3rd December 2003 - Held in The Grand Committee Room, Houses of Parliament.
Held at the Houses of Parliament
on 3rd December 2003 in the Grand Committee Room
Diana Basterfield opened the meeting and welcomed all those present in the absence of John McDonnell MP who had just been called away to vote.
A Ministry for Peace is not a new idea
The first speaker was Eirwen Harbottle who read a short excerpt from a book by Brigadier Michael Harbottle written in 1984. Brigadier Harbottle was Chief of Staff to the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) from 1966 – 1968 and the founder of what is now called the Worldwide Consultative Association of Retired Generals and Admirals. In 1986 the Association was awarded the ‘Messengers of Peace’ accolade by the UN Secretary General. Brigadier Harbottle was also the First General Secretary of the World Disarmament Campaign from 1980 -82.
"…if there are ministries of war, why should there not be ministries of peace? "
The functions of a peace ministry would include:
- Peacemaking
- Peacekeeping and peace building
- Mediation
- Arbitration
- Conciliation
- International aid
- Community conflict management and disarmament
It would encompass:
- Representation at disarmament conferences
- Peacetime occupations for armed forces
- Civilian services as an alternative to military service
- The search into successful peace initiatives
- Support to conflict resolution work on, say, regional security problems
- Communication with other ministries
- The presentation of peaceful alternatives in any conflict
- Keeping peace issues at the forefront of international affairs and
- Providing governments with the same types of specialised services that they get from departments of health, education, agriculture, environment and defence.”
What is a culture of peace?
In preparation for people working in pairs to put together the components of a culture of peace, Diana briefly mentioned the research carried out as part of the UN Year of a Culture of Peace. This had found that for war to occur the following were required:
- An enemy
- Armaments
- A society in which people follow orders
- A belief that power can be maintained through violence
- Control of information (secrecy, propaganda)
- Profitability – whether for plunder, colonies, economic domination or the profits of the military-industrial complex
- Male domination
- Education for war
Shan Rees (a member of the ministry for peace Steering Committee) then asked people to ask one another in pairs:
What do you think are the components of a culture of peace?
What could you contribute towards achieving a culture of peace?
Feedback from pair discussions:
Contributing to developing a peace culture is about:
Greeting people with a smile from a genuine, authentic place. The person had recently moved into a new community, connected with some neighbours and they then held an international global tea party in the summer. It is about reaching out, being in the community, seeing how it is possible to support, in a peaceful way, as well as being a personal embodiment of peace.
Getting beyond condemnation, negative judgments and reproaching people who differ from us to a position of openness and love and practising creative listening and not having reflexive opposition. Trying to see the good in people.
Allowing people to finish their sentences and not interrupting. Listening skills are missing in our society and when people don’t feel they are being listened to they don’t feel heard and so resort to other methods
Overcoming the strong desire in our culture to ‘win’ when there is conflict – implying that somebody else is going to ’lose’. We need to rethink our understanding of achievement on the level of co-operation, not competition.
Getting nations to ask those they go to war with: ”What hurts you so much that you have to hurt me in order to heal it?”
Talking ‘with’ people, not talking ‘to’ or ‘at’ them.
Sharing information, because shared information helps people to make wise decisions.
Changing one’s view of the world from one where interactions with people are seen in terms or good and bad, good versus evil, right versus wrong, shifting from that paradigm to seeing communication as about needs, what are my needs and what are your needs and how can we get both of them met.
When meeting people who work in jobs serving customers all day, e.g. the person at the supermarket checkout, in the bank or at the post office, look at their name badge and speak to them, soul to soul instead of operator to customer. Also there is no outer peace without inner peace and there is no peace without justice (not just legalistic justice but also economic justice, ecological justice and social justice).
Encouraging big organisations e.g. the church, development organisations, to recognise the role of women
Thinking about how we think – our thoughts are important too. Our thoughts influence other people’s thoughts in a subtle way. Holding the vision of one’s ideal world will help that situation come about so from time to time think about that vision and imagine that it is already in existence.
Realising that all humans have the same basic drives and if a person is in a bad mood remembering that another day we were in a bad mood. Tolerating differences and the need to use assertiveness and maybe humour in those situations.
Thinking of ourselves as a family group or as a gene pool.
