Launch of ministry for peace

Speakers: John McDonnell, MP and Diana Basterfield, Co-Founders mfp

Should a Ministry for Peace be set up in Britain?

Speaker: Marianne Williamson

The US Department of Peace initiative and why it is needed

Committee Room 6, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell, MP

Open meeting

Aims, organisation and operation of a Ministry for Peace

Promoting and mobilising support for the concept of a Ministry for Peace

Discussion

Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell, MP

Ten Minute Rule Bill - proposed by John McDonnell, MP

Co-sponsors:

• Elfyn Llwyd (Welsh Nationalists)
• John Randall (Conservative Party)
• Alex Salmond (Scottish Nationalists)
• Dr. Rudi Vis (Labour)
• Alan Simpson (Labour)
• Jeremy Corbyn (Labour)
• Alice Mahon (Labour)
• Kelvin Hopkins (Labour)

The Bill was passed unopposed but was unable to go through all its parliamentary stages before the end of the Session in November.


Open meeting

Consultation on the Bill

Speaker: John McDonnell MP

Ten Minute Rule Bill and next Parliamentary steps

Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell, MP

Open meeting

Speakers: Suzanne Keehn and Melissa Adams

News from the US Department of Peace

Discussion: What is a culture of peace?

John McDonnell, MP: The Ten Minute Rule Bill

Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell, MP

Ministry for Peace and Transcend first joint public discussion

The Iraq War and Wars of Terrorism: What could have been done? What can be done? Strategies for effective peacebuilding for governments and citizens

Speaker: Kai Frithof Brand-Jacobsen (Transcend and PATRIR)

Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell, MP

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Two day away weekend with two facilitators, David Wasdell and Masana Da Souza, to work on mfp purpose and process

One day conference:

Peace Builder or Warmonger? Britain's role in the 21st century

• Lord Ahmed - Interreligious & International Federation for World Peace How dialogue has furthered peace and understanding across ethnic and religious boundaries
• Diana Basterfield - Co-Founder, Ministry for Peace Why a Ministry for Peace?
• Kierra Box - Co-Founder, Hands up for Peace A young peace campaigner's perspective on peace building
• Scilla Elworthy - Executive Director, Peace Direct 'Peace for the Pound' - the cost-effectiveness of non-military intervention in conflict
• Paul Ingram - Senior Analyst, British American Security Council Government subsidies on arms exports
• Tony Juniper - Executive Director, Friends of the Earth
• The environmental costs of war
• Jake Lynch - Director, Reporting the World Peace Journalism
• John McDonnell, MP - Co-Founder, Ministry for Peace Taking the Ministry for Peace forward in the House of Commons
• John Randall, MP - Co-sponsor of Ministry for Peace Bill Peace is cheaper
• Christopher Titmuss - Founder and Director of the Dharma Facilitators Programme
• Simon Woolley - Operation Black Coalition building for a new democracy

Friends House, Euston Road, London

Speakers: Malcolm Harper (Director, UNA), David Wardrop (Chair, Westminster UNA)

Review of the 1999 UN Declaration on a Culture of Peace

Portcullis House, sponsored by John Randolph, MP

Speaker: Marshall Rosenberg

An introduction to Non-Violent Communication (NVC)

Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell, MP

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Glastonbury Festival

John McDonnell was given a few minutes between acts on the Pyramid Stage to talk about the need for a Ministry for Peace. He followed a very dynamic performance by the Scissor Sisters, smoke and all! There was a vast crowd out in front and it was great to be able to take the message to a whole new audience. On the Sunday afternoon Diana Basterfield had a 30 minute slot in the Speakers Forum in the Green Fields.

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Letter with first mfp brochure sent to all Parliamentarians, asking for them to support creation of a Ministry for Peace.

Panel discussion

An introduction to "Defensive Defence" or "Non Offensive Defence"

New Zealand, Switzerland, Japan and Sweden have official defence/foreign policies which preclude them from attacking other countries. Could this model be adopted in the UK?

Chaired by David Wardrop (Chair, UNA Westminster) Speakers: John Bunzl and John Mackinley

Speaker: Marianne Williamson

Progress on the US Department of Peace

Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell, MP

Members of the mfp National Coordinating Committee attended a two day Marshall Rosenberg NonViolent Communication foundation course

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Fringe Meeting at Labour Party Conference, Brighton.

Could a Ministry for Peace prevent future conflicts?

Speakers: Tony Benn, John McDonnell MP, Diana Basterfield

Speakers: Julia Hausermann, David Woodward and Morel Fourman

Human rights as a basis for peace
The impact of economics on peace

Grand Committtee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell,MP

Four day Transcend Training course:

Building the Capacity and the Vision for Peace in the 21st Century: Working to go beyond War and Violence

Policies and Methods for Conflict Transformation, Peacebuilding, War to Peace Transition, and Post-War Recovery for Governments, Citizens, NGOs and Community Organisations.

Second ministry for peace and Transcend joint public discussion

Speaker: Kai Frithof Brand-Jacobsen (Transcend and PATRIR)

From War Systems to Peace Systems: Transcending Terrorism - Military, Economic, Social and Political

Grand Committee Room, House of Commons

Peace education in schools - the first step towards a non-violent Britain?

Ibrahim Issa

Conflict Transformation on the front line

Dr. Tony Eaude

Values Education

David Keith

Juniper Programme

Daren De Witt

Non-Violent Communication in schools

Grand Committtee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell,MP

Speaker: Arlene Audergon (author of the below-named book)

The War Hotel - Psychological Dynamics in Violent Conflict?

Grand Committtee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell,MP

Speaker: Conor Murphy, MP, Sinn Fein

What was the conflict resolution process used in Northern Ireland?

Grand Committtee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell,MP

Lobby of Parliament

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Presentation of the mfp Manifesto

Speaker: Eddy Canfor-Dumas

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First ministry for peace Annual General Meeting

Grand Committtee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell,MP

Prospective Parliamentary candidates in winnable seats sent letter with mini-manifesto

5 Transcend training courses:

1. Peacebuilding, war prevention and conflict transformation for governments and diplomats
2. Building peace within and between religions and faiths
3. Training of peaceworkers
4. Dealing with conflicts and violence in schools and the community
5. Globalisation and people?s struggles to overcome direct, structural and cultural violence
   

Indian YMCA, London W1

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Third joint Transcend and mfp joint public discussion

Speaker: Kai Frithof Brand-Jacobsen

Transforming violent conflicts, preventing war, building peace: what can be done by people and governments today. Strategies and therapies: Northern Ireland, Israel-Palestine, Iraq, ?terrorism? and internal conflicts in the UK.

Grand Committtee Room, House of Commons, hosted by John McDonnell,MP

To mark the mid-point of the UN Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World:

Philip Noyes, Head of Policy, NSPCC

What has been achieved so far?

Chris Dodd, Co-ordinator, Christian Churches Network for Non-Violence ; Member of the Children are Unbeatable! Alliance

What remains to be done and what impact will the UN Secretary-General's new report on children and violence have?

John Anderson, Sally Anne Olivier, Ian Jordan

The Undiagnosed Epidemic: An innovative approach to illiteracy, helping those with special needs achieve their educational potential

Portcullis House, hosted by Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru)