Peace matters - Peace Pledge Union
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 1
Number 81
March 2020
ISSN 1350-3006
peace matters
MAGAZINE OF THE PEACE PLEDGE UNION
Winning campaigns
in your community
In this issue:
Militarism in your local area: learning from successful activism
Many snowflakes make an avalanche
You, me and the war in Yemen
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 2
Peace Matters 2
S i g n t h e Pe a c e P l e d ge “War is a crime against
and build a culture humanity. I renounce
war, and am therefore
of nonviolence determined not to
support any kind of
Join online at www.ppu.org.uk or fill war. I am also
in the form below. determined to work for
I/we would like to sign the peace pledge (see wording oppo- the removal of all
site) and join the Peace Pledge Union. causes of war.”
Name ________________________________________
ISSN 1350 – 3006
Address ______________________________________ Peace Pledge Union
Peaceworks
_____________________________________________
1 Peace Passage, London N7 0BT
Email address _________________________________ Phone: 020 7424 9444
Email mail@ppu.org.uk
Annual subscription: £24, or £12 if you are on a low income, Website: www.ppu.org.uk
or £36 for two at the same address. Or you can subscribe to
Peace Matters is published by the Peace
Peace Matters without joining the PPU for £6.
Pledge Union. Material published in
Either: I/we enclose a cheque for £____ Peace Matters does not necessarily
reflect PPU policy.
Or: debit my/our card for £____
Card type __________________________________ Editor: Symon Hill
Proof-reading: Saffron Gallup
Card number _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Typeset and design: PPU
Printing: Lithosphere
Expiry date ________ Security number _ _ _
Front page photo: PPU members and
To The Manager: Bank supporters in Hackney in 2018.
Address
The Peace Pledge Union is the oldest
secular pacifist organisation in Britain.
Your account number
Please pay on / /2019 and on the same day each Through War Resisters’ International it
MONTH / YEAR (delete as appropriate) is linked with similar groups around the
To: Unity Trust Bank, 4 Brindley Place, world.
Birmingham B1 2HB
60-83-01 Peace Pledge Union Main Account no 20386940
the sum of £ _______ amount in For information, please visit
words__________________________ www.ppu.org.uk
Signature _________________________Date _________ or call 020 7424 9444.
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 3
Peace Matters 3
Making change happen
Symon Hill, Editor
In 2018, Leicester be- that they were a result of day militarism in their
came the first British city to people campaigning nonvi- own communities. There
ban the armed forces from olently against militarism in will be a series of training
inviting children to handle their own local area. These events and new re-
weapons at their street campaigns involved people sources both online and
stalls. of many ages and back- in print. We owe many
In the same year, Glas- grounds who share a pas- thanks to the Joseph
gow City Council agreed sion for peace. Rowntree Charitable
never to host an arms fair Of course, more exam- Trust for funding this ini-
in their city again. The next ples could be added - and tiative.
year, LGBT Pride marches many more will be in the There’s more informa-
in York and Bristol rejected next few years. tion on pages 8-9, along
military and arms company Grassroots activism can with a first-hand account
sponsorship following be effective. This doesn’t of the successful cam-
protests the previous year. mean we should charge in paign in Leicester. You
Several schools in Wales unprepared and hope for can read recent news on
signed up to provide peace the best. Activism needs pages 4-7, and you can
education as part of the focus, planning and co-op- find more examples of
curriculum. A few weeks eration. That’s why the grassroots peace ac-
ago, students in Cam- Peace Pledge Union is de- tivism on pages 10-13.
bridge voted against lighted to introduce a new The final few pages in-
military recruitment at project this year, support- clude a look at an impor-
freshers’ fairs. ing people to learn from tant peace charity and a
What all these develop- each other and to build reivew of the film
ments have in common is campaigns against every- A Hidden Life.
Welcome Saffron!
The Peace Pledge Union’s staff team increased from
three to four in January, with Saffron Gallup (right)
joining us as Education Services Manager.
“Seeing how active and engaged young people have
recently been in political issues gives me hope as an
educator,” said Saffron. “I look forward to building on the
excellent educational work developed by the PPU.”
Saffron worked in the NHS as a Speech & Language
Therapist for 17 years, providing support to a number of
schools, families and educational staff. She still has the
peace badge she wore as a child in the 1980s.
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 4
Peace Matters 4
PM tries to put troops
above the law
Pacifists have promised The announcement came the right to join a union
relentless resistance to barely a month after the and to leave their job when
Boris Johnson’s militarist Sunday Times revealed they choose.
policies after he threat- widespread evidence of The Queen's Speech also
ened to increase military the murder of civilians by promised high levels of
spending and water down UK armed forces in Iraq military spending. This is
human rights laws in rela- and Afghanistan (pictured frequently demanded of
tion to armed forces. below). NATO members by US
The plans were set out in In reality, armed forces President Donald Trump.
the Queen’s Speech – the personnel in the UK are Several ministers made
government’s legislative almost never prosecuted, clear their support for
programme – on 19 let alone convicted, of Trump after tensions with
December. The Peace war-related crimes. Iran reached boiling point
Pledge Union is working Johnson pledged to in January. While the im-
alongside other peace amend human rights legis- mediate threat of war with
and human rights groups lation so that it will not Iran seems to have re-
to challenge them. apply to troops on active ceded, at least for now,
The speech promised service. But critics say that there is likely to be strong
legislation to end so-called the concept of human resistance if the UK gov-
“vexatious claims” against rights becomes meaning- ernment tries to join in a
armed forces personnel. less if it does not apply to war on Trump’s side. The
The PPU described the all people at all times. PPU is in discussions with
phrase as a dog-whistle The PPU pointed out that Iranian peace activists
term for the militarist armed forces leaders are about building solidarity
lobby, who use it to refer allowed to abuse the against the militarist poli-
to almost any prosecution human rights of their own cies of the US, British and
for war-related crimes. personnel, who are denied Iranian governments.
PPU members are also
calling on candidates for
the Labour leadership and
deputy leadership to clarify
their policies on war. Dis-
appointly, several candi-
dates say they would
press the “nuclear button”,
although several say they
want to reduce British in-
volvement in military ac-
tion.
The PPU urged them to
have the courage to rule
out war altogether.
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 5
Peace Matters 5
Death-dealers’ dodgy
dinner disrupted
Sports presenter Clare
Balding has been praised
for pulling out of speaking
at a swanky dinner for
arms dealers.
Balding made the deci-
sion after the Campaign
Against Arms Trade
(CAAT) drew her attention
to the arms trade’s role in
fuelling war in Yemen.
Several arms dealers
who travelled to Mayfair to
attend the dinner on 22
January turned back when
they saw vocal, nonviolent behind-the-scenes influ- supporters of CAAT and
protesters outside the ence. other groups, with Peace
Grosvenor House Hotel. The dinner is held annu- Pledge Union members
Also attending the ally by Aerospace, De- well represented.
£470-per-head event were fence & Security (ADS), Two PPU members,
politicians and senior the euphemistically named Henrietta Cullinan and Al-
armed forces officers, giv- trade body for the arms in- ison Parker, blocked one
ing the arms dealers dustry. Among the resist- of the entrances by glu-
chance to exercise ing the event were ing themselves together
while draped with a ban-
Cambridge students say no to armed forces ner reading “Stop Arming
Saudi”.
The protest came four
The Cambridge University Students’ Union has
months after an esti-
voted by 55% against allowing military recruitment
mated 2,000 people, in-
at freshers’ fairs. The decision was applauded by
cluding members of the
the Peace Pledge Union.
PPU and a wide range of
The vote is a blow to the Officer Training Corps,
other groups, took part in
whose recruitment of Cambridge students allows
protests against the DSEI
them to promote pro-military attitudes among people
arms fair in east London.
who may go on to careers in business and politics. Over 100 people were ar-
If you are campaigning about militarism at univer- rested there in Septem-
sity (or want to), the PPU would love to hear from ber after taking part in
you. Email mail@ppu.org.uk or call 020 7424 9444. nonviolent direct action.
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 6
Peace Matters 6
White poppy-wearing veterans
challenge minister over insults
A group of armed should primarliy have a
forces veterans are message of peace. In ad-
awaiting a response from dition, 86% believe it
Johnny Mercer MP after should include civilian
he encouraged people to deaths and 83% agree
“ignore” white poppy that it should cover people
wearers. of all nationalities. These
Mercer (pictured right), are all key messages of
who was made “Minister white poppies.
for Defence People and “It is now clear that the
Veterans” last year, didn’t British public want a more
let his ministerial position inclusive Remembrance
prevent him from launch- white poppies only because
that carries a message of
ing his annual attack on of the hard work of volun-
peace,” said the PPU’s
white poppy wearers in teers, both in the PPU and
Geoff Tibbs. “Most people
November. Twelve white around the UK and beyond.
now reject the nationalist
poppy-wearing veterans We sold around 86,000
narrative that focuses
of the army, navy and air white poppies in 2019, a
overwhelmingly on the
force wrote to him to de- drop that reflects the lower
British military.”
mand an apology. level of media coverage
Belatedly sensing a shift
Indepdent polling pub- caused by the general elec-
in the public mood, the
lished in October sug- tion. But while there was a
Royal British Legion - pro-
gested that most people fall in the number of small
ducers of red poppies -
don’t share Mercer’s orders, there was a big
said for the first time that
gung-ho approach. The increase in the number of
that they “acknowledge”
poll found that 85% of UK shops and cafes selling
civilian deaths.
adults agree that white poppies.
As usual, we were able
Remembrance Sunday White poppy wreaths were
to distribute thousands of
laid at alternative cere-
monies around the UK. At
the national Alternative Re-
membrance Sunday Cere-
mony in London, members
of London Students for
Yemen read out a first-hand
testimony of the effects of
aerial bombardment. It was
a powerful reminder of why
remembering the suffering
of war cannot be separated
from working against war
today.
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 7
Peace Matters 7
Mixed messages for
VE Day anniversary
Government plans to 6.55pm, we are encour- 75 years ago, the PPU
celebrate the 75th anniver- aged to join in a world- rejoiced at an end to war
sary of VE Day have come wide “cry for peace”, in Europe and the fall of
unstuck after criticisms of followed by church bells military dictatorships in
the message, the timing - ringing out for peace at 7.
Germany and Italy, while
and what they are asking The Peace Pledge
us to celebrate. Union welcomed plans for insisting that “true victory
VE (“Victory in Europe”) a commitment to peace, comes not by force of
Day took place on 8 May but said politicians who arms”.
1945, the day after Ger- join in could be taken seri-
many’s surrender. Thou- ously only if they pursue (Below) The Peace Pledge
sands more people died peace-building policies. Union’s response
before the Second World At the time of VE Day
War was over.
to VE Day in 1945.
The official plans for the
anniversary involve “cele-
brations” over the week-
end of 8-10 May 2020.
The Peace Pledge
Union will also mark the
75th anniversay of VE
Day, but said that it was a
more appropriate day for
mourning and learning
from the past than cele-
brating. They warned that
the day should not be
used to promote mili-
tarism.
Unsurprisingly, many
are unhappy that the May
Day bank holiday, associ-
ated with working class
solidarity, has been
scrapped to make way for
the VE Day holiday on
Friday 8 May.
