PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 1

Number 74 March 2017 ISSN 1350-3006 matters MAGAZINE OF THE PEACE PLEDGE UNION

Pacifist, not passive Putting pacifist principles into action PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 2

Sign the Peace Pledge “ is a crime against and build a culture humanity. I renounce of war, and am therefore determined not to support any kind of Join online at www.ppu.org.uk or fill war. I am also deter - in the form below. mined to work for the I/we would like to sign the peace pledge (see wording oppo - removal of all causes of site) and join the Peace Pledge Union. war.” Name ______ISSN 1350 – 3006 Address ______Peace Pledge Union Peaceworks ______1 Peace Passage London N7 0BT Email address ______Phone: 020 7424 9444 Email [email protected] Annual subscription: £21, or £10 if you are on a low income, Website: www.ppu.org.uk or £28 for two at the same address. Or you can subscribe to Peace Matters is published by the Peace Peace Matters without joining the PPU for £6. Pledge Union. Material published in Either: I/we enclose a cheque for £____ Peace Matters does not necessarily reflect PPU policy. Or: debit my/our card for £____

Card type ______Editor: Symon Hill, with help from Annie Bebington Card number ______Typeset and design: PPU Printing: Lithosphere Expiry date ______Security number _ _ _

The Peace Pledge Union is the oldest To: The Manager: Bank secular pacifist organisation in Britain. Address Through War Resisters’ International it links with similar groups around the world. It is one of the original sponsors Your account number Please pay on / /2016 and on the same day each of the Campaign Against Arms Trade, a MONTH / YEAR (delete as appropriate) member of Liberty and a co-operating To: The Co-operative Bank plc, 60 Kingsway, organisation of Landmine Action. London WC2B 6DS 08-90-61 Peace Pledge Union Main Account no 50504527 the sum of £ ______amount in For information, visit words______www.ppu.org.uk Signature ______Date ______or call 020 7424 9444. PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 3

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Clean heart, dirty hands Symon Hill, PPU Co-ordinator It was cold and dark at prison sentence. They can read a poem by Samira the BAE Systems base in hardly be accused of refus - Idmessaoud, co-winner Warton in the early hours ing to get their hands dirty. of our Writing for Peace of Sunday, 29 January. Not all pacifists, of award, and feminist Two pacifists found their course, are able to engage author Jess Amy Dixon way through fences and in actions that risk impris - on how to resist both mil - alarms. Sam Walton and onment. Pacifist action is tiarism and patriarchy. Dan Woodhouse (pictured varied. In this issue of We have news on on the front page) were Peace Matters , as well as recent issues of war and within yards of a warplane Dan’s account of the action peace and an update on when they were discovered at the BAE base, you can our work against the mil - by security guards. They find news of varied events tiarisation of schools. were arrested and taken to last Remembrance Day to All these articles are a Blackpool police station. remember all victims of reminder that is Sam and Dan stated war, promote peace and active. The nonviolent quite openly that their plan challenge miltiarism. You activist and writer Walter had been to save lives by can read about the use of Wink wrote that if we are nonviolently disarming a White Poppies and the nonviolent for the sake of warplane bound for Saudi ongoing demand for them. looking good, we are giv - Arabia, for use in Yemen. We also have ing into a temptation to Sometimes, people tell Chloe Skinner writing die with “clean hands me that they have rejected about “embodied resist - and a dirty heart”. To live pacifism because they ance”, which guides her instead with a clean don’t want to be passive, yoga practice and her heart, we need to have or because they believe in action against war. You can dirty hands. “getting their hands dirty”. Such comments involve a total misunderstanding of of pacifism. Pacifism involves active nonviolence as an alternative to both violence and subservience. There was nothing pas - sive about Dan and Sam’s actions when they put their pacifist principles into prac - tice. Out on bail and await - ing charges, they face the very real prospect of a PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 4

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Army accused of abusing recruits

