Northern Friends Peace Board

The Peace Board

Click here for PDF version -

Issue 24  Winter 2007/8

Have you looked at the NFPB Blog ... ?

peacepeaces.blogspot.com

Contents

"What we can’t do alone…"

The rest of the saying finishes "we can do together".  Speakers at our two Board
meetings in the second half of the year both addressed this in their different ways. 

In September, Mark Ballard reflected on how we communicate our ideas to a wider audience.  As a former Green Member of the Scottish Parliament, he had been considering, since losing his seat in the spring, what the obstacles and opportunities are.  He suggested that different groups of people had different psychological needs – grouped broadly under the headings of Settlers, Pioneers and Prospectors.  Some have needs for personal security, others are motivated by trends and inspirational, others still by ethical values. 

How we communicate with and to a wider audience needs to be shaped not just by how we and our friends and colleagues can most easily understand the significance of particular issues, but also by recognising that other groups will need a different type of message / packaging in order to be motivated to take action.  This gave us – and will continue to give us – much food for thought in taking forward peace concerns.  For more material about the ideas introduced to us by Mark, two websites give more details: Cultural Dynamics:  www.cultdyn.co.uk/  & Campaign Strategy: www.campaignstrategy.org

In Lancaster in November we welcomed Feargal Cochrane to our meeting.  As the Director of the Richardson Institute of Peace Studies at the city’s University, Feargal is keen to build better links between the activist / NGO  and the academic communities.  He has worked extensively in Northern Ireland and shared some fascinating insights arising from that about the role that different types of group can make to building peace in societies in conflict. 

Describing ‘civil society’ as broadly as all those parts of society that are not part of any formal political structure, he was convinced that the long term effects of citizen engagement can create the context and personnel that make real and lasting political change possible.

We look forward to welcome speakers at our events during 2008.  Here are details of events coming up: 
Contact the NFPB office if you would like more information about these events, or would like to discuss hosting NFPB activities in your locality

Working with young people: responses and next steps

In June we agreed to consult with young people about how we might best support them in living their peace testimony.  This has emerged as a strong concern by the Board earlier in the year. 

Considering the short time available for responses to the questions we circulated to younger Quakers in the summer, we received some very interesting and helpful comments.  These can be summarised under the headings of:
The sense of being part of a community of like-minded and supportive people was
identified as a key factor in helping young Friends feel able to act for peace.  One of the key challenges for them, as indeed it is for Friends of all ages, is finding ways of communicating peace ideas to a sceptical world.  But there is a desire to take action and respondents indicated the kind of things that they would find helpful in make a greater commitment to peace.

These ideas, and more, were addressed by Hilary Topp, one of our Representatives from Young Friends General Meeting -- and also employed by Pax Christi as a Peace Education worker -- and by Martha Beale, of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, when NFPB members met in Edinburgh in September.  An ad-hoc group appointed there met later in the autumn and has put together some more detailed proposals for work that NFPB will consider early in 2008.

Conflict Resolution training in Brumanna High School

At the end of the latest Israeli/Lebanese conflict West Cumbria AQM (Pardshaw MM as was) wrote to Brumanna High School in Lebanon offering our concern in their plight and asking what we could do to help.  The reply came back quite swiftly that they would really like to have someone come out and set up Conflict Resolution training for staff and pupils.  We were very fortunate that one of our members’ sister, Liz Lawrence, does this training professionally in British schools and was happy to take on this work.  We were also fortunate to have Jane Holmes a member in Cockermouth who is an experienced worker in the field with ‘Resolve Mediation’.

The two teamed up and started six months of intensive preparation by phone and e-mail to get a real understanding of the school and its workings.  There are some 900 pupils from age 3 to 18 with a rich variety of Christian and Muslim faiths.  In October this year Liz and Jane flew out and spent three weeks establishing a basis for on going development.  They found warm welcomes both in the school and in the local Quaker community, and in spite of political tensions at the time were able to complete their work.

The school is continuing the work spreading this peaceful initiative throughout the school and parents and it is probable that we shall be returning to support them next year.

Michael Evans, Keswick Meeting

Video resources

NFPB was approached for audio visual resources in advance of National Quaker Week, and used this as an opportunity to transfer the NFPB video ‘Visions of Peace’ to DVD format.  We had a few dozen copies made and are pleased that, more than 10 years after it was made, it has still been useful. 
We shall be looking further at how else we can make use of DVDs and other digital media and networking tools.

Mapping the future

For the first time in many years, the NFPB Executive (our Trustees) held a weekend meeting rather than their usual one-day events.

Meeting at Barmoor in North Yorkshire, they spent some of their time identifying priority areas for growth and development in the coming years, using NFPB’s Centenary in 1913 as a useful focus date. 

The five-year visioning hasn’t produced a detailed five-year plan (they have a mixed track record anyway!!), but has put markers down for the Board, its members and its constituent Area Meetings to work towards. 

