Enfield UNA

Enfield – Together for Peace.

A week after the explosions that killed so many in Madrid, people met in vigil and witness for an hour in the early evening with a few days notice in three areas in the London Borough of Enfield organised by the local Faith Forum. We met to pray for Peace, both in solidarity with Spain and for those suffering from terrorism and war across the world, and to begin to put into place a network of people of love and prayer, in preparation for any terrorist act that may affect our own communities. In Enfield Town we were caught in the rain and also “the hurricane” that swelled around the Civic Centre, the vigil moved to the tree of tolerance and ended on the main traffic island. We may have had thirty five at one point and afterwards refreshments were enjoyed in the welcome warmth of the Catholic Parish Centre.

The Mayor was present and spoke, and her chaplain Alastair Mansfield was in good voice and had us all singing! We had a good mixture: local Catholics, Anglicans, Chace Fellowship, Free Church, Quakers but no one obvious from another faith. Garrett Pennery, Police Faith Officer, plus two Community police women also joined us. At all vigils the International Prayer for Peace “Lead me from death to life” was prayed each quarter of an hour.

At Southgate they had a hard core of six which was joined by a Sikh representative, Councillor David Burrowes and Stephen Twigg MP whilst in Edmonton they had to shelter from the rain with a group that peaked at sixteen people from three churches.

Debate On Globalisation
About 40 people attended the discussion and debate between Stephen Twigg MP and Professor Mary Kaldor at the United reform Church in Palmers Green on March 10th. Discussion centred around the theme.

Why has globalisation - a force that has brought so much good - become so controversial? And why do so many people in developed and developing countries alike now dislike globalisation? Can global instability, the growth of global terror and the growing global disillusionment with politics be mainly traced to the type and nature of globalisation now being pursued?

Specifically those there questioned the two guests on areas such as,

What are the positive sides of globalisation – e.g. in bringing the world closer together in terms of communication – e.g. through the Internet? Also in campaigning for example the internet assisted campaign to prevent war with Iraq – Robert Muller one of the founders of the UN has recently stated - "Never before in the history of the world has there been a global, visible, public, viable, open dialogue and conversation about the very legitimacy of war.”

What are the grand views or over arching themes that are in competition as a blueprint for world development perhaps starting with the Tony Blair speech in Sedgfield. Do we have a battle between good and evil (modern & ancient) or a clash of civilizations or competition between appropriate forms of modernity?

What is the prevailing and dominant engine or view of globalisation today – is it the neo conservative one that advocates privatisation and liberalisation?

What happens when global environmental and ecological pressures become the dominant factors in a world dominated by deregulation – e.g. trough global warming or the depletion of global oil reserves?

Can the citizen’s movement develop on a global basis as a form of civic global governance to challenge the prevailing industrial/military corporate empires?

Where is the United Nations in all this and the idea of government and not just governance?

Enfield & The Barnets UNA Book Group.
Following a lively discussion last night of Michael Moore's 'Dude, Where's my Country?', it was agreed that next time the UNA book group would discuss Joseph Stiglitz's 'The Roaring Nineties: the Seeds of Destruction' (Allen Lane 2003).

The hardback is £18.99, though don't forget the 10% discount at Palmers Green bookshop.The discussion will be on Tuesday 4th May at 8pm Venue will be sent out later.

Enfield Joins Up With Barnet
The Enfield UNA and Barnet UNAs are amalgamating to form Enfield and The Barnets UNA. Karl Ruge from The Barnet Branch will now be one of the two Vice Chairs of the combined Branch.

Sydney Chapman MP for Barnet has already sent his best wishes to the new Branch. We shall be contacting Sydney shortly to invite him to take part in our MP Watch Questiontime.

The UN And Civil Society Organisations
Roger Hallam attended the Conference of the World Civil Society Forum UK Support Group this November. Roger commented

"Taken together with the decline of mainstream electoral participation and the anti-globalization movement, the increased profile of CSOs and their desire to connect with the UN (and the EU) suggests that ways are being sought - and perhaps found - of circumventing orthodox political processes. Is this 'post party politics'?