“If you ever question The films have been they say it.” what they say, they're released by Child Sol - Wayne’s films include just going to brutally pun - diers International as part disturbing accounts of ish you,” says Wayne of their campaign to raise young people being Sharrocks. the minimum age of en - punched, publicly humli - “They” are the British listment in the UK armed iated and forced to drink army authorities. Wayne forces from 16 to 18. water continuously until was describing his time “They want to get you they vomit. as a new recruit at the into a way of thinking It’s a reminder that age of 17. where you’ll just follow miltiarism depends on A decade on, Wayne is what they say without dehumanisation. New a peace activist and film - question,” says Wayne. soldiers must be bru - maker. He has made a “If they told you to, for in - talised before they can series of short films to stance, take all your be made to do appalling draw attention to the clothes off and run things to other human shocking treatment of around the block naked, beings. vulnerable teenagers at the start you’d proba - The campaign by who enlist in the armed bly question it and think Child Soldiers Interna - forces. He describes a ‘Why am I doing this?’. tional comes only a few brutal training regime de - But six months down the weeks after a report by signed to turn him into “a line... you’ll just do what - MedAct focused on the robotic mindless killer”. ever they say, whenever experience of young re - cruits. It found that sol - diers and veterns aged Is this belonging? 16-24 are 47% more likely to kill themselves Have you seen the army’s new recruitment than 16-24-year-olds in campaign? Posters show soldiers joking together, the general population. with captions declaring, “This is belonging”. The UK is the only The army admitted that their previous campaign country in Europe to re - led to recuritment levels 10-15% below targets. cruit 16-year-olds into Despite cadets forces, Armed Forces Day and all the armed forces. The Peace Pledge Union the other trappings of everday militarism, it seems readily supports cam - many young people are not keen on signing up for paigns to raise the enlist - violence and unquestioning obedience. ment age, although we Militarism thrives on poverty and injustice. If also object to the brutali - people have to join an army to experience a sense sation of people at any of belonging, then we are doing something very age. Human dignity is wrong as a society. not compatible with mil - tarism and armed forces. PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 5

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Pacifists in the dock

On 23 January, “De - tivists had been acquitted fence” Secretary Michael after blockading a different Fallon was in the Com - entrance on the same day. mons dodging questions Unlike Michael Fallon, about a failed Trident mis - they were upholding the sile test. He said, “I don’t truth about Trident: that believe in transparency” weapons don't protect us, regarding nuclear arms. they make us all less safe. MPs wanting to hear "As a pacifist, I’m proud the truth about Trident that I played a part in stop - could have taken a trip to ping preparations for such Reading. On the same an act if war, if only for a day, five people, including morning,” said PPU mem - members and supporters ber Alison Parker. of the Peace Pledge The campaigners were Union, were in the dock found guilty on 26th Janu - for blockading an en - ary of “wilful obstruction of trance to the Atomic the highway”, given a condi - The defendants (l to r): Weapons Establishment tional discharge and told to Joanna Frew, Nina Carter- in Berkshire last June. pay £120 each in costs. Brown, Nick Cooper, Angela The trial came only The five are members of Ditchfield and Alison Parker. weeks after five other ac - Put Down the Sword, a Christian group committed to against war. They received support from both religious and non-reli - gious groups, including sec - ular organistions such as the Peace Pledge Union. Three days later, Sam Walton and Dan Wood - house were arrested in Lan - cashire while attempting to disarm BAE planes des - tined for Saudi Arabia (see centre pages). They are awaiting charges. Meanwhile, we’re not ex - pecting to see Michael Fal - lon and the arms dealers in the dock any time soon. PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 6

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Remembrance Round-Up

White Poppies places and local groups. However, we have The run-up to Remem - become victims of our own brance Day 2016 saw success. We were over - around 100,000 orders for whelmed by the number of White Poppies. This marks poppy orders and our office the third consecutive year systems have been creak - of sales much higher than ing under the strain. we saw even a few years We are very sorry to all ago. who did not receive their Shop sales in particular poppies in time for Remem - were unusually high. Exeter brance Day. The good news Peace Shop, for example, is that we are reviewing all had to reorder three times. aspects of our It was encouraging to work and we will be upgrad - take orders from people ing our systems and prac - new to White Poppies as tices ready for a large-scale well as those who had been operation in 2017. wearing them for years. The We owe a big thank you whole operation was made to everyone who volun - possible by people around teered to pack poppies in PPU activists packing the UK and beyond distrib - the PPU office. Particular poppies at a volunteer uting White Poppies in their thanks go to our much evening. own communities, work - appreciated temporary staff, Amy Clark-Bryan and Becky Vaal, who joined us between September and December. Annie Bebington, our administrator, was sorely missed during the White Poppy campaign after she broke her shoulder in Sep - tember. We’re pleased to report she’s now back at her desk and well on the road to recovery. PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 7