Just for the record, the UN year of a Culture of Peace described the following as components of a culture of peace:
- Understanding, tolerance and solidarity (instead of enemy images)
- Disarmament, universal and verifiable (instead of armaments)
- Democratic participation (instead of authoritarian governance)
- The free flow and sharing of information (instead of secrecy and propaganda)
- Dialogue, negotiation, rule of law, active non-violence (instead of violence)
- The equality of women (instead of male domination)
- Education for peace (instead of education for war)
- Economies of peace with equitable, (instead of exploitation of the weak and
- sustainable development of the environment)
Greetings from the Dennis Kucinich campaign
Diana introduced two speakers from the USA to the meeting - Suzanne Keehn, a volunteer with the Kucinich campaign, and Melissa Adams, a campaign worker. She reminded everyone that it was the proposal by Dennis in 2001 to put forward a Bill to set up a Department of Peace at Cabinet level in the US Government that had been the inspiration for the UK Ministry for Peace.
Suzanne Keehn
Good Evening, I am very glad to be here. I am president of a small non-profit corporation, Creative Health Network, which since its inception has been an American and British organization. For the last several years we have focused on supporting peacemakers and interfaith work in the Holy Land.
It has always seemed important that we work in partnership with what some refer to as the rainbow bridge between Britain and America. America was started by adventurers from the West Country. Henry Adams from Barton St. David, near Glastonbury, was a founder of New England and was the ancestor of five American presidents, including John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams.
For the past year I have been very involved as a volunteer in the campaign of Rep. Dennis Kucinich who is a Democrat running for president in 2004. Rep. Kucinich is the author, as you know, of a bill calling for a Department of Peace, which is now on the floor of Congress. (in other words going through the process as is your bill for the MfP) When this bill passes it will become a Cabinet position as is the Department of Defence. Dennis Kucinich is the only one of the nine Democratic Candidates who voted and spoke out against going to war in Iraq. As president Rep. Kucinich will sign the Kyoto Treaty and all the other international agreements the U.S. has reneged on.
His Presidential campaign is a catalyst for bringing together creative, experienced and dedicated individuals and organizations, distraught by our government's actions. The Ministry for Peace was inspired by the Department of Peace and strong bonds are being forged between Dennis Kucinich and John McDonnell. Britain and America have been responsible for many questionable events in the world. The DoP and the MfP represent a new paradigm, a partnership between politicians and grassroots activists. This partnership is highlighting a worldwide cry and movement for peace and justice, moving from violence to non-violence as an organizing principle of society.
The creation of the DoP and the MfP are making a template or blueprint that can be used by other countries so encouraging a partnership between government and people.
I would now like to introduce, Melissa Adams, the Assistant to the Kucinich Campaign Manager, whose family goes back to Samuel Adams. He was one of the early voices in America for independence and therefore is a descendent of Henry Adams who left Barton St. David in 1638 with his wife and 8 children, to help create a new country based on principles of justice and equality. Melissa carries on the family model and ideals...
Melissa Adams
Awaiting the text from the US
Ministry for Peace Bill
John McDonnell briefly outlined the situation regarding the Ten Minute Rule Bill. This had been passed unopposed with co-sponsors from other parties. Unfortunately the short time available before the end of the Parliamentary session on 21st November had not allowed for a second reading and all the other stages a bill goes through on the way to becoming an Act of Parliament, e.g. committee stage, House of Lords, back to the House of Commons etc. Along with many other incomplete bills, including some major unfinished Government business, the Ministry for Peace Bill failed. The Ten Minute Rule bill has, however, been published by The Stationery Office, and copies were circulated at the meeting. This can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0870 600 5522.
John asked people to note a major change in the Bill from the one that he had originally submitted and circulated via the ministry for peace website. The change had occurred because bills are checked by the House of Commons Bill drafting people and the change they had made was to put the civil society Commission for Peace inside the Government Ministry for Peace. The reason for this was that when John had originally put his name down for a Ten Minute Rule Bill in early summer he had given the title only as “Ministry of Peace.” As a result of discussions at the open meetings in July and September it was decided to add Commission for Peace to the Bill but it was then too late to change the title. At the September open meeting there was also a lively discussion about the term Ministry of Peace with a strong request from the floor to change this to Ministry for Peace. This change had been made but could also not be reflected in the published Bill.
John continued by saying that under Parliamentary rules nothing had been lost since a new Bill would be tabled and the attention that had already been drawn to the proposals as a result of the first Bill and its publication had been very well worthwhile.
John will now put his name down for a new Ten Minute Rule Bill and will be working with like-minded Peers in the House of Lords to put a Bill through that House as well. This will have a new title “Ministry for Peace and Commission for Peace Bill.”
