Conciliation Resources - August 2010
Mary Dobbing, Conciliation Resources
Dear Friends,
Since March I have been working for the Fellowship of Reconciliation, England (FoRE), based in Oxford. FoRE is a Christian pacifist organisation focussing on campaigning and education for active non-violence and conflict resolution. My main task has been to research the use of combat ‘drones’: remotely controlled unmanned aircraft capable of firing missiles. FoRE aims to stimulate public debate about the use of drones by increasing knowledge about them, and by campaigning with others to get them banned. The research formed the basis of an information briefing (available at www.for.org.uk) and there will be a public conference on September 18th in London with the launch of an extended report of FoRE’s findings. I will be staying on a while longer as a part time volunteer to see this project through.
Drones are ‘science fiction’ style weapons systems that have come into use over the last decade and which are giving rise to a range of grave concerns. For example, as you are reading this, drones are being flown over Afghanistan by Royal Air Force and US Air Force personnel sitting in trailers on an airbase in Nevada, USA - 8000 miles away. Drones have no pilot but use sensors and cameras which watch and film people on the ground around the clock sending the images back to the operators by satellite. The operators see their ‘targets’ as blips on a computer screen and they fire missiles at them with the touch of a button on a joystick. Evidence is emerging that drone strikes cause a high level of civilian casualties. The use of drones by America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Pakistan and other countries to target al-Qaeda or Taleban ‘militants’ amount to targeted killings, with the operators being judge, jury and executioner. The UN and other human rights organisations suggest that strikes from drones are illegal under international law.
FoRE’s campaign also looks at the global market in drones. Drone sales are big business and their use is proliferating as around 40 countries are acquiring drone technology. Israel leads the world in drone sales and even rents drones to the Royal Air Force by the hour like a hire car for use in Afghanistan. Looking for its own sovereign capability the Ministry of Defence is funding the development British made drones based on an Israeli model. The British drones are being tested at Aberporth in west Wales, with civil liberties implications as they can secretly watch and spy on people living in the villages and houses there.
Britain’s BAE Systems is the largest arms company in the world and armed drones are part of their business too. Their annual general meeting was held in London on the eve of the General Election. I attended as a proxy for a shareholder and wrote an article about it for FoR’s Peace by Peace magazine about it which you can read online at http://www.for.org.uk/files/PbP-summer-2010.pdf It was a chilling experience to see the pride with which this global enterprise exhibits its lethal wares and glorifies in the profits earned when faced with questions about the propriety of its commercial behaviour.
Working with Fellowship of Reconciliation has impressed me how much a few people can achieve by making information available and accessible. I have been convinced for a long time about the power of civil society to change things if there is the will and the information available, and a critical mass of active citizens mobilised. The power of the Internet to bring a world of information to your computer is staggering – even information that is supposedly ‘secret’ as the recent revelations about the conduct of the war in Afghanistan on the website ‘Wikileaks’ demonstrates.
Among the surprise pleasures of the year was to get to live and work in Oxford. I have had a tremendous time exploring, and going to public lectures at St Antony’s Middle East Centre. An Oxford Friend took me in to stay with her at little notice and hardly knowing anything about me, and I have been made very welcome. Attending Oxford’s early morning Meeting for Worship on Thursdays has been a nourishing experience – especially with breakfast thrown in, as well as the excellent company and conversation. I hope I have made enduring connections with Ffriends and colleagues.
I am deeply grateful to Quakers for giving me the opportunity this year to participate in the work which I feel compelled to do. I have learned about communication – researching, writing and presenting information (including desk top publishing), as well as networking and bringing together those with knowledge and expertise with those who are willing to act in line with their sincerely held beliefs. I have the most intense work of the whole year still to come helping to bring to fruition the extended FoRE Drones report and conference on 18th September which I hope Friends will come to. As well as this I look forward to meeting some of you at the QPSW All Age Conference in Swanwick at the beginning of August.
I know that I will look back on this year as the springboard which launched me with more confidence into whatever peace work I am called to do – I am ‘tooled up’ and ready to go with generous support from QPSW, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and the staff of Conciliation Resources and Fellowship of Reconciliation. And many thanks are due to Quakers everywhere for supporting QPSW through your gifts.
Best wishes
Mary Dobbing
August 2010