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Remembrance Round-Up

Poetry in London Threats and theft

Scottish pacifist poet In some areas, White Ashby McGowan re - Poppies were sadly met ceived a warm welcome with anger and even at the PPU’s Alternative threats from local mili - Remembrance Sunday tarists. Ceremony in Tavistock In the Forest of Dean, PPU wreath at the Square, London. He per - local Quakers were pre - Alternative Remembrance formed several of his vented from laying a mixed poems before two min - Sunday Ceremony. wreath of White and Red utes’ silence was ob - served to remember all Poppies after the local victims of all of all authorities were threatened nationalities. White with “trouble” if White Pop - Poppy wreaths, and indi - pies appeared on a war vidual poppies, were then memorial. laid by those present. In Lewes, a White Peace activists in sev - Poppy wreath laid on 11th eral other cities, including November had mysteri - Glasgow, laid White ously disappeared by the Poppy wreaths once offi - time the Remembrance cial ceremonies were Sunday ceremony was over. Pacifists in York held two days later. The marked Armistice Day by removal was defended by giving out thousands of local British Legion chair White Poppy camapign White Poppies for free to Jack Neil, who described launch in Ayrshire. local students. White Poppy wreaths as “disrespectful and totally inappropriate”. He has perhaps not spo - ken with his British Legion colleagues in Aberystwyth, who have for several years been laying a red wreath at the same time as local peace activists lay a white wreath. PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 8

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Hammers and a sense of calm

In the early hours of The most peculiar thing the action make sense Sunday 29 January, about attempting to disarm and to me feel normal and two pacifists were ar - multimillion-pound death imperative, despite, at rested at the BAE Sys - machines is that at no point times, overwhelming anxi - tems base at Warton in did it seem odd. ety. Lancashire while at - Also strange was the I have campaigned for tempting to disarm a sense of calm that I had years against the arms warplane. They were driving to the base. I well trade. Most of this pursuit Dan Woodhouse, a remember the tactical loo has been spent though Methodist minister break at the side of the road more conventional from Leeds, and Sam while peacefully, and in means; meeting with Walton, a Quaker from wonder, looking up at the other campaigners, talk - London. It was 21 thousands of stars in the ing to MPs, signing peti - years to the day since winter’s perfectly clear early tions, marching. the Seeds of Hope morning sky. At the heart of this has group had entered the Which is not to make my - been my faith as a Chris - same base and dis - self out to be some kind of tian, the example of Christ armed a plane. rock and roll activist that and the prophets. Scrip - Both Dan and Sam takes all in his stride, nor to ture teaches us to peace - are PPU members. say that it was easy or with - fully resist evil, to speak Dan Woodhouse tells out apprehension. truth to power; always us why he did it, and I felt under great stress in looking to those who have how it felt. the days running up to it. no voice. Generally having an almost This time the voiceless, constant sense of height - or covered screams, are ened anxiety as well as suf - found in Yemen and the fering a panic attack; a vicious, repressive killers thing I have not experi - are the UK arms indus - enced even once since my try’s most valued cus - teens when debilitating tomer, Saudi Arabia and panic attacks were com - its coalition. monplace. The official target of the So why then did it seem Saudi-led, BAE-built, aer - so normal? To many our ac - ial bombing campaign are tions seemed to come out rebels. However, at the of nowhere; much like a point where it is being meteor suddenly blazing widely reported that many and burning out in the sky. civilian targets, including However, there was a long mosques, schools, hospi - journey to reach this point. tals, transport infrastruc - It is this journey that makes ture and markets, are PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 9