John went on to say that the first Bill was drawn up very hurriedly because of the tight timetable. He thanked the members of the Steering Committee who had worked on it, particularly James Eckhardt and Debbi King. “What will happen now is that we will follow the Government’s own procedure for arriving at legislation by producing a White Paper setting out the justification for the Bill, the arguments for it, the ramifications of it and a draft of the Bill itself. We want to circulate this as widely as possible and use it to promote the consultation so that there can be as wide a range of views as possible as well as people standing up to support it. We want to insert our consultation into the Big Conversation that the Government is undertaking. Another key step is to set up a MPs group and a group of Lords who will then take the Bill and sponsor it simultaneously through the Commons and the Lords, if we can. It would, most probably be just another Ten Minute Rule Bill. In the new session of Parliament that started on 29th November, I’ve put his my on the list for the Private Members Ballot. If drawn in the top twenty a Private Member can get parliamentary time to debate a bill. (We have heard since that his name was not drawn, unfortunately.)
A further step will be to promote the White Paper and the draft Bill through the party structures of all the main political parties to try and get in depth debate of the Bill there. This stage will also include trade unions sending it on to the TUC and the Labour Party etc. We also want to promote it through civil society, through every organisation we can think of and also through the media in all its forms.
There is no way that any Government will allow a Private Members Bill as contentious as will consider that it isn’t a bad idea and will take it up themselves.”
Consultation
It is vital that the content of the new Bill is the most comprehensive and inspiring it can be.
There will be a ‘big consultation’ via the ministry for peace website from mid January but to start the process off people were asked to form groups of ten (with a facilitator for each group from the Steering Committee) to look at and comment on specific sections of the first Bill.
For the detailed group responses please see Appendix 1.
Progress reports from Teams set up after last meeting on October 29th
Education Team (Eirwen Harbottle Co-convenor)
Our team is well aware of the vast mosaic that constitutes education in conflict prevention/ conflict management. First: what do we mean by 'peace'? Peace in the family, the community, the environment and local and national government? Peace in international affairs? Dare I mention it, peace in our digestive systems?! It seems we need what Mr. Gorbachev used to call PERESTROIKA - "New Thinking".
Scores of NGOs and individuals are already doing remarkable work. We're not presuming to tell them what to do. We rather see our task as one of facilitation: to achieve a more effective synergy among us all; helping one another through sharing success stories - and also stories of failure. Why are so many people still shying away from the idea of 'peace'? We don't want only to preach to the converted. Winning round the cynics is our challenge.
We're very clear there are three kinds of violence:-One is the obvious, direct 'manifest' violence of war, murder and all forms of physical abuse.
The second is what peace researchers call 'structural' violence - otherwise economic, educational and social discrimination and disadvantage.
And then there is the third kind of violence, which comprises all insidious forms of bullying and denigration, which aim to destroy human dignity and confidence.
When we picked our way around the barricades and concrete blocks surrounding Parliament to get here this evening, did we stop to think why there were there? "The war on terrorism, of course!" Then did we perhaps wonder, "WHY are we so much hated?" Can we see why young men and women are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to change social conditions they find intolerable? Intolerable economics, intolerable miscarriages of justice, unacceptable poverty and discrimination? And the terrible waste of resources through failing to address such problems in their early stages; seldom taking the long view of what that failure will ultimately cost in money and lives when a crisis finally explodes?
One little example on the home front: if only we would spend time to identify and treat those many prisoners who suffer from autism, dyslexia or attention deficiencies, the cost of so doing would be infinitesimal compared with the £32,000 a year now being spent on keeping someone in prison. Not to mention the waste of human potential or the ongoing un-peace of ignoring their problems.
We endorse the detailed vision of one senior British military man on the potential of a Ministry for Peace. And we will seek to use a new language of peace to create an atmosphere where it can be easier to seek peaceful solutions to conflict.
We have in our team people expert in formulating models which will draw us all together more effectively. Watch our website for details. But right now we invite all of you here to put on your "Perestroika Caps". Discuss with your neighbours - tell us too - how you think you personally might develop your role in this programme of peace education. We will also use drama, meditation, training in non-violence... And with you we will be led through kindergartens... schools and universities... to trade unions... businesses... health authorities... environmentalists... local government... the police and military... on and out into capacity building and sustainability, here at home and in far away places. This is our time, now, for adopting new ways to achieve peace and security. We can't afford to ignore it!
As the Hopi people are telling us: "We are the ones we have been waiting for..."
