Northern Friends Peace Board

The Peace Board


Click here for PDF version -
needs Adobe Acrobat reader, free to download)
Issue 18, June 2005

Contents


Affirming the objectors

For a number of years, International Conscientious Objectors Day has been marked by a simple ceremony in Tavistock Square in London.  On 15th May, the first similar event was held in Manchester.  Organised by Hardshaw East MM’s Peace Group, it took place in beautiful spring sunshine in the Peace Garden next to Manchester Town Hall.

The ceremony was introduced by Clare Whitehead of Manchester Meeting (see text below), and included two personal accounts of conscientious objection, poetry, music from members of  Manchester Community Choir and laying of white flowers to remember conscientious objectors around the world.  Around 40 people participated and a number of passers-by stopped to find out what was happening and to participate.  The simple sign put up to explain the event read: "To all those who have established and are maintaining the right to refuse to kill. Their foresight and courage give us hope"

Introductory words from Clare Whitehead:

Thank you all for coming along today to join the ceremony to mark International Conscientious Objectors Day. You are very welcome.

A similar ceremony has been held for a number of years now in Tavistock Square, London and this year the idea has been taken up in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, Oxford and Bradford, as well as here in Man- chester.

In this country the right to refuse to kill was established in 1916 though many brave men who acted on conscience suffered dreadfully and many were put to death. There are still many parts of the world where there is no right to conscientious objection, and during the laying of the flowers we shall be thinking of some contemporary C.O.'s as well as those from the past.

War and the consequences of war are very much in our minds. We are faced with daily reminders via television, radio, newspapers and personal stories of  trauma. I believe there is a sense that we, humans, are growing out of warfare, we are sick and tired of it, of the legacy of damage, poisoned and traumatised minds, suspicion and fear, which last for many, many years. And yet, we still acquiesce in conflict and allow our taxes to be spent on military means rather than on proactive peace building and nonviolent intervention where this is desperately needed. We should be urging our government to invest seriously in conflict prevention. Rather than talk which perpetuates concepts of victory or defeat we should be searching for reconciliation and co-operation.


Overcoming Violence in Scottish Schools.

A recent report from this Edinburgh Peace and Justice Education Centre project describes the range of initiatives it has been able to support over recent years.  Challenged by the World Council of Churches’ Programme to Overcome Violence, the project has built up a fund from a number of sources.  It uses the fund to provide part-funding to a range of projects, then disseminating the results of these projects.  Funding has been provided and relationships developed with a number of initiatives since 2000.

The report documents, amongst others “The Peaceful Schools Project” in Inverclyde, “Clacmannan to the Cape” in Alva, “Tackling Violence Through Play” in Dundee, “In School, Stay Cool” in Thornliebank and more…

The report comments:  “We feel privileged to have been connected to projects that are so diverse in character and which are having such an impact. At a time when legislation laying down punitive responses to anti-social behaviour is seen as a vote winner, we are sure that these efforts are a significant contribution to a healthier emphasis on practical and positive prevention.

Further copies of this encouraging and stimulating report are available from: David Mackenzie, Development Worker, Overcoming Violence Project, 3 Park Terrace, Tillicoutry, FK13 6BY  Tel: 01259 752159  email: davidmc@enterprise.net


NFPB News round-up

Northern Friends Peace Board members have met twice this year, in Sheffield and in Dunblane.  As well as developing working areas, these meetings have had range of interesting speakers, including:

Simon Heywood talking about peace tax, Rosie Carnall on restorative justice, Gill Hubbard on the G8 Alternatives events and Liz Law from the Scottish Centre for Nonviolence.  We have welcomed a good number of interested Friends and Attenders from the localities in which we have met.

Project work has continued (see summary annual report on page 6) and contributions have been made to a variety of events, including: a peace and disarmament gathering in York, a workshop for a Scottish Friends residential weekend, speaking to a visiting group of Japanese and US women and an outreach event in Cheshire.  We have sold a good number of our banner kits (particularly in the lead-up to the G8 events), envelope re-use labels etc.  Our website has continued to attract many visits.

Networking activities have included a further meeting with government officials on the issue of Missile Defence and attending a United Nations Association consultation  on UN reform.  A conference on racism and peace is planned for Bradford for 3rd September (see back page).



Peace Across the Atlantic

T he tide of opinion in the United States concerning the Iraq war seems to be changing, if press reports of opinion polls are to be believed.  Another source of encouragement for those this side of the Atlantic is the information contained in a newsletter – Peace Across the Atlantic - recently set up under the Bridges of Encouragement project which tries to strengthen international support for the work of grassroots peace and justice groups in the US.

