Network for Peace

Mulk Raj Anand’s Across the Black Waters : remembering Indian soldiers in WW1’ with Alistair Niven

Man Booker Prize judge Alistair Niven discusses the politics of Indian soldiers in the First World War, as explored in Mulk Raj Anand’s recently republished classic book on the subject, ‘Across the Black Water’.

Quaker History Meeting.
Gandhi's long and varied life can be seen as a series of multifaith encounters, though it was with the Quakers Gandhi had a special relationship. The Friends Meeting House, on Euston Road was the venue of his first public speech when he was in London in 1931, though he had corresponded with the Rowntrees whilst still living in South Africa nearly 30 years before. The talk begins at 6pm promptly.

Every two years, one of the world’s biggest arms fairs, DSEi has been held in London. Hundreds of arms companies and thousands of delegates come to do business and buy advanced weapons. These weapons are used to kill and oppress people around the world.

DSEi plans to return to London in Sept 2015: we want to make sure that these plans are resisted, both in the months leading up to the fair, and if it happens, during the fair itself.

Through its subsidiary UAV Engines, Elbit Systems operates a factory in Staffordshire. The company regularly exports military equipment to Israel. Elbit is also a part of the U-TACS partnership manufacturing the Watchkeeper drone for the Ministry of Defence.

We are calling for people from across the UK to join a demonstration at Elbit’s UAV Engines factory to demand a military embargo on sales to Israel and from Israeli companies and to demand the closure of the factory.

The London Transport Museum takes sponsorship money from Thales, the eleventh largest arms company in the world. Thales supplies missiles, drones and other military products, and has sold to repressive regimes such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Colombia, Kazakhstan and the UAE.

London CAAT are running a campaign to ask the museum to end their deal with Thales and to agree not to take money from arms companies in the future. Join us to give this message to the museum and tell the public that arms companies have no place in our public institutions.

We have witnessed the horrific impact of arming Israel as it attacks Gaza, and the repression in Bahrain and Egypt where UK weapons have been used to repress pro-democracy campaigners. It's time to take action. Join campaigners from across the North West for a day of workshops, and explore how you can make a difference.

A Peace Education Network workshop.
Increased military involvement in schools is a policy championed by the current UK government. This has meant funding the development of new cadet corps, fast-track training as teachers for former soldiers, and encouraging the adoption by schools of a military ethos.
The Peace Education Network invite teachers, parents, governors, and any others involved in school to critically reflect on your experiences as we explore the benefits, risks, problems, and concerns of military involvement in education.

An eye-witness account by Ann Farr. Ann is a member of Pax Christi and served in the West Bank as an Ecumenical Accompanier.

Palestinian olive oil and olive wood goods will be on sale.

Please join us on the International Day of Nonviolence, to remember all those who are victims of war and violence in our world today. We will gather opposite Downing Street, end of Richmond Terrace. There will be a short prayer offered at each hour.

With: Kelly-Marie Blundell PPC (Guildford). Kate Hudson, CND. David Grace, Lib Dems for Peace and Security.
Refreshments provided
Organised by Lib Dems for Peace and Security and supported by CND

Dr John Cox and Paul Flynn MP will lead a discussion on ways ahead for the peace movement.

NOTE Before 7.00 pm there will be a brief meeting starting at 6.15 pm for local CND supporters, to allow time for future CND group activities to be scheduled.

MANA - Musicians for Peace presents a Concert For Peace with The MANA Chamber Orchestra Conductor: Steuart Bedford Soloists: Robert Murray tenor, Sam Jacobs horn. ¬Gounod Petite Symphonie for Nine Wind Instruments, Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Mozart Symphony No. 41 in C major K551 “Jupiter”. With guest speaker. Disabled access and toilet facilities. All seats unreserved. Tickets from: MANA, 71 Greenfield Gardens, London NW2 1HU (enclosing SAE with cheque, online at www.wegottickets.com/event/290131 (no booking fee), on the door from 7.00 pm.

Demo with the peace scarf, winding from the Westminster Parliament to MoD along Whitehall and filling Parliament Sq, where there will be music and a few speeches. After the general election the whole of the peace scarf will be turned into blankets, as Wool Against Weapons decided. But because the peace scarf was such an amazing visual statement against Trident, Wool Against Weapons, Action AWE and CND are inviting everyone to use it as a peace resource, to WRAP UP AND SCRAP TRIDENT.

With John Newsinger When the war began Britain was in the middle of a great strike wave that the Establishment regarded as of potentially revolutionary significance. In the first six months of the year over half a million workers had taken strike action for union recognition, for the closed shop and for increased pay. The war changed this.

Talk on Winifred Letts, Salford poet by Cynthia Greenwood. Winifred Letts was born in 1882 in Broughton. She had a prolific writing career producing plays, poetry, short stories, children's books and an autobiography. She was a nurse during World War One and also worked as a therapeutic masseuse.

The first of our series of WW1 exhibitions probes behind the myths of war and its "glories". It explores topics such as Salford's response to the outbreak of war, the strength of the anti-war movement locally and nationally, what happened to the campaign which had gathered momentum by 1914 to get the vote for women - and the realities of trench warfare.

Meet at 2.15pm at the Cowley Club at 12 London Road if you want to travel to the factory together.NOTE EARLIER TIME.
EDO MBM, owned by US firm ITT Exelis, on Home Farm Road, has supplied weapons, including equipment for the Paveway bomb and bomb release units, to many of the countries in the military alliance involved in attacking Iraq and Syria.
The company has obtained export licenses to export arms to Saudi Arabia, the US and France (see here – http://www.caat.org.uk/resources/mapping/organisation/1227).

Assemble 1pm, Temple Place, London WC2R 3BD.

The main focus of this IWCE meeting will be on assessing the present state of adult education in all its forms.

A day's event offering an alternative history of WW1 and those who tried to prevent it. Keynote speaker John Gittings, Author of 'The Glorious Art of Peace', and former Guardian journalist.