Bill, Parliament, Research and Consultation Team (James Eckhardt - Co-convenor)
The Team had worked on the Bill and was now preparing the materials for the web-based consultation on the “White Paper” - asking for comments on the first Bill with a view to improving it. This consultation would start on the ministry for peace website from mid-January.
Networking Team (Diana Basterfield - Co-convenor)
The Team had only been able to meet once - the previous night - because of difficulties finding a venue. One of the aims was to reach out to as many existing groups as possible in the categories described in the Bill under “consultation” and to seek their involvement in the ministry for peace through a hub and spoke model.
Report from the Media, Public Relations, Marketing, Fundraising and Website Team (Tony Novissimo - Co-convenor“The Team has been busy on a number of fronts, developing designs for a logo and a slogan to describe what we stand for (please send in your ideas about these to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), peace stamps and the website. The existing simple website will be redesigned shortly and many new content areas will be added in 2004: newsletter, calling members to action in support of the ministry for peace concept, book section, a forum where members can debate, articles by respected authors on peace themes and more. The website will be the key to spreading support for the ministry for peace.” Tony asked people to depend on the website to provide all the information to persuade people of the need for a new government ministry People could best help by simply encouraging everyone they knew to “log on” regularly to www.ministryforpeace.org.uk.
Fundraising was also crucial to provide the resources to spread the message as widely as possible and people could help here by becoming Members of the ministry for peace at £10 a year (or as much as they could afford). “Membership is open to everyone and we particularly hope that children will wish to join.” (Membership forms were distributed at the meeting and 78 people joined.)
Tony concluded by saying:” It is all very well to continue to talk to the already converted, but the work must also be to bring ideas of peace to those who do not yet believe in it. It has been said that ‘Peace is our Right’. It is more important to understand that ‘Peace is our Responsibility’. We ask that all our members will make it their responsibility.”
Finally, John McDonnell concluded the meeting by thanking everyone for coming along and making it such an enjoyable and productive evening.
Dates of the next open meetings
- Wednesday, January 28th
- Wednesday, March 3rd -7pm in the Grand Committee Room, Houses of Parliament.
- ministry for peace Conference
- Saturday 3rd April at Friends House, Euston Road. - The theme: “Peacebuilder or warmonger? Britain's role in the 21st century”
APPENDIX 1 : Excerpts from the Bill and Comments
MATTERS WHICH MIGHT BE ADDRESSED BY, AND POTENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF, THE MINISTRY FOR PEACE
Within the United Kingdom:
- domestic violence, including spousal abuse, child abuse, and mistreatment of older people
- drug and alcohol abuse;
- crime, punishment, and rehabilitation;
- the implements of violence, including handguns;
- school violence and gangs;
- violence on grounds of sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability and police-community relations disputes;
- unlawful violence against animal; and
- the use of excess force by employees or agents of public authorities
Comments
Position this section NOT as the starting point but before or after the “research and the media” sections. Replace (a) – (h) with the following:
Violence and potentially violent conflicts at the community and national level within the UK (inc. N. Ireland)
Excerpt from the Bill
MATTERS WHICH MIGHT BE ADDRESSED BY, AND POTENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF, THE MINISTRY FOR PEACE
International relations
- potential and existing conflicts that threaten or appear to threaten the United Kingdom whether from sovereign nations or other external influences.
- other existing, potential or threatened international armed conflicts; and
- post-conflict reconstruction and demobilization in the United Kingdom and other countries.
Comments
GROUP 1
- Wanting it to be more proactive, positive and building in its language especially point (a) - a broader response than reacting to threat
- Making sure it is tied in to education and research
- Responsibility to explore causes, active dialogue with a range of people
- Ongoing, proactive relations between countries
- Liase with other departments such as foreign office, trade, defence and overseas development
- Take responsibility for seeing where UK fuels conflict including working towards abolishing the arms trade
- Providing a space or forum for dialogue, peace and reconciliation where the 'enemy' can be faced and humanised
- The attitude of the ministry for peace in international relationship should be one of courage, non-blaming, non-retaliatory, open (perhaps this should be something mentioned in a general point about the whole ministry of peace)
- Work with the United Nations to be a more effective tool in peace by, for example, pressing for the security council to be more inclusive and representative and perhaps changing its name to 'peace council'.
- More dialogue among cultures and civilisations.
GROUP 2
- There should be conflict resolution as soon as problems are perceived
- There should be a fact-finding group to go out from mfp to investigate problems. This team should be balanced with neutral NGOs, e.g. Amnesty International, people with particular expertise and people from both sides of the conflict.