Peace Across the Atlantic  is researched and edited by the Coordinators of Bridges of Encouragement, Dorie Wilsnack and Eric Bachman.  Dorie and Eric are U.S. Americans with extensive experience in the German, U.S. and international peace movements.  The newsletters include news of recent campaigns and actions and normally have a specific focus on particular types of organisation or group, which have so far included: peace efforts by veterans, soldiers and their communities and faith-based organisations working for peace and human rights.  To receive the newsletter by email, contact   transnationalbridges@gmx.org


The future of the United Nations in the balance

N FPB was represented in Manchester at one of the recent consultative meetings organised on behalf of the UK Foreign Office by the United Nations Association.  The purpose of these has been to involve participants in the process of review and renewal underway, focussing in particu- lar on proposals in UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s recently published report “In Larger Free- dom:  Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All”.  The report’s key headings are Freedom from want, Freedom from fear, Freedom to live in dignity and Strengthening the United Nations.  In its introduction the report says:

In a world of inter-connected threats and opportunities, it is in each country’s self-interest that all of these challenges are addressed effectively. Hence, the cause of larger freedom can only be advanced by broad, deep and sustained global cooperation among States. The world needs strong and capa- ble States, effective partnerships with civil society and the private sector, and agile and effective regional and global intergovernmental institutions to mobilize and coordinate collective action. The United Nations must be reshaped in ways not previously imagined, and with a boldness and speed not previously shown.”

The UK government has set out its priorities from the action list produced by Kofi Annan, not all of which will be shared by Friends.  At the Manchester event, Foreign Office speakers gave the rationale behind this selection and described the process leading up to the Millennium Review Summit taking place in September this year.

Friends might find some encouragement in the proposal (that we were led to believe had a reasonably good chance of being implemented) to set up a Peacebuilding Commission to provide support for longer-term peace-building efforts in post-conflict situations.  More problematic is the concept of the “responsibility to protect” and the use of force in relation to that.  Rwanda, Kosovo, Zimbabwe and Darfur were some of the examples that taxed our group discussing this in June.  The consequences of military intervention can be hugely problematic in the longer-term, as we are now witnessing in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Readers may wish to look for opportunities to encourage governments – in the lead up to the September summit – to push for an effective Peacebuilding Commission rather than  for more legitimacy for military intervention.

The full text of  “In Larger Freedom” available from the United Nations website at: http:// www.un.org/largerfreedom.  Contact the NFPB office (see back page) for a paper copy of the 6-page summary of Kofi Annan’s report.


One day for peace -  Make a Commitment on 21 September

Peace One Day's commitment is to inform the world's people of the existence of the UN International Day of Peace, a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, and to engage them in the broad and creative observance of the Day in accordance with GA resolution 55/282. Their website urges … “Use your imagination and think up novel ways to make it meaningful for you and those you know. It is not so much to do with the scale of the activity or event, but about the commitment itself to act together as a global community and focus our efforts towards a peaceful society.”  For suggestions and more information about Peace One Day visit: http://www.peaceoneday.org.  The UN’s web pages on the theme are at: http://www.un.org/events/peaceday


A Europe for Peace”

T his was the title of a conference which took place on Saturday 5th March in Manchester, attended by peace activists from all over the UK and from several European countries.  What an inspiration and what an eye-opener!  My apologies for inevitable omissions in a report of this sort.

A Military Power

Tobias Pflüger, MEP, presented the worrying case that the EU is being prepared for war. The European Security Strategy, Defence Papers, Rapid Reaction Force and ‘Battle Groups’ all work towards turning the EU into a military power.  The “European Constitutional Treaty” would commit individual member states to the path of militarisation1 and take away the right of individual states to their neutrality2.  It would found an EU military-industrial body, the European Armaments, Research and Military Capabilities Agency.  No wonder giant arms companies are being wooed by the Britain in Europe Campaign in their fundraising efforts!3

Caroline Lucas, MEP, echoed Tobias’s case, pointing out that nowhere in the treaty is any reference to disarmament, limitation of the trade in arms or non-proliferation.  She advised against the idea that the EU should become a counterbalance’ to US foreign policy and military might, insisting that rather than offering an imitation of the US, the EU should be a credible alternative.

Europe on the brink

Arielle Denis of Le Mouvement de la Paix4 spoke about a Europe which seems set to choose between the UN and NATO.  She urged denuclearisation and strong support of disarmament, through local initiatives such as ‘Mayors for Peace’, through strengthening regional bodies such as the OSCE5 and through a world-wide campaign to “Reclaim our UN”6.  NATO, along with its ‘first use’ policy as regards nuclear weapons, should be rendered obsolete!