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being hit, often repeat - edly, questions are raised as to what the unofficial targets are. Either way, despite the rising death toll and reports that over three million people are on the verge of starvation in Yemen, the UK govern - ment turns a blind eye and continues to court Saudi, even sending high-ranking royals over out for justice, without UK-complicit Saudi atroc - to seal more arms deals. success. ities. The campaign to stop Simply put the Govern - Though, sadly my re - UK weapons sales con - ment of the UK is com - gret is that we were tinues without success. plicit in war crimes and stopped at the final door The UN votes to sus - will not listen to reason, and it will be my lasting pend all arms sales to justice or even law. memory waiting with se - Saudi Arabia without suc - When such weight of curity thinking of the cess. people and organisation lives we didn't directly Humanitarian organi - cry out and the govern - save that night. sations working in Yemen ment and arms dealers However, it is my present evidence of war refuse to listen the con - hope that through all crimes and demand arms ventional is no longer an campaigning, including sales cease, without suc - option and the unconven - our action, that I or any cess. tional becomes the most other will never be forced Independent lawyers normal and vital thing in into such a position deem UK arms sales to the world. again, because I hope Saudi Arabia to be break - So it is for this that I that never again will the ing UK, EU and interna - found myself under stress UK be so complicit in un - tional law and MPs and fear, but on the night bridled butchery . speak out demanding at peace, with my friend Above: Dan holds a Yemeni weapons sales stop, Sam, ready to physically flag with a message from without success. stifle at least some of the supporters in Yemen. All around people cry PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 10

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My pacifism will be feminist

Jess Amy Dixon It should not be contro - cal, but it can just as easily argues that feminism versial, in 2017, to say that be sexual, emotional, men - and pacifism cannot people of all genders are tal or spiritual. be effective without equal. But it can be. And it The little girl who is told each other. should not be controversial she can’t be good at maths to say that violence is or science because they’re wrong and rarely, if ever, for boys will internalise the solves problems. And yet it idea that her thoughts are is, as anyone who routinely worth less because she speaks out against violence was born with a vagina. The will know. little boy who is mocked for We live in a patriarchal crying and learns that to world (as defined by Oxford show emotions is “girly” and Dictionaries as “a system of therefore bad, will grow up society or government in thinking that to be manly which men hold the power means to be brutish and un - and women are largely ex - caring. The teenager who is cluded from it”). Patriarchy ostracised for being a “slut” influences all our lives, or a “prude” will learn that often in ways that have be - her body is not her own and come so normalised we are that her choices are free for no longer consciously public consumption and aware of them. I argue that judgement. The woman patriarchy is a system of vi - whose boyfriend yells at her olence and that no-one of and calls her terrible names any gender is free from it. will think that she should be This misogynistic – and, by thankful – at least he extension, homophobic - doesn’t hit her. cycle of oppression and As feminists, we fight dominance is the reason and long for this suffering to one in four women will be stop. We weep for our sis - raped in their lifetime. It’s ters, for our daughters, for the reason male victims of our friends and ourselves. domestic abuse aren’t Violence is so nor - taken seriously. It’s the rea - malised in our culture that it son for Elliot Rodger and is glorified. Have you ever Virginia Tech and Orlando. tried to suggest that the Violence is often physi - armed forces are not the PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 11

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“heroes” they’re lauded and say, “we are better types of violence that as? Try it. I dare you. than this”. To extend a don’t involve bombs or Intelligent people will hand with love and com - guns. argue, with a straight passion, not raise a fist Only in a world with no face, that invasions and or a gun with fear and more rape, no more sex - bombing are necessary hatred. Patriarchal vio - ual and gendered vio - precursers to “freedom”. lence and state-sanc - lence, will women be They can rarely articulate tioned violence exist equal. Only in a world how one transitions to hand in hand and each without armed conflict will the other: one must be destroyed in all human beings be safe. order to destroy the Only when violence in all Step 1: Drop bombs! other. its forms is eradicated will Step 2: ??? We cannot fight for we finally have freedom. Step 3: Freedom! freedom from patriarchal oppression at the same From the young men time as considering and women who are sent armed warfare morally Jess Amy Dixon is a out to “die as cattle”, to justified. We cannot call novelist, blogger and the fatherless and moth - ourselves pacifists while charity fundraiser. She erless children, to the turning a blind eye to the lives in Leicestershire. women and girls treated as rewards for victorious soldiers (rape has been normalised as a spoil of war for all of recorded history), nobody is free from the suffering war brings. As pacifists, we fight and long for this pain to stop. We weep for our siblings, our parents, our children and our world. At their core, pacifism and feminism both seek justice, equality, an end to cycles of violence, and safety and freedom for all The Women’s of 1915: people. Both ideologies Women peace activsts from countries at war with each challenge us to come to - other met in the Netherlands to work for peace. gether as human beings PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 12

