Welsh Government Seem to Be Ignorant Seems to Be Mainly What Is on Friends’ Minds
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.... yn llawn daioni! Newsletter of Meeting of Friends in Wales Cylchlythyr Cyfarfod y Cyfeillion yng Nghymru including many QinetiQ employees - would like to see our money being spent supporting more benevolent jobs. It also appears that the armed forces are being invited into schools to propagandise and drum up recruits - or at least those schools in the poorer areas, where students’ future prospects look grimmest. Then came the last straw: out of the blue, Wales’ First Minister, Carwyn Jones, responding to reports that an independent Scotland would expel the nuclear submarine fleet from Faslane, made an astonishing offer – send them to Wales! According to Carwyn, we’d love to welcome them in Milford Haven, where they could nestle up to the oil refinery Children's Summer Camp in Yasuf. West Bank Palestine. and make Pembrokeshire a target for attack! He seemed to be unaware that Wales has been Peace in mind officially a nuclear free zone for thirty years. In fact, he and the Welsh Government seem to be ignorant Although we set no theme for this Calon, peace seems to be mainly what is on Friends’ minds. It of the strong commitment to peace that has been so emerged strongly as a concern at the last Meeting of much a part of Welsh tradition. Not only our late Friends in Wales – see Christine Trevett’s report Friend Steffan Griffith, but Waldo Williams, and below. Our Friend Jane Harries of Bridgend is Henry Richard too, would be horrified. It’s not even currently in Yanoun, in the Palestinian West Bank as as if such policies are being forced on to Wales by an Ecumenical Accompanier, and we print below an the Westminster government, as they were in the extract from her blog. We also have a review of a past. new biography of Henry Richard of Tregaron, the How to respond to these worrying developments? so-called Apostle of Peace. Meeting of Friends in Wales discussed Carwyn Quite a few of us – and not only Quakers - are Jones’ announcement at the gathering in Meifod in worried about the creeping militarisation of Wales. June, but we were assured that there was no need to First it was the military academy at St Athan’s. Then rush into action, nor to act unilaterally. The Meeting drones from Aberporth started appearing in our minuted: skies. When the protests started attracting attention, ‘In the light of the First Minister’s reported a Welsh government spokesperson claimed that statement that nuclear submarines, if ousted from using Welsh airspace for testing drones is "key to Scottish bases, would be welcome in Milford Haven, ensuring that Wales and the UK are at the forefront and given concerns about the militarisation of of this new and growing sector". But do people in Wales, we ask our CYTÛN representative to take Wales really want to be at the forefront of this matter forward when and as appropriate. Also developing brand-new ways to kill and maim our we encourage Local Meetings and individuals fellow human beings? themselves to act on these issues as ways open to It is often claimed that the arms trade is vital for jobs them. [our emphasis]’ in this country. But the truth is that the defence Over to you, Friends! SLK industry contributes only a tiny percentage to our Further information regarding the militarisation of GDP, and every defence job is heavily subsidised by Wales can be found at www.cymdeithasycymod.org.uk the taxpayer. I would guess that most of us – or http:peacenews.info. N.B for administration clarity the number sequencing of the newsletter is changing from number of yearly issued to overall total copies produced in this format. This copy is the 11th issue. (Sorry for any confusion or inconvenience). JM Crynwyr yng Nghymru CALON No. 11 MEDI / SEPTEMBER 2012 Quakers in Wales International Arms Trade Treaty At the time of writing final negotiations are about to begin at the UN for a trade treaty on conventional arms. Julia Aspden and Christine Trevett, the co- clerks of Meeting of Friends in Wales, have written to the Prime Minister: Dear David Cameron, We write on behalf of the national body of The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Wales, i.e. Meeting of Friends in Wales / Cyfarfod y Cyfeillion yng Nghymru. For more than 350 years the Society of Friends has declared itself against the bearing of arms and for the constant promotion of justice, peace The Quiet Way? Y Ffordd Dawel? and reconciliation between individuals and societies. While we recognise that others in Britain maintain Tystiolaethau Pump o Grynwyr - the importance of a right to national defence it is Five Quakers’ Experience also a country’s responsibility to ensure that the A free copy of the new outreach DVD from Meeting arms it exports are subject to clear limitations as to of Friends in Wales has now been sent out to all use and it should be promoting robust regulation of meetings in and around Wales. Calon would love to the trade. know how meetings are using it. Have you viewed it In the coming month final negotiations begin at the yet? Have you shared it with others outside the United Nations which have the potential to lead to a meeting? Might you consider showing it during global, meaningful and effective Arms Trade Treaty. Quaker Week this year, or buying a copy to put in Remarkably, the trade in conventional weaponry is the local public library? Let us have your feedback not governed by a globally binding Treaty of this and comments. kind, while millions worldwide are menaced by war If you haven’t yet watched it, here are some and by the armed violence which unregulated comments to enthuse you! It can also be viewed transfer of arms fuels. Serious abuses of human through this hyperlink on Calon web version :The rights, prolonged conflict and war crimes often Quiet Way – hyperlink to film The DVD is in result. As you will know very well, poverty, Welsh with English subtitles. [Some people have interruption of health care and education follow, as found the subtitles need a bit of looking for, but they part of the destabilisation of regions. Oxfam reports are there!] that the cost to Africa of armed violence is 19 billion USD annually, roughly matching what it gets in aid, “Innovative, welcomed, and it appeals to a while the numbers of deaths from small arms generation used to visual stimulus.” annually exceed those around Hiroshima and ~ Gethin Evans, Aberystwyth LM Nagasaki combined. “I liked the DVD enormously. It was very friendly We urge you and your fellow parliamentarians, and homely. My wife, who is not a Quaker, found it therefore, not just to support and promote the very moving too. All the people in it were extremely creation of a robust Treaty through the UN likeable - you felt you wanted to be open to them.” ~ negotiations but to make every effort to influence Peter Hussey, Llandrindod and The Pales. those states which remain unconvinced and might “It offers powerful statements for our times. It shows wish to dilute, delay or otherwise to compromise people engaged in the activities of everyday life it. A comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty would be a (‘real work’, in my new-economics-speak!) and yet step towards the preservation of human rights and rooted in something deeper and eternal”. ~ Tony the diminution of violence and warfare, such as we Weekes, South Belfast would all want to see. “How beautifully filmed it is....I liked the balance of Copied to all MPs in Wales and signed on behalf of showing an expression of faith through particular Meeting of Friends in Wales, activities (e.g tree planting in Palestine) and that less ‘Uplifting and energising’ – new Quaker DVD is easily expressed side of how it can define the whole out now! 2 | P a g e of one's attitude to life (the simple lifestyle freely Chinese opium wars, and the Boer and Afghan wars, chosen). while Griffiths also details less familiar acts of “If I lived in a very urban environment I wonder if breath-taking imperial aggression which underline I'd think "Oh that's all very well if you live in a place how far Richard was from the mainstream like that!" Efallai? (I now want to join in an outdoors assumptions of his day. Meeting for Worship too!) Mewn cyfeillgarwch” ~ Griffith’s detailed discussion of the attitude of Sandy Fairhurst, Church Stretton different Welsh Nonconformist denominations to “I love the way that the varied contributors each war shows that while many churches had a strong remind us of something so valuable within our tendency to support peace, Richard was often in a Quaker life. It is like watching a wonderful spiritual minority. He spoke out against the American Civil kaliedoscope. I found it uplifting and energising, and War, popular among Welsh Christians as a war of thank all of them, and everyone who worked to liberation for slaves, maintaining that the cause of achieve this.” Dorothy Bell, Aberystwyth Christianity could not be promoted by the destruction of human lives. His position might challenge us when today’s wars appear to be fought Apostle of peace to protect the oppressed, such as women in Henry Richard, Apostle of Peace and Welsh Afghanistan. Patriot - Gwyn Griffiths On military spending he said “To pour money into (Francis Boutle Publishers the hands of the services is like pouring water into 2012, £14.99) a sieve”. As admiration of ‘our heroes’ becomes Del Gwynfyd Harris ever more unquestioning, his views on military (Aberystwyth) reviews a new honours may resonate; “the work of the warrior is book about Henry Richard: one of pure destruction..