Respect International Law

Jeremy Corbyn, MP, said that the media must be made more responsible – it reported the dodgy dossier’ as if every word was true, yet still ignores the war in the Congo which has claimed three million lives.  He urged respect for international law, for peace and for justice. Such ideas were echoed in “International Law, the UN and the OSCE”, a workshop carefully and tellingly conducted by Raoul Alonso, a maths teacher involved in Le Mouvement de la Paix.  He urged us to “re-discover a space which is respectful of international law” and to re-emphasise “the peoples” (rather than the states”) as the principle of the UN.

A Nuclear Free Europe

In another workshop, Lea Launakari7 of Women for Peace , concerned particularly about a massive reactor proposed for Finland, and Joss Garman of Trident Ploughshares8 urged action to ensure the NPT Review does not turn the treaty from a disarmament document into a counter-proliferation document.  Kate Hudson of CND reminded us that it is illegal under Articles 1 and 2 of the NPT for non-nuclear-weapons states to host nuclear weapons, but several EU countries are currently doing so.  She said the new dangers of the world are precisely the reason why nuclear disarmament is more ur- gent than ever, and suggested the nuclear disarmament could be more effectively linked to the more general anti-war/pro-peace movement.

Mike Winstanley
Darlington MM

1.  Article I-41 requires all member states to “make civilian and military capabilities available to the Union for the implementation of the common security and defence policy” and to “undertake progressively to improve their military capabilities”.  Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (www.pana.ie) reinforced this, saying the treaty brought us back to the age of imperialism.
2.  Article I-16: “Member states shall actively and unreservedly support the Union’s common and security policy”
3.  A very informative booklet has been produced by Trade Unionists against the EU Constitution, 301 The Argent Centre, 60 Frederick Street, Hockley, BIRMING- HAM, B1 3HS  -- Web: http://www.tuaeuc.org.uk
4.  Le Mouvement de la Paix 139 avenue Victor HUGO, 93400 ST-OUEN, France --  Web: www.mvtpaix.org
5.  Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
6.  Tavola della Pace/Peace Roundtable is appealing for support for a Global Day of Mobilisation on September 10th, on the eve of the UN Heads of States Meeting. Contact Tavola della Pace, Via della Viola 1, 06122 Perugia, Italy --  Web: www.peacepoint.org
7.  See petition requiring a million signatures at www.atomstopp.com
8.  www.tridentploughshares.org …don’t forget Faslane, 4th July!


Why do we do what we do?

Impressions of the Quaker Peace and Social Witness Conference - 1-3 April 2005 at Swanwick.

Quaker gatherings are remarkable for a number of reasons but the one that is common to all that I have taken part in is the conversations that spring up the moment periods of silence end.  It soon became apparent that a great deal is happening around the country in and through our meetings in the causes of peace and social justice.

There were ten workshops on offer from which I had to choose just three.  My first was on Trade Justice and Fair Trade. Ann Davis concentrated on comparing the production of Mozambique Sugar with that of sugar production in Europe.  The figures made crazy reading and provided a strong reason to only purchase Fair trade sugar. This is now becoming more widely available at reasonable prices.

My second choice was Conscience - the Peace Tax with Simon Heywood.  Conscience campaigns for the legal right for those who have a conscientious objection to war to have the military part of their taxes spent on peace building initiatives.  As Simon pointed out in a quote from Diana Francis, Rethinking War and Peace, Pluto Press 2004 "To put one's faith in war to achieve human rights is contradictory. War is made up of human rights violations."

My final workshop "Promoting an Inclusive Society" introduced A Practical Tool Kit for Friends (and others).  This is a booklet recently produced by The Social Inclusion Policy Group whose task was to help friends evaluate and influence national, regional and local government policy as it affects the inclusive society. It is not intended to provide help for specific instances of social exclusion but to provide general advice to allow individuals to challenge injustice.  There is an example case study using the section Requirements of Social Policy with which the Group tested a particular piece of health policy in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the European Parliament. Both this case study and the booklet are avail- able from Paula Harvey at QPSW direct telephone line 02076631036 or e-mail paulah@quaker.org.uk

Brian Phillips was an inspirational keynote speaker and his talk on "The World is our Monastery" coupled the sense of the need for love and passion and the viewpoint that Quaker life cannot be consigned to our Meetings. He quoted many people who I had not heard of but of who I would like to know more.  To one, Simone Weil, he attributed the words "You do not interest me" and commented on how easy it is to make others feel this. He gave the example of the local activists in the Balkans.  Bosnia is no longer fashionable and they are feeling the lack of attention span.  He called for a sustained and detailed interest in peoples' lives and the conditions in which they live and work remarking that unmixed attention is prayer.