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Embodied resistance

Chloe Skinner explores Bodies are powerful. what I told myself any - yoga and the art of Whatever glorious form way, in “reclined butterfly embodied nonviolence. your body takes, it is pow - pose” while held in an Is - erful. raeli military base - much I must state that this to the bemusement of body of mine is a white, fe - military personnel at - male, relatively youthful tempting to enforce “co - and “able” body, and so operation” (that is, the various walls that I do, interrogation without ac - or do not, have to push cess to a lawyer). through to assert and ac - I write from the per - cess this power differ to spective of an avid yoga those experienced by oth - practitioner and teacher, ers in given contexts. and an ever-persistent Nonetheless, I am power - peace activist. Among ful. You are powerful. other things, I’m engaged Violence, in its many in direct action against expressions - sexual, militarism in the UK and Chloe Skinner is a yoga structural, symbolic, physi - was formerly a long-term teacher and pacfiist activist cal - seeks to disarm the solidarity worker in occu - body of that power. So pied Hebron, Palestine. who previously worked then, our nonviolence - our Daily exposed to various with Chrisitan Peacemaker refusal to be dominated - ammunition, intimidations Teams in Palestine. must be embodied. That is and control in Hebron, through which I wit - nessed the at times fatal oppression of the Pales - tinian people, yoga be - came my sacred medicinal practice. For me, yoga is inti - mately connected to a powerful pacifism through the practice of embodied resistance, teaching me to (1) induce struggle to soften into in - tensity, (2) nonviolently PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 13

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assert self-contained cuppa rather than knock - been subject. It ain’t al - control, (3) relax into and ing your leg with his gun ways comfortable, but it after adrenaline, and, (4) (I realise this is far easier is necessary. practise the all-important- and safer with privilege Here is the need for yet-oft-forgotten art of as a white peaceworker). self-care. To pull as self-care. Awareness of the much energy inward as These practices are ac - shapes you make with projected outward. My cessible through other your body in the space mat is the site of hours physical disciplines. But I you occupy can commu - of self-love, of conscious do love yoga. nicate an untouchable realisation and return to We all face struggle. embodied power. Much the liminal space which To which our body, invari - as though intimidation is beyond even the dom - ably, responds. Through may make me want to ination system. practice, we can begin to curl in and submit, yoga The body knows the navigate that response, teaches me to stand score. Everything that softening into and ex - strong, powerful and has and is happening is panding around that present - feet grounded, written onto the land - which confronts us. In head lifted, shoulders scape of your body. Em - stress or fear our body down, heart open. bodying resistance tenses, and our - very That desire, to grow means tuning into the wise - fight-or-flight re - small, protect, cry, is also body’s gifts to remain sponse activates. It is im - necessary in resisting the connected, integrated, portant here not to deny domination system. We and strong enough to but to soothe tension, are, after all, as soft as hold openness, vulnera - positively harnessing the we are strong - as strong bility and love in all con - energy of fight-flight. Wil - as we are soft. After mo - texts. fully inducing struggle ments of confrontation, I Learn about your through a strong embod - have learnt (through body, devote yourself to ied practice teaches the error - that most infuriat - it, and then apply these art of attention to the ing of teachers) that I gifts. Change though it body’s response to diffi - must listen to, embrace does, my body is the culty. and soothe vulnerability only home I can ever be For me, this has and fear, lest I become fully certain of. Whatever proved indispensable as adrenally exhausted, or happens, nobody can an act of resistance. Let ‘ grow hardened by vio - take that reality away. ’em try to intimidate you lence. Yoga too teaches Your body is the most when you are breathing the importance of induc - powerful site of resist - into your root, and soft - ing rest and digest. Our ance you have. ening through your face body must process all it Welcome home. as though the military encounters, releasing commander is offering a traumas to which it has PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 14

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The Scarlet Price Samira Idmessaoud

I want no man’s blood on my hands, We are the same, The languages we speak reflect many colours and hues, But blood is only one colour and that is red, I want no man’s blood on my hands.

The storm of war beguiles and deceives; It is hard to fight against what is held to be just and true, The storm is fierce and holds us all in tight embrace.

