Take Action

Our members’ commitment to nonviolence takes many forms.
Click on the topic to find out how you can take action:

Militarism
Nuclear weapons
Drones

Militarism

GCOMS postcard for online shareWhat keeps us safer: £46billion spent on preparation for war, or £46billion spent on the NHS and addressing runaway climate change?

We’re part of the Global Campaign on Military Spending, a movement to champion sustainable security and long-sighted ideas of safety.

Got 30 seconds? Cast your vote on how to spend £46billion on keeping us safe at bit.ly/gcoms2017

Got a minute? Share the link on social media (NB it’s case-sensitive – why not copy and paste bit.ly/gcoms2017 ?)

Got a couple of hours? Ask people in your town how they’d like to spend the money, by holding a stall sometime between 20-23rd April. Let us know the results by email (campaigns@for.org.uk) and we’ll submit them and let you know the overall results.

GDAMS pots FoR 2016What you’ll need:

4 jam jars
some counters (marbles or beans work well)
postcards – order from the office – office@for.org.uk
A sign if you’re feeling creative

Give each person 4 counters (representing £11.5billion each) and ask them to divide the “money” between the following four labelled pots as they wish:

  • Healthcare & education
  • Addressing climate change
  • International cooperation and development
  • Arms and military intervention

Messages for a sign could be “Cut military spending – fund human needs”, or a quote from former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “The world is over-armed and peace is under-funded”.

Don’t forget to take photos and send them in, and share them on social media using #gcoms


Our anti-militarism pledge

Have you noticed the increased influence of the military in society? Collection tins for military charities in supermarkets go unchallenged, arms dealers sponsor science events and a career in the armed forces is portrayed in most places as A Good Thing. Oh, and Britain is the last country in the EU to still recruit children into its military.

What can you do?

We’re asking people to commit to active, nonviolent peacemaking. We’ll support you along the way.
We challenge you to:

    1. Write to your MP or MSP calling for absolutely no replacement of Trident
    2. Consider whether your financial interactions line up with your morals. Do you inadvertently support fossil fuel extraction or the arms trade?
    3. Challenge scape-goating and use of fear to shift blame and attention
    4. Speak to your minister/elder about holding a service or collection for peace.  We can supply resources.
    5. When you see militarism, challenge it – Dear Mayor, why are the armed forces at my village fête?…

I accept the challenge



We want to keep you posted on ways to make peace

If you’d like a keyring to remind you of your pledge, just donate £1 and email emma@for.org.uk with your address.

Nuclear weapons

NCPO No faith in Trident banner

Back in July, parliament voted to replace Trident by 472 votes to 117. Those opposing included all by one Scottish MP, Green MP Caroline Lucas, 47 Labour MPs and some from Sinn Fein and other parties. A full list is at the bottom of this Guardian article.

Download our letter template to send to your MP or MSP (use this website to find out who they are)

Want to write your own letter but need some pointers?  See here for some ideas you might include

What can I do to take action against Trident?

      1. Got 30 seconds? Sign the petition from CND – it’s growing fast so we’re all putting our weight behind this one.
      2. Got 1 minute?  Pray with us – see below
      3. Got 5 minutes? Write to your MP or MSP, demanding a straight answer on how they would vote. There is talk of cutting down on the number of submarines; be clear: you want to know if they back any replacement at all
      4. Got an hour? Write an article for your church newsletter or local paper, perhaps with a draft of what to send to their MP or MSP
      5. Got longer? Get in touch about volunteering with us.

Did you know, the UK govt spends 25x more researching weapons than renewable energy? We have some handy flyers to give out at events about cuts, emphasising that there’s plenty of money to go around, on the resource page.

        • Spend it on the NHS
        • Or more specifically, spend it on nurses

FoR’s prayer for action on Trident:

Loving God,

Thank you for this beautiful planet beneath us
For the ozone above us
And for the potential between us.

Give us courage when the water is deep;
Perseverance when the task is massive;
Patience when the walls are high;
And trust as the way becomes clear.

Help us not to see enemies, but people.
Not obstacles, but opportunities for engagement.
Not problems, but cause for creativity.

We hold in the light people affected by nuclear weapons:
Those bearing scars and those living with apprehension.
We uphold those who fear a world without them
And seek open-minded, transparent political discourse.

We pray
We hope
We act….

…for an end to nuclear weapons, beginning here.

Amen 

Drones

We are part of the Drone Campaign Network, a group of organisations working in the UK to highlight the danger and growing use of armed drones. There’s most about this area of our work and how you can take part on our Drones page, including how to get involved with our craftivism project, the #DronesQuilt.

In addition to our rolling campaigns and projects, we run the International Peacemakers Fund. Everything we do relies on donations. Support our campaigning, project and education work.

Discussing nonviolence at Greenbelt festival
FoR members at Greenbelt festival
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