- There should be a pro-active function – heading off potential conflicts
- MFP would need to prioritise where to put its focus
- Peace groups to work together – this is more powerful
Excerpt from Bill
MATTERS WHICH MIGHT BE ADDRESSED BY, AND POTENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF, THE MINISTRY FOR PEACE
Public education and participation
(a)With a view to the inclusion of the subject as a foundation subject in the National Curriculum pursuant to section 354 of the education Act 1996 (c.56) and in other levels of education, commissioning research on peace education which shall include, but not be limited to, studies of -
(i)The civil rights movement in the United Kingdom and other countries and the contribution that individuals and groups have made towards advancements in peace;
(ii)Peace agreements and circumstances in which peaceful intervention has worked to stop conflict; and
(iii)Practical conflict resolution tools to prevent and resolve conflict in domestic, social and commercial environments; and
(iv)Educating and enabling the general public to participate in the development and implementation of solutions to local, regional and national issues facing the United Kingdom and other countries.
Comments
GROUP 1
“First point to be:
Exploration to reach common understanding of what is meant by peace and peaceful intervention.
(iii) becomes (iv); (iv) becomes (iii), (i) becomes I(ii), (ii) becomes (v)
GROUP 2
At end of (i) add: …advancements in peace and justice
New (v): Teacher training emphasising polycultural attitudes
(i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) can all be studied as part of the National Curriculum but also in Further and Adult Education and in the workplace. They are not a subset of a)
GROUP 3
(i) Personal, social and Health education and citizenship Wrong image of heroes (ie war heroes) maybe conscientious objectors
(ii) To identify and allocate the resources to provide the skills to bring different areas of the peace movement together to teach peace education
(iii) Make peace education a component of the subject to change focus
(iii) add environmental and commercial environments
Schools being peace-making organisations.
Peace education adviser in each LEA
More degree course in Peace Studies
Re-educate what courage really means: authenticity, vulnerability
Primary school peace circles
Support the disenfranchised, support the level of inclusion
Access resource bank
Excerpt from Bill
MATTERS WHICH MIGHT BE ADDRESSED BY, AND POTENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF, THE MINISTRY FOR PEACE
Research and the media
(a)the development and implementation of approaches to peaceful coexistence and non-violent conflict resolution.
(b) the role of the media in the resolution of conflict both in the United Kingdom and in other countries, with special reference to:
i) seeking assistance in the design and implementation of non-violent policies from journalists;
ii) studying the role of the media in the escalation and de-escalation of conflict within the United Kingdom and in other countries; and
iii) making recommendations to professional media organisations in order to provide opportunities to increase media awareness of peace-building initiatives.
(c)the impact of new technologies on the creation and maintenance of peace within the United Kingdom and in other countries, including analysis of technologies in transportation, communications, and energy that ;
(i) are non-violent in their application; and
(ii) encourage the conservation and sustainability of natural resources in order to prevent future conflicts regarding scarce resources.
(d) the impact of war, especially upon;
(i) the physical and mental condition of children and
(ii) the environment; and
(iii) public health
(e) effective community peace building activities;
(f) human rights abuses, both within the United Kingdom and in other countries;
(g) the scarcity of natural resources as a source of conflict, including but not limited to, studies of:
(i)non-violent prevention of such scarcity and peaceful intervention in case of such scarcity;
(ii)the development of assistance for people experiencing such scarcity, whether due to armed conflict, inequitable distribution of resources or natural causes; and
(iii)the sustainability and management of the distribution of overseas development funds rom national and international agencies, the conditions regarding the receipt of such funds and the impact of those conditions on the peace and stability of the recipient nations.
Comments
GROUP 1
Have two separate sections - media, research.
(a) Delete after coexistence and add: and to prevent, resolve and defuse conflict non-violently
(b) insert after … media” in the prevention, resolution and defusion of conflict …
(b) (ii) proactively monitoring the role of the media….
(iii) Reporting on peace initiatives Duplication? Two references © (ii) conservation and sustainability…) and (g) scarcity of natural resources GROUP 2
(d) Promoting peace journalism that affects conflicts
(b) (ii) take out “studying” and replace with “monitoring”
(iii) making recommendations to and seeking the cooperation of professional media….. Dialogue with professional media organisations
(c) research the impact of new technologies…
(ii) … prevent future conflicts over scarce resources
(e) research and disseminate information on effective community peace building activities
(f) research and act to address human rights abuses….
