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JNV Newsletter
1
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JNV
Newsletter of Justice Not
Vengeance Issue 1
An anti-war group evolving out
of ARROW
(Active Resistance to the Roots of War)
[Click
here for a pdf version]
the grassroots anti-war conference
ANTI-WAR
MARCH
SAT 27 SEPT 12pm London
Organised by the Stop The
War Coalition, CND &
the Muslim Association of Britain
GRASSROOTS
ANTI-WAR CONFERENCE
FRI 26-SUN 28 SEPT
Organised by Justice Not Vengeance and the JNV Network.
Supported by Voices UK
Conway Hall, Red Lion Sq., London WC1, Holborn tube
make the most of your weekend!
We all found the anti-war march
on 15th February an amazing experience, but it didn't quite stop
the war.
Since then, activists all over the country
have been doing some hard thinking: marching wasn't enough-what
can we to to prevent the next war? It's time to come together
to share our ideas and build on them.
JNV (Justice Not Vengeance, a new anti-war
group started by ARROW co-founders David Polden and Milan Rai)
is helping to organize a "grassroots" conference for
anti-war activists to discuss, debate and share skills, experience
and ideas.
origins
Tom Hay of Enfield Stop the War, conference co-organiser, initiated
the idea after the Stop the War forum in June. He wrote, 'I think
that what is needed is a framework to allow local groups to tap
into each other's ideas, share experience and expertise, and co-ordinate
actions at a moment's notice.
'We need to overcome the barriers between
those who advocate direct action, those who use democratic channels,
the educators and the influencers-all have a role to play in a
successful movement, and can support each other rather than acting
in competition or even conflict.
'Above all, we need a clear view of an overall
strategy to WIN - there is too much fluffy talk about "influencing
public opinion"-yes, and then what is supposed to happen?
How does public opinion affect the actions that "our leaders"
take?
'To understand that is to have the key to
a movement that will succeed, rather than one which will win the
moral battle but still lose the war-as happened in the 60s and
80s.
'I see the conference as a forum to discuss
and debate issues like the ones mentioned above, a chance for
people to network together and get some practical ideas off the
ground, and hopefully an empowering experience for participants.'
jnv: evolving from arrow
Justice Not Vengeance (JNV) is a new anti-war
group coming out of the ARROW experience, with exciting new ideas
for anti-war campaigning.
ARROW (Active Resistance to the Roots of
War) has transferred to JNV the ARROW website (www.justicenotvengeance.org),
the Anti-War Briefings, and the
Pledge of Resistance (please
see the article below).
JNV, initiated by two ARROW co-founders David
Polden and myself, intends to carry on the work of ARROW, with
new projects and initiatives in the spirit of ARROW.
a new network
JNV's first big project has been
to help set up a new national grassroots network to complement
existing national coalitions (please see below).
JNV has poured in considerable
sums of money, and a lot of time and energy, to help kick-start
this new grassroots network.
iran
JNV is also organising, and fund-raising for a very exciting anti-war
art project focused on Iran (please see below).
members / joining
jnv
ARROW is a London-based direct action affinity group. As such,
it was not appropriate to offer membership to people who could
not come to meetings or be part of the affinity group. JNV, on
the other hand, is intended to be a national campaign group, based
around the same core principles
that ARROW developed in the aftermath of 11 September. Therefore
JNV can and does offer membership to individuals who agree with
the principles. If you would like to join JNV, and have access
to the internet, please use the online form at <www.j-n-v.org/join-jnv/jnvframe.htm>.
This really helps us, saving admin. time. If you do not have internet
access, please print & return the form below.
please support jnv
JNV is an attempt to support and excite and empower the anti-war
movement in a difficult and important time. We would be very grateful
for any financial support that you are able to offer, however
large or small.
Milan Rai.
the pledge of
resistance
The Pledge of Resistance is a public declaration
of intent to carry out civil disobedience in the event of a major
US/UK attack on Iraq (or any other country) in the course of the
so-called 'war on terrorism.' The Pledge played a valuable role
in facilitating nonviolent direct action in the run-up to the
war on Iraq.
Gabriel Carlyle of ARROW and voices, who
was the coordinating hub of the Pledge, says, 'I guess the Pledge
contributed in some measure to the formation of a number of groups
around the country, as in Norwich, in Oxford and elsewhere. 'The
Pledge also helped to link together groups; for example, Cambridge
activists got to know other folk around the country via the Pledge.
day of die-ins
A Pledge gathering in London initiated a National Day of Die-ins
against the war, which took place on 17 March, the day President
Bush issued his ultimatum to Saddam Hussein. Gabriel estimates
that 1700 people took part in over fifteen actions all over Britain.
the future
The Pledge has played a very valuable role in the past. JNV would
like to help Pledgers to make an equally valuable contribution
in the future, perhaps by linking up with other direct action
networks.
Please support the Pledge, support JNV, and
come to the Conference to discuss the future of the Pledge.
Sign online at www.j-n-v.org/pledge_menu.htm
a
new grassroots network
Currently sharing JNV's resources and website,
and funded by JNV, is an emerging new non-hierarchical grassroots
network of anti-war groups [recently renamed the GrassRoots Opposition
to War Network].
why a new network?
There are many valuable coalitions and networks in the peace movement
performing particular functions. By the beginning of this summer,
however, a number of local anti-war groups focusing on the US-UK
'war on terrorism' were looking for greater horizontal communication
between local groups, to share ideas, experiences, information,
and skills.
There was also an expressed need for more
democratic forums for decision-making, regionally and nationally,
on the way forward for the movement.
That is how the Grassroots Activist Conference
came to be started by Tom Hay of Enfield Stop the War, with other
local STW groups, after the last STW national forum. Separately,
at the same time, some people connected with ARROW held meetings
in London and Leeds. The idea of the network is not to compete
with any of the existing frameworks, but to complement them, as
the Conference is complementing the STW march on 27 Sept.
For groups not affiliated to STW, the network
may also be a new opportunity to connect with others constructively.
common ground
The Network has agreed an interim 'common ground', including the
following points:
• As a network, we are committed to
campaigning solely by non-violent means.
• As a network, we will operate non-hierarchically.
• We will co-operate and communicate with other networks*.
*Non-violent means 'actions that would
not harm or dehumanise any human being'
get involved!
If this is something your group is interested in, there are a
number of ways you can get involved:
• come to the Grassroots Anti- War Conference in September
• come to a monthly Network meeting (first Thurs. of each
month) in London
• help organise a network launch meeting and/or regional
forum in your area
• affiliate your group to the network
• send in your ideas!
getting in touch
Telephone: 0845 458 3116
Website: <www.j-n-v.org>
Email: <network@j-n-v.org>
help needed on the march
Voices and JNV are handing out Anti-War
briefings and postcards on the STW march on 27 Sept. We'd love
some help distributing materials. All free or for donations; no
selling required.
Please come and pick up materials to hand out from 12 noon under
Marble Arch OR at 12 noon at Conway Hall if you are attending
the Grassroots Anti-War Conference (as you jolly well ought to
be).
the iran project
JNV is organising a trip to Iran by
two anti-war artists-Emily Johns, famous for her wonderful images
for voices in the wilderness uk; and Kim Weston-Arnold, who took
the breath-taking photographs of ordinary Iraqis for Milan Rai's
War Plan Iraq (which also had some of Emily's pictures in it).
The plan is to produce images for a
future book, for an anti-war, anti-Islamophobia exhibition (suitable
for high street stalls), for anti-war postcards, and perhaps for
a bigger touring exhibition.Footage from the trip may also be
used to produce a short anti-war video next spring, introducing
the issues around Iran.
$20,000
The US Government is suing Voices
in the Wilderness US for $20,000 for its 65 sanctions-breaking
delegations to Iraq.
Voices US is asking for 20,000 people to
raise their voices against the injustice and hypocrisy of this
lawsuit:
'We pledge to raise $20,000 in new donations and once again carry
relief aid to the Iraqi people.'
Voices US is asking people to:
1) Write or fax Attorney General John Ashcroft.
2) Donate your war tax refusal or other donation.
3) Take nonviolent direct action.
4) Organize a symbolic event of solidarity with voices.
5) Write to your local paper.
For more on how you can raise your
voice for peace and justice, please see the Vioces US website
<www.nonviolence.org/vitw/>
speaking tour
Milan Rai is on a speaking tour. If
your group would like to invite Milan to do a talk in Nov. or
Dec., please call us on 0845 458 9571 (local rate). Follow the
link for tour details.
circles of hope
US relatives of victims of September 11th
have formed an anti-war group. Peaceful
Tomorrows invites you to commemorate September 11th with 'Circles
of Hope': 'Please join us in creating Circles of Hope to commemorate
the two-year anniversary of our loved ones' deaths on September
11th.
'We plan to encircle the World Trade Center
site with a candlelight vigil on the night of September 10, 2003.
'Gather with us in New York City or create a Circle of Hope candlelight
vigil on September 10 or 11th in your own community and link it
to other circles by registering your event on our website.
Peaceful Tomorrows has developed materials
for discussion circles to explore the impact of 9/11. Please visit
their website at www.peacefultomorrows.org
jnv: six core principles
JNV has 6 Core Principles (inherited
from ARROW), guiding our opposition to the 'war on terrorism':
join jnv
- by post
Please print and return the form below
to:
JNV, 29 Gensing Rd, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN38 0HE.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Please tick the [_] boxes as appropriate
[_] Yes, I support JNV and its projects. I've read the JNV 6
Core Principles
and agree with them. I'd like to join today. Please send me JNV
Anti-War
briefings and details of anti-war activity: _ by email _ by post
[_] Please send me a B-52 Ploughshares Video & campaigning
pack for £5
[_] Please send me a copy of Milan Rai's Regime Unchanged for
£10 incl. p&p
[_] I'll ask my local group to invite the Network to hold a Grassroots
Networking
meeting in our area
[_] I enclose a donation of £ .......... to JNV / £
.......... to the JNV Network /
£ .......... to the Grassroots Anti-War Conference. Total:
£..........
(Please make cheques payable to 'JNV'.) Many thanks for your support.
Name [CAPITALS PLEASE]..................................................................
Address [CAPITALS PLEASE]...............................................................
.................................................................Postcode
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