Rachel Barker from the Geneva Quaker United Nations Office  (QUNO) said she felt very lucky to have been chosen as program assistant at QUNO for 12 months.  She is involved in the Peace and Disarmament Unit with particular reference to small arms and light weapons and their demand rather than supply that is why do people feel the need to arm.  Issues of development, economic injustice and human rights abuses all play their part.  There is no difference in the results of these different aspects.  They all lead to people living in fear, in refugee camps and poverty.

When asked for the relevance of Geneva Quaker United Nations Office Rachel said that she couldn't over-stress its importance as with- out it nobody would talk outside of the official meetings and that it is respected because of its impartiality.  However, when sitting in on meetings QUNO has to tow the United Nations line as their attendance is by agreement.  One fact that she referred to, which I find very sad, is that everything that happens at the United Nations is based on humanitarian law.  No- body is pushing for the abolition of war just for unacceptable levels of pain and death.

As usual a well-organised and worthwhile conference with congenial company.

Elaine Marney,
Carlisle and Holme MM


Northern Friends Peace Board
Summary 2004 Annual Report and future plans

2004 was a less intense year than 2003. After the high level of campaigning and peace witness, we continued with our core activities whilst undertaking a review of our work in the light of the previous years' experiences and Friends' insights.  Our challenge is to be able to develop long-term areas of activity whilst retaining the capacity for responding to crises.  We also need to take into account the changing capacity of Friends in participating in our work.  We are very grateful that Friends' financial support has been so generous this past year, giving us confidence to plan ahead.

We held four meetings of the full Board during the year, in Lancaster, Aberdeen, Liverpool and Harrogate.  These meetings are a mixture of learning from speakers and from one another and of decision-making and reflection on current concerns.  Speakers during 2004 included Colin Parry (Warrington Peace Centre), Ray Gaston (a radical Anglican priest from Leeds), and David Gee (on the theme of non-military security) and Marigold Bentley, both from Quaker Peace and Social Witness.  We have been pleased to welcome Friends and attenders from the regions in which we have met to these meetings, and in Harrogate enjoyed a ceilidh with Harrogate Friends.

We have continued to serve as a networking resource and seek to support Friends and others in a number of ways, including:
Having reviewed our working groups at the end of 2003, we also spent time in early 2004 consulting Friends and Attenders throughout the north.   Our members raised a series of questions for Friends to respond to, and these formed the basis for our consideration and planning for future activities. We learned from this:
The review process led to us laying down three larger working groups, setting up three smaller project groups to continue the priority areas developed within those and preparing for a new group on the theme of "Speaking our Peace", which should pick up some of the concerns identified in our consultation of Friends.

The three other continuing project areas are:
We also started 2005 with a more focused attempt to involve local and regional groups of Friends in our Board meetings, seeking to develop with them some agenda time that addresses both their and our interests and needs.  We have been very encouraged by the positive response we have had to this way of working from a good number of meetings and look forward to developing a range of activities with Friends in many parts of the north.

(see above for a news- summary of our recent meetings and activities.)


New Postgraduate courses in Peace, Global Ethics and Conflict Resolution

A new teaching programme at Leeds Metropolitan University's new School of Applied Global Ethics (SAGE) is being set up. SAGE will teach three new taught masters courses for students wishing to pursue a career in Peace, Ethics, Development and Conflict Resolution, beginning in the autumn term 2005.

School co-ordinator, Dr Dorron Otter said, “The mission of SAGE is to promote global aware- ness, reflective practice, ethical values and critical analysis, and the role individuals have in shaping their local, national and international communities.”

SAGE will run three Masters Degree courses in 2005-2006. The MA in Development in Global Societies is a practice based course that provides an opportunity to critically evaluate the reality of current development from a multi- disciplinary perspective and will cover key issues such as water poverty, economic disadvantage, human security and structural violence. The MA in Peace and Development course is aimed at students who have a keen interest in exploring the relationship between the causes of conflict and dispute in development contexts. The course will provide tools to support peace, conflict resolution and development, ethically and sensitively, recognising the complex political, economic, cultural and technological changes that influence decisions and future policy. Both these courses will prepare students to develop and manage creative solutions to problems from a range of different theoretical standpoints with the aim of leading them to- wards an increasing ability to reflect on potential outcomes and decisions. Graduate will be equipped with the skills to develop careers in a diverse range of organisations associated with development.

