“I have been there, and can report that this bankrupt, starving statelet is so poor it cannot even warm its own government buildings and must have used up much of its petrol reserves to stage the funeral of its deceased leader. 

“Its rulers are trapped in their palace. If they show weakness, they will be torn to pieces by their hungry, disillusioned subjects. 

“Above all, they need a way out. If we do not help provide one they will, in the end, have to collapse into the arms of China.” 

* 

Technologically less advanced societies found solutions. There was a ritualised control of conflict: in an unpublished manuscript, the late Judith Dawes recalled reading about ‘safety valve mechanisms’ described by anthropologist Ruth Finnegan in Ted Dunn’s symposium, Foundations of Peace and Freedom. Examples quoted were Eskimo song duels and ritual buffeting, and the East African Limba villages in which long speeches set out the cause for anger which was addressed in similarly long speeches by a group of counsellors.

In Highland Scotland, before their society was brutally broken up by the clearances, clan loyalty was enhanced by fostering; children (including the Chief’s) were exchanged and brought up among different families. This fostering practice was also used to ensure peaceful relations with neighbouring clans.   

Vanuatu Tanna Vasu

This intelligent and civilised mode of problem solving by so-called primitive people has recently been publicised and was reported on Australian radio; a long-running land dispute was settled between two villages on Tanna island by giving a child from one village to a family in another as part of a reconciliation ceremony – a custom practised there through the ages.

In practice it is ceremonial, the child can stay with the other family or his own or can move between the two - a bridge-building practice.

Returning to the subject of North Korea, Hitchens concludes that the country could still do harm: “But it is much more likely to do so if we maintain our current policy”.

 TIME FOR CHANGE

*

Media Lens followed this theme, referring to a Stop the War video, ‘What is the true cost of the Afghanistan war?’ which details some of the appalling statistics:

• 9,300 Afghan civilians have been killed by International Security Assistance Forces, i.e. Nato. 
• 380 British soldiers are dead.
• £18 billion of UK taxpayer’s money has been spent.
• The war is costing Britain £12 million per day. The same amount could employ 100,000 nurses (at £21,000 annually) and 150,000 care workers (£15,000). 

A study by Brown University in the United States estimates an unimaginable combined sum of up to $4 trillion to fight the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Media Lens surveyed the way in which these facts were reported – or unreported – using phrases like ’scant coverage’ and ‘the media’s systematic bias’ and ending: 

“Very little of this reality made it into the largely uncritical coverage of the ten-year anniversary of the West’s aggression against Afghanistan.” 

This selective media presentation supports the acceptance of war by minimising its horrors and – sadly — preparing the public to condone the next military adventure.

MoD officials warn that London would demand billions in compensation from Edinburgh to fund the moving of Britain’s nuclear deterrent to England

A spokesman for Alex Salmond, Scottish first minister, said: 

“The UK government should have a care, and stop this sabre rattling. The vast majority of MSPs [members of the Scottish parliament], as well as the churches, trade unions, and civic society across the nation totally oppose Trident nuclear weapons being based in Scotland – and in the last Westminster parliament a majority of Scottish MPs opposed the renewal of Trident.”

Source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/20f28e12-3e0d-11e1-ac9b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1jSgRXFha

Clive’s intelligence and idealism led him to campaign on more than one front, but for this Civilisation 3000 post the focus will be on his work for peace. 

Clive and his wife-to-be, Maggie Rosher, were founder members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, meeting on a march to Holy Loch, where the US Polaris nuclear submarine was based. They were sleeping in a tent somewhere in The Borders when the pier at the Holy Loch was torched. When they reached Glasgow they rented a small boat, together with others, and attempted to board an American nuclear submarine.

The Daily Mirror published a front page photo of Maggie taking a nose dive into the loch on the wrong end of a police-operated fire hose. Clive continued to be an active member and has left the bulk of his estate to the CND. They held very strong beliefs and never betrayed them.

Their hospitality was legendary, as were their meals. Maggie would take five hours to cook a meal and it would take five hours to eat it and then five hours to wash up. On numerous occasions there were waifs and stray of many descriptions sleeping on their couches. For many years they had a large CND logo on their bedroom door overprinted with the words ‘Make Love, not War’. It was not a joke. They meant it. 

Maggie, a long time Labour councillor in Coventry, was Lord Mayor in 1998/9 and Clive was her  secretary, chauffeur, lover and companion throughout.

She died in 2005 and three years later Clive’s leg was removed because of an embolism possibly brought on by passive smoking.

He fought back and learned to limp around on his wooden leg and still went to endless conferences, demonstrating in Trafalgar Square only five weeks before his last admission to hospital.  

They served their city, their country and this world well.

-

With thanks for the information from family member, Coventry’s Colin Walker

Speaking on STV’s Scotland Tonight show, Alex Salmond agreed “100%” he would get rid of the nuclear submarine programme if he wins independence for the country.

