Alistair McKee

I agree with the Ghandian message of support, but i would go further
and call for a proactive demonstration of the opposite of the culture
of violence in which the arms dealers have a vested interest on
promoting. I am talking about the concept and practice of a Culture of
Peace, which forms the ideological base of the (hopefully) future
United Nations Charter, called the Earth Charter (see
www.earthcharter.org and www.earthcharter.org.au). