national |
anti-war / imperialism |
event notice
Wednesday February 15, 2006 12:08
by Mark - INNATE
finnx at hotpop dot com
+4477 3781 9569
The well-known peace worker, Dr Tony Kempster will be visiting Northern Ireland.
Tony Kempster is the chair of the Movement for the Abolition of War and will be accompanied by Christine Titmus, the vice-chair. He has been deeply involved in the peace movement for many years and is a personal friend and colleague of Norman Kember who is currently being held with three other hostages in Iraq by a group calling themselves The Swords of Truth.
VISIT TO NORTHERN IRELAND BY DR TONY KEMPSTER
The well-known peace worker, Dr Tony Kempster will be visiting Northern Ireland.
22-25 February.
Tony Kempster is the chair of the Movement for the Abolition of War and will be accompanied by Christine Titmus, the vice-chair. He has been deeply involved in the peace movement for many years and is a personal friend and colleague of Norman Kember who is currently being held with three other hostages in Iraq by a group calling themselves The Swords of Truth.
The theme of their visit is the reaction of western nations to terrorism and the dangers of escalation to war.
As Northern Ireland emerges from thirty years of the Troubles, there is a need to look at the use of war and violence in a broad context, and the visit provides an excellent opportunity to put some of the issues under the spotlight.
A number of engagements will be undertaken while he in Northern Ireland, including sessions with pupils at Oakgrove Integrated College on 23 February and a public seminar at the Irish School of Ecumenics on 24 February at 11.am. The title of the seminar is ‘The War on Terror and the Christian Just War Tradition’.
Tony and Christine will give a press conference on 24 February at 10.00am at the Irish School of Ecumenics, 683 Antrim Road. They will also be available for personal interviews by arrangement at other times during the visit or by telephone before they arrive.
Contact: Roberta Bacic, 028777 50409 monitos@compadres.fsnet.co.uk or
Rob Fairmichael, 02890 647106 innate@ntlworld.com
NOTES
The Movement for the Abolition of War (MAW) was set up five years ago to promote the idea that war is not inevitable; it can be abolished. The organisation does this primarily through education and the arts, and works closely with the International Peace Bureau in Geneva. MAW’s founding president was Professor Sir Joseph Rotblat, the Nobel Laureate and the current president is Professor Robert Hinde. Vice-presidents are Martin Bell, Bruce Kent and Susannah York.
The MAW website is www.abolishwar.org.uk.
Tony Kempster is the chair of MAW. He is also General Secretary of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship and a Director of The Peace Museum, Bradford. Tony has wide interests in ethics and peace education. As a singer and musician he uses song as a vehicle for stimulating interest and education in peace issues.
Christine Titmus is vice-chair of MAW. She is a Third Order Franciscan committed to effective engagement on peace issues with those beyond the Peace Movement, maintaining a close relationship with organisations such as the Royal British Legion. Her particular interests are in communication and the use of media and design to promote MAW’s message.