War Resisters' International Triennial Conference - Dublin

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday April 15, 2002 16:02 by tim

War Resisters' International Triennial Conference 3-10 August 2002 in Dublin, Ireland

War Resisters' International's conference Stories and Strategies -- Nonviolent Resistance and Social Change will bring together peace, social justice and human rights activists from around the world to discuss how we can make the world less violent and less militarised. As wars and acts of terrorism have increased in recent months, this event has taken on a new importance.

Nonviolent Resistance And Social Change

War Resisters' International
Triennial Conference
3-10 August 2002 in Dublin, Ireland

War Resisters' International's conference Stories and
Strategies -- Nonviolent Resistance and Social
Change will bring together peace, social justice and human
rights activists from around the world to discuss how we can
make the world less violent and less militarised. As wars and
acts of terrorism have increased in recent months, this event
has taken on a new importance.

Since 11 September, violence within and between peoples, nations and societies has
become a part of everyone's awareness, while the power of the military and the police
in even the most liberal societies has been strengthened in direct and repressive ways.
We are at a time when the task of building a peaceful and just society is immensely
difficult. Presenting and promoting a nonviolent approach to social problems has
become a formidable task involving great personal risk. Yet this is a time when we must
find ways to break the cycle of violence that is spinning faster than ever. The War
Resisters' International conference has the potential to make a major contribution to this
effort.

We need to develop new nonviolent strategies for ending the threat of terror, as well
as for revealing and deconstructing institutional violence. We need to find ways to
listen to and enter into dialogue with people in our societies who find a nonviolent
approach too difficult. We need to strengthen our own international network and
make it a model of globalisation from below. The WRI conference will provide a forum
for steps to be taken towards all of these goals.

The title and theme of Stories and Strategies -- Nonviolent Resistance and
Social Change holds new meaning in these changed political times. Storytelling and
stories are powerful threads, which help people learn from each other, connect to each
other, heal from painful experiences, and make our truths known. They attest to the
value of each person as a part of the social fabric.

Theme groups

Economics, Militarisation and Globalisation
Violence in Society and Nonviolent Social Empowerment
Addressing Ethnic Community and Intra-State Violence
Roles of Gender and Racism in War and Militarisation
Conscientious Objectors, Veterans, and Anti-Militarism
Strategies for Open Borders: Asylum and Migration
An Exploration and Introduction to Nonviolence
Dealing with the Past
International "Peace Operations": what they are and what they could be

Plenaries

A plenary session will be held each evening of the conference where panelists and
speakers will share their stories and case studies and engage in public dialogue to
highlight the conference theme. One panel will focus on the use of stories: how they
have been used to heal communities in conflict, how they can be used to develop new
strategies of nonviolent resistance. Following on from this idea, another evening will
focus on the power of grassroots efforts in bringing about nonviolent social change.
One session will be an introduction to the work of NGOs in Ireland and Northern
Ireland and some of the key issues they are addressing, such as ethnic conflict and
economic globalisation. Two of the plenaries will highlight the connections between
different issues: one will look at the links between global violence and violence in daily
life, and another will focus on the relationship between anti-militarist work and efforts
to strengthen civil society.

Workshops

Time each day will also be set aside for one-off workshops. Like the Theme Groups,
these sessions will be a place for the sharing of stories of all participants. Some
workshops will focus on specific campaigns, others will be introductory sessions on
certain topics, or provide some skills training. Workshops will provide an opportunity
for people to strengthen the networks around common interests and concerns that can
continue after the conference. Many workshops will be planned in advance but there
will also be space for these sessions to be created spontaneously during the Triennial.

Home stay programme

A home stay programme -- with hosts from Irish groups both from the Republic and
from Northern Ireland -- gives the option to meet local activists, and to exchange
experience. The programme operates prior and after the conference.

Workcamp

A work camp is being organised which will give some young people the opportunity to
be part of an international team that helps with the practical aspects of the conference.

In its long history, WRI's Triennial conferences have often provided the international
platform from which to launch new peace campaigns and to discuss new ideas about
nonviolence. The "stories and strategies" that arise at the WRI Triennial in Dublin in
2002 are sure to trigger new activities and new ways of thinking. This is likely to
influence and inspire not only the people who attend, but, on a broader scale,
numerous international efforts of nonviolent resistance and social change.

Participation

If you definitely plan to attend, you will need to register before 1 July -- but the earlier
the better. You can register online through an interactive form or download, print out,
and complete a pdf version of the registration form, mailing it to the WRI Triennial
office in Dublin (address below).

WRI Triennial office
84 Templeville Drive
Templeouge, Dublin 6W
Ireland
Phone/fax +353 1 406 3060; email [email protected]

You can also write or email the Dublin office if you require
* more information on WRI's Triennial conference
* copies of this leaflet in English/French/Castellano; or if you
* have particular enquiries about registration or participation
* want to make a donation to enable participants from the global South to attend the
conference

Registration fees

Conference: €350 euros
Daily rate: €40 euros
Children welcome. Contact the office for details.
WRI Business meeting: €130 euros (Friday 9 - Sunday 11).

Contact us

War Resisters' International is actively seeking international interest and support for the
Triennial. If you would like to support this effort with a financial contribution, you can
make a donation by contacting the War Resisters' International, 5 Caledonian Road,
London N1 9DX, UK. Email: [email protected].