Wed. September 21, 2011
Peace Gardening, Education and The White Book
Aberporth, Newcastle Emlyn and Carmarthen Join the Worldwide Celebration for UN International Day of Peace
As part of today’s International Day of Peace celebrations this morning, a group gathered at ‘Aberporth Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Centre of Excellence’ to launch a commemorative garden. The garden is to remember the victims who suffer from the deployment of UAVs (drones)
Many people are deeply concerned that UAV/drone remote killing machines being developed in our communities are causing death and misery in other communities elsewhere in the world. The Israeli designed ‘Watchkeeper’ is being developed at Aberporth and in the skies over Wales on behalf of the British army. These ‘Watchkeepers’ are for surveillance, spying and identifying targets for weapon strikes.
At Aberporth this morning, a young oak tree grown from an acorn from around the Llywelyn Monument at Cilmeri in Powys, was planted in the new Commemorative Garden .
The group included members of CND Cymru, Cardigan Amnesty International, Bro Emlyn Peace and Justice Group, Cymdeithas y Cymod, Mererid Hopwood, Rev. Guto ap Gwynfor, Rev. Cen Llwyd, Lynne Denman, Dewi Pws and friends. It moved on to Newcastle Emlyn where they held a vigil in the town centre.
By invitation, talks are now being given in local schools. The group will be met in Carmarthen by school children amongst others this afternoon. Carmarthen Town Council will raise the Peace Flag over the Town Hall, and there will be opportunities to sign a new and wonderful ‘White Book of Carmarthen’ for Peace.
Other events are taking place across Wales and across the world today.
Jill Gough, National Secretary of CND Cymru said today:
‘We should be pressing our Government in Wales to face up to this and think what we’re doing when we encourage investments in weapons development and manufacture within our country. Wales needs to introduce peace and conflict prevention education into our educational establishments and to consider the genuine meaning of sustainability.’
‘Peace Day helps us to focus on the consequences on seemingly innocuous desire for economic growth, no matter what the consequences. It is an opportunity to focus on this need, to question and ponder – and to celebrate the best that we are and all we do not wish to lose – for ourselves and those to come.’
ENDS
This follows a fuller press release sent yesterday.
To receive a copy or for copies of photographs
contact Jill Gough: heddwch@cndcymru.org 01239 85 11 88
or see: http://www.cndcymru.org/wales-joins-in-worldwide-celebration-for-un-international-day-of-peace
Details for Carmarthen
4.00 p.m. Gathering outside Carmarthen Fire-Station, and then walk through the town to St Peter’s Hall.
5.15 p.m. A ceremony arranged by Carmarthen Town Council. Raising the flag of peace over the Town Hall.
5.30 p.m. The official opening of the ‘White Book of Carmarthen’
The White Book is a finely bound volume with pages for signatures which will be taken from place to place with an invitation for all to sign it as a witness for the way of peace.
Interviews available:
Guto Prys ap Gwynfor, Llandysul 01559 363649
Cen Llwyd, Talgarreg 01545 590295 or 07970 596887
Mererid Hopwood, Caerfyrddin 07855 868077
Drones and civilian deaths
The use of unmanned drones as weapons of war in conflicts around the world has been called into question by one of Britain’s most senior judges. Lord Bingham, a former senior Law Lord, said that some weapons were so ‘cruel as to be beyond the pale of human tolerance’.
A detailed examination by the Bureau of 116 (US) CIA ‘secret’ drone strikes in Pakistan since August 2010 has uncovered at least 10 individual attacks in which 45 or more civilians appear to have died. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has identified and can provide the family names for, six children among those killed. At least 15 additional strikes warrant urgent investigation, with many more civilian deaths possible.
Drones and Aberporth:
Since July 28th, a permanent segregated airspace around Parc Aberporth allows frequent testing of unmanned aircraft across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Powys and part of North Pembrokeshire with flights between Aberporth and military training ranges on Mynydd Epynt.
The only company now renting a business unit on the especially constructed Parc Aberporth is Qinetiq who are testing an Israeli designed ‘Watchkeeper’ (formerly ‘Hermes’) drone owned by the MoD for use with spying and targeting over Afghanistan and other war zones. The Parc itself has cost the taxpayer at least £21 million.
The United Nations’ International Day of Peace, marked every year on 21st September, is a day when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace.
Established by U.N. Resolution in 1982, “Peace Day” now includes millions of people all around the world celebrating peace. http://internationaldayofpeace.org/about/background.html