He said: “We wouldn’t have the obscenity of a new generation of weapons of mass destruction decimating the west coast of Scotland.

“Spending £100bn on this new generation of nuclear weapons, we don’t want any part of that.

“It would be the guarantee that never again would we be spilling and wasting our best blood in illegal wars like Iraq.”

Arfon MP asks if the damningly dishonest, purposeless, wasteful and evil Iraq war is at an end

The Secret State 3: closing ranks on the death of Hilda Murrell? Yet another cause for British shame?

Membership is open to current members of legislatures and parliaments at state, federal, national and regional levels. It is one of four programmes of the Global Security Institute.

The work of PNND is funded by the Disarmament Education United Nations Implementation Fund (Aotearoa-New Zealand), the Simons Foundation, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Global Security Institute and a number of individual supporters.

On October 15-16, 2011, the network of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament convened its Annual Assembly in Bern, Switzerland. Legislators from around the world gathered to further their ongoing collaborative work to build the framework for a nuclear weapon-free world, just before the 125th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

In a joint letter to the leaders of the five nuclear weapon States (NWS), the seven Co-Presidents of PNND commended the heads of government for convening such a meeting and noted that ‘there is a global expectation that the consultations you are commencing will result in significant advances in reducing the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and in making progress towards the achievement of nuclear disarmament.’

There are a number of exciting developments in the area of international humanitarian law (IHL) and nuclear weapons that are opening the door to the global abolition of nuclear weapons. IHL governs the use of weaponry and force in war. It prohibits the use of weapons or methods of warfare that cause indiscriminate harm to civilians (who are protected), cause unnecessary suffering to combatants, violate neutral territories, are disproportionate to the precedent attack or military objective, or cause long-term and severe damage to the environment.

On October 19, 2011, a group of leading NGOs including the Global Security Institute, launched the Nuclear Abolition Forum to facilitate dialogue on the process to achieve and sustain a nuclear weapons free world. The inaugural issue focuses on IHL and Nuclear Weapons. The launch included a presentation by Roslyn Cook (World Court Project UK) of Citizens’ Affirmations of the Criminality of Nuclear Weapons Use.

UN High Representative Sergio Duarte and Roslyn Cook of the World Court Project UK

On November 26, 2011, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements adopted a resolution on the irreconcilability of nuclear weapons with international humanitarian law, calling for States to undertake in good faith, and conclude, negotiations to prohibit the use of and completely eliminate nuclear weapons through a legally binding international agreement. The resolution also called on Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to engage with relevant actors on the humanitarian and international humanitarian law issues associated with nuclear weapons.

More information on parliamentary actions and further reading here.

“It is depressing to think we’ll be on a war footing for the Olympic Games which were intended to bring countries together under the peaceful banner of international sport. 

“We attended the Athens Games and although there was a bag check going into the stadium, it was all very low key. 

Athens 2004

“The image I’ll remember was of ordinary people from every continent on the planet strolling round the concourse just talking, laughing and generally enjoying the atmosphere. 

“I have tickets for this year but I’m going to cancel – which is what I’d like to see happen with the games. 

“There have always been the problems of over-commercialisation and expensive facilities, etc; but the essence of peaceful coming together has been lost and we need to find some other way of celebrating sport – A Peace Games maybe?”

Jeju has a history of invasion, repression and victimisation; in the 1950s the islanders rose up in protest at the decision to divide the Korean nation. The ‘sasam’ movement was born in the 1980s, seeking truth, reconciliation & healing. A Peace Forum was established in 2001 and has organised six conferences to regional security. In 2005 central government declared Jeju an Island of Peace and a Peace Park was set up in 2008.  

             The Chamber of Victims [1948-1950] Jeju Peace Park 

Jenny writes in the latest issue of the newsletter hoping that the protests of the local people are being heeded, but several September reports indicate that their island is not yet free from this threat.

Five protesters, including the villagers’ representative Kang Dong-kyun, were taken to the police station for questioning last Wednesday after attempting to block construction work at this once peaceful fishing port. Kang has pledged to stop the protests if 51% or more of Gangjeong villagers approve of the base in a referendum.

On Monday, the Jeju District Court accepted the petition by the government and the Navy for a provisional disposition against villagers and civic activists who impeded the construction, but dismissed the petition for prohibition of all acts in hindrance to the construction, saying it would infringe on the constitutional right to freedom of expression. 

“Peace buses” continue to carry protesters into the village, with more to arrive on a chartered flight dubbed the “peace airplane”. Rebecca Johnson, director of the UK’s Acronym Institute, has joined the protestors on occasion.

Proponents of the base’s construction emphasise that it will shorten the time for Korean naval ships to reach southern sea spots when maritime disputes with China or Japan occur. They predict economic benefits to the islanders. 

A moving video account

Negative views of the naval base spread nationwide after a moving independent documentary on the villagers’ struggle was produced earlier this year. It can be seen here. 

The Korean Herald reports that calls are mounting for a referendum on the issue.