November 2011 - Beth Smith - journal letter

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT)

Dear Friends

I’ve had a fantastic first two months here at Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and I hope that this letter will convey some of what I’ve been up to and how it’s felt to be a part of CAAT during this time. CAAT is an organisation which is very close to my heart, as I’m sure it is for many of you, and it’s a real privilege to be part of an organisation so dedicated to challenging the violence of the international arms trade.

Before I even began work at CAAT, my participation in the Peaceworker scheme was setting off sparks and ideas in my mind. I was deeply affected by the two training weeks provided by QPSW, both the week at Friends House and the week at Woodbrooke. Whilst brought up a Quaker, attending meetings for the first eighteen years of my life, my involvement with Quakers waned whilst I was at university. However, these two weeks reminded me of just how much the Quaker testimonies can offer me. The exercise which had a particular effect on me was a Turning the Tide exercise in which we were asked to consider the ways in which we lived the peace testimony in different aspects of our lives. Figuring out how best to live in the world is an incredibly difficult and complex task and I felt that this exercise gave me a little clarity and a point from which to start. These two weeks made me look at the year ahead much more holistically and consider what it means to work for peace, concluding that it certainly goes beyond 9–5 office hours!

The position I have at CAAT is Universities Network Coordinator. This involves supporting students to get involved in anti- arms trade work. In particular we focus on campaigning to end links between universities and the arms trade. Through investing in arms companies, taking money from arms companies for research projects and inviting arms companies onto campus to recruit students, many universities support and strengthen the arms trade. Whilst I was a student I was involved in my university's anti-militarist group, Weapons out of Warwick. Support from CAAT really helped us with what we were doing, so it’s great to help new students with their campaigning.

I joined CAAT at one of its busiest times – two weeks before the DSEi arms fair – and subsequently spent much of my first fortnight making fake weapons and painting large “THIS IS NOT OK” lettering. However, even while playing a key role in organising a huge day of action, CAAT staff found the time to protest an event called Middle East: A vast market for UK Defence and Security companies at which there were speakers from UK Trade & Industry Defence & Security Organisation (UKTI DSO), the government's arms sales unit.

The Universities Network has also seen action this year. In October, the London Graduate Fair invited BAE Systems and Raytheon to hold stalls. This was protested by a small group of demonstrators, who were removed by police from the building for unfurling a banner and giving out leaflets. There have also been actions at Warwick, Lancaster, Edinburgh and Bristol universities.

On a more day-to-day level, my role at CAAT is all about supporting groups and individuals in their involvement with anti- arms trade work. I've therefore spent a lot of time contacting people and establishing relationships with groups and activists. One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is speaking to enthusiastic students and hearing about what they've been up to.

My first two months at CAAT have taught me a lot. I have seen how a small organisation works closely together to create and deliver a campaign and have learned a lot about the challenges and joys of working to engage people with anti- arms trade activism. One amazing part of the QPSW Peaceworker scheme is the emphasis on developing skills that will help me engage in peace work both this year and beyond. I've been lucky enough to take part in a course called 'Influencing Change' run by the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, an organisation which supports and trains campaigners working against the root causes of injustice. It’s a fascinating course and it’s been great to take a step back from the day-to-day work of running a campaign to really consider the bigger picture.

That’s all for now; all I have left to say is a huge thank you to the Quakers for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to telling you more about my time at CAAT in a few months.

In friendship,
Beth