Network for Peace

One year has passed since the UK was condemned for its arms sales to authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and North Africa …but the UK is still supplying weapons to dictators.

This time last year, while UK weapons were being used against civilians in Libya, David Cameron went on a tour to promote weapons sales in the Middle East. In 2011, Saudi Arabia deployed armoured vehicles to help suppress protests in Bahrain, but UK arms sales to the kingdom never even slowed.

Now is the time to take action to expose that This is NOT OK.

Zero Books presents: ‘Capitalist Realism: is there no alternative?’ with Mark Fisher
Wednesday 28th March, 7pm

Join writer, theorist and teacher Mark Fisher for a discussion on his book, ‘Capitalist Realism: Is there no alternative?’, which examines how capitalism since 1989 has successfully presented itself as the only realistic political-economic system – a situation that the bank crisis of 2008, far from ending, has compounded.

Bent Bars presents: Gender and the prison industrial complex with S. Lamble.
S. Lamble, member of the Bent Bars Collective, an LGBTQ prison letter writing project, will lead a discussion on ‘Captive genders: trans embodiment in the prison industrial complex,’ a collection of writings on how race, gender, ability, and sexuality are lived in captivity.

Coalition of Resistance presents: ‘Eurozone in crisis: what is to be done?’
Free entry.

Women’s History Month presents: ‘Women’s History: half the future half the past’ with Jessica Metheringham-Owlett.
A talk considering such questions as: Why is the history overwhelmingly male-dominated? What are women missing and why does it matter? How should we go about changing this - through politics, through education, or as individuals? As well as looking at the famous and remembered, Jessica will draw on the stories of those neglected by history.

A talk by Rabbi Ahron Cohen, Neturei Karta, followed by Q & A

An evening to mark Palestinian “Land Day”

WILPF UK Section AGM. Followed by an afternoon Seminar on the UK Universal Periodic Review. Speakers to be confirmed. The AGM is free (to members) and seminar £5. Lunch is available for an additional £5. email office@ukwilpf.org.uk to register.

Events around the country: http://step.fairtrade.org.uk/events/events-map

Two-Day Retreat: Desert Wisdom Retreat: Nature, Nomads, Prophets
- inspiring sources of simplicity, clarity, transformative healing and renewal.
Facilitators: Alan Heeks, with musical accompaniment by Dominic Ashmole.
Registration: 9.30am-10am. Retreat Days: 10am-4.30pm.
Cost: £50 (both days), £30 (per day).
Registration Form: http://www.eicsp.org/downloads-org/category/192-mesp-2012-registration-f...
On-Line Booking: http://www.eicsp.org/mesp-2012-retreatworkshop-events-

Two-Day Retreat: Peace and Quiet - Stillness of Body, Mind and Spirit in the Busy World: Inspired by the Lives and Teachings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the Middle Eastern Spiritual Traditions.
Facilitator: Rev Prof Stephen G Wright RN RCNT RNT DipN DANS RPTT MSc FRCN MBE, University of Cumbria, Carlisle. Founding Editor: “Spirituality and Health International,” Chairman: The Sacred Space Foundation.
Registration: 9.30am-10am. Retreat Days: 10am-4.30pm.
Cost: £80 (both days), £40 (per day).

Pluto Press, Le Monde diplomatique and London Middle East Institute invite you to the launch of: "The Best of Le Monde diplomatique 2012" - Contributors Gilbert Achcar (SOAS) and Samir Aita (Le Monde diplomatique) will be discussing
The Middle East in Transition: Syria and the ‘Arab Spring’
The event will be chaired by LMD English editorial director Wendy Kristianasen and will be followed by a drinks reception
SOAS NEAREST TUBE: Russell Square or Goodge Street

Calling all artists, creative folk and craftivists.
Last year the National Gallery hosted an evening reception for weapons dealers http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/09/484620.html, celebrating the first day of business at DSEi, the world's largest arms fair.
Italian arms company, Finmeccanica sponsors the gallery: for £30,000 it buys the opportunity to use the gallery's rooms to impress its clients and woo decision-makers. Against such a lavish backdrop it's probably easy to forget that their business is death and destruction.

With Loretta Napoleoni.

With speaker Nick Dearden

With speaker Rana Kabbani.

David Cameron is hosting a conference in London to discuss the future of Somalia. There are media reports saying that Britain is considering imminent military intervention in the country. There will be a protest organised by Hands Off Somalia from 8.30 AM outside Lancaster House in London, calling for a stop to British plans to carve up an already divided and impoverished Somalia.

Stop the War is supporting the protest. Bring your banners, chants, drums, megaphones, horns and whistles in the build up for the main rally at 11am outside the conference on Cleveland Row, London SW1A 1DH.

Public meeting. With Milan Rai, co-editor of Peace News.

Arms dealers, agents of cruel regimes and war profiteers from all over the world have been invited to another Arms Fair in 2013 at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in Custom House.
Anyone who wants to help to get this evil event cancelled will be welcome at an ELAAF meeting.

From Prince Regent, Docklands Light Railway, Station, go up Prince Regent Lane. Cundy Road is first turning on the left.

East London Against Arms Fairs,
c/o Community Involvement Unit, Durning Hall, Earlham Grove, E7 9AB

This year's Compass Annual Lecture will be delivered by Professor Richard Sennett.

A good society is created through the art of living together. Over the past few decades we have learnt to be consumers, it is now time we re-learnt the art of being citizens, neighbours and co-workers. This challenging lecture will be followed by contributions from a panel of high-profile respondents. We are delighted that Lisa Nandy, MP for Wigan; Deborah Orr, Guardian Columnist; Hannah Worth, Director, Chamberlain Forum and Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives UK have agreed to respond.

Talk by Dr Thomas Daffern in Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh International Festival of Middle East Spirituality and Peace Festival organised by EICPS (http://www.eicsp.org/).

This talk will be recorded and a transcript made available. Please get in touch if you would be interested in a copy by contacting Dr Daffern on 01301 703053 or email iipsgp@educationaid.net