These were further explored by NFPB when it met in Lancaster a few weeks later.   We will obviously need to be carefully selective, but the process has generated an energy that will be good to engage with.  Some pointers:

Speaking our Peace project

NFPB ran a Peace Learning Day on the theme of Sustainable Security at South Manchester Meeting House (formerly known as Wythenshawe) in early November.  A good turnout from Friends from the area participated in discussions on the theme of secruity and heard from two contrasting speakers.

David Gee spoke in his personal capacity, having left his Peace and Disarmament work at QPSW.  He reflected on the theme of sustainable security, emphasising the spiritual source – a love of the world and its creation – that lay at the heart of his commitment to this area of concern. Friends were challenged by the idea that we might approach our work for peace with joy rather than being burdened with guilt.

Our second speaker, Paul Millings, shared his story of being involved in a disarmament action at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, and of the ways in which he has tried to develop actions for sustainability in and with his own community in Cumbria.

“A great day – thought-provoking, stimulating and encouraging!”, commented one participant.

In September we worked with Lancashire and Cheshire’s Teenage General Meeting in exploring participants’ thoughts and ideas on peace.  The morning workshop was given additional energy by a talk by Mkoko Boseka of Congo Yearly Meeting.  He described the challenges facing
Friends there, and of the range of ways in which they are working for a more peaceful and stable future.

If your Meeting (local or area) would be interested in hosting or working in partnership with us in putting on a Peace Learning Day, contact the NFPB office.  Likewise, if you work with young people and would you like some input or help in running peace-related discussions and activities, please get in touch.

Resources

An interesting selection of resources ...

Study War No More
This is a report published jointly by Campaign Against Arms Trade and Fellowship of Reconciliation, providing information about the funding of UK universities by military organisations.  It hopes to support students concerned about their own institutions and to encourage debate.  The report can be downloaded, with more information and data and ideas for further research and campaigning, from www.studywarnomore.org.uk  01865 748 796

Informed Choice
David Gee, with funding from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, has produced a report and web resources on the information provided to potential military recruits and whether it really enables them to make an informed choice about enlistment to the armed forces.  The main web site -- www.informedchoice.org.uk --  also links to: www.beforeyousignup.info, aiming to give independent information about the reality of a career in the armed forces. 

Not In Our Name
We’ve not heard this CD yet, but are impressed by the line-up of folk artists on this compilation CD, with its focus on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The material has been donated, with proceeds going to Stop the War Coalition.  Available for £10 +£1 p&p from Stop the War coalition at: http://tinyurl.com/37qnc6   Telephone 020 7278 6694 
Post orders to 27 Britannia Street, London WC1X 9JP

Faslane 365 Poster
Celebrating the completion of the Faslane 365 blockades, a poster has been produced, being a collage of photos of some of the many banners,  people etc.  who appeared there during the year.You can see it at  www.faslane365.org. Posters can be ordered by calling 0845 4588365 or emailing info@ faslane365.org   (£2 each  plus postage and packing).

A Climate of Conflict
This important report, from International Alert,  looks at the social and human consequences that are likely to ensue from climate change – particularly the risks of conflict and instability – and makes recommendations for how we should be preparing to respond.  Available to download from: www.international-alert.org and  for phone enquiries contact: 020 7627 6800


Missile Defence: Menwith, Ministers, Motions and Meetings for Worship

Further to the full-page item in the last issue of this newsletter, we have been in correspondence with the Defence Secretary about the nature of his decision-making in granting permission for the use of Menwith Hill as part of the US Missile Defence system.
 
We are encouraged by the good number of signatories to the Early Day Motion 65: PARLIAMENT AND DECISIONS OVER US  MISSILE DEFENCE also raising this issue, and by the comments from the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee in its report on relationships with Russia.  Now is a good time to write to your MP about this, asking them to sign the Early Day Motion and to raise these concerns with the government.  The EDM “calls upon the Government to arrange a full debate to allow hon. Members to scrutinise in public the US Missile Defence deployment plans in the UK.”  Read it in full at: http://tinyurl.com/3xoct9.

NFPB hopes to arrange further meetings with government officials, in partnership with colleagues from other peace research and campaigning bodies working as the Missile Defence Working Group. 

Friends continue their regular acts of worship - etails below for the coming year: 

Menwith Hill Meetings for Worship
(2-3pm) on 2 Feb, 5 Apr, 7 Jun, 2 Aug, 4 Oct, 6 Dec.

Fylingdales Meetings for Worship
(12-1pm) on 5 Jan, 1 March, 3 May, 5 Jul, 6 Sep, 1 Nov

Vigils at Menwith Hill take place every Tuesday, 6-8pm (organised by Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases)

There are also Meetings for Worship arranged by Glasgow Friends to take place at the gates of Faslane on the following dates (11am-12pm):
10 Feb, 13 Apr, 8 Jun, 31 Aug, 28 Sep, 9 Nov
NFPB Home