The Peace Board, issue 8, May 2000
Contents:
- Building peace - moving on from hurt
- Culture of peace in your community, 11 November
- 200 and still going strong
- Arms trade actions:
Eurosatory
Arms Trade and the Community - Disarming Realities
- Culutre of peace in the North
- Campaign Against Depleted Uranium
- Peace Centre closes -but the spirit lives on
- Witnessing against "Star Wars"
Building peace - moving on from hurt
If we continue to see people who have committed offences as 'the enemy' or 'the offender' then we continue to keep them in a box. The challenge is to move beyond the paradigm of punishment. These were some of the ideas shared with us by Rob McKay at our NFPB members' meeting in Edinburgh in March. Rob, a member of East Scotland Monthly Meeting, was talking about restorative justice, an area of work to which he has felt both a personal and professional calling. He now teaches in the subject at the University of Dundee.
A definition of Restorative Justice: "About bringing together everyone who is concerned about an act of damage or harm to see if they can put it right." In order to do this the parties must a) Recognise the harm and b) Acknowledge that it matters. This model, Rob said, was forward-looking. It was about how to enable the offender to be reintegrated into the community, having acknowledged and done something about the damage. In courts, the victims are not represented by themselves, and sometimes only as witnesses. There is a need to involve victims to enable them to obtain amends. Victims should be enabled to feel released from some of the burden of the crime. Mediation can create an opportunity for the victim to gain recognition of what they have been through, and an opportunity for some sense of closure.
Rob described two key ways of working; mediation and conferencing. Mediation brings the victim and offender together to a form of settlement that is acceptable to both parties and to some part of the criminal justice system. There will typically be some form of recompense agreed; an apology, financial restitution, agreements, personal service, practical repair etc. Conferencing stems from Maori traditions in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In this, the offender and her/his family or friends meet with the victim and her/his family or friends, with a facilitator, to try to work out the consequences of the offence and to see what needs to happen to put things right.
Restorative justice is about moving beyond the paradigm of punishment. Rob saw many links between this way of working and some of the non-official diplomacy and mediation in which Friends have been involved at an international level. Both are about how we secure peace within and between communities.
Bringing the UN International Year for a Culture of Peace to your Community on 11 November
This year the National Peace Council has been in coversation with the Royal British Legion about ways to mark Remembrance Day. Peace organisations have traditionally stressed the effects of war on civilians while the British Legion have traditionally focussed on the sacrifices made by the armed forces. The British Legion are this year calling for a day of "Reflection and Hope", to think not only about those who have died in wars of the past, but also about how we can work to avoid wars in the future. Peace groups around the country (including Quaker meetings) are being encouraged by the NPC to focus Culture of Peace activities on this day - the 11th November - not to compete or contradict traditional Remembrance Day activities, but in a spirit of reconciliation, to open up a dialogue and debate about what it could mean to create a culture of peace in which war becomes truly unthinkable in the future.
The National Peace Council and United
Nations Association (UK) have produced a leaflet about this with
suggestions of how groups might wish to follow this up locally.
Available from NPC at:
162 Holloway Road. London N7 8DD Tel: 020 7609 9666.
200 and still going strong
Robert McKinlay of Swarthmore MM writes about Ambleside Friends' persistent witness:
Way back in 1983 Ambleside Friends, concerned about the perilous state of the world in general and the threat of nuclear war in particular, decided to make a public Witness for Peace. And they have been doing this ever since. On Saturday July 29th this year they will be holding their 200th consecutive monthly Witness for Peace.
On the last Saturday in each month they gather at the village Market Cross from 11.00 to 12.00 and display their banner and posters as a witness to passers-by of their belief in a Christian response to peace. They meet in all weathers --- sometimes they get wet, and sometimes they get very wet. But, be it snow or sunshire, they are there.
The posters, mostly designed and prepared by a local Friend, cover different aspects of the peace witness. Many are clearly anti-arms trade. Another set depicts the Prayer for Peace, while in December there is displayed the message of peace and goodwill to remind folk that peace is not just for Christmas. Topical posters also appear at particular times of crisis such as the Gulf War or the situation in Serbia and Kosovo.