Go to Roger's Full Report

Look at the following Websites

World Civil Society Forum
UN Panel ON Civil Society

A Message From "Our World Our Say"
It now seems that Tony Blair misled the British public. The US-led Iraq Survey Group recently reported that, after six months of searching, no weapons of mass destruction have been found. Yet the UK government refuses to launch a full judicial inquiry on whether they went to war under false pretences.

George Bush is coming to the UK on 19th November and this is a prime opportunity in Britain to increase the pressure for a full judicial inquiry.

Our World Our Say, a UK-based organisation, is hoping to initially collect 10,000 signatures on a petition which calls for a full judicial inquiry into the circumstances that led us to war.

Sign here and pass the message onto concerned friends and colleagues. http://www.owos.info/petition/index.php?src=mo

On September 24th 2002 Tony Blair stated: "His [Saddam's] WMD [weapons of mass destruction] programme is active, detailed and growing. The policy of containment is not working. The WMD programme is not shut down. It is up and running." He described the intelligence upon which his assertion was based as: "extensive, detailed and authoritative".

The Prime Minister chose to ignore popular disapproval of the path to war. As a result, thousands of people have died, a country is in chaos, the UK is spending #5 million a day just to keep the troops there, and the UK's international reputation is in tatters.

As voters and citizens we have the right to hold government to account. Two Parliamentary committees were prevented from conducting full investigations. The Hutton inquiry has mainly focused on the events surrounding Dr David Kelly's death. We need a full independent judicial inquiry into all the circumstances leading to our involvement in the Iraq war. The voters of the UK deserve...and demand nothing less!

In the words of The Guardian newspaper: "This WMD fiasco has brought into question the judgement, competence and candour of the intelligence services and, indeed, of Mr. Blair and senior ministers. As a matter of fact, not opinion, Britain went to war on a false premise. It hardly needs to be said how very serious and very damaging a conclusion that is."
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,3604,1049830,00.html)

We urge you to sign the Our World Our Say petition by clicking the above address. Do get all of your relations, friends and colleagues to sign, too. The British people deserve answers.

This is the only nation-wide campaign for a full judicial inquiry. Please add your name by Friday, 14th November. A high-level delegation will then submit the petition to 10 Downing Street.

Joan Ryan MP Tells Us About How the UN Should be Reformed for the 21st Century

Although there have been many previous attempts at reforming the UN, many of these have suffered through the competing agendas of the various member countries. What the UN really needs is real reform that benefits the institution as a whole, rather than serving various hidden policy agendas.

There are several main problems here that need to be addressed. Firstly, the United Nations suffers from a lack of focus - one result of having a large assembly whose task is to accommodate such wide diversity. There has been much talk of 'reinventing' or 'streamlining' the body, mainly through drastically slashing its level of resources. It is my view that this would not make the body more effective, and could make things worse as uncertainty attacks staff morale.

One problem that the United Nations needs to address urgently is its relationship with citizens at a grassroots level. Often, I think people feel isolated from the UN decision-making process, which can seem slow and ineffectual. The UN should follow the trend being forged by other international and supranational institutions and involve NGOs and other civil groups in decision-making to a greater extent, for example, allowing them to participate in working groups.

The co-operation of a revitalised UN and other international bodies is essential if we are to achieve our poverty reduction goals and strengthen human rights beyond state level.

Cabinet Office Mentions Enfield MP Watch

The Cabinet Office has mentioned MP Watch on its Web Site as an example of "good practice." It says,

As the Enfield MP Watch initiative shows (see below), the technologies can also be used in innovative ways so that MPs account to their voters, giving their views via the web on a range of issues.

This project, run voluntarily by the Enfield United Nations Association, aims to make MPs more accountable through online questioning and discussion around the concerns of the United Nations

Visit the Cabinet Office E Democracy Site

Debate and Questiontime - Iraq & The Changing World Order
Nearly eighty people attended an Enfield United Nations Association debate and questiontime on Iraq & The Changing World Order on Thursday, April 10th held in partnership with the Justice & Peace Group at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George The meeting chaired by Francis Sealey and included Joan Ryan MP for Enfield North and Helen Collinson , Manager of Advocacy & Strategy at Christian Aid.

