and asked to produce their id card. How it would actually be operationalised in Northern Ireland would be a nightmare but it would also be strange to leave the North out from an otherwise UK-wide scheme – but whether it will be identical remains to be seen.

We will wait and see what develops or founders on this, and opposition in Britain has been building. I pity any poor public servants tasked with introducing this in Northern Ireland, they would have a lot of sleepless nights on their hands; it is on the cards that it would not be very successful and any success that will be achieved will be hard won.

On another note about the UK, in a voting intentions survey or poll published in the 30/8/25 edition of the “i” newspaper, Nigel Farage’s Reform party had a 15% lead over Labour (35% to 20%) with the Conservatives on 17%; if replicated in four years time, the inequitable UK ‘first past the post’ voting system would give Reform a whopping majority… This might be welcomed by some Irish nationalists as likely leading to a united Ireland (it might) but it would actually be very bad news for the people of Norn Iron and Ireland as a whole with the likelihood of instability and chaos, whatever happened, with a far right English nationalist party in power in the UK. Any resultant transition to a united Ireland – and that couldn’t be assumed either – would be disorderly to say the least.

Speaking of the Wizard of Id, in the cartoons of that name my favourite is probably the one where the king is showing a visiting dignitary or neighbouring royalty around the kingdom. The visitor asks a peasant how they are doing and the peasant replies “I can’t complain.” A further question from the visitor about why they say that elicits the response – “It’s not allowed.” There are many dangers on this island and we are not at that stage but in many countries internationally authoritarianism is in the ascendant.

–

Well, that’s me for now as winter weather is ready to kick in. September wasn’t too bad but we didn’t get a summer-like ’Indian summer’, unfortunately, that sometimes comes in the earlier part of that month. The shops are now displaying their Christmas tat, sorry, wares, so the year moves on, and I will see you again soon. There will be a new president-elect in the Re-Public before I write again but I have already had my say on that, Billy.

News, September 2025

Nonviolent News, ,

Irish Network of Legal Observers

This network is an initiative led by ICCL/Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the University of Galway; it is a group of people who have been trained to carry out legal observing of protests in Ireland. The Irish Network of Legal Observers is overseen by a Steering Committee comprised of international experts and academics working in the area of protest, public order policing, civic space and human rights. Legal observers are trained to monitor the policing of protest to ensure that Gardaí are operating within the law. Legal observers work to strengthen existing accountability mechanisms by having a visible presence at protests and monitoring, documenting, and filming actions of Gardaí and private security.  

Legal observers are recognised human rights defenders according to the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the UN Human Rights Committee. There is an international obligation to permit legal observers to fulfil their role unhindered. Legal observers are independent and do not take part in the protest or in the organisation of the protest. Legal observers focus on the protest rights of those involved, rather than the issue that is being protested.

ICCL conducts legal observer trainings on a quarterly basis. Anyone who attends one of the trainings (three to four hours long held in different parts of the country), and upholds the terms of participation can be a legal observer; the next training is on 2nd October in Dublin. If interested in attending training contact Emily Williams of ICCL emily.williams@iccl.ie – she is also an organiser of the Network along with Dr Illan Wall, Irish Centre for Human Rights and School of Law, University of Galway, illan.wall@universityofgalway.ie  if you want to request legal observers for a protest. For more info see https://www.iccl.ie/iccl-irish-network-of-legal-observers/

Corrymeela 60 autumn events

There are a variety of events in different places commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of Corrymeela in 1965, making it the only peace and reconciliation group to pre-date the Troubles in Northern Ireland – and still going strong. Thursday 30th October: Luncheon at the Centre followed by An Anniversary Celebration in the Croí with Readings & Songs reflecting 60 years of Corrymeela. 1-2 Nov 2025: Shelter in the Storms Dublin programme in a collaborative learning experience for Corrymeela’s 60th, Glencree’s 50th, and Dublin’s North inner city community. Saturday 22nd November: Sounds Connected Fundraiser Concert featuring the premiere of ‘A Season to Sing’, a choral reimagining of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons in Belfast Cathedral https://www.corrymeela.org/news/263/spectacular-choral-concert-a-season. Meanwhile Corrymeela has a summer fundraising appeal marking the 60th anniversary https://www.corrymeela.org/donate/donate-to-our-summer-2025-appeal You can also sign up on the website to receive Corrymeela’s monthly Community News with reports and news of upcoming events – and/or visit the website to find out more.

Adi Roche at Hiroshima commemoration

Commemorations of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings were held in Dublin, Galway and Tralee, see https://www.flickr.com/photos/innateireland/54704583635/in/dateposted/ and another six photos beside that. The keynote speaker at the Dublin event was Adi Roche, Voluntary CEO of Chernobyl Children International https://www.chernobyl-international.com/ Included in a wide ranging talk she said “Current tensions around the globe show us that nuclear escalation is not a relic of the Cold War, but an increasing clear and present danger. Recent attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities is a very real example of such danger. We are regressing into a world in which the ‘rule of law’ is replaced by the ‘rule of power,’ with a destabilising new nuclear arms race. There can be no compromise on the issue of nuclear weapons…we either put an end to nuclear weapons, or they will put an end to us……Let us say loudly today on this 80th anniversary: ‘No to War! No to Nuclear Weapons! And Yes to Peace! Yes to Disarmament. Today we are taking a side. For we declare today we are taking the side of peace. No more Hiroshima’s! No more Nagasaki’s!” https://irishcnd.blogspot.com/

Amnesty International NI on criminalisation of peacful protest

In mid-August, Amnesty International (AI) NI director Patrick Corrigan said “The PSNI must uphold people’s right to protest against the genocide being perpetrated in Gaza.The police must be clear that they have obligations under the Human Rights Act and international law to facilitate the right to peaceful protest. Carrying out arrests for peaceful expression on this issue would be a violation of international human rights law. Instead of criminalising peaceful demonstrators, the UK Government should be focusing on taking immediate action to put a stop to Israel’s genocide.”   This followed the arrest of a woman in Belfast for supposedly supporting UK terror law banned Palestine Action. https://www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/Northern-Ireland AI subsequently launched a global ‘urgent action’ to protect the right to protest of over 700 people arrested for peacefully protesting in the UK in support of Palestine Action.

