PeaceMatters June 2016 - revised.qxp_Layout 1 21/07/2016 13:11 Page 1 Number 73 Summer 2016 peace matters MAGAZINE OF THE PEACE PLEDGE UNION Resisting everyday militarism PeaceMatters June 2016 - revised.qxp_Layout 1 21/07/2016 13:11 Page 2 Sign the Peace Pledge “War is a crime against and build a culture humanity. I renounce of nonviolence 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 Jan Melichar and 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 June 2016 - revised.qxp_Layout 1 21/07/2016 13:11 Page 3 3 Crossing boundaries Symon Hill A week before the EU mean war and prepara - Militarist values and referendum, a retired tions for war. For all the assumptions are present British general broke ranks talk of security threats, in everyday life in the with his colleagues. armed forces do not UK, from military visits to Charles Guthrie, former address the underlying schools to local events to Chief of the Defence Staff, causes of violence, such mark Armed Forces Day. had been one of twelve for - as global poverty, inequal - The Peace Pledge Union mer senior officers to sign ity and climate change. has decided to step up a letter in February backing In the wake of the Brexit its work challenging EU membership. But he vote, British politics feels everyday militarism. The changed his mind, telling unstable. The future is following pages give the Daily Telegraph that he hard to predict. One thing some examples of every - feared close European co- we can guarantee is that day militarism - and of operation over “defence” militarists will continue to ways to resist it. because many European push their agenda, whether I recently took up the armies are “hopeless”. in the UK, EU, Russia, the post of PPU Co-ordina - Guthrie, now a director US or elsewhere. tor, succeeding Jan of the arms company Colt As pacifists, we must be Melichar, who has served Defence, said, he would just as determined to stand the PPU for many years. rather co-operate with up to this, building I am honoured to be in countries such as Australia alliances across borders, this position and I look “which has a jolly good making clear that violence forward to working with army and one which is pre - cannot end violence and you in tackling militarism pared to do things”. By that militarism is an assault and promoting a strong “things”, he presumably on human dignity. pacifist alternative. means fighting wars, which is what armies are for. Both Guthrie and his pro-Remain colleagues share familiar assump - tions. Violence is deemed to be necessary, repeat - edly and on a large scale. The UK establishment is assumed to be worth defending. In the Ministry of Defence (pictured), they talk about “defence” but PeaceMatters June 2016 - revised.qxp_Layout 1 21/07/2016 13:11 Page 4 4 News of peace and war Army under pressure evidence of sexual ha - Ministers in the dock over Deepcut rassment and bullying of over Saudi arms vulnerable young people. The British army is strug - Amnesty International There was success for gling to defend its reputa - called for fresh inquests the peace movement on tion after the latest into three other mysteri - 30 June, when the High revelations about the ous deaths at the base. Court ordered a judicial deaths of young person - Army boss Nick review into the legality of nel at Deepcut barracks Carter, Chief of the Gen - UK arms sales to Saudi in Surrey. eral Staff, fought a rear - Arabia. Two decades after the guard action at the The legal case was death of 18-year-old Defence Select Commit - brought by the Campaign Cheryl James, a new in - tee, insisting that army Against Arms Trade quest confirmed a verdict “culture” would change. (CAAT), to which the of suicide, to the surprise Even he acknowledged PPU is affiliated. It may of many. But this didn’t that it was “sexualised”. be several months be - let the army off the hook. The Committee sadly fore the issue is debated The coroner made clear failed to ask him how an in court, but there’s al - that evidence had been organisation rooted in vi - ready been an outraged lost due to a lack of olence and hierarchy reaction from arms com - proper investigation. The could ever move away panies and the Saudi inquest heard yet more from bullying and abuse. government. Arms dealers for peace The Chilcot small print Members of the PPU and Like many peace organisations, the PPU CAAT attended the AGM weclomed the fact that John Chilcot’s recent report of arms giant BAE Sys - recognised the flimsiness of Tony Blair’s argument tems on 4 May. Chair - for invading Iraq. However, Chilcot seemed to shy man Roger Carr became away from questioning the armed forces. rattled by ongoing ques - Buried away in Section 6.1 of the report, tions about arms sales to however, is the revelation that military command - Saudi Arabia, the bomb - ers pressed for a greater UK role in the invasion ing of Yemen and BAE’s during the run-up to war. The PPU insisted that academy school in Cum - commanders as well as politicians must be held to bria. Eventually, he account. claimed that BAE was The problem is war, not just this war. War selling arms to preserve is possible because people do what they’re told. “peace”. PeaceMatters June 2016 - revised.qxp_Layout 1 21/07/2016 13:11 Page 5 5 News of peace and war Taxes for Peace Bill Nonviolent action against nukes Labour MP Ruth Cadbury has presented a bill to While the media were ab - Parliament that would sorbed by Brexit, a nuclear weapons site in Berkshire grant taxpayers the right was coping with a security to choose to have the mil - threat posed by a particu - itary portion of their taxes larly dangerous group of diverted towards expendi - people: pacifists. ture on non-military secu - Throughout June, paci - rity. fists and other peace ac - The bill is backed tivists blockaded entrances by Conscience, the group to the Atomic Weapons Es - campaigning for consci - tablishment at Burghfield entious objection to mili - (next to Aldermaston), tary taxation. While it has where Trident missiles are developed. little chance of becoming A blockade of the main law, it is ensuring that he gate on 6 June continued realities of military expen - overnight and stayed in diture are discussed in place for over a week. Simi - Parliament and the lar actions took place every Welsh activists blockade media. The UK has the day for the rest of the AWE Burghfield. fifth highest military month. Photo: Trident spending in the world. On 27 June, a number of Ploughshares faith groups took part in a day of action under the ban - ner ‘No Faith in Trident’. Support was offered by Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and secular fig - ures. There were several ar - rests during the month, in - cluding eight on 27 June, mostly from the Christian pacifist group Put Down the Sword. It’s a reminder that paci - fists are not passive. PeaceMatters June 2016 - revised.qxp_Layout 1 21/07/2016 13:11 Page 6 6 Everyday militarism Militarism is all Armed forces join No Pride in War campaign. around us. If it seems human rights march “Why should the military invisible, it’s only be allowed to walk at the because it’s so deeply London’s LGBT Pride front of the march when embedded in British parade on 25 June featured NHS doctors, who I depend life that it looks like a uniformed soldiers and a on for my medical support natural part of the flypast by the Red Arrows. services, have to walk at landscape. Arms company BAE Sys - the back?” asked Dan As we step up the tems formed a section of Glass from Act Up, one of PPU’s resistance to the parade, declaring sup - the first groups to speak everyday militarism, port for LGBT rights.