Events and action opportunities

 See also the links on the left to visit pages on peace courses, current vigils, resources and links, and to join our regular email update list (email list is for Quakers only).

Events Listing 

SKIPTON, Thursday 9 September: Paul Rogers: Iraq and Afghanistan

7.30pm at Skipton Friends Meeting Ho. The Ginnel, off Newmarket Street, Skipton. There will be a charge of £4 a head, £2 unwaged. Organised by Grassington & District Peace Group.

BIRMINGHAM, 13 September: City of Sanctuary conference.

This will showcase some of the best work being done by City of Sanctuary groups all over the UK, including Swansea, which has recently  become Wales’ first City of Sanctuary. Places are free (by donation towards costs), but booking is essential by  contacting us at: cityofsanctuary@cityofsanctuary.org More information at: http://www.cityofsanctuary.org/events

LONDON, 13 September: Peace: At Home and Abroad - Do one thing!

Ahead of International Peace Day on 21 September 2010, Peace: At Home and Abroad - Do one thing! will inspire faith groups and organisations into action as well as creating a space for debate and discussion. Speakers: Tony Benn, Paul Flynn MP and Nims Obunge (The Peace Alliance) Panelists: Alexander Rose (S.T.O.P); Antoinette Powell (Christian Aid), Chair: Steve Chalke (Oasis)
6:30pm - 9pm (doors open 6), Oasis Centre, 75 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7HS, Cost: Varying - book online: http://www.faithworks.info/form.asp?id=9128&dm_i=5G1,7L2B,2JL5JB,J416,1.  For further information and alternative booking options please call 020 7921 4289 or email rsvp@charitiesparliament.org.uk

LONDON, 18 September: Drone Wars

Day Conference exploring the growing use of armed drones, University of London Union, central London.  Speakers, Workshops, Discussion.  £10/£6.00 concessions.  For more details and to book contact mary@for.org.uk  01865 250781.  Organised by Fellowship of Reconciliation.

MANCHESTER, 18 -26 September: Manchester Peace Festival

Launch event on the 18th, St Margaret's Church, Rufford Road, Whalley Range, Manchester. Concert for Peace with Leon Rosselson and friends. Tickets:  £12, £6 (conc.) available via the Peace Festival website at  http://manchesterpeacefestival.wordpress.com  All proceeds to benefit Greater Manchester & District CND CADU.

COUNTRYWIDE, 19 – 21 September: Peace Days

Churches and Inter-Faith Peace Work of Uniting for Peace calls upon local churches – ecumenical groups – interfaith bodies – to celebrate September 2010 Peace Days. Includes 20 Sept: World Peace Prayer Day and 21 September: UN Peace Day. Copies of the 2010 Resource Pack available for £5 per copy (cheques to ‘Peace Services’) from Rev B Cooper, Churches & Inter-Faith Peace Work – Uniting for Peace, WDC Po Box 28209, Edinburgh EH9 1ZR. Tel 0131 446 9545. briancooper(a)googlemail.com.

MENWITH HILL, Saturday 2 October: Annual International week of protest against US Missile Defense

Called for by the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space:  www.space4peace.org - demonstration at the American base at Menwith Hill near Harrogate North Yorkshire - more details nearer the time. Organised by the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases - CAAB:  www.caab.org.uk

LONDON, 9 - 10 October: CND Annual Conference

Incorporating an International meeting on 10th which will focus on scrapping Trident, achieving a WMD-free Middle East, ridding Europe of US tactical nukes, achieving a Nuclear Weapons Convention and challenging NPT-backed nuclear power expansion. Venue will be Mary Ward House, Tavistock Place, London. Info: www.cnduk.org/conference or contact officemanager@cnduk.org 020 7700 2393.

COVENTRY, 29 – 31 October: Pilgrimage to Peace

Christian CND’s 40^th Anniversary event. More details later. http://ccnd.gn.apc.org/

DEVONPORT, 1 November: Blockade

Trident submarines undergo refitting, upgrades and maintenance at the Devonport dockyard in Plymouth. It is already home to many of Britain's decaying retired nuclear subs and may become the dumping ground for them for decades to come. Please come and join in the blockade. You can sit, lie down, lock-on or provide support for the blockaders. We need your committed nonviolent civil resistance. Please bring your friends and relatives and join the blockade that will start at 6 am and continue for as long as possible. The Devonport Blockade organised by Trident Ploughshares and supported by CND. For more information or to help contact 0845 4588 363. Information available soon on www.tridentploughshares.org

MANCHESTER, 4 - 5 November: Civic visit of the Mayor of Nagasaki to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the UK and Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities.

To include the launch of a photographic exhibition of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki atomic bombings in the People's History Museum (4th - 28th November), the launch of the Manchester City Centre Peace and Justice Trail, a NFLA 30th anniversary special event and the Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign Board Meeting. Various venues. Further details - s.morris4@manchester.gov.uk or 0161 234 3244.

AMMERDOWN, 5 – 7 November: Weekend Workshop

Living life authentically requires looking closely at our values and examining how we live them out. Then we can recognise damaging behaviour, thought and communication patterns, and begin to learn and practice new ways of interacting - using compassion and nonviolence to transform relationships of oppression and violence.  For bookings contact the Ammerdown Centre: http://www.ammerdown.org/contactus.htm, for more information about the course, contact Turning the Tide  http://www.turning-the-tide.org/about

LONDON, 6 November : Campaign Against Arms Trade's National Gathering

9.45am-4.30pm, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL (Nearest tube: Holborn). Come along, hear from passionate speakers, take part in informative workshops, meet other CAAT supporters from around the country and go away inspired to take action! www.caat.org.uk/events/ +44-(0)20 7281 0297 CAAT, 11 Goodwin St, Finsbury Park, London N4 3HQ

NATIONWIDE, 11 November:  Remembrance Day.

First Sunday after is Remembrance Sunday. Remember to order your white poppies early: www.ppu.org.uk/poppy. 

Don't renew 'Trident'

Trident Poster: (large, B2 size) £3. Order yours from us at bookshop@quaker.org.uk or download one to print off at home from the Trident page.

Action at Aldermaston
Block the Builders is a nonviolent blockade of the massive new building programme at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston. It involves a monthly blockade and other nonviolent direct action. You can either take part directly in the nonviolent blockade, for which you may be arrested (briefing notes are provided on this), or play a support role on site. For more, visit http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk/.
Multi-faith vigils. For the victims of terrorism and the war on terrorism are held at Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston monthly. For exact dates and more info, contact Chris Gwyntopher at chrisandgwyn@phonecoop.coop
Peace Camps
Women-only: Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp(aign): http://www.awpc.org.uk/. Mixed: http://www.aldermaston-watch.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/; 0845 4588368Factsheets & Report on Trident
The University of Bradford Department of Peace Studies has produced 7 useful factsheets on Trident - Britain's nuclear weapons system. You can access them here: http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/bdrc/nuclear/trident/Trident101.html In addition, a report entitled 'Trident: the Deal Isn't Done' offers an analysis of the current situation regarding the government's decision to renew Trident. View it here: http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/bdrc/nuclear/trident/briefing1.htmltop of the page 

Quaker Meetings for Worship at military bases

Yorkshire
Regular Meeting for Worship outside Menwith Hill and Fylingdales US bases in Yorkshire on first Saturday of every month.
Outside Menwith Hill US spy base and 'star wars' station at 2.00pm-3.00pm at the Main Entrance on the first Saturday of even months, the next one being on 5th April 2008 and 7th June 2008. This witness has been continuous since the early 1990s. Contact Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases at office@caabuk.plus.com for more information.Outside Fylindales joint UK-US 'star wars' station at 12.00pm-1.00pm at the approach road entrance on the first Saturday of odd months. Meetings at Fylingdales - which has been upgraded for use by the US for the MD system - during 2008 (12-1pm) will be on 5 January, 1 March, 3 May, July, 6 September and 1 November. This witness has been almost continuous since the 1980s. Contact 01751 432416 or 01751 472827 for more information.Also weekly vigils every Tuesday eves 6.00-8.00pm at Menwith Hill. The demonstration is focused on the people who work at USAF Menwith Hill - for example - the role this base plays or will play in the American Missile Defense System ("Star Wars"), the continuing role re the Afghanistan and Iraq conflict and the policy of 'pre-emptive strikes'. We are also calling for Independence FROM America. Contact the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases at office@caabuk.plus.com.Scotland
At Faslane and at Dundrennan, 11.00am-noon. For Faslane, contact mamansell@hotmail.com For Dundrennan contact weebooks@globalnet.co.uktop of the page