Manifesto for Peace and Recognition for Palestine

The European Peace Project (EPP), a loose network of groups and individuals, is organising a Manifesto for Peace and Recognition for Palestine to be read or declared across Europe at 5.00 p.m. on the 3rd of October.  Again, Lex Innocentium will arrange a public event to read this manifesto (as it did with the Declaration of a Manifesto for Peace in Europe on 8th May). See https://europeanpeaceproject.eu and you can contact Lex Innocentium 21st Century at lexinnocentium21@gmail.com

Ireland must join the Hague group – Afri and Comhlámh

Afri and Comhlámh are asking all civil society organisations to sign up to an urgent open letter to TDs and Senators calling on Ireland to join the Hague Group to end complicity in the genocide of the Palestinian People. A coalition of nations, the Hague Group led by South Africa and Colombia, has pledged to take concrete steps to end complicity in genocide and uphold international law, with specific concrete steps to end arms transfers, stop military transit, enforce shipping control, cut state support for occupation, pursue justice and enable domestic prosecutions. Thirteen countries have already signed up. Your organisation can sign the letter before 10th September with 20th September a deadine for Ireland to join. Go to https://www.afri.ie/ and then to ‘News and events’ on the home page, or go to https://comhlamh.org/ and scroll down to ‘News’.

Foreign military bases are spreading – as is resistance to them

World Beyond War (WBW) has issued a new report on foreign military bases https://worldbeyondwar.org/basesreport2025/ “While U.S. bases are in 95 foreign countries all over the globe and virtually encircling the borders of Russia and China, the nation with the second-most foreign bases, Türkiye, has them all near Türkiye, with the exception of one base in Somalia, and the majority of them in Syria and Iraq where Türkiye has been waging wars. During U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States added, and later closed, hundreds of bases. Türkiye and the U.S. are allied members of NATO and weapons traders, and the United States maintains a military presence at nine bases within Türkiye, at one of which it keeps nuclear weapons. The only other nation on Earth with even a tenth as many foreign military bases as the United States is the United States’ very closest military ally, the United Kingdom, some of whose bases are joint U.S.-UK operations. The combined foreign military bases of the top three nations on the list, NATO members all, total 1,127. The fourth nation on the list, NATO’s raison d’être, Russia, has 29 foreign military bases. These are all found in 10 countries, all of which are near Russia, apart from one base in Sudan.”

As WBW states “Bases are often on stolen land and often perpetuate systems of segregation and colonialism. They do incredible environmental damage, tend to increase sexual violence and drunkenness, cost a financial fortune, prop up brutal governments, and facilitate drone attacks and wars.“ The full report is available at the above link, with other news on their website including their #NoWar2025 conference, 24th-26th October on Zoom, exploring abolition movements.

Tools for Solidarity: In the van-guard

Global solidarity organisation Tools for Solidarity is crowd-funding to acquire a new electric van as they use a van for ‘everything’ and their old one’s durability has van-ished. Tools for Solidarity is a not for profit voluntary charitable organisation based in Belfast and relies on donations of tools, sewing machines and volunteers to sustain the work of supporting artisans in sub Sahara Africa to increase their income generation and improve the quality of their lives and that of their communities. They are also involved in other work locally. See https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/tools-for-solidarity-3

FOE UK: Planet Protectors pack for children

Friends of the Earth UK has a Planet Protectors Pack for children with activities, games and stickers, and plastic free. It is available for a donation at https://friendsoftheearth.uk/donate/have-fun-together-get-your-planet-protectors-pack-today?dm_i=78W4,2O2ZK,1RRHI4,7BK2U,1 and any profits go to FOE work. If ordering from outside the UK postal area please be aware of high UK international postage charges, or enquire about postage.

PCI: Materials on the conflict in Sudan and role of women

The conflict and war in Sudan with its huge and devastating effects trundles on, mainly unreported in the media, mainstream or social. Materials from Pax Christi International programme about the situation, “Sudan Speaks: Voices from a Forgotten Crisis and Hopes for Peace” can be found on the Pax Christi International website with video and downloadable slides; the final webinar of the series of three is on 22nd September. Go to https://paxchristi.net/webinars-sudan-speaks The Pax Christi annual report for 2024 is also available on their website at https://paxchristi.net/2024-annual-report-standing-together-for-nonviolence-and-just-peace/ while you can also read about the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative by clicking that title on the menu bar of the home page.

FOE NI: A5, Lough Neagh

Friends of the Earth in Northern Ireland welcomed the court judgement on the A5 upgrade and argue that “Nearly £2 billion is far too much money to waste on one new road project. That money should be used in a more clever and strategic way. Around £1 billion can fund better transport. Firstly to upgrade the existing A5 and secondly to open up new rail and bus services to connections to the west of Northern Ireland.” The dire state of Lough Neagh and political ineffectiveness in dealing with the issue is the subject of a petition to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister demanding community ownership and real protection and restoration https://action.friendsoftheearth.uk/petition/help-save-uks-largest-lake-lough-neagh?dm_i=78W4,2O4TS,1RRHI4,7BQX5,1 And see https://friendsoftheearth.uk/northern-ireland

Neutrality and Triple Lock session at Desmond Greaves

The Desmond Greaves weekend summer school in central Dublin, 5th – 7th September, sees the session on Saturday afternoon, 6th September at 2.30pm, on the future of Irish neutrality with representatives of political parties opposing the abolition of the Triple Lock, and the chair for the session will be Stephen Kelly, chair of PANA/Peace And Neutrality Alliance. Individual sessions are €10, concessions half price. See https://www.greavesschool.ie/ for details.

CRIS fun and fundraiser

CRIS/Community Relations in Schools has a fundraiser at the Balmoral Hotel, Belfast on Friday 17th October with a fancy dress quiz and disco and night of trivia, dancing, themed decor, treats and prizes; proceeds will support CRIS’ ongoing peacebuilding work. See https://www.tickettailor.com/events/communityrelationsinschools/1826574 and the CRIS website is at https://www.crisni.org/

Editorial: Inaction on racism is not an option

Editorials, Nonviolent News, , ,

The forces of racism are organising and waiting to pounce, that should be obvious (Northern Ireland figures show a considerable rise in reported racist crimes and incidents). Right wing ideology seeks to exploit any incidence, real or imagined, of wrongdoing by migrants, people who have come here from elsewhere seeking to make a better life – like Irish emigrants have done for many generations elsewhere – possibly escaping from terrible conditions and threats of injury or death in their home countries. The right wing may seek to crack down on crime but they don’t single out the fact that the vast majority of crime on this island is committed by indigenous Irish/Northern Irish people; that doesn’t suit their agenda which is scapegoating, creating fear, and seeking to win support by that means.

Racism is inherently violent because it portrays other people as less human, less capable, less moral, less caring than ourselves. This has direct implications and effects. The ‘others’, the scapegoated ones, don’t matter and therefore they can be abused, verbally or physically, and assaulted, even injured or killed and it doesn’t matter because ‘they’ don’t count. They are, in effect, sub-human, ‘Untermensch‘. They have no rights and should be expelled.

There is only one race, the human race, and diversity is something for celebration and a beautiful aspect of our humanity. Of course we can celebrate ‘our’ culture and invite others to join us and enjoy it too. ‘Our’ culture may be fantastic in many regards but it may also have dark and negative aspects to it in the present – and we know that there have been many such features in the recent past in all parts of Ireland.