At 3pm on 8 May, the
government wants us all to
drink a toast to “the heroes
of World War Two”. At
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 8
Peace Matters 8
Learning from Leicester:
Winning a local campaign
Members of In Leicester our focus on that stone we pledge to hon-
Leicester for Peace military recruitment came our those people by working
have taken action out of a World War One actively for peace now.
against militarism - project that we did at Out of that pledge came
and won! Leicester CND, thanks to a “The 2017 Leicester Charter
Penny Walker, one Heritage Lottery Grant. We on the reduction of the mili-
of Leicester’s most researched those who had tarisation of young people”.
active peace cam- refused to fight in our area This included specific ways
paigners, tells us and the issues they faced. in which this could happen.
how they achieved a We wrote a book, We were appalled to see
significant policy Uncovering Resistance. We how often the armed forces
change in their city. produced an educational arrived in the city centre with
resource and we held sev- tanks and guns and how
eral events. young children were invited
We worked with the to handle these “exciting”
drama department at a sixth weapons.
form college to explore To stop this we needed to
signing up in 1915 and know when they were com-
signing up in 2015. At the ing so we could be prepared.
end of the project we We sent Freedom of Infor-
erected a stone to those mation Requests to the army
who refused to fight and on who refused to say when
Conscientious Objectors’ they would be there on the
Day (15 May) each year at grounds of security and we
Right: Campaigning on
the streets of Leicester.
Penny is third from right.
Above right: Before the
change - soldiers show-
ing weapons to children
in Leicester, 2017.
Photo credits: Ambrose
Musiyiwa/ Civic Leicester
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 9
Peace Matters 9
sent them to Leicester handling guns. Do you want to run a
City Council, who took the We met our elected campaign about an
bookings, who told us. mayor, Peter Souslby. He aspect of militarism in
We were then able to was supportive, agreeing your own area?
organise a presence. that the armed forces
Many peace people came should not invite anyone During 2020, the Peace
along including Quakers under 16 to handle Pledge Union will
and at our first demon- weapons. produce resources and
stration we were joined by A few months later, the run training events to
Veterans for Peace who practice stopped. help people to learn from
chatted to the public On Armed Forces Day each other’s experiences
about the reality of military in 2019 no guns were on and build campaigns in
life and war. Subsequently view and the few at the their own communities.
we held silent vigils stand- back of one gazebo were
ing in a long line opposite closely guarded so no chil- Resources and details
the army with placards, dren could touch them. will appear on the PPU
and cards promoting the But we have to con- website throughout the
“Before You Sign Up” tinue to be vigilant. In the year.
website. spring, when young people
Photographs were taken are deciding what to do But you don’t have to
and letters written to the when they leave school, wait! You can reach us at
local press. A petition was the armed forces will be mail@ppu.org.uk or on
raised about children back. So will we. 020 7424 9444.
PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 10
Peace Matters 10
Many snowflakes make
an avalanche
Tomos Williams- I feel privileged to be able rights, in this case pacifism,
Mason is working to stand up for my beliefs, from a relatable and not too
with other young considering so many people conceptual standpoint then
people to develop were castigated around 100 people will start to think for
PPU youth actions. years ago for it. But it is now themselves and one day
Here he tells us how, 2020 and I am not only wear the white poppy with
and why, he became wearing my badge of paci- us.
a pacifist and joined fism with pride, but writing an This goal of changing
the Peace Pledge article about it, almost like mindsets meant I delivered,
Union. some sort of modern, non- for the first time ever in the
religious evangelist whose school’s history, a speech
belief in peace is his Bible. on pacifism and the white
Many may consider me one poppy in Ysgol Maesydder-
of these moaning wen’s Remembrance
“snowflakes”, but with Service of 2019. It started
enough snowflakes there with making a white poppy
can be an avalanche. wreath. With a growing feel-
My name is Tomos and I ing of moral need to
am just finishing my A Levels promote the work of the
amidst working for an ethical PPU but also the message
Tomos Williams- cosmetics company. that peace is the only fair
Mason, 18, is an Although I’ve only been an and virtuous answer to con-
A Level student and official PPU member for flict, I stood up with
PPU member from about five months, my work confidence. I’m so pleased I
the Ystradgynlais around pacifism and the right inspired people to question
area near Swansea. to be a pacifist have long things!