Action opportunities

There is a separate Iraq section at the bottom of this page.Early Day Motions (EDMs):
Early Day Motions are a means by which MPs can raise awareness about and garner support for particular issues. They are similar to online petitions and although they do not in themselves lead to debates in the House of Commons, they are a useful way of illustrating the strength of support for particular issues amongst MPs and their constituents. EDMs are proposed by an MP or group of MPs. You can ask your MP to sign particular EDMs by writing to them or emailing them (see http://www.writetothem.com/).Petitions

Petition to divert 10% of UK defence spending to research and development into renewable energy: http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/divert-10pc-of-uk-defence-spending-to-renewable-energy.html

You might be interested in signing the following statement put together by the Friends of Skipton and Airton Meetings:
"War Is Not The Way
In several parts of the world today, armed violence is producing a rising crescendo of misery, yet time and time again, experience has shown that it is patient negotiation, not the use of weapons of war, that brings peace and justice to any community. We are deeply saddened by our own unwilling complicity in an arms trade which intensifies warfare and the oppression of subject peoples on several continents.
We ask all people everywhere, and especially the members of our own government, to withdraw from trade in the weapons of war and to halt the supply of armaments to nations and factions presently engaged in violent conflicts. In all situations and among all parties, we urge that greater resources be directed to supporting the non-violent processes of conflict resolution."
Please join us in signing this statement, invite others to sign it, send it to your political representatives and publicise it by whatever means are available to you, so that the voices of restraint and good will may be clearly heard. (initiated by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) of Skipton and Airton Meetings: The Ginnel, Newmarket Street, Skipton BD23 2JA; and Friends Meeting House, The Green, Airton BD23 4BA) Name & address required please. Ask your local council to disinvest from arms companies
Green Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas has called for all South-East councils to adopt ethical investment policies after figures released under the Freedom of Information Act showed the region's nine local authority pension funds invested more than £82 million in arms manufacturers in 2005. Many others around Britain do the same. For information about how to persuade your council to disinvest, contact Campaign Against Arms Trade - enquiries@caat.org.ukConscientious objectors database
The Peace Pledge Union is building a database of every British conscientious objector of both World Wars and the post-WW2 period. Are/were you, or any friends of relatives, a CO? If so, Bill Hetherington from PPU would like to hear from you so that the stories of COs are preserved and remembered. Please contact him at archives@ppu.org.ukAt Ease needs volunteers
At Ease is a free advisory, counselling and information service for members of the armed forces and their families. It has no paid staff - all the work is done by members who are unpaid volunteers. At Ease needs more volunteers to help with routine office tasks in London on Sunday afternoons when the phone lines are open, and also volunteers outside London. Experienced At Ease speakers are also available to speak to groups on request. To find out more, visit http://www.atease.org.uk/.Embed the military spending counter in your web site
Visit http://www.milspend.org/ to see how much the world is throwing away on war, and embed a simple version of the counter in your web site (if you have one, of course!). Instructions and code provided on the site.Send in your 'Peace Tax Return'
You can register an objection to taxation for military purposes and ask for this proportion of tax to be diverted to peacebuilding using the innovative 'Freedom of Conscience' unofficial Tax Return prepared by Conscience - the peace tax campaign. Also available in Welsh. For more information and to download yours, visit http://www.conscienceonline.org.uk/. Conscience is also creating a list of campaigners by region who are willing to contact each other and work at local events to raise the profile of the issue. Can you help? Email info@conscienceonline.org.uk.Become a local contact for the Campaign Against Arms Trade
Campaign Against Arms Trade depends on a network of Local Contacts to get the message out in local regions nationwide. Could you be a Local Contact? To find out more, contact Beccie d'Cunha on beccie@caat.org.uk.Support islanders forcibly evicted to make way for US military base
Diego Garcia is an island in the Chagos archipelago known legally as the British Indian Ocean Territory. Around 3,000 islanders were forcibly evicted from the island in the 1960s to accommodate a huge US military base, which formed part of a deal enabling the UK to purchase the Polaris nuclear weapons system from the US at a reduced cost. It is an appalling story. The Chagos Refugees Group is working legally and politically to have their right of return to the island recognised. You can find out how to support them by visiting http://www.chagossupport.org.uk/ and read one of the islander's description of their situation at www.unpo.org/news_detail.php?arg=02&par=953.