There are issues where we cannot remain on the sidelines, as a hurler on the ditch. However we, like or unlike a hurler on the ditch, can take verbal action in objecting to the use of racist terminology. We can, and should, intervene immediately and directly if there is a use of racist language or put down so that the speaker is challenged; it might be they are deliberately being racist in which case they know they are being challenged, or they may be unthinkingly using racist language in which case they may be more careful next time.

There are many ways we can be actively anti-racist and this may or may not involve being involved in an avowedly anti-racist group or organisation such as City of Sanctuary or other solidarity groups. Being open to others on a day to day basis and being willing to help others that we come across, whoever and whatever they are, if we can is an important approach. An approach to inclusiveness that welcomes people that are different – not just in terms of origin but in ability and demeanour – is what is needed. We can all make our sporting, cultural, special interest and political groupings and work places welcoming for all; this is in our own interests too, to bring in new people. There are a huge number of positive examples of this right around the island of Ireland – and wherever you are you probably know of good examples of groups being inclusive.

From a specifically nonviolent point of view, beyond civic and civil society mindedness, there are a variety of possibilities which can be explored and built on. In situations of threat, monitoring and accompaniment models can be developed which can help to prevent racist attacks and protect individuals or groups. Of course racist attacks can happen anywhere and monitors and accompaniers cannot be everywhere. But providing accompaniment to people already threatened or attacked can help provide some measure of reassurance; however the role provided needs to be carefully explained and agreed to by those under threat, and there may not be an understanding of what is being offered.

Beyond monitoring and accompaniment there is the possibility of nonviolent protective lines and the like in situations of racist-based attacks – basically that would be attackers have to attack native-born people before attacking those they see as ‘other’. This is obviously a high risk strategy and one which would in most situations require at least passive acceptance by police that the nonviolent activists would not be interfering with police action and responsibilities, or where police are not present. In this situation nonviolent activists could obviously themselves become targets. But we also know – and more intelligent racists will know – that attacking native-born people is not a way to win friends and is indeed a way to alienate those from whom they would seek to receive support. But racists in a physical conflict are unlikely to be thinking too rationally so such action would be high risk for nonviolent activists – but fast and careful on the ground analysis could justify the risk.

Of course racists should be challenged at a political level but we do need careful consideration of whether counter-demonstrations are a good way to do this. They may or may not. Organising a multicultural celebration away from a racist demonstration, but stating it to be your answer to their racism, is an option. Having more people at ‘your’ anti-racist demo can of course make the point that more people locally support anti-racism than racism, but the dynamics of crowds are difficult and creating ‘us’ and ‘them’ friction may not be the best way to go and may reinforce in the minds of borderline racists that ‘society’ is out to get ‘them’ and has sold out to the ‘others’.

Ireland has the ‘advantage’ in relation to anti-racism of having been on the receiving end of racism and forced emigration through colonialism and poverty – this applies to the Ulster Scots who were relatively early migrants to North America as well as 19th and 20th century migrants. Those who ignore that experience ignore Irish history and refuse to learn from it, with racists preferring to adopt a superior attitude to others which is itself in tune with colonialism. How ironic it is that anyone on the island of Ireland should adopt racism as a creed, even lightly disguised racism through claiming “Ireland is full” when it still has rather less people than 1846 and is infinitely wealthier today. Successive waves of migration to Ireland, some of oppressed groups like the Huguenots, have contributed to the fabric of Irish life and made us what we are, and whatever our origin our ancestors all came from somewhere else originally.

Of course there are issues of concern such as the housing crisis, particularly in the Dublin area. The blame for that lies with the government and our capitalist system rather than people at the bottom of the pile who need somewhere basic to live. And it is economic prosperity, and workers needed for the companies which have helped create that, which has contributed to housing pressures – but no one is saying ‘end prosperity’.

Whether actively involved in avowedly anti-racist activities or not, we all need ‘racism awareness’ and commitment to follow up on what we need to do and can do in our lives and our localities. Our humanity demands no less.

AVP at 50: A Global Gathering of Peacebuilders

Nonviolent News, Readings, , , , ,

by Lisa Oelschlegel

This year, the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) marked its 50th anniversary with an international gathering in New York, bringing together hundreds of facilitators from around the world to celebrate and commemorate our shared journey and look towards the future.

AVP is a grassroots movement active in more than 60 countries, including Ireland, where it has been running for over 30 years. In Ireland, we deliver transformative, experiential workshops across 11 prisons. Each workshop is co-facilitated by trained incarcerated facilitators alongside volunteers from the wider community. Together, we create spaces of genuine human connection, spaces where a sense of belonging can take root and where moments of real change emerge, often quietly and unexpectedly. Our workshops help participants develop conflict transformation skills and tools to build healthy, trusting relationships. They foster collaboration, open dialogue, and a shared commitment to non-violence.

In May, our long-standing AVP facilitators Claire, Donna, and AVP co-founder Jenny travelled across the Atlantic to represent AVP Ireland, carrying with them the voices, creativity, and contributions of many others who could not attend in person but who have been integral to this journey for many years.

At the gathering, they shared stories, artwork, and poetry created by incarcerated facilitators in Ireland – powerful glimpses of what AVP means to those whose lives it has touched. They also reflected on recent developments in Ireland, including work on community building, consensus-based decision-making, and nurturing strong relationships through open communication. Claire and Donna led a particularly impactful breakout session on AVP workshops that explored the links between gender and violence, sparking rich discussions about gender, identity, power, and personal transformation.

The international gathering was moving in ways that are hard to put into words: breakout sessions, stories of change, cultural exchanges, and a visit to Green Haven Prison, where AVP first began in 1975. One participant summed it up beautifully: “We all felt it—whether separated by distance or by walls, we are one family.”

We also learnt about how outside of Ireland, AVP has found its way into many other places too: schools, refugee camps, and community centres around the world. The New York event was not only a moment to reflect on the past and present, but also an opportunity to look forward: expanding youth engagement, strengthening trauma-informed practices, supporting prison re-entry programmes, and reimagining how AVP shares its message more widely. Whether through work with young people, in prisons, in communities, or with those returning from prison, AVP continues to grow in relevance, reach, and hope.

If you would like to learn more about AVP or become part of this journey, we would love to hear from you!

