Skills not Bombs

Bristol Against the Arms Trade presents Skills Not Bombs!

Sunday 16^th Feb (that’s this Sunday!). 11am- 4pm

The Arc, Broad Street, Bristol, BS1 2HG

 

A day of skills and learning in the centre of Bristol. There will be a mixture of workshops and speakers on the following:

 

-NATO summit in Newport this September

-Direct Action and Planning Creative Actions

-Campaign Strategy

-Legal Observing

-Media

-Drones

 

We’ve got guests from Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Stop NATO Cymru and Drone Wars UK.

 

It’s going to be a great day of sharing information and skills on effectively campaign and taking action against the arms trade and militarisation.

 

That evening we’ll be heading down to Kebele Co-op in Easton for some food at the bargain price of £2.50 followed by an open mic.

Comic Relief’s arms trade investments

The BBC’s Panorama reports that in 2009 Comic Relief had £630,000 invested in shares in weapons firm BAE Systems. Comic Relief will not confirm how its money has been invested since 2009.

Sarah Waldron, a spokesperson for Campaign Against Arms Trade, said:

“It is unacceptable for Comic Relief to have invested millions of pounds in a company which profits from insecurity and human rights abuse. BAE’s weapons have been used against men, women and children around the world.

“There is no excuse for these investments, which are in direct contradiction to Comic Relief’s stated aims. The arms trade creates and exacerbates poverty and fuels conflict.

“Comic Relief needs to start being transparent about its investments. It owes it to its supporters to use all of their money for good.”

Arms Event Not Welcome at UWE

 

Companies attending today’s ‘Defence, Procurement, Research, Technology and Exportation’ Event were greeted this morning by queues trailing back along the A4174 as protesters blocked the UWE North Entrance. One gate was eventually locked and attendees forced to use other entrances. Later as they approached the building attendees were accompanied to the door of UWE’s Exhibition and Conference Centre by protesters just letting them know who would be attending the event; the likes of Raytheon (cluster bombs in Iraq, missiles in Gaza), Babcock (nuclear submarines), Chemring (teargas used in the Arab Spring) and our good friends BAE Systems. Crowds of protesters gathered at the entrance to ensure that UWE were suitably embarrassed to be holding the event and that those entering were told they weren’t welcome on the campus or in our city. Some UWE students peacefully enter arms conference and staged a die-in. They were threatened with arrest for trespassing on their own university. The protest continued around campus letting students know what was being held at their space and banners held at each entrance. Arms dealers and the likes of these companies will be greeted by the same response at future events at UWE.

See:

https://www.facebook.com/NOWMDatUWE

Petition to stop UWE’s investment and support of the arms industry:

https://www.change.org/petitions/calling-the-university-of-the-west-of-england-uwe-bristol-not-to-invest-itself-into-promote-support-or-enable-profit-making-from-of-through-wars-military-uses-of-research-military-networks-and-violent-approaches-towards-conflicts

Voices for Creative Non-violence

Voices for Creative Non-Violence UK will soon be setting off to Afghanistan
with the first British peace delegation since the 2001 invasion.  Including a BAAT member. The group
will be working in solidarity with grassroots Afghan non-violent peace
campaigners. To follow and support our work over Christmas in Kabul please:

See and “Like” our facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Voices-for-Creative-Non-Violence-UK/454714281232864Follow our blogs from Kabul at: http://vcnvuk.wordpress.com/

Sign and promote an online petition initiated by the non-violent Afghan youth
peace group with whom we are working with:
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/2-million-friends-call-on-the-u-n-for-a-ceasefire-in-afghanistan

Warmest wishes Maya Evans

The University as a site of militarised capitalism

Call to Arms: The University as a Site of Militarised Capitalism and a Site of Struggle

By Anna Stavrianakis.  2006

“Student protests around the UK against university involvement with arms companies raise the question of the role of the university in contemporary society. This article discusses Bristol University as an illustrative case, focusing on its relationship with arms capital through its pension schemes and the research it carries out for arms companies and the military. It then documents and analyses student resistance to this relationship on the basis of opposition to the corporatisation of higher education in general and the militarisation of science and engineering in particular. The article then discusses universities as sites of social struggle and outlines potential strategies for activist academic practice.”

Anna Stavrianakis was an active member of Bristol CAAT a number of years ago, she moved to lecture at Brighton University.