Volume 3 Issue 1
March 2006
IN SIDE THIS ISSUE
Clare Short MP, Secretary of State for International Development
1997–2003
"Replacing Trident will tie UK foreign policy to US policy for decades to come. It would prevent the UK from acting with others on global warming, poverty and conflict and perpetuate our role as US poodle".
“I decided to send my children here for the idea of living and working together...
...by dealing with these difficulties we are doing our share in building a ’rosier’ world for the future.
A Palestinian Parent
Unitarian Peace Fellowship
Chairman.
Mrs Joan Norton
Upper Chapel
Sheffield. S1 2JD
Hon. Sec.
Rev. F. O’Connor
11 Claremont Sq
London. N1 9LY
Hon Treasurer.
Rev. G. Usher
Upper Chapel
Norfolk St
Sheffield. S1 2JD
Newsletter.
Rev. C. Goacher
Friar Gate Chapel
Stafford Street
Derby. DE1 1JG
No Trident Replacement.
Demand a Parliament Debate
CND is demanding that a full public and Parliamentary debate takes place on the replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system. This must include the option of not replacing Trident and a full Parliamentary vote should determine the matter. A replacement will undermine the Non-Proliferation Treaty – at a time when the latest US doctrine foresees the use of nuclear weapons once again – and will cost the British taxpayer an estimated £25billion.
Get your MP to sign EDM 1197 on Replacement for Trident weapons, proposed by Michael Meacher..
CND believes that far from deterring nuclear threats, replacing Trident will increase the risk of nuclear conflict. The British government should take this opportunity to press for nuclear disarmament worldwide, as required under the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, and become a force for peace in the world.
Join the ten signature challenge.
Add your voice to the campaign to say no to Trident Replacement and join the ten signature challenge. We are urging CND members and supporters to each collect ten signatures for the petition so that we can send a clear message to Blair: No Trident Replacement. Or you can sign the No Trident Replacement on-line petition and send the link to ten friends.
British people oppose developing new weapons system.
The majority of the British people don't want to spend their money on these weapons of mass destruction, which even the Prime Minister accepts, would be useless against a terrorist threat. In a recent MORI/Greenpeace poll 54% of the British public said they would oppose a costly replacement of Trident.
www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/notrident/
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UNITARIAN PEACE FELLOWSHIP
LENT APPEAL 2006
Unitarian Peace Fellowship 2006 Annual Appeal for the School for Peace at Neve Shalom-Wahat al-Salam (NSWaS) in Israel
The Unitarian Peace Fellowship is pleased to announce that its 2006 Annual Appeal will be devoted to the School for Peace at Neve-Shalom-Wahat al-Salam ('Oasis of Peace') in Israel. This internationally renowned peace village was founded in the early 1970s by Fr. Bruno Hussar. Bruno, who was born in 1911 to secular Jewish parents in Egypt, converted to Roman Catholicism while a student in France, joined the Dominican order and later went to Israel to set up a Centre for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. He took Israeli citizenship and lived and worked in Israel until his death in 1996.
Bruno dreamed of a place where people of the three Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Islam and Christianity, could live together in peace and dedicated his life to the realisation of this dream. He was joined by young Jews and Arabs and together they helped create today’s thriving community, which was built on a bare hillside without water or trees on land that belonged to an adjoining monastery.
With roughly equal numbers of Israeli, Jewish and Palestinian Arab families, the village has established its own bilingual and bicultural educational system for around 300 children, most of whom come from the surrounding area. This consists of a kindergarten and primary and junior high schools, educating children up to the age of 14. All learn and play together and are taught both Hebrew and Arabic to the same level.
In addition to this model integrated schools system, the village is recognised internationally for its School for Peace (SFP), founded in 1979. Since that time about 40,000 young people and adults have participated in its conflict resolution courses. The SFP’s Youth Encounter Programme, with its 3-day programme of residential workshops, is often a novel and moving experience to its young Palestinian Arab and Israeli Jewish participants, many of whom have never properly met anyone from the other community before. Over the 3 days they enter into intense dialogue that helps transform their perception of the reality in which they live, raise their awareness of each other's pain and dispel the stereotypes each has of the other. It lays the foundations for further work in their communities. Many of its graduates now play key roles in civil society, promoting civil and human rights for all sections of Israeli society, in particular its largest minority population, Arab Israelis.
This year Bruno’s life and pioneer peace-making mission will be celebrated with the opening and dedication in his name of the Pluralistic Spiritual Centre, which will hold conferences and seminars that will involve the interpretation of religious texts and discussion on spiritual issues in the context of the ongoing conflict.
The Unitarian Peace Fellowship is proud that the proceeds from this appeal will aid the practical work of peace making and bridge building of the people of Neve Shalom-Wahat al-Salam and thanks all who respond and support its work of peace and reconciliation, so significant and so sorely needed in the present highly dangerous climate of fear and tragic misunderstanding in the Middle East.
Donations, made out to the Unitarian Peace Fellowship (please write NSWaS Appeal on the reverse), will be gratefully received by its treasurer, Rev. Geoffrey Usher, Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JD. Many thanks for your generosity.
Rev Feargus O’Connor
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Open letter on behalf of Norman Kember, Tom Fox, Harmeet Singh Sooden and James Loney, Christian Peacemaker Team 6th February 2006
The release of a new video showing Norman Kember, Tom Fox, Harmeet Singh Sooden and James Loney, working in Iraq with Christian Peacemaker Teams, is cause for relief as well as anxiety. Relief that the long silence with no news of their well-being has been broken, is mixed with apprehension at the continued threat to their lives.
Since their abduction on 26th November 2005 religious leaders and religious groups throughout the world have spoken in their support – acknowledging that they are men of nonviolence and urging that they may be released to continue their work for peace and human rights on behalf of the people of Iraq. At this urgent moment in time we wish to reaffirm this support and invite those who hold them to return them to their families.
At the same time we know that thousands of Iraqis have been held without charge and detained since the war in Iraq began almost three years ago. The practice of detention without charge, sometimes exacerbated by torture and abuse, cannot be allowed to continue as it heightens the level of fear and feeds into a terrible cycle of violence. Just as we are concerned for our brothers with Christian Peacemaker Teams we are also concerned for Iraqi detainees and for their families.
We long for true peace to be restored to the people of Iraq and we ask our government to do all it can to secure this peace. This must include:
With people of faith throughout the world we pray that we may be united and steadfast in our work for peace for the people of Iraq.
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6th February 2006
Message of support from Mrs Pat Kember
I am happy to endorse this message and appeal.
All our adult lives Norman and I have actively supported a variety of peace groups.
We should like to see our country lead by the example of overcoming evil with mercy and by serving the suffering people of Iraq. In this way, we believe that peace is possible.
For information contact: Pat Gaffney 0208 203 4884 or 0780 821 8822
Anne van Staveren 020 7654 7220 or 07 939 139 881
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Religions for Peace Special Event in Derby
Under the sponsorship of UPF and Friar Gate Unitarian Chapel, Derby, Rev Brian Walker, of Religions for peace (UK), and his team will lead an Interfaith workshop on Transforming Conflict at Friar Gate Unitarian Chapel on Saturday October 21st 2006.
Further details will be available nearer to the time but it is anticipated that places will be limited and early expression of interest would be advisable.
Contact: Rev. Chris Goacher 01332 732171
e-mail: chris.goacher@ntlworld.com
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Coming Events
Walk in Peace — London
An hour’s silent walk in peace for peace, 1st Sunday of every month. Meet at the café — Ices-Honest Sausage just south of Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park (Marble Arch Tube) at 10.55 am to start walking at 11am.
Info; Clare on 0218755 0353 or beatricericemillar@freeuk.com
World Peace Forum
Vancouver, Canada.
June 23rd-28th 2006.
Cities and communities: working together to End War and Build a Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World.
GA Annual Meetings, University College,
Chester.
April 20th – 23rd 2006
The Unitarian Peace Fellowship will, as usual, take a full part in the proceedings with Peace Vespers/Vigil on the opening evening and the holding of our AGM with Speaker. At the time of going to press the exact details and timings are not to hand but will be published in good time for the meetings.
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Book Review
Nonviolent Soldier of Islam — Badshah Khan, A man to match His Mountains. By Eknath Easwaran.
At our monthly Inter-faith peace vespers at Friar gate Chapel, Derby, I was introduced to the above book by a Methodist friend.
Badshah Khan was a Muslim compatriot of Ghandi and established within a violent people, The Pathans, a non-violent “army” of 100,000 men.
An impressive read.
Nilgiri Press
ISBN 1-888314-00-1
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