been at the forefront of many My avid activity on Twitter,
a debate. I think this passion the battleground (excuse
for debate has been some- the war pun) of us
thing I’ve naturally, and “snowflakes”, has become
subconsciously, worked on. part of my everyday life as I
Although originally I thought see it as a place to publicly
being in a small community share my burning passions
in South Wales would mean for human rights, in paci-
an unwritten embargo on fism and related human
progressive mindsets and rights issues such as
philosophy, I have noticed LGBTQI+ rights, and it is
that if one comes at the aim this platform that mainly in-
of promoting human pledge spired me to sign the peacePeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 11
Peace Matters 11
pledge and thus officially community. Perhaps too
become a member of the this explains my support
PPU. Many people mock it, for human rights, as in Do you want to join in
and yes the landscape of my eyes a moral duty, not PPU youth actions?
Twitter can be negative just of my own affiliated
sometimes, but it also is in- communities. Or join in campaigns to
strumental in advocating More topically however, challenge the
human rights. I think it is my pacifism leads me not militarisation of youth?
one of the best ways to just to dislike militarism
serve the Peace Pledge (strongly might I add), but Then please drop
itself and “work to remove to have a growing con- us a line at
all causes of war”. cern for the community of mail@ppu.org.uk,
In further regard to the the UK, and the body of 020 7424 9444 or
stem of my pacifism, but the world as a whole, @PPUtoday
more generally the root of since over recent times,
pacifism for people as a the blood-stained propa-
whole, it is hard to really ganda of military groups
place a reason why people has become ever more
identify themselves as present.
pacifists. My sentiment is I look forward to many
that pacifism, in the more years of promoting (Below) Newspapers such as
conceptual sense, comes peace through the es- the Daily Star regularly
from personal experience pousement of human portray anti-militarist young
of the opposite. Although I rights. people as ‘snowflakes’
am lucky enough not to
have come from a war
zone, or experience really
any first-hand violence,
one could postulate that
pacifism for me came from
the experiences I felt that
others had - through
empathy. In turn came my
desire to join the PPU.
Conceivably, well without a
doubt really, there is a link
between my pacifism, my
veganism and my exis-
tence within the LGBTQI+PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 12
Peace Matters 12
Yemen: A responsibility to rebel
Adhiyan Jeevathol “The massacre of innocent population are in need of
writes of the need to people is a serious matter. humanitarian assistance.
act in the face of UK It is not a thing to be easily Millions are at risk of
complicity in Saudi forgotten. It is our duty to famine and 12,000 civilians
war crimes. cherish their memory.” have been killed in military
Decent people would ac- operations – the latter is in
cept this statement by part due to “widespread
Adhiyan Jeevathol is a Mahatma Gandhi as uncon- and systematic” attacks on
3rd year Zoology troversial. Yet, it is surely a civilians by the coalition.
student at University miserable truth that the op- All of this need not be. An
College London and a posite is practised. Namely, ex-officer of the Royal
member of London that we tend to remember Saudi Air Force stated that
Students for Yemen. the victims of those we de- without British support, the
spise while victims of our coalition would not be able
crimes are ignored– to keep its crucial Typhoons
Malayans from 1948-60, in the air. Consequently, the
Kenyans in the 1950s, East war would end.
Timorese in the 1970s and Similar comments have
the Chagos Islanders to been repeated by others in-
name a few. cluding CIA veteran Paul R.
The most recent, and on- Pillar.
going, example is in Yemen. Apart from verbiage, our
Here the UK-armed Saudi government has done little
coalition have helped in- and continued to aid the
duce a humanitarian catas- coalition in its operations –
trophe where 75% of the even sending British troops
(Right) Adhiyan Jeevathol
with Shadia Robertson at
the PPU’s Alternative
Remembrance Sunday
Ceremony in London,
2019.
(Above right) A vigil
organised by London
Students for Yemen.PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 13
Peace Matters 13
to Yemen and training
Saudi forces within the
UK, including at Sandhurst
and at RAF Valley in North
Wales.
Regarding the media,
during the last two elec-
tions, our complicity in the
“worst humanitarian catas-
trophe in the world” was
scarcely bought up, let
alone discussed. It is no
surprise then that most
Brits are, as with East
Timor and the Chagos Is-
landers, unaware of the
blood on our hands.
Upon learning this, it’s a vigil, talks and Want to take action
normal to ask what’s one’s protests. Recently, at the around Yemen?
own responsibility is in PPU’s Alternative Re-
such affairs. Pacifist A.J. membrance Sunday Cer- You can contact London
Muste hints at an answer: emony, we read out a Students for Yemen at
“Human beings acquiesce survivor’s testimony of a @LS4Yemen or at
too easily in evil condi- coalition airstrike in facebook.com/londonstu-
tions; they rebel far too lit- Sana’a. Abdullelah’s ac- dentsforyemen.
tle and too seldom”. Thus, count is harrowing and
a responsible human, uncomfortable. Uncom- The Peace Pledge
pacifist or not, must fortable because of how Union (PPU) is
“rebel”. I feel this is true he ends his account, challenging the role of
especially for the Brit who writing, “It made me UK armed forces in
needn’t worry about such wonder how human lives training Saudi forces.
severe punishment for are so cheap for those Contact mail@ppu.org.uk
their dissent as a Russian people”. By those people or 020 7424 9444.
or an Iranian might. he means the United Na-
Hence, our responsibility tions. The Campaign Against
is even greater. But the comment could Arms Trade (CAAT) is
It is because of this re- potentially be turned to campaigning against
sponsibility that I joined us. Its legitimacy will de- arms sales to forces
London Students for pend on how you and I fighting in Yemen.
Yemen last year. Since respond to these criminal Contact 020 7281 0297
then, we have organised a acts. or visit caat.org.uk.PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 14
Peace Matters 14
Review: A Hidden Life
Stephen Canning A church bell rings in the ment that conveys the
reviews the film Austrian countryside, the torment of the long night of
A Hidden Life, year is 1939. the soul as well as the joy
directed by Terence Inside the church an artist of epiphany. Some of this is
Malick. paints pictures that com- explained further in
fort, though one day he voiceover while other
might be brave enough to moments are left to ponder.
create a painting that This is a telling of a story
makes the people face based on real events. A
great truth. In this valley look at the inner motivations
above the clouds Franz of Franz Jägerstätter
and Fanny (Franziska) stylised for the screen.
meet, marry and start a Occasional intrusions by
family. Farming and village the score pass quickly and
life continue unhindered, in the film avoids slipping into
the bleak yet beautiful pretence.
surroundings, until in true This drama plays out to
Terrance Malick style the back drop of violence
storm clouds gather both on the micro level of an
narratively and visually. Austrian village in the hills
Franz Jägerstätter, an and the macro level of the
Austrian conscientious Second World War.
objector, is conscripted to Despite this violence, joy is
the German army but found in the fresh grass and
makes a personal stand, the changing of the
Stephen Canning is a refusing to swear seasons. As viewers we
nurse and PPU member allegiance to Hitler. This catch glimpses of the inner
living in South London. results in his imprison- architecture of Franz and
ment, bringing shame and Fannie’s emotional and
social alienation to the spiritual lives.
family he leaves behind. This is a long film, a tough
Despite the physical and film, a film that though
psychological trauma that beautifully shot and well-
Franz faces he finds acted will make you face
comfort in memories of his great truth.
wife and daughters. Terrence Malick is inter-
Franz and Fanny, played ested in big questions and
by August Diehl and deep existential issues.
