Letters

This June marks our 75th anniversary as a publication dedicated to peace and justice. We've decided to mark the anniversary in a unique way by having a one-year donation-based subscription offer. We are allowing people to subscribe for a year with whatever donation they think is appropriate. For a whole year, we will be entrusting ourselves (and our salaries) to the generosity of the British peace movement!

Instead of having "subscribers", we want to recruit more "sustainers", people who want to keep PN going, and who want to help it thrive. You might want to have 10 copies a year sent to you by post, or you might be content just to read PN online, or you might just want to donate to PN without needing a regular copy, or you might become a distribution point for PN every month.

In these difficult economic times, this donation-based subscription system is a risky venture but we set out with it feeling that we have little option but to take risks if we want to massively increase the readership and influence of Peace News and of radical nonviolence.

Brilliant. I hope your new donation-based subscription system [to be announced fully in the June issue] works as well for you as it did on our market garden, Growing Green. Dave introduced a subscription system, to separate “money” and being part of the project. At least one third of the subscribers paid far more than the minimum, some double! Occasionally people paid less, and increased it again as soon as they were able. A beautiful, trusting system.

I write in reply to your notice of changing from “subscribers” to “sustainers”. I feel it is a bit risky. But on the other hand it seems a bold step which might call forth greater support than you ever dreamt of.

I can’t remember what my subscription is but I would, at least, wish to retain it at its present level. Maybe, if it is possible I would consider slightly increasing my subscription, though I am not weathy being an 80-year-old pensioner.

Best wishes for your new venture!

Thanks for your considered letter last issue. Yes, we can certainly agree that we should struggle for an end to class division: maybe we still disagree about the need for a proletarian dictatorship. Who knows?

Trying to create a nonviolent revolution, like working for Swaraj in India, carries risks. That we might end up with civil war is one of these risks. Given the atrocities of war, everywhere, I sincerely hope PN continues to preach nonviolent revolution.

Thanks for producing such an inspiring and energising paper – we thoroughly enjoyed distributing it, and will aim to do so again at some point in the future. Your info on how to deal with the census form [see p2] was both a revelation (I’d not realised Lockheed was involved!) and an inspiration – very useful indeed! My form has now been suitably adjusted, and I’ve sent the relevant link to dozens of people around the UK.

PN 2530, in February , was one of the most informative, interesting and exciting I’ve read, especially Michael Albert’s article “Parecon”. I agree with every word he wrote, but then a professor of politics once called me an anarcho-syndicalist, so.… I am enclosing a cheque for £15 which I would like you to use to send copies of PN 2530 to the following names and addresses.... I hope there’s a little over for a small donation.

I have had PN since before the War! Quaker conchie, etc. Presently I’m Life President of Scott Bader – held by the workforce to create a better working life and a nonviolent world... assume you know this... Being 88 years old now, cannot always get it right. Just keep PN going!!!