From the beginning it was resolved to try and involve people other than Quakers who might share their concern. A few members of other local churches, have been consistent in joining the hard core of Quaker regulars. For the first few years they were, especially during the holiday seasons, joined by visitors from distant Meetings or from CND groups and the like who accepted the invitation to "Come and Join Us".
On one memorable occasion there were some 40 separate visitors from as far afield as New Zealand, Canada, United States and various European countries. More recently, perhaps feeling that the threat of nuclear annihilation is not so imminent, fewer people join the group. The usual number attending regularly is now about 14 with perhaps two or three visitors.
As the cars and people pass by, Friends try and assess the reactions to their witness. They get many encouraging toots and waves from passing motorists. Frequently some come and thank them for what they are doing, and occasionally others show their disagreement by gesture or by telling them how wrong they are. Some people stop and read the posters whilst others glance at them and pass on, but many never even seem to notice anything unusual. One passing youth remarked: "How old you all are!" He was right - many of the regulars are over 80!
Photographs are frequently taken. One American said that she intended to send her photo to President Reagan "as a warning!" The effect on the President is not known but there were thoughts that the headline in the Washington Post might read "New threats - from Moscow ... and Ambleside"!
The 200th Witness on July 29th will be a special occasion as it is hoped that Ambleside Friends will be joined by Friends from other Meetings and peace groups, as well as from other local churches. The "Peace Lunch" at the Meetng House which will follow the witness promises to be a crowded affair, but everyone will be welcome.
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Arms Trade actions
Eurosatory 2000
European Friends are linking up with Campaign Against Arms Trade to witness against this major European arms exhibition on the outskirts of Paris, 19-23 June. Arrangements have been made for good price accommodation as a group, for food and for transport within Paris. A bus from London is being organised by CAAT. You may want to travel to Paris to join the protest, to help fund others going or help to raise awareness about the issues or the event. Contact CAAT for details, as below. See also our web page:
Arms Trade and the Community ...
...is the theme of this year's Stop the Arms Trade Week, 10-18th
June. Organised by Campaign Against Arms Trade, the aim of the week is
to inform and involve local communities around the country o the issues
involved in the arms trade. "We need to inform local people that the
arms trade is not good for jobs, not good for the UK economy, causes
development problems in the third world and causes the death of
innocent civilians ." write CAAT. A petition on the theme of the week
is being organised, along with a new briefing pack.
These materials to support local action are available (for £3.50) from CAAT at: 11 Goodwin Street, Finsbury Park, London N4 3HQ 020 7281 0297.
“Disarming Realities”
Forty-five Friends, attenders and people sympathetic to our peace concerns attended this Peace is Growing day in Newcastle upon Tyne in February. The day aimed to give participants an understanding of the arms trade and of disarmament initiatives and to see the possibilities for change in the both the global and the local context.
Three speakers stimulated our thinking. David Atwood from the Quaker UN office in Geneva talked about his work on peace and disarmament issues, but stressed the importance of grass root peace efforts linking up with what's going on internationally. Progess on disarmament matters can seem painstakingly slow, although if progess was measured by the quantity and duration of meetings one might get a different impression. David described the various UN and international institutions, and the role (or potential role) that each has in forwarding peace. His role as a full-time NGO worker on disarmament and peace issues is a unique one in Geneva, and we were able to benefit from the insights that David has gained through his work. He felt that there were reasons to be gloomy as well as to be cheerful. There is a need for 'give'; we were urged to encourage our governments to enter the Non- Proliferation Treaty review conference with a recognition of this need for change.
Paul Dunne, of Middlesex University Business School, challenged the argument that the arms trade is good for the economy and encouraged us to do the same. Although arms spending has fallen since the end of the cold war, this decline is now 'bottoming out'.
Defence industries now use economic arguments to justify their continued development, but these arguments don't hold. A huge amount of money is put into military research and development., but very few real conversion efforts. We have missed the opportunity for benefiting from the 'peace dividend. The defence industrial base is also operating at a more international and informal level. It is much less visible. Paul recommended thinking about economic rather than military security.
Ian Goudie of the Arms Conversion Project had helped to set up the North East Defence Diversification Project. Although the Defence Diversification Agency established by the government in 1999 has serious limitations, Ian saw the need as great as ever, with some businesses now being the ones making the most noise about the need for real alternatives. There are some good examples of diversification (not necessarily the same as conversion), but for a real shift there needs to be a change of political will.
Workshops with each of the speakers identified a number of areas for action. Underpinning all is the need to continue making our voices and concerns heard, to look for ways of working with other organisations, nationally and internationtionally, and to challenge from both economic and ethical standpoints. Northumbria MM Friends, who hosted the event, will be looking for ways of working with others in the North East on these issues in the future.
A full report of the day is available from the NFPB office (please send SAE), and on our website at: http://www.gn.apc.org/nfpb/disarmr.htm
Culture of peace in the North
Northern Friends Peace Board members have participated in two meetings which have set up a "Northern Culture of Peace Network". Initially this group has met in Bradford, and has brought together people connected with the Bradford Peace Museum, the Peace Studies Department at the University, CND and others. They hope to reach out both to those already involved in groups with some commitment to peace activities, as well as to those not formally connected to such groups. A document which many will have seen this year is the Manifesto 2000 , produced by UNESCO and distributed by the UNA in Britain. NFPB has plans to offer a workshop to Friends and others (possibly through the new network) which will seek to help participants move from the words of the manifesto to identifying practical ways forward in building a culture of peace, this year and during the coming decade for peace & nonviolence.
Campaign Against Depleted Uranium
By the time NATO forces were dropping depleted-uranium tipped
munitions on Serbia and Kosovo last year, this new Campaign was already
a few months old. Based in Manchester, CADU seeks a global ban on the
manufacture, export and use of Depleted Uranium (DU) weapons, trying to
get through the secrecy surrounding their use, lobbying ministers and
providing resources and support for grassroots campaigning. CADU say on
their website: (http://www.mawitb.freeserve.co.uk/campaign/CADU.htm)
" DU weapons are manufactured by British (and US) companies, are tested
here, in South Scotland, are exported to other countries, and most
inportantly, continue to be used in military operations in the Gulf and
elsewhere. " The campaign is active in international networking and
lobbying as well as in providing resources and support in this country.
They have an exhibition which is available for hire, a briefing pack, a
newsletter and are planning a major conference, to take place in
Manchester over 4-5 November 2000. NFPB has been pleased to have one of
its members, Bill Kneller, serving as an active representative on the
CADU committee, and are delighted to see the campaign doing so well
after just over one year.
CADU can be contacted at: One World Centre, 6
Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS Tel: 0161 834 8301 Email:
gmdcnd@gn.apc.org.
Peace Centre Closes - but the spirit lives on
It was with sadness and heavy hearts that the Hub, formerly known as York Peace Centre has decided to close due to insufficient funds and volunteers, after running for the past 19 years. In their final news-letter, they write: "We will all have our own reasons for sadness and shock. But we should be glad at what the Centre has already achieved. We have created a space in which new initiatives can grow. We should keep faith in the many good people who will keep the spirit and practice of the Centre live in new ways". We hope so !
Witnessing against "star wars"
When David Atwood spoke at our day in Newcastle (see earlier article) he highlighted the destabilising effect the proposed development of the US National Missile Defence (NMD) was likely to have on the Non Proliferation Treaty discussions currently taking place in New York.
The faithful witness of Anni Rainbow and Lindis Percy, as the
Campaign for the Accuntability of American Bases, continues, and the
number of Friends joining them for Meetings for Worship at Menwith Hill
(one of the key installations for the star wars project) grows, slowly
but surely. Friends from Hull are also meeting on alternate months for
Meeting for Worship and walks of witness at Fylingdales on the North
York Moors, the other key base. CND held a major non-violent
demonstration at Menwith in March.
Forthcoming events:
- 3 June Meeting for Worship at Menwith Hill, contact AR
- 1 July Meeting for Worship and witness at Fylingdales JB
- 4 July Independence from America day - Demonstration at Menwith Hill, AR
- 4th-8th July - Step out to Stop Star Wars walk from Menwith Hill to Fylingdales CND
- 8th July - Point the Finger at Fylingdales CND
- 5 August Meeting for Worship, Menwith Hill AR
- 2 September Meeting for Worship Fylingdales JB
Contacts: AR= Anni Rainbow ... 01943 466 405 caab.lindis_anni@virgin.net
JB = John Beardmore 01482 327574
CND= Yorks CND 01274 730795 cndyorks@gn.apc.org
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