This is going to be a busy year for peacemakers. A few important dates to start with are
2014
14-16th February: Our conference with the Student Christian Movement on active nonviolent peacemaking
14th April: Global Day of Action on Military Spending (did you know that hundreds of millions of pounds have already been spent on replacing Trident, before the decision has been made whether to renew it?)
15th May: Conscientious Objectors day at Tavistock Square, London.
17th – 23rd May: Our week on Iona focussed on peace and reconciliation
28th July: Centenary of the outbreak of WWI
1st-3rd August: In Cologne – centenary celebrations! More details here.
3rd-10th August: In Cologne – our centenary quadrennial for the international FoR.
4th August: Centenary of Britain joining the 1914-18 war. Nationwide vigils detailed below:
Liverpool: 12 noon – 2.00pm a silent vigil in the Peace Garden, St John’s Lane, Liverpool
(contact Jan 0151 263 5623)
Grassington: 11.00 am – 12.00 noon, Grassington Square.
(contact 01756 794924 or 01756 753918)
Skipton: 2.00pm – 3.00 pm, outside the Town Hall, Skipton.
(contact 01756 794924 or 01756 753918)
Glossop: 12 noon – 1.00pm, vigil in Norfolk Square. Organised by Glossop Peace Group
(contact Linda 07976 653610)
Glasgow: 10.30 – 11.30 am, Donald Dewar Statue, Sauchiehall St, Glasgow.
(contact the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre 0131 229 0993)
Bath: 12.30 to12.50pm at the Amphitheatre, University of Bath
(contact Tim disarm@quaker.org.uk)
Oxford: 11.00-3.00pm gathering in Bonn Square, Oxford OX1 1LQ. ‘War to end all Wars?’ Event with poetry, music and lots more. Organised by CND.
(contact: Irene 01865 242919 or Nuala 01865 749459)
Portswood, Southampton 7 – 8 pm , Immaculate Conception RC parish, 346 Portswood Road, Southampton, SO17 3SB. A vigil of silent reflection, prayer for peace in the Middle East, and for the victims of conflict throughout the world on this anniversary of the start of the First World War. (contact Audrey frankandaudrey19@hotmail.com)
Quakers in Needham Market have a silent Peace Vigil at room 4 Christchurch, ( United Reformed Church ) Needham Market. Suffolk.
from 10am until 12.00 midday.
Wisbech, East Anglia: 8.00 -9.00 pm a silent candlelit vigil will be held at the Clarkson Memorial. Open to all. (Bring and share meal at the Friends Meeting House, North Brink, Wisbech commencing at 7.00pm, then walk to the Clarkson memorial). Sponsored by Pax Christi Wisbech, Kings Lynn and Wisbech Stop the War, Wisbech Friends, Wisbech Peace Forum. (contact: Jacqueline jackiemulhallen@btinternet.com or Sean 01945584737)
Event to mark women’s anti-war actions in First World War
11.00–12 noon women will gather opposite Holborn tube station (original site of Kingsway Hall) to commemorate a peace rally held there on 4 August 1914. They will deliver a resolution to Downing Street requesting a meeting to discuss peaceful solutions to world conflicts and greater involvement of women in peace processes. The women will be ‘joined’ by Kathleen Courtney, Chrystal Macmillan, Catherine Marshall and Emmeline Pethwick-Lawrence, key organisers of the 1914 rally.
(Contact: Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Katrina katrinagass@yahoo.co.uk or 01873 855760)
No Glory – No More War evening event
6.30pm, Parliament Square London. MPs, actors, historians, campaigners, war veterans and others will be speaking and reading from anti-war authors and activists in 1914-18.
(Contact No Glory in War 020 7561 7484)
6th August and 9th: Anniversaries of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945
21st September: International Day of Peace and Peacemaking Sunday
11th November: Armistice Day
24th-25 December: Centenary of the Christmas Truce
28th December: Holy Innocents Day – watch out for something special
2015
15th May: Conscientious Objectors Day
6th August and 9th: Anniversaries of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945
20th September: Peacemaking Sunday
21st September: International Day of Peace
2016
March: Centenary of conscription
15th May: Extra special Conscientious Objectors Day commemorations for the centenary of Conscientious Objection
Add any new events you hear of, or key dates, in the comments box (if reading this in the news feed, click on the post title link and it’ll open on its own page) and we’ll add them to the list.
We Quakers in Needham Market have a silent Peace Vigil at room 4 Christchurch, ( United Reformed Church ) Needham Market. Suffolk.
from 10am until 12.00 midday.