The MA in Peace and Conflict Resolution deals with a wide range of issues involving conflict at a number of levels of human interaction - from school bully to international relations. Contemporary issues such as inequality, the war on terror, the effects of climate change and natural disasters will be analysed. The course will examine war and conflict at local, national and inter- national levels whilst questioning some of the current military and security doctrines proffered to resolve them. Students will be provided with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by those seeking to work in this field including changing population profiles, overcrowding, cultural and social disharmony.

In welcoming future students to join the course, Dr. Otter said: "It is recognised that workers in peace and development contexts in the UK and overseas require a range of skills and knowledge. These skills should prepare them to be flexible and empathetic individuals who are well equipped to work effectively in challenging environments and to act as agents of change."

Study of the Postgraduate Diploma and the Master's programme will provide students with the opportunity to customize their learning to a range of specific development contexts such as health, education, language and so on through a major project.” He emphasised that most people coming to undertake these courses will have a strong sense of social responsibility which might be evident from their life and communication skills as well as their academic achievements to-date. “Our admissions policy reflects the ethos of our courses: open, democratic and sufficiently challenging for us to welcome students from all walks of life who want to make a real difference.”
For further information and application procedures, contact

- Dorron Otter at the School of Applied Global Ethics, Leeds Metropolitan University, Room 202, The Grange, Headingley Campus, Beckett Park, Leeds LS6 3QS., United Kingdom. D.Otter@leedsmet.ac.uk;  0113 283 2600 ext 5347;

- or Dr Edward Halpin  email e.halpin@leedsmet.ac.uk  0113 283 7585;

- or Elaine Butterworth  email e.butterworth@leedsmet.ac.uk   0113 283 2600 ext 5345

Other information is available via Leeds Metropolitan University's course enquiries on 0113 2833113. Alternatively, visit the School of Applied Global Ethics website at www.leedsmet.ac.uk/Isif/sage


Building peace in divided communities:

some current challenges and opportunities

A conference for Quakers and others

At Bradford Friends Meeting House

On Saturday 3rd September 2005

Speakers and workshops

Themes to be covered include:

To indicate an interest and receive further information, please contact

Northern Friends Peace Board at:  nfpb@gn.apc.org      0845 458 3095

Some other dates for your diary

(lots more on our regularly updated website)

- 6 August  Meeting for Worship at Menwith Hill,

- 6-9   Hiroshima & Nagasaki Anniversary events. National Fast from 8am on 6th August to 11.30am on 9th August.

- 20-26 Aug  The Positive Power of Protest and Lament,  on Iona “Feel-good” religion has dispensed with the great biblical traditions of protest and lament. In this event, John Bell will encourage a re-examination of their value and priority.  http:// www.iona.org.uk/abbey/isp1.htm

- 27 August - 10 September   . Coulport Disarmament Camp. Trident Ploughshares, 42-46 Bethel St, Norwich NR2 1NR 0845 4588366 info@tridentploughshares.org http:// www.tridentploughshares.org

- 3 September  Meeting for Worship at Fylingdales, 12-1pm

- September 9th-11th     Keeping faith in a post- 11 September world: theological reflections on Quaker peacemaking     Brian Phillips leads a weekend at Charney Manor Quaker residential Centre in Oxfordshire

- Tuesday 13 September  LONDON. Demonstrate against the UK's biggest arms fair, DSEi

- 1 October  Meeting for worship at Menwith Hill

- 1 - 8 October  Keep Space for Peace week. http://www.space4peace.org/

-  23-30 October   Week of Prayer for World Peace and One World Week

-  11 & 13 November- Remembrance

For more details about any of these or to send us information of events to put on our website, contact the NFPB office as shown below.

Phoning makes a difference – Calling for Peace

F or several years, people who have joined the Phone Co-op through the Northern Friends Peace Board’s affinity scheme have helped contribute funds for our work.  This currently amounts to about £85 per month. The business has developed impressively over this time, now offering internet facilities and (the very latest news) line-rental.  To find out more, phone us for a leaflet (0845 458 3095) or visit our website at: http:// www.nfpb.gn.apc.org/co-op.htm.  Very many thanks to all those who have supported our work this way.

The Peace Board is a newsletter of Northern Friends Peace Board. It is sent free to Northern Quaker Meetings and others. If you would like additional copies for your group or yourself, please get in touch.

A donation to cover extra postage would help, but is not essential.

Victoria Hall, Knowsley Street, Bolton BL1 2AS
www.nfpb.gn.apc.org
Tel: 0845 458 3095 (UK) +44 1204 382330 E-mail: nfpb @gn.apc.org
Please send any news, views, letters, reviews etc. to the above address.