Norfolk CAAT

Farnborough air show

2010-07-19T20:53:52Z

Interesting article on the comment is free section of the guardian today.
Peter Luff, defence equipment minister, who in June reportedly said: "There will be a very, very, very heavy ministerial commitment to the process. There is a sense that in the past we were rather embarrassed about exporting defence products. There is no such embarrassment in this government."

Read it here.

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5 miles - count em and weep!

2010-07-16T20:40:21Z

Hurray! I managed my first 5 mile run tonight!
I read Murakami, What I talk about when I talk about running. I was inspired. He was my age when he started running and making many changes in his life at once. I thought if he could do that, I can do this 10 miles no worries. I'm even thinking I might want to keep going out running when all this is over, not something I had been thinking about before.

I bought a new sports bra today! Very exciting. I had been putting it off because they're so expensive, but I think the new good quality one is definitely what gave me the extra ability to make it 5 miles tonight.

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Norwich Peace Camp 2010

2010-07-16T20:20:29Z

Norwich Peace Camp took place on 26 June at the forum. ]]> UKTI and the current focus on public sector spending cuts is leading more people to question taxpayer support for arms companies.
I didn't miss the opportunity to ask for sponsorship for the Great South Run and managed to raise a further £122 towards my goal of £600. Thanks to everyone who sponsored me, now I just have to actually do the run and collect the money!

EDO Decomissioners found not guilty

2010-07-11T17:59:25Z

The jury in the trial of seven activists who decommissioned a Brighton arms factory to prevent Israel war crimes in Gaza in January 2009, have now found all seven activists not guilty of Conspiracy to Cause Criminal Damage by unanimous verdict in Hove Crown Court.
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One of the activists, Chris Osmond said:
"This action was taken was taken because of EDO MBMs illegal supply of weapons to the Israeli military. We brought the suffering of ordinary Palestinians into a British courtroom and confronted with the evidence they took the brave decision to find that our actions were justified."

Read more at smashEDO

Cutting services, funding arms sales

2010-07-06T18:52:24Z

Should the government be increasing support for the arms industry when public services are facing cuts?

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But on the day the budget announced big cuts in public services, Conservative Minister Peter Luff said there's no "embarrassment in this government" about selling arms, and pledged a "very, very, very heavy ministerial commitment to the process".

The arms industry already receives huge taxpayer subsidies and has a whole department of civil servants devoted to marketing their deadly products to human rights abusers and conflict zones.

Please email your MP today to say this support must end, not be increased!

http://bit.ly/emailMP

Sponsorship

2010-06-26T17:25:58Z

I updated my sponsorship page with a photo and look where it ended up:

http://www.caat.org.uk/fundraising/sponsored.php

Ow!

2010-06-20T15:21:25Z

I finally did a photo for my fund-raising page. I gave it a silly name - I didn't think visitors would be able to see it. They could, now it has a slightly less silly name.

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Slow and steady

2010-06-13T20:09:31Z

I've managed to keep up a routine of running pretty much every other day I've been in Norwich since I last wrote. this yesterday. I actually think that running helped with this, didn't seem as difficult as it has in the past. However, this is likely to mean I don't run for the next couple of days as I'm too stiff. Hopefully back to it on Tuesday and another update soon.
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Please sponsor me!

2010-06-01T22:10:21Z

Your support would not only help CAAT with working towards an end to the arms trade, but also help me think my training is worth it. You can find my sponsorship page here.

Running...or at least walking quickly

2010-06-01T21:54:03Z

O dear, I haven't been very successful in keeping the blog entries going. I have, however, not given up!
But I don't just want to complain. I got a book out of the library after that weekend as I thought I needed some advice. Felt better about walking a bit of the route, I will get there eventually. Started to listen to the radio rather than music so I don't try and go too fast.

When I got home on Monday I noticed the lace (from a demo whistle) that I had my door key on has stained my t-shirt pink and blue around the neck where I sweated so I'll always have something to remember this stupid training by!
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Influence the new government on arms exports

2010-05-25T10:14:43Z

Last year, the Conservatives said they wanted to increase the support given to arms exports, and use arms sales as a "foreign policy tool" - a truly alarming prospect. But in the past many senior Liberal Democrats have supported our campaign to end government support for arms exports.

Please take time to email Vince Cable, the minister responsible for UKTI and ask him to end the disproportionate support given to the UKTI Defence & Security Organisation.

More information can be found here in the May 2010 CAAT bulletin - along with info on the upcoming Stop Week, People's Jury and BAE AGM, a new briefing paper 'Private Gain, Public Pain' and more.

Norwich Peace Hustings

2010-05-24T13:48:03Z

The Norwich North & South Peace Hustings took place prior to the general election to compare candidates' answers to questions about freeing the world of nuclear weapons,
tax subsidies to the arms trade, conflict in Afghanistan, the Middle East and more.

Norfolk CAAT asked the following question:
The UK government supports and promotes military exports through the Department for Trade and Industry Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO). This has more staff working specifically to promote arms sales than all other types of export combined. Much of this promotion targets unstable and repressive regimes. Would you agree panel that the UKTI DSO must be shut down and it's functions ended?

The event took place on the 12 April and was sponsored by 14 of the groups at this years upcoming Peace Camp.

The Friends Meeting House did not charge for the venue, as Quakers were one of the endorsing groups, and chaired the event. Any money collected was added to the Quaker appeal for Jerusalem PeaceMakers.

Thanks to Lesley, CND and the other groups involved for their work organising this event. Thanks to the Norwich No2ID group for providing the video footage.

The logic of military spending

2010-05-24T13:32:59Z

The latest medialens alert is an excellent analysis of high tech military spending - Trident, Israel's new Iron Dome - and the media's response.

"In reality, the logic of military spending has been reversed. It is not that awesome weapons are required to counter awesome threats - threats are needed to justify high-tech weapons. There is no terrifying Soviet, Muslim or Martian plan to conquer the West. There is despair and anger expressed using the poor person's weapon of war - labeled "terrorism" by our own high-tech terrorists - that would vanish, instantly, if Western elites stopped inventing motives and machines for attacking innocent people."

Fine Art Fair 2010, next up 2011 Fine Arms Fair?

2010-05-19T13:16:23Z

Clarion Events continue trying to sanitise their image with another innocuous sounding Fair, forgetting to tell attendees that they also host numerous arms fairs, including the DSEi Arms Fair in Docklands in 2011. This is the World's biggest Arms Fair.

Come along to Olympia, Hammersmith Road W14, and protest on Saturday 5 June. Help us tell attendees about the rather un-lovely deadly exhibits that Clarion help to promote when they hope we're admiring paintings.

Not making much progress

2010-05-11T20:44:29Z

I'm going to try and post fairly regular updates on my progress getting ready for the Great South Run. There might not always be much to say, but I think it's all part of getting ready.
So this week I have still managed not to buy any new shoes. My brother is advising me I should get it sorted as it makes a big difference. Next week might be the one, although being away at the weekend may hamper those plans.

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