As the crisis in Palestine deepens, civil society groups in the UK have been drawing attention to the plight of the Palestinian people...using somewhat differing methods. As well as the 24 June boycott day, in which pickets and demos took place in 18 locations including Liverpool, Brighton, London and Manchester, the Pales-tine Fair Trade Association and Zaytoun - an ethical business selling Palestinian olive oil - and the Olive Co-operative, has launched “Trees For Life - Planting Peace in Palestine”. The scheme offers the public the opportunity to sponsor the planting of olive trees in Palestine. Visit www.olivecoop.com/trees.html for more info. The radical, Christian-based, anti-authoritarian network”Prayer i-58” (Isaiah 58) is holding a direct action gathering in Leeds from 27 to 29 July to plan for action over the coming months. The two main focuses will be the Camp for Climate Action (26 August to 4 September), and Faslane 365, the year-long protest camp at Faslane Naval Base, which begins in October. Visit www.prayer-i58.org.uk for details. Ethical telecommunications provider, the Phone Co-op has provided its staff with free bikes enabling them to cycle to work. To sign up to the Phone Co-op and support PN at the same time, give them a call on 0845 4589000. Don't forget to mention Peace News! And the really good news... a recent report by the government's Countryside Agency says that the Newbury
Bypass - amongst other schemes - was a failure. Whilst gloatingly declaring “we told you so” is not at all in keeping with PN, the news does vindicate the thousands of people who protested at Newbury ten years ago, and we hope the report - the second to draw such conclusions - will ensure that such mistakes are not made again.