Website: www.avpireland.ie
Email: info@avpireland.ie
Follow us: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

– The INNATE photo album on AVP is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/innateireland/albums/72157645765804171/

News, August 2025

Nonviolent News, ,
  • Please note this is a relatively short supplement with mainly time-limited or immediate information, not a full issue (the next one will appear at the start of September)

Pre-legislative report before Government demolishes Triple Lock

The Irish Government has announced its intention to proceed with its removal of the Triple Lock on deployment of Irish troops overseas in the autumn following the publication of a committee report on the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025. On 30th July the Joint Committee on Defence and National Security, chaired by Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh, published its Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025, which makes 27 recommendations for inclusion in the draft legislation. The Joint Committee has recommended a number of safeguards if the current ‘Triple Lock’ requirement for a UN mandate is removed including a formal legal review by an independent body in advance of any deployment of Irish troops with an international force with this review being made public, and defining the purposes for which Irish personnel can be deployed with an international force as ‘peace keeping, peace enforcement or duties of a police character’ rather than ‘peacekeeping, conflict prevention and/or strengthening international security’.

However how much of the committee’s recommendations will make it into final legislation, and how much it would limit the Irish government deploying troops for any particular EU or NATO military mission remains to be seen (‘peace enforcement’ could cover a multitude of scenarios). And the fact remains they could do so without UN authorisation.

The report is available at https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/34/joint_committee_on_defence_and_national_security/reports/2025/2025-07-30_report-on-pre-legislative-scrutiny-of-the-general-scheme-of-the-defence-amendment-bill-2025_en.pdf

Hiroshima Day events:

1) ICND: Annual commemoration of Hiroshima, Dublin, 6th August
On the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, which took place on 6th August 1945, Irish CND (campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) will be holding the customary annual commemoration in Merrion Square in Dublin. 

The ceremony will take place at the memorial cherry tree in Merrion Square Park, at 1.10 p.m. There will be short speeches by Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin John Stephens, Japanese Chargé d’Affaires in Ireland, Mr Norimasa Yoshida, and Irish CND vice-president Adi Roche (CEO of Chernobyl Children International). There will also be contributions of music and poetry, and a wreath of flowers will be laid at the tree at the close of the commemoration. 

ICND go on to say “An estimated 80,000 people were directly killed by the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, with casualties reaching 140,000 within a year. Approximately 12,500 nuclear weapons remain in the world today, more than enough to destroy life on earth as we know it many times over.

Sadly, the dark shadow of the possibility of nuclear war looms more grimly than perhaps ever before. Within the past month, the stationing of US nuclear weapons in the UK has resumed. Spending on nuclear weapons reached more than $100 billion last year, a shocking new high. Nuclear weapons states are all engaged in modernising their arsenals and delivery systems. Five of the nine nuclear-armed states have engaged in international military attacks in the past three months alone. It would only take a moment of madness to plunge the world into an irreversible nuclear war.

Yet there are positive signs of progress. More countries continue to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons each year. The number of companies with significant investments in nuclear arms companies has dropped by a quarter since the TPNW entered into force in 2021. International support for disarmament is growing, even in apparently unlikely quarters, such as US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s recent statement. Here in Ireland, 23 local authorities are now members of Mayors for Peace, with 16 new councils joining following the visit to Dublin last October of the Mayor of Hiroshima, Mr Kazumi Matsui. Light overcomes darkness. “ http://irishcnd.blogspot.ie/

2) Hiroshima commemoration, Galway, 6th August

The Galway Alliance Against War (GAAW) Hiroshima Day commemoration will be held at the Spanish Arch on Wednesday, August 6th, at 8pm with the theme “Hiroshima 1945; Gaza 2025: Stop the Killing”, and draws a stark parallel between past and present atrocities, condemning the ongoing genocide in Palestine and beyond. The speaker will be Tadhg Hickey.

GAAW states “Cork comedian and political satirist Tadhg Hickey has become a social media sensation for his unwavering advocacy for Palestine. With 300,000 followers on Instagram and a massive YouTube audience, his sharp, skit-based commentaries—delivered in his distinctive Cork accent—have resonated globally. But his growing influence is not welcome in certain quarters: in May 2025, Instagram abruptly shut down his account, and months earlier, YouTube demonetised his channel. Meanwhile, his gigs in Britain have been accompanied by a heavy police presence. These acts of censorship underscore the challenges faced by outspoken voices……The gathering is free and open to the public, offering a space for reflection, solidarity, and resistance. Join Tadhg Hickey and GAAW to honour the victims of war and demand an end to these never-ending war crimes. ” https://www.facebook.com/groups/312442090965/

3) PANA webinar: Lessons after 80 years

A webinar entitled “The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings: Lessons After 80 Years” will be taking place on Wednesday, 6th August at 7pm Irish time. The event will be online and the Zoom link will be circulated to attendees, who can register for free. The event will hear an interview with Nagasaki survivor Kazuo Maruta; famed historian and World War II expert Geoffrey Roberts; and President of World Beyond War Kathy Kelly, who has been a leading peace activist spanning decades. PANA (Peace And Neutrality Alliance) states “As European spaces for de-escalation and non-proliferation continue to shrink, with Finland and Sweden now in the nuclear-armed NATO alliance, and the recent suggestion that Austria could follow suit, it is more important than ever that the dwindling number of non-nuclear states bind together.” See www.pana.ie or click on box at https://www.pana.ie/posts/hiroshima-80-years to register.

l A video of PANA chair Stephen Kelly, along with Niamh Ní Bhriain of the Transnational Institute, who were witnesses at an Oireachtas session on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Triple Lock Bill, on 3rd July, is available at https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/video-archive/committees/10447/ (go to 0.23.24) and a Journal report of the same meeting is at https://www.thejournal.ie/defence-committee-tetchy-scenes-6751758-Jul2025/

Climate Justice, Militarism, and Palestine: Dublin workshop

Friends of the Earth and Afri have a workshop on “Climate Justice, Militarism, and Palestine: Unlearning Empire, Rooting Resistance “, facilitated by Afri coordinator Katie Martin on 13th August. This workshop is a part of Friends of the Earth’s Global Citizenship Education project, in the effort to promote action for global solidarity but unfortunately is fully subscribed so no longer open. Irish FOE is at https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/ and Afri at www.afri.ie

MNI ‘Difficult conversations’ and other courses

A one day course on Constructive Professional Dialogue – Handling difficult conversations with confidence takes place in Belfast on 23rd and online on 24th September. Other courses in the autumn include Group and systemic mediation practice, Principled negotiation, Workplace conflict management, and Mediation theory and practice. Mediation Northern Ireland/MNI website is at https://mediationni.org/

Civilian based defence systems

A short, just under 7 minute, video introduction by Risteárd Mac Annraoi to civilian based defence appears at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2kX_LqYRKc ……. with backdrops of Cork. This is a subject which the Irish government’s ‘Consultative Forum on Security Policy’ in 2023 refused to learn about…..