What Is Peace? display
This informative display - originally produced for the Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival - is now available to borrow FREE of charge from Friends House. The display consists of eight A1-size colour panels and can be borrowed by peace groups or meetings for the cost of postage both ways. We are currently trying to organise insurance for the display since at present groups must agree to pay for the costs of replacing any or all of the panels in case of loss or damage (around £40-50 per panel). Note: The display does not include anything to mount the panels onto. A webshow of the display is available to view at http://ncpo.org.uk/‘what-is-peace’-exhibition There is also an alternative A3-size version of the display available. This can be borrowed free of charge or bought for £25. To borrow or buy the display email the QPSW Peace & Disarmament Programme at disarm@quaker.org.uk or call 020 7663 1067.Peace Resources Catalogue
Resources for peace available free, to borrow (for Quakers), and to buy. Visit the Resources Page.top of the page 

Speakers

Peace Tax Seven
Members of the Peace Tax Seven - a group of conscientious objectors who seek the right to have the military part of their taxes diverted to a peace fund - are available for speaking engagements. For more information on this, contact Simon Heywood at srheywood@ukonline.co.ukEcumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel
Returning accompaniers available to speak to groups. For details, please visit the IsraelPalestine pagesQuaker workers and staff
Quaker workers and staff are also available to speak to groups. Visit the Speakers page for a list of speakers currently touring or email Helen Bradford in QPSW at helenb@quaker.org.uk to request another speaker on a specific peace or social justice theme.top of the page

War in Iraq

Iraq sources and resources
'What I Heard About Iraq' by Eliot Weinberger - http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0416-20.htm. American Friends Service Committee has workers in Baghdad, whose article in Christian Science Monitor paints a picture of life there (November 2004) - visit www.csmonitor.com/2004/1123/p07s02-coop.html for this. Voices in the Wilderness has a series of briefings about the military action in Iraq and the handover of power to Iraqis, which they argue is phoney, and a postcard campaign - visit http://www.voicesuk.org/ Jo Wilding's extraordinary eye-witness account of what goes on when the media isn't looking is a must-read at www.wildfirejo.org.uk/feature/display/114/index.php Reports from American Friends Service Committee workers in Baghdad are at www.afsc.org/human-face Professor Paul Rogers provides an invaluable monthly update and analysis on the Oxford Research Group's web site - visit www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk/paulrogers.htm Information about the 'invasion' of Iraq by western corporations is available at Voices in the Wilderness UK - http://www.voices.org.uk/ A careful count of civilian casualties of war is being kept at http://www.iraqbodycount.org/ (over 44661 as of October 2006). http://costofwar.com/index.html shows the continuing financial costs to the United States of the war and occupation ($336 billion as of October 2006 and rising at a rate of about $2,000 per second - this sum far exceeds what would be required globally each year to halve abject poverty by 2015. Currently 2.4 billion people [or two-fifth's of world population] live in extreme poverty [ie living on less than $2 per day] - visit http://www.developmentgoals.org/ for more on this). UK Government policy is on the Foreign Office site.Request a speaker for your Meeting, peace group or public event
Voices in the Wilderness can help with this - visit http://www.voicesuk.org/Support the organisations working to tackle the long-term causes of violent conflict and build a culture of peace
These include:

• Alternatives To Violence Project (AVP)
• Britain Yearly Meeting (Quakers)
• Campaign Against Arms Trade
• Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases
• Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
• Conscience - The Peace Tax Campaign
• Northern Friends Peace Board
• Peace News
• United Nations Association
• Voices in the Wilderness

There are many more organisations on our Peace Links Page.top of the page