(g) (ii) ..development of relief for people experiencing scarcity (take out such) ….
GROUP 3
(g) trade not aid
Excerpt from Bill
A. CATEGORIES OF PERSONS TO BE CONSULTED
- Public bodies, including Ministers of the Crown and government Departments, Ministers of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Administration, the National Assembly for Wales
- Local authorities
- Voluntary bodies
- Bodies representing the interests of persons carrying out business in the UK
- Governing bodies of schools and institutions of further and higher education
- Political parties
- Women’s organisations
- The media
- The armed forces
- Environmental groups
- Bodies representing the interests of children
- Cultural and community organisations
- Peace groups
B. The following are to be considered as potential matters relating to non- violent conflict resolution about which the Ministry for Peace should be consulted at relevant times by the Prime Minister –
(a) A conflict or an impending conflict between and within the United Kingdom and any other government or group of individuals; and (b) Drafting bilateral or multilateral peace treaties and agreements
Comments
Add to 5: and student and youth bodies themselves
Add:
Religious bodies and Interfaith Groups
Universities and youth
Trade Unions
Heads of big business
Industrial leaders
Arms companies should be made aware of future “peace culture”
Race relations organisations
Disability organisation
Excerpt from Bill
COMMISSION FOR PEACE
3. Objectives of a Commission for Peace
(a)monitor and report to Parliament from time to time on the effectiveness of the Government and local government in preventing and resolving conflict at local, regional, national and international levels.
(b)provide advice to the Secretary for State
(c)seek to improve the links between universities, the research councils and other research institutions and local, national and international organisations concerned with the promotion of peace or the prevention and resolution of conflict
(d)assist non-governmental organizations in analysing, sharing their experience of, and learning from, peace building work in regions where there are conflicts.
(e)determine criteria for the establishment of local or regional peace commissions, with discretion to provide financial or other assistance to such commissions where these criteria are satisfied. (f) facilitate collaboration between organisations concerned with the promotion of peace or
the prevention and resolution of conflict and the Government; and (g) encourage public support for peace building
Composition of a Commission for Peace
3(2) The Report and Bill setting out proposals for legislation shall include proposals to ensure that membership of the Commission reflects the diversity of the United Kingdom population.
Comments
- The commission should focus upon one role - the monitoring and reporting upon the effectiveness of the policies and activities of the "Government of the day" to peacefully resolve and prevent national and overseas conflicts.
- It was seen that this role may be "huge" - talk of a big building! Every department of Government monitored by experts.
- That the frequency of reporting should be specific - i.e. every six months and at the discretion of the commissioner, as they feel fit (in the event of a "matter of urgency" that requires Parliament's immediate attention. (Parliament may be able to request a report on specific matters - e.g. via select committees).
- That the Commissioner and their executive team (if one were to exist) must be suitably qualified.
- That we must explain how the Commissioner (and senior executives) will be appointed. (this was seen as fundamentally important).
- There was concern about needing to apply wherever possible objective approaches to measure what was viewed as a subjective matter. A parallel was seen with auditing of businesses, where suitably experienced (and credible) professionals pass an opinion as to the truth and fairness of accounts.
- Many of the duties that dealt with non-monitoring activities in the Bill (such as liasing between 3rd party agencies) were seen as a role for the Ministry. It was thought that 3rd parties would complain to the Commission in the event of any "difficulties" with the Ministry.
APPENDIX 2 : Organisations who attended
Adlerian Society
Angels Calling
Bloomsbury International Society
Brent Interfaith
Centre for Nonviolent Communication
Centre of New Directions
Civilians International
CND
Conflict Transformation
Council of African and Caribbean Churches UK
Creative Health Network
Hafla
Healing Connections
Hemel Hempstead Co-operative Party
Hemel Hempstead Labour Party
Humanist Peace Forum
IIFWP
Interfaith Milton Keynes
International Friendship League
Kurdistan National Congress
Labour Action for Peace
Ministry of Peace
Movement for the Abolition of War
Network of Engaged Buddhists
Newham Conflict and Change Project
Peace and Harmony
Peace Henge
Peace Insight
Peaceworkers UK
Quakers
REAP
Shend’ge Trust
The Gandhi Foundation
The World Peace Prayer Society
Through Heart to Peace
Totnes Peace Group
UNGA – Link UK
Wolverhampton Interfaith Group
Women to Women for Peace
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
World Conference of Religions for Peace
World Disarmament Campaign
Wrexham Peace and Justice Centre
Young Envisionaries Award
Young Greens UK
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