On July 15th, Zimbabwean trade unionist Mike Sozinyu spoke to a meeting hosted by Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees, at the Scottish TUC offices in the city.
Mike is part of the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions and is active in building a trade union movement independent of the Zimbabwean government. He stressed the importance of hearing voices of solidarity from British workers, as these could not be ignored by Mugabe, who dismisses criticism from the UK government as mere…
The Scotland Zimbabwe Group was founded in 1996: the group seeks to develop social, cultural and human rights awareness between Scotland and Zimbabwe. This is identified in its constitution as being done through education, networking and raising funds for particular projects (currently a Murambinda Hospital outreach programme in Buhera, and Nhimbe Trust, a Theatre for Development organisation in Bulawayo).
The SZG is independent of any government or political party and is keen to…
118 Days celebrates the “explosion of goodness” that arose from the kidnapping of four peace activists in Baghdad on 26 November 2005.
In 22 articles by 24 different authors, the book explores how this terrible event touched so many people in positive ways – from increased cooperation between peace and faith groups in Britain, to demonstrations of solidarity in the West Bank, and from discussions on the value of self-sacrifice in a US penitentiary to the media frenzy in the UK, the…
A Fairtrade Town is a community that makes a collective commitment to Fairtrade and achieves Five Goals developed by the Fairtrade Foundation. The movement began in April 2000 when Garstang in Lancashire - uniting local shops, businesses, schools, campaigners, councillors and faith groups - declared itself “the world’s first Fairtrade Town”. Since then over 350 towns, cities, counties, villages, boroughs and islands from Glasgow to Guildford have achieved Fairtrade status and added their…
How wonderful to be part of this vibrant and vital International Women's Day march in London for something we all demand: the unconditional, non-negotiable end to violence against women.
As so well expressed by the speakers, such violence takes many forms: the direct violence of beatings, rape, mutilation; the fear of what may follow; governments denying equal status; withholding the right to an existence as an individual woman; war, poverty, trafficking, slavery, threats,…
On 11 March, British human rights protesters Peter Bouquet and Jon Castle, both former Greenpeace captains, were intercepted at sea off the island base of Diego Garcia by a British warship. They were detained for allegedly “entering waters illegally” on board their vessel, Musichana.
The two men are part of a group called the People's Navy and were demonstrating against the removal of the Chagos Islanders from their homes on Diego Garcia nearly 40 years ago to make way for a…
ACTSA was formed in 1994 as the successor organisation to the Anti Apartheid Movement. Since then ACTSA has been campaigning tirelessly for justice, rights and democracy for the people of southern Africa.
This year ACTSA continues its high-profile campaigns for rights in Zimbabwe, against HIV/AIDS and for universal access to critical drugs, on Nelson Mandela at 90, for corporate accountability, and around trade and gender.
In 2002, British company Cape Asbestos was forced to…
In the month of the 97 International Women's Day, PN celebrates another year of women around the world rising up and resisting all forms of oppression and injustice:
Palestinian women have been protesting the devastatingly debilitating Israeli siege on Gaza. On 25 February, in a peaceful action called by the Popular Committee Against the Siege, thousands of Gazan women and children joined hands to form a human chain, risking a violent response from the world's fourth strongest army…
With the highest rate of inflation anywhere in the world - currently 100,000% - the Zimbabwean economy has been in free-fall for several years, creating massive social unrest and chronic food shortages.
With elections due this month, and both the opposition MDC (Move- ment for Democratic Change) Party and the ruling ZANU-PF now split into two camps, the danger of escalating political violence is imminent.
At the heart of this conflict, the Fellowship of Reconciliation Zimbab-…
On 5 February, I was one of ten Members of the European Parliament who broke through the Israeli siege and travelled to Gaza to see the situation for ourselves.
The anger I feel following the visit could drive me to write several books. Here, I have focussed on what the occupation means for the children.
In the Al-Shifa Hospital I visited the ward where thirty premature babies lay in incubators. These tiny children are completely dependent on the electricity supply.
…Following the success of last summer's Victor Jara festival in Machynlleth, El Sueno Existe (“the dream lives on”) staged a winter festival entitled “Nicaragua: New Time, New Hope”, inspired by the visit to Machynlleth of veteran activist and visionary Paul Baker Hernandez.
Paul is a former Trappist monk who has lived and worked in Nicaragua for a number of years and is active in local and international campaigns against war, exploitation and the plunder of Nicaragua's natural wealth…
After months of a tightening siege by Israel in retaliation for Qassam rockets fired into Israel, Gaza was freed on 23 January by a major act of nonviolent direct action. Seven miles of wall dividing Gaza from Egypt was largely destroyed. Tens of thousands crossed, seeking supplies and medical treatment, while Egyptian border guards stood by. Egyptian troops closed the last breach after 11 days. On 18 February, after two weeks of struggle, 30 Israeli peace organizations coordinated by Gush…
The "People's Navy" solidarity voyage to Diego Garcia (see last issue) has made further progress: the Cindik boat has reached Egypt, and the Musichana is moving on from Thailand. They are set to meet in the Maldives.
To the south, a Greenpeace boat chasing a Japanese whale-hunting fleet has refused to disclose the co-ordinates of the fleet to a Sea Shepherd vessel doing the same, claiming its tactics violate principles of nonviolence.
As widely reported, two Sea Shepherd…
Three British women were arrested and jailed for over 30 hours in Al Masra'a al Qibliya on 26 October for attending an “illegal demonstration” against the seizure of Palestinian land.
Sarah Cobham, Caroline Bailey, Kate Harrison and seven other members of the Brighton-Tubas Friendship and Solidarity Group marched with some 40 villagers to the recently confiscated land to remove the grape vines that were planted by the villagers before it was seized.
Settlers and soldiers…
On 25 July, 12 people from Japan joined around 100 others to take part in the ongoing Faslane 365 Blockade.
Ten of the Japanese were arrested, including Masahiko Moriguchi, who survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki when he was seven.
Masahiko said, “As one who experienced the A-bomb, I wanted to see this nuclear base with my own eyes and personally take part in this action to halt the nuclear weapons.”
On 5 August, five protestors were arrested for obstructing a…