Go to our MP Watch web site to hear the read the views of Joan Ryan on the Iraq crisis as well as those of our other two MPs, Andy Love and Stephen Twigg. You can also join in the debate on our MP Watch Discussion Forum.

A Message From the Seattle UNA

The UNA in the United States has been active in supporting the the role of the UN in the Iraq crisis. Here is a message from the Seattle UNA

These are dreadful times. The United Nations was founded to save us from the scourge of war. You can be assured that those who want war will expect the UN to clean up the mess, to take care of the refugees, to try to get adequate food to people in need, along with other enormous challenges. We need your support of the UN now more than ever.

Remind people that this remarkable organization of 191 countries is more than the Security Council. The UN responds to the challenges of refugees, human rights, children, health, population, environment and peacekeeping through its many agencies and departments in locations all over the world, such as UNICEF, International Atomic Energy Agency, World Health Organization and UNESCO.

Debate and Questiontime on The Middle East

Over one hundred people attended an Enfield United Nations Association debate and questiontime on The Middle East on Thursday, February 20th held in partnership with St Johns Chuch,Palmers Green The meeting chaired by Francis Sealey and included Malcolm Harper - Executive Director of the United Nations Association UK, Jean Lambert - Member of the European Parliament and Stephen Twigg MP for Enfield Southgate.

Malcolm Harper

Jean Lambert

Stephen Twigg

Continue the Debate. You can already begin this debate by reading Linoy Kidd's article in MP Watch Viewpoint. Linoy is a young Jewish lady from a Kurdish background. You can also go to our discussion forum where there are several views on her article and the crisis in The Middle East. Go to the discussion forum to give your views on the article and to say what you think about Joan Ryan's answer in MP Watch

This is an article from one member of the UNA. Linoy has been a great supporter of MP Watch and has written this article from a personal point of view.

Enfield United Nation's Association Annual Meeting

The first Annual Meeting of the Enfield United Nations Assiociation took place on Thursday January 30th 2003. The following officers were elected:-

Chairperson - Francis Sealey

Vice Chairperson - Elaine Graham-Leigh

Vice Chairperson - Karl Ruge (recently appointed as co-Vice Chair of the amalgamated Branch.)

Secretary - Camilita Mason

Treasurer - Marcia Rimington

A Committee was also elected and a programme of activities was discussed for the coming year.

Discussion & Questiontime on Iraq

On Thursday November 28th Enfield UNA held a Questiontime session with Andy Love MP for Edmonton and Malcolm Harper, Executive Director of the UNA UK.

This was a successful event and over 60 people attended and many asked questions of both speakers.

This was held in co-operation with the Bush Hill Park United Reformed Church where the event will took place.

Go to full Report of the Meeting

Go To Mourad Fleming on The UN, the UK, the USA and Ira

Missile Defence and UK involvement.

Helen Hughes, Disarmament Programme Officer of UNA UK asks us to take Action on Missile Defence and UK involvement. UK involvement in this system is a potential threat to our security. Missile Defence involves the use of bases here in the UK, which could make us a direct target for an attack by an armed group or state in an attempt to thwart the system, particularly if it involved a weapon of mass destruction. The Government has until very recently kept the public and Parliament in the dark about its discussions with the US on possible UK involvement. While the discussion paper is a start, it is vital that there is a fully informed and considered public and Parliamentary debate.

The system almost certainly will involve putting weapons in space for the first time. According to US Space Command in 1996: 'We're going to fight a war in space.'
Weapons in space and on earth could also be adapted for offensive use. This could trigger an arms race in space as other countries vie for space supremacy.

So far, the US is expected to spend over $200 billion up to 2025. Our involvement could cost £10 billion. This huge waste of resources could be better spent on alleviating poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. It could be better spent on resources for the UK’s conflict prevention and peacebuilding work.

The system also undermines other means of dealing with perceived 'threats', including diplomacy, arms control and international disarmament, and in so doing may do much to generate the threat we are told it is designed to counter. All our security should be based on disarmament, conflict prevention and international law and not the pursuit of military might.

The costs of Missile Defence to global and UK security far outweigh the benefits. It will not contribute to a more peaceful world.

Go to Helen's briefing on our MP Watch Website Join in a Discussion on this important subject