Recent articles

Lakenheath

03 Sep 2024

Feature by Michelle Cobbin

A sketch from the recent peace camp

Michelle Cobbin’s current work ‘draws upon memories of growing up in Lakenheath, Suffolk, during the Cold War, beside a large US military airbase which housed nuclear weapons and from which fighter jets flew over our heads most days.’ She adds: ‘With the imminent return of US nuclear weapons to this airbase, and the continuation of deafening planes on their daily exercises, I felt compelled to make work about this from the perspective of both the naive and innocent child resident that I was, and the now-informed anti-war adult visitor to family members still living next to the base.’

Veggies, stronger than ever!

03 Sep 2024

Feature by Katy , Rebecca Elson-Watkins

An interview with the new Veggies worker to mark the mobile activist caterer’s 40th birthday in October

Veggies Catering Campaign started in October 1984, when two Nottingham animal rights activists decided to present the manager of a local McDonalds with a huge veggieburger ‘to represent an ethical alternative to the products of death and destruction sold there’ (see Pat’s history of Veggies in PN 2514, published for the 25th anniversary in 2009). Since then, the group has gone from strength to strength, including catering for Peace News Summer Camp from 2009 onwards. Since Pat’s recent retirement, Katy has taken over as Veggies organiser.

Radical Music: 'A Luta Continua'

03 Sep 2024

Comment by Penny Stone

‘Participation, that’s what’s gonna save the human race’

Over the years, I’ve written this column about a myriad of genres of music, many that would call themselves radical, and others that might be surprised to find themselves included here. But there are so many different and beautiful ways in which people use music to agitate for social change, to energise activists and to support communities of oppressed and marginalised people.

For some musicians, simply singing in your native language can be a radical act.

For others, posting a song criticising a government or regime online is the radical act.

French elections and French defence policy

02 Sep 2024

Blog by Marc Morgan

The second round of French parliamentary elections on 7th July yielded a hung parliament with three main blocks, none of which could command an absolute majority. The largest of those blocks, with 183 deputies; was the Nouveau Front Populaire, a coalition of four left-wing political parties: LFI (France Unbowed), EELV (the Greens), the Socialist Party, and the Communist Party.

Neither Artificial Nor Intelligent

02 Sep 2024

Blog by Peter Burt

The deadly wars in Ukraine and Gaza are giving us an insight into how battles may be fought in future.  Both wars are acting as trial zones for new military technologies, particularly automated technologies driven by artificial intelligence (AI) to undertake intelligence analysis and targeting. In each case, AI has allowed soldiers to sift rapidly through huge volumes of data - with deadly results.

James Lawson 22 September 1928 – 9 June 2024

30 Aug 2024

Blog by Ian Sinclair

James Lawson, who died in June aged 95, was described by Martin Luther King Jr. as ‘the greatest teacher of nonviolence in America.’

Best known for his activism during the US civil rights movement, Lawson travelled to the then segregated city of Nashville, Tennessee in the late 1950s, after King implored him to join the struggle.