The Peace People

Campaigns - Disarmament

The issue of guns in N.Ireland - is presently a key point of controversy in the peace process. From the point of view of our commitment to nonviolence, our ideal society is one free from guns and the threat of violence that they represent. We therefore launched a Gun-free zone campaign in 1996 and called for:

1. Total disarming by all paramilitary groups.
2. By the PSNI (on routine business i.e. as with police in Britain).
3. Introduction of a handgun ban in line with legislation in Britain.
4. Abolishing of plastic bullets (in line with their non-use in Britain).

In the longer term we also hope to move on to:

1. Campaign for N.Ireland to officially become Europe's third Demilitarised Region.
2. The conversion of regional arms production and software facilities (Shorts and Raytheon) to civilian use.

International Disarmament

The Peace People work closely with International Bodies campaigning for Nuclear Disarmament, particularly the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. We support their Appeal which among other things calls on the relevant powers to:

• Ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and reaffirm commitments to the 1972 Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty.
• De-alert all nuclear weapons and de-couple all nuclear warheads from their delivery vehicles.
• Declare policies of No First Use of nuclear weapons against other nuclear weapons states and policies of No Use against non-nuclear weapons states.
• Commence good faith negotiations to achieve a Nuclear Weapons Convention requiring the phased elimination of all nuclear weapons, with provisions for effective verification and enforcement.
• Reallocate resources from the tens of billions of dollars currently being spent for maintaining nuclear arsenals to improving human health, education and welfare throughout the world.

In a recent speech Mairead Corrigan Maguire said:

"The time is coming when nuclear weapons, as with the Cold War, will be abandoned to the 'wastebasket ' of history. The hope lies in the truth being spoken that we cannot use these weapons to kill our own brother and sisters, and in the process destroying our homeland, Mother Earth. It also lies in the increasing number of voices being raised around the World against war and violence. They are calling the political leaders of nuclear power states away from nuclear madness, and into the urgent politics of peace and development, for all the worlds people - particularly the children for whom we are all responsible".

Proposed American Missile Defence System.

The Peace People propose the money being spent on this system would be better used in providing the real needs of American people, i.e., better health care,education, environmental protection, etc., (see Press Release June, 2001).