Peace is censored, silenced and condemned, The piper calls and the young are entranced by the echoes of glory, Oblivious to the scarlet price.

In the roar of war, I do not deny the courage to fight, But it takes another kind of courage to hold high the hand of peace, I will join the few that stand aside and lose my freedom.

I want no man’s blood on my hands.

Samira Idemessaoud is a student at Ratton School in Eastbourne. Her poem, The Scarlet Price won joint first place in the PPU’s Writing for Peace award, which involved en - tries from young people across the UK. Co-winner Georgina Melia featured in the last issue, whlie our next issue will include the contribu - tion of runner-up Holly Samira Idmessaoud receives her Writing for Peace Thompson. award from the PPU’s Peter Glasgow. PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 15

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Disarming schools

“They are militarising taken place in at least a schools should be funded schools in Ayrshire,” says third of recent armed to enable exciting activi - 16-year-old local peace forces visits to Scottish ties, whether outward activist, Jay Sutherland. schools. bound schemes, voca - “We must oppose it.” Other examples of a tional tasters or individual That determination led “miltary ethos” include the and team sporting oppor - Jay and his comrades to expansion of cadet forces tunities - without a “miltary found Scotland Against to state schools (though ethos”. What people need - Miltiarism, a campaign led thankfully not in Scotland), and young people in par - by young people against highly simplistic learning itcular - is to be more the militarisation of resources produced by the questioning, not less schools. armed forces and the un - questioning. Education It’s an aim that receives workable Troops to Teach - should develop criticial the wholehearted support ers scheme. thinking and the ability to of the Peace Pledge The PPU has been talk - explore different ideas and Union. ing with young people, viewpoints. The PPU will be taking parents and teachers who this message to the an - share our concerns. We Are you a school nual conference of the Na - have been liaising with student, parent, teacher tional Union of Teachers other groups resisting the or other school worker? (NUT) in Cardiff in April. miltiarisation of young Get in touch at The government has people, such as Forces peaceeducation@ppu. talked explicitly of a desire Watch and MedAct. org.uk or on to promote a “military At the NUT conference, 020 7424 9444. ethos” within state we will promote the PPU’s schools. educational rescouces In practical terms, this and hear the views and has involved a large num - experiences of teachers ber of armed forces visits regarding militarised to schools. The forces in - schooling. We will encour - sist that these have noth - age them to join with us in ing to do with recruitment. resisting any sort of “mili - In contrast, Scotland tary ethos”. Against Miltiarism esti - But the PPU’s position mates that explicit discus - is not just about opposi - sion of recruitment has tiontion. We believe that PeaceMatters March 2017.qxp_Layout 1 01/03/2017 16:50 Page 16

16 Make a date for peace in 2017

14-16 April promote an alternative message and PPU and NUT in Cardiff there will be resistance in many places. The Peace Pledge Union will run a stall Watch this space. at the National Union of Teachers conference in Cardiff. Watch out for 12-15 September news of a public event in Cardiff London arms fair (DSEi) around the same time. One of the world’s largest arms fairs is taking place in London. The Campaign 20-23 April Against Arms Trade (to which the PPU is Global Days of Action on Military affiliated) have big plans for the week be - Spending forehand, when many will be demon - There will be events around the world, strating and taking nonviolent direct including in the UK. action as the organisers attempt to set up the event. 15 May International Conscientious 12 November Objectors’ Day Remembrance Sunday We will stand in solidarity with people In the run-up to Remembrance Sunday, resisting miltiarism around the world. In we will call for remembrance for all vic - the UK, ceremonies and other events times of all wars, of all nationalities. We are expected in London, Norwich and will speak up for peace and challenge elsewhere. the misuse of remembrance to glorify war. We expect our White Poppy cam - 3 June paign to be bigger than ever. Peace Pledge Union conference and AGM Save the date! Our annual gathering in Keep up to date with the PPU London is open to all. There will be speakers, discussion and a chance to plan our ongoing resistance. More in - www.ppu.org.uk formation closer to the time. Twitter: @PPUtoday 24 June Armed Forces Day Once again, the government and their facebook.com/peacepledgeunion allies will attempt to ramp up support for militarism by pressurising us to 020 7424 9444 cheer the armed forces. The PPU will