The EU is on a war path

Excellent analysis of the militaristic path being followed by the EU, and its convergence with US and NATO military might, appears in a short article by Niamh Ní Bhriain published by World Beyond War (WBW) at https://tinyurl.com/4wm7tyn2 If anyone is in doubt about the direction ‘we’ are heading, this is a piece to read or share. WBW is at https://worldbeyondwar.org/

Week of Action for Peace & Climate Justice

The second annual Week of Action for Peace & Climate Justice, backed by a wide variety of groups, is taking place from 15th – 21st September and will address the links between war, militarism/militarisation and social, economic and climate injustice. It will promote grassroots action and policymaking to confront both genocide and ecocide – for peace and a just systemic transition. This important area is beginning to come into focus. See https://climatemilitarism.org/weekofaction/ Source: War Resisters’ International www.wri-irg.org

Legacy Act demo at ICRIR

Relatives for Justice, the Pat Finucane Centre, CAJ and Amnesty UK, victims and families gathered outside the Belfast offices of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) in Belfast to mark the first anniversary of the Conservative government in Britain’s Legacy Act, which came into effect on 1st May 2024 – which they branded as bringing in a shameful legacy of betrayal. But they were also calling for action. In writing about this Grainne Teggart of Amnesty International wrote “The Labour Party pledged during the general election campaign to repeal and replace the Legacy Act. But recent signals from Westminster suggest that promise is wavering, with partial reforms now replacing firm commitments to repeal.” See page 6 of the June edition of CAJ’s ‘Just News’, downloadable at https://caj.org.uk/publications/our-newsletter/just-news-june-2025/

Síolta Chroí

Síolta Chroí has a series of Gardening for Biodiversity Family Days on the second Saturday of the month – 9th August, 13th September etc – and you will have missed a Lúnasa community meal and conversation on food the evening of 1st August. For a full list of courses and events see https://sioltachroi.ie/courses-and-events/ Síolta Chroí is at Aghacloghan, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan.

Organic Centre, Rossinver

You can check out upcoming programme at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim on their website at https://www.theorganiccentre.ie/ This includes courses on dry stonewalling which is sold out, ‘Autumn in the Polytunnel’, Korean natural farming, wild mushroom foraging, and fermentation. You can also give gift tokens, an ‘ideal zero waste gift’ as they say. Much more including their seed and organic range is on their website.

News, July 2025

Nonviolent News, ,

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/

Billy King: Rites Again, 331

Billy King, Nonviolent News, , , , ,

Billy King shares his monthly thoughts

Hello again, unfortunately there is one installation just across the Irish Sea which keeps popping up, continuing to cause concern (and has done for many decades): Windscale/Sellafield. Clearing up the radioactive mess there is a nightmare https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/04/sellafield-nuclear-clean-up-mps-public-accounts-committee?CMP=share_btn_url The issue of what happens to nuclear waste – and the cost of dealing with it – which needs contained for 10,000 years or so – means nuclear power is neither cheap, green nor relatively carbon friendly. And it is highly dangerous at the best of times with additional dangers through rising sea levels and the odd natural disaster or tsunami (think Fukushima).

The luxury of pacifism

Ah, I am bathed in luxury. Not. Ruth Dudley Edwards writes a regular column in the Belfast News Letter which publication takes a very staunch unionist approach these days (it did have a more liberal phase a few decades ago) with the conservative politics which tends to go with that. She recently wrote that “I never had the luxury of being a pacifist.” I am afraid that old trope got my goat which is a bit strange as I don’t have a goat and if I did it would quickly decimate our average-sized suburban garden. There were other points I would dispute in the same article but I will stick to that sentence. It appeared in the News Letter of 19/6/25 but behind a paywall; it is however on Ruth Dudley Edwards’ website at https://www.ruthdudleyedwards.co.uk/2025/06/when-it-comes-to-war-i-never-had-the-luxury-of-being-a-pacifist/

The first thing I would say if that while I accept the label of being a pacifist it is not usually a term I use. I would call myself a believer in nonviolence or a nonviolent activist. ‘Pacifism’ has lots of negative connotations in popular usage and is too close sounding to ‘passivism’ to be comfortable. However for me being a nonviolent activist is the very opposite of ‘passivism’ and the idea that ‘pacifism’ is a luxury, presumably implying a failure to make hard decisions and acting on them, is totally false.

Meanwhile the Headitor responded to Ruth Dudley Edwards’ piece with a letter to the News Letter and it was published some days later. “Ruth Dudley Edwards (Opinion, 19th June) may consider it being a ‘luxury’ to be a pacifist but I can assure her it is anything but that.  Whether based on the teachings of Jesus, Buddhism, secular morality, pragmatism or whatever, taking a stand against all forms of violence is far from being a luxury and requires very considerable imaginative and creative thought and work  – and often putting up with simplistic rejection of nonviolent possibilities.

Those believing  in nonviolence reject sticking plaster approaches to violence and the causes of violence and work to deal with root causes while also seeking to ameliorate its effects. I am not a Quaker but just think of Quaker work during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Modern research (e.g. Chenoweth and Stephan) show nonviolent resistance to injustice to be more effective, in a variety of ways, than violence. I stand with Mohandas Gandhi when he said “We are constantly being astonished these days at the amazing discoveries in the field of violence. But I maintain that far more undreamt of and seemingly impossible discoveries will be made in the field of nonviolence.” That Gandhi quote is available as a mini-poster on the INNATE website https://innatenonviolence.org/wp/posters/

Pacifism and nonviolence a luxury? If only. It is not an easy choice to make, I don’t mean ideologically, but because of the reaction from many people who feel it is simplistic. If that is the case then the probable majority of people on this island, still identifying as some form of Christian, are extremely simplistic too given what Jesus had to say about violence and peace. And seeking to remove the root causes of violence and injustice is hard work. Maybe I could do with a bit more luxury.

Capping Kneecap

It is blindingly obvious that the members of Kneecap haven’t done courses in nonviolent communication – or if they had (!) they were too busy preparing raps to pay attention. Pushing out fairly violent images or language and justifying it as a joke or irony is an old act – though it is one which they do in their own inimitable way. And obviously they do enjoy taking the piss out of a whole variety of people. That is their style and part of what makes them attractive as vibrant, alternative figures to many, especially young people.

They are not likely to go away anytime soon. Their Irish language use and rapping is said to have done wonders for the attractiveness of the language among young Irish people. To target one of them with a court case in England over displaying a Hezbollah flag – which he was handed by a fan at a gig – is pretty ridiculous. I am certainly not the first commentator to say that if people in the whole of the UK were all prosecuted for being in possession of the flag of an illegal organisation then the courts in Norn Iron would be overwhelmed for years to come. Partly it is different rules for different parts of the UK and presumably also that the police in England felt that the had to act when there was such a spotlight (by rightwingers primarily which looks like it includes Keir Starmer in relation to his complaint about the inappropriateness of them playing at Glastonbury).

Of course for some people Kneecap’s strident criticism of Israel, and support for Palestine, is enough to give them a bashing. Favourable mention of drug use is another. But with popular opinion in Ireland being way ahead of many people around Europe on Palestine and Israeli state genocide in Gaza – and also in the West Bank – they are being judged for loose and sometimes violent language when their hearts are in the right place and their general judgement on this also. Trying to cap or contain Kneecap seems a pretty stupid exercise. However maybe they could do a course in nonviolent communication and still be abrasive, anticolonial commentators on the world today; now that would be an interesting challenge for them.

The House of Orange

There is a Orangefield area in Belfast but it has nothing to do with either the Orange Order or the fruit – it seems it was thus named from Huguenots who settled there who were from Orange in France. I do think Orangefield does have some Orange (Order) lodges however and it is that time of year in the North when marching around the place marking or claiming territory is part of culture for some Northern Protestants. The Twelfth July is a great family day out for those of that cultural-political and perhaps (for most of them) vaguely religious persuasion.

However Orangeism is based on exclusivity insofar as it is seeking to celebrate Protestantism and Britishness. The attempt to turn the Twelfth into ‘Orangefest’ and thus be more inclusive is on a hiding to nothing. How can celebrating victory in a battle of one ‘side’ over another ‘side’ be celebrated by the latter? I do go to the trouble of pointing out that if James won the Battle of the Boyne and ‘the war of the two kings’ then the boot would have been on the other foot and Prods would have been severely discriminated against instead of Taigs* – but that wasn’t what happened.

If you have never seen a Twelfth July parade in Norn Iron and you have the opportunity to do so, I would encourage you to take a look. You may not agree with the politics, brand of religion or frequent militarism represented but it is quite a spectacle and occasion and should form part of your political education on the North….and in any agreed solution in Ireland in the future those of an Orange persuasion have to be included. Being inclusive of exclusivism is a difficult act.

* I do use the usually extremely derogatory term ‘Taigs’ for Catholics in the North so long as I have the opportunity to explain its origin. It comes from the personal name Tadhg which means ‘poet’ and, not being of Catholic background myself – in fact I had an Orange Order grandfather – it is my attempt through using it and explaining its origin to ridicule its use. Abusing or attempting to abuse people by calling them a poet is simply laughable and not even poetic licence. Its origin lies in the once commonality of the name at the time and was a label which originated in the same way ‘Paddy’ or ‘Mick’ became labels for the Irish in Britain, common Irish male given names.

Unification

Everyone in the North may be for ‘unification’ but of who and what? In Norn Iron is it a United Kingdom or a United Ireland we want, or something different or inbetween? Often times people – us all – interpret statistics in a way that favours our point of view. Unionists often point to the fact that the proportion of ‘nationalist’ voters has not been increasing in recent elections in the North, which is true. However the Life and Times survey shows on the question of The Border that things are changing, especially among young people, in favour of a united Ireland, and a small but increasing number of Prods are also thinking about all-island unification. You can check out the sadistics for yourself at https://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2024/Political_Attitudes/REFUNIFY.html though that is just one poll.

However I would reiterate the line taken in this publication that it is incumbent on the Irish government to do more work in exploring what Irish unity might entail. People know what Norn Iron as part of the UK is like. People do not know what the parameters could or would be in the run up to, or in, a united Ireland. Rational decision making may not be what the people of the North are primarily known for but there should be as much encouragement of that rational decision making as possible. And that includes close examination of what a united Ireland might look like so people can make as informed a choice on their future as is possible. Nothing is decided and winds can change direction quickly. But the people of the North deserve the seriousness of looking at possibilities in detail.

Leafing through the Golden/Yellow Pages

You probably need to be approaching forty years old for this title to mean anything. The Golden Pages (Republic) and Yellow Pages (Norn Iron) were the commercial internet of their day but tailed off into oblivion once the internet took off and commercial firms had their own websites or were listed online under the service they provided. These large yellow paged books had entries for most commercial activities and you leafed through them to find a firm or firms to contact for the service or provision you sought. The simplest listing was just the name and phone number of the provider under the subject title; for additional fees to the company producing the book you could have a display advertisement.

About two decades ago the Golden/Yellow Pages briefly got smaller and then disappeared, to be followed in extinction by ‘ordinary’ phone books listing “everyone’s” number – unless you were in the exclusive category of ‘ex-directory’.

You may be surprised to learn that I still leaf through my Yellow Pages, not looking for a dry cleaners or a provider of legal services from a couple of decades ago but in search of flowers. “Flowers?” you may well ask. Yes. The size of the old Yellow Pages and the absorbency of the paper make them ideal for pressing flowers which, when dry, I use for making pressed flower cards. And the flowers aren’t arranged alphabetically so small ones I am searching for can be hard to find.

Technology has changed so many things in my lifetime. A duplicator was the go to machine for a considerable number of multiple copies in my young(er) days; this had an ink drum onto which you put a cut stencil, usually cut by typewriter keys without any ribbon. The quality was middling to atrocious and your hands usually ended up rather inky. Again these disappeared around three decades ago. For just two or three copies you might use carbon paper which was placed between the multiple layers of paper and with a manual typewriter you had to be sure to strike the keys hard. Photocopying quality was poor and expensive as well. Today you can photocopy for very little cost and even print multiple copies, and photocopy, with your home printer – unimagined luxuries in ‘my’ earlier days.

With AI enormous further strides are possible but AI also uses – relatively – a ginormous of power, and those data centres eat up one hell of a lot of electricity (metaphor deliberately chosen). FOE reports (see news item this issue) that a 100-word email generated by AI uses the equivalent of a 500 ml water bottle. And governments should act that only data centres providing all their power from additional green sources and additional water supply would be permitted, and that only on land which is not required for housing or agriculture. But the Irish government looks afraid to say boo to an AI or data firm goose with the country liable to turn into a data centre slum.

–

Before ending, I wanted to mention an article about the struggle for peace and rationality in Norway. While Norway has not been neutral and has been in NATO, it has been regarded as relatively peace loving and progressive on international issues. Not any more as Glenn Diesen reveals https://tinyurl.com/2mkhbbfd (from World Beyond War and previously Substack). This is all very relevant to other countries especially another relatively small country like Ireland where the warmongers are advancing. Compare and contrast.

Something more to mention, among all the actions for Gaza and Palestine taking place around the country, is one from Monkstown, Co Dublin where a woman involved spoke about their weekly vigil for Palestine. “We do poetry, song, and link up with  local Palestinians  with updated reports of the savage cruelty being inflicted upon them, and most of all we meet recently arrived  families, who are here  for medical treatment. Amazing that the military elites have stooped so low, that it is only after your family have physical scars to show that they are allowed to leave the burning chaos of genocidal action, approved by the EU etc. A young girl of 7 years  recently arrived. She has only one eye and walks on her damaged left leg, after sick military cowards targeted her and her families in their tent.” This is where words fail me/you.