Valerie Pachner, are often What is a story if it remains
seen in moments of quiet untold? What is a life if it re-
or stillness. Understate- mains hidden?PeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 15
Peace Matters 15
Funding education for peace
The PPU relies heavily For some years I had this is done through Gift
on voluntary donations, helped in a small way with Aid. My commitment as a
especially as our cam- the work of three (or was trustee is to attend three or
paigning means we it four?) of Peace Pledge four meetings a year to
cannot be a “charity” in Union’s education work- receive and consider appli-
law. Thankfully, the law ers. Our small committee cations for funding, mostly
deems our educational met in one of the “lower from the PPU. We have
work to be charitable, ground floor” rooms at had requests, however,
and it is partly funded Dick Sheppard House in from a handful of other
by the Peace Research Endsleigh Street, London bodies and have some-
& Education Trust (the PPU’s offices until times given small amounts
(PRET). John Morris 1995). My contribution when the cause was close
explains more. was mainly some school to our own.
teaching experience in A glance at early minutes
secondary education – of the Trust shows that we
although I had later been were suggesting work that
employed in the adminis- might be undertaken by
tration of school examina- the PPU. More recently,
tions and in adult educa- we have been responding
tion. to requests from PPU
Then, fairly soon after Council and staff mem-
the establishment of the bers.
Peace Research and For some time, I attended
Education Trust (PRET) in meetings of the Peace
John Morris is chair of 1997, I was invited, or Education Network.
the Peace Research & perhaps, as I had just Nowadays, I only keep in
Education Trust and a retired, I volunteered, to touch with it electronically.
longstanding PPU join that august body. I It is so helpful to know
activist. was thus helping to raise from those active for
funds specifically for the peace in the classroom
peace education and what is going down well
research work of the with pupils and teachers.
PPU. Income Tax-paying More information about
members and friends of PRET and its work may be
the Union could choose to found in its publicity leaflet.
allocate a proportion of If you feel that you would
their donation to that work like to join the trustees,
and the government please make your interest
would return to us the known to me, c/o 1 Peace
amount of tax paid on Passage, London, N7 0BT
their donation. Nowadays, or at mail@pret.org.ukPeaceMatters 81 - March 2020 - final version.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 18:24 Page 16
Peace Matters 16
SO THEY SAY...
“There may be unlawful violence.” “Remembrance Sunday should
primarily have a message of peace.”
Police officer at the DSEI arms fair,
justifying restrictions on the Statement backed by 85% of
movements of peaceful protesters. people in an independent poll of British
(7 September 2019) public opinion. (16 October 2019)
“I was... pulled off my bike, taken to “As veterans, we believe we have
the side, stopped and searched, the right to choose what colour
handcuffed and arrested for posses- poppy to wear.”
sion of a marker pen and a tube of
glue... I was held for eight hours.” Letter from white poppy-wearing veter-
ans to Minister for Veterans Johnny
PPU member Richard Barnard Mercer, who encouraged people to
describes the reality of policing at the “ignore” white poppy wearers.
DSEI arms fair. (6 September 2019) (10 November 2019)
“That gives the British army... the “It’s little wonder that these stocks
right side of the environmental are racing ahead... It’s a good time
argument, especially in the eyes of to be in bombs, bullets and bugs.”
that next generation of recruits.”
Unnamed “city defence analyst” quoted
General Mark Carleton-Smith suggests in the media over global military
that more young people would sign up tension. (10 January 2020)
if the army were a bit greener.
(13 September 2019)
Contact the
“The military trying to recruit us by Peace Pledge Union
making themselves more environ-
mentally friendly is disgusting...
Without social justice and peace we www.ppu.org.uk
cannot reach climate justice. We are
strong, we are educated, we know @PPUtoday
our rights and have our own morals!
I will not let the military strip me of
this.” facebook.com/
peacepledgeunion
17-year-old climate striker Anya
Nanning Ramamurthy.
(20 September 2019) 020 7424 9444You can also read