–

Well, summer is here, in fact the summer solstice has already passed so it is downhill all the way to shorter days. [Always looking on the bright side, aren’t you? – Ed] I hope you get the break you need and at this time of year I usually quote the immortal words of Christy Moore in ‘Lisdoonvarna’ where he gave the best ever definition of summer holidays – “When summer comes around each year / They come here and we go there”. There you have it. I will return here at the start of September since there is only a news supplement in August. Until then, be good to yourself and be good to others, and I hope you will need that sun cream, Billy.

News, June 2025

Nonviolent News, ,

Why riot? Report on youth violence and change

An important new 55-page report, Why Riot? Addressing the ‘whys’ behind youth violence” is available at https://societal-challenges.open.ac.uk/media/projects/145_learningfromwhyriot-report-final-28-05-2025.pdf This is based on an 18-month action research project across different divides exploring how the free OpenLearn course Why Riot? could be adapted as an effective youth programme enabling marginalised young people to develop their skills as thinkers, peacebuilders and positive changemakers in contested spaces across Belfast. Stating that “These findings have implications for policy and practice beyond Northern Ireland” seems very accurate. The course itself is available at bit.ly/whyriot One final conclusion was that “The Northern Ireland Executive should enable and support the co-creation of a Northern Ireland Violence Reduction or Non-Violence Hub drawing on the Why Riot? models of co-creation.”

Neutrality Roadshow nearing final destinations, neutrality demo

The Neutrality Roadshow, which has been wending its way for the last month around the highways and byways of Ireland, completes its work shortly with the final destinations being Wexford on 3rd June, Lisnaskea/Fermanagh on 4th June, Derry on 5th June, Belfast on 6th June, and Dublin on 7th June – all evenings (7pm+) except for Dublin which will be 2 – 5pm. See https://keepirelandneutral.ie/ for details. The roadshow is headed by the indefatigable Niamh Ní Bhriain of the Transnational Institute and features guest speakers to create a space for open dialogue and discussion. All events free and open and the Roadshow takes place during the ongoing attempt at removal of the Triple Lock on the deployment of troops overseas by the Irish government. As the website says, “The world needs neutral peace-brokers now, more than ever and Ireland is in a very special position to help bring wars to an end.” However the government is working to get the committee stage scrutiny of its proposals to remove the Triple Lock completed before the Dáil breaks for the summer.

l Meanwhile a major demonstration, “Keep Ireland neutral! Keep the Triple Lock!” takes place on Saturday 14th June, 2pm, at the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin, organised primarily by the Irish Neutrality League.

Good Relations Week in NI

Coordinated by the Community Relations Council, Good Relations Week 2025 will run from Monday 13th to Sunday 19th October, with a likely programme of more than 200 cross-community and multicultural events taking place across all 11 local council areas of the North. This is always an opportunity for groups to showcase their work in the good/community relations area and the theme this year is ‘Connect – People, Planet, Posterity’. See https://goodrelationsweek.com/ for more info and registration.

Peace manifesto launch on Europe Day by Lex Innocentium 21stC

In line with the European Peace Project, Lex Innocentium 21st Century organised readings of the Manifesto for Peace at the GPO in Dublin, and in Newbridge, Co Kildare, on 9th of May, the 80th anniversary of the official end of World War II in Europe. Across Europe, people gathered together to read the Manifesto for Peace – to tell their governments that they do not want war and that they do not want to waste valuable resources on war and on the stockpiling of deadly weapons. To read the full proclamation – including a specifically Irish piece based on the format of the 1916 Rising proclamation – see https://innatenonviolence.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Proclamation-of-Peace-25.05.pdf Lex Innocentirum 21stC is at https://lexinnocentium21.ie For pics see https://www.flickr.com/photos/innateireland/54519849965/in/dateposted/ and the couple of entries beside that.

Racism, the far right, and social media

A report launched at the start of May commissioned by the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) with the support of the Equality Coalition, a network co-convened by CAJ and UNISON, has revealed the alarming role of social media in amplifying racial intimidation and far-right narratives in Northern Ireland. The report, which features a series of case studies on online activity linked to the discussion and promotion of anti-immigrant and racist incidents in Northern Ireland, finds that while such incidents occur locally, their reach and impact are being significantly amplified by far-right networks, particularly those based in Britain and the Republic. Dessie Donnelly, researcher and author of the report, said: “Local incidents of racial intimidation are not isolated; they are cynically amplified through a far-right online ecosystem that distorts public perception. Online community spaces that should foster genuine dialogue have instead become breeding grounds for toxic misinformation that directly endangers migrant and minority communities on the ground.” See https://caj.org.uk/latest/alarming-role-of-social-media-in-amplifying-racial-intimidation-and-far-right-narratives-in-ni/ for more info and link to the full 48-page report.

MNI mediation courses

Upcoming courses from Mediation Northern Ireland include 1) An advanced 6-day Group & Systemic Mediation Practice course beginning 10th September, 2) Principled Negotiation 3-day course starting on 5th June, 3) Workplace Conflict Management 1-day online course on 25th June, 4) Mediation Theory & Practice, 8-day course, multiple dates and times. See Training section of the MNI website at https://mediationni.org/ for details. You have just missed the Managing Difficult Conversations 1-day course…….

CGE: Development education and class

The latest issue of the Belfast-based Centre for Global Education publication Policy & Practice is on Development education and class. See https://www.developmenteducationreview.com/ Meanwhile there are 6 new podcasts in their ‘Reimagining Development’ series. The joint CGE and Comhlámh online event on ‘Decolonising economic development: The role of the development sector’ on Tuesday 10th June is sold out. https://www.centreforglobaleducation.com/

ICCL on repeal of Offences Against the State Acts

While the Irish Council for Civil Liberties/ICCL has welcomed the news that the Minister for Justice intends to repeal the Offences Against the State Acts, they have expressed deep concern at the government’s plans to retain a permanent non-jury court.  Joe O’Brien, ICCL director, stated “…….What began as an emergency response has now operated longer in peacetime than it did during the Troubles………ICCL maintains that the right to a jury trial is a fundamental right and a central principle of the Irish criminal justice system…….One of the reasons often given for a non-jury court is the risk of jury tampering. Yet there are clear measures that can be taken to protect jurors including anonymous juries, screening juries from public view and using video links to juries in different locations…..” See https://www.iccl.ie/news/iccl-statement-on-repeal-of-offences-against-the-state-acts/

Feeding ourselves – Strengthening local food economies

This webinar, organised by Feasta and others, is intended primarily for local food producers, but open to anyone interested. It takes place on Tuesday 10th June from 8 – 9.30 pm. Jo Poulton of the Landworkers’ Alliance (UK) will share insights from the Basic Income for Farmers (BI4Farmers) campaign. See https://www.feasta.org/ for link.

VSI: Food not bombs, Say no to NATO, volunteers weekend

Two short term volunteer opportunities coming up through VSI/Voluntary Service International are a project in Finland working with Food Not Bombs (23rd June – 4th July) https://www.vsi.ie/latest/join-the-food-not-bombs-movement/ and working on the Say No to NATO counter-summit (to the NATO one) in Netherlands/The Hague (15th – 23rd June) https://www.vsi.ie/latest/say-no-to-nato/ Meanwhile the annual VSI volunteers weekend will take place from 20th – 22nd June, see https://www.vsi.ie

Intergenerational trauma webinars

The US based International Centre for MultiGenerational Trauma has many videos and webinars on its site including two on Intergenerational Reflections on Lessons Learned from the Dead of WW II; see Nos. 67 and 68 at https://icmglt.org/webinars/

De Borda: Inclusive decision making in Mongolia

While people can be afraid of inclusive decision making methodologies which they have not experienced, two recent National University of Mongolia seminars using the Modified Borda Count on (the dire issue of) “Pollution in Ulaanbaatar” ran smoothly and came to successful conclusions. And if they can do it in Mongolia……. See http://www.deborda.org/ See also article by Peter Emerson in email and web editions of this issue on “What is democracy?”

World Beyond War: Mapping militarism

World Beyond War’s 2025 edition of Mapping Militarism, which uses 24 interactive maps to highlight the state of war and peace on our planet, is available at https://tinyurl.com/47khs4va or find it on their website https://worldbeyondwar.org/ Did you know over 75% of President Trump’s budget is for the military and police?!

Global March to Gaza endorsed by Mairead Maguire

The 15th June ‘Global March to Gaza’, https://marchtogaza.net/ has been strongly endorsed by Irish Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire. An Irish delegation is planned, see website.

Complicity – not in my name

A petition on Uplift calls on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, to enact the Occupied Territories Bill, stop the sale of Israeli War Bonds ,stop the use of Shannon and Irish airspace by foreign military and stop the sale of dual-use products to Israel. https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/complicity-not-in-my-name

Editorial: Courage, compassion – and subservience

Editorials, Nonviolent News, , ,

What compassion Ireland has for people in dire situations internationally stems partly from the colonised experience of subservience. Of course Ireland’s experience of being colonised is not a simple one with some from all sides enthusiastically participating in British colonialism and the possibilities it brought; for others it might have been simply a means to survival and earn some sort of living – in the 19th century a third of the British army was composed of Irish men. And some who were from a privileged background, Protestant or Catholic, also rejected the subservience which was imposed on Ireland as an island. And north of what became the border some on all rejected false divisions and discrimination.

However patterns can repeat themselves and, for example, the tendency to ape a rich elite can be seen in the lifestyle of someone like the late Charles Haughey. An old joke about Charles Haughey – CJH (christened Cathal) – was, what is the difference between CJD (’mad cow disease’) and CJH? The answer was ‘You can catch CJD’. Once the revolutionary generation in independent Ireland had died, the morality they had, such as it was, to a considerable extent went with them. Self-enrichment through politics is less acceptable now before retirement from the political fray but the loss of critical, independent and courageous thinking is still a major factor.

Why does the current Irish government think that it should get as close to EU and NATO militarism as it can (get away with)? Why have they so little understanding of conflict? Why do they seek to fly in the face of more than half a century of Irish military peacekeeping to move to a belligerent NATO model? Why do they imagine Ireland is in danger from Russia? Why do they still see the USA (Trump not withstanding) and its economic and military prowess as a leader and feel in some way indebted to that? Why do they not see that major EU and NATO rearmament is a danger? Why can they not see the possibilities of conflict resolution?

And in the North why is it still acceptable to come at issues of concern, such as the health service or education, from unionist or nationalist perspectives rather than one of justice and equality? Why is there such a lack of vision from the political class about building unity among the people and overcoming existing barriers? Why is the existing community/good relations policy so minimalist? Surveys show that most young people don’t want to stay in the North – how can a society be built that young people actually want to stay in?

Compassion should not be confused with pity. Compassion is about empathy and solidarity, it is about wishing, wanting, and working for, others to have what they should have. But compassion without courage to bring about change is meaningless. In the 1960s in the North the people who got involved in the civil rights movement, Catholic and Protestant as well, realised that subservience of one sector of society was reprehensible and inimical to any kind of justice. And, in the words of Barbara Deming (available as a mini poster at https://innatenonviolence.org/wp/posters/ )

“A liberation movement that is nonviolent sets the oppressor free as well as the oppressed”.

Of course Northern Ireland descended into the violence and the thirty years little war of the Troubles. But that was not the fault of civil rights activists who were trying to achieve a more just and peaceful society. However the lessons of the Northern conflict have not been learnt by the British or Irish governments in relation to international issues, they have not made the obvious extrapolation, that it is inclusive talking – however difficult that might be – has the potential to solve conflicts, and that getting involved in an arms race frequently ends in war. Governments tend to look to arms and militarism as a way to solve conflicts. This is dangerous nonsense.

The inferiority complex which Ireland had through the colonial experience never totally went away. In the impoverished new Free State, accompanied by ongoing net migration until the 1960s, holding your head high was perhaps difficult. Some people managed to do it. But others wanted to imitate the richer, colonial or ex-colonial powers. This is still going on with Irish foreign policy today. The ruling politicians have bought in to an inferior model of international relations, one where power grows from the barrel of a gun, and the bigger the better. They are prepared to forget the positive stands Ireland has taken in disarmament and international relations over the years. And it is highly ironic that the charge to become a full part of the EU military elite should be led by the person at the head of the ‘Republican Party’, Fianna Fáil. Once more Ireland’s leaders are choosing subservience to our ‘elders and betters’ who are neither of those things.

Subservience can be forced or voluntary, or a mixture of these. While fear of being thought ‘soft’ on international issues of concern to the great powers (including the economic power of US businesses in Ireland) can be a factor, any subservience today is effectively voluntary. Cap tugging to the USA, especially over Shannon airport’s use by the US military, and a totally false concept of being ‘good (militarist) Europeans’ regarding the EU, is rife. Undoubtedly some really do believe in US and EU militarism but it would seem that more are afraid to stand up for what might be unpopular – and this is a form of subservience, not being true to the values which you know are worthwhile. Subservience means the negation of courage and compassion.

Ireland has had a little bit of courage in saying things about Palestine and Israel but little courage in actually putting those thoughts into action (e.g. the severe delay in passing an Occupied Territories Bill). Irish political leaders in working to destroy the Triple Lock on the deployment of Irish troops overseas are totally negating the popular demand for the continuation of Irish neutrality and pulling (a flock’s worth of) wool over people’s eyes, and acting in a sleeveen manner.

Ireland has a modicum of compassion. With a bit of courage to act imaginatively, and a rejection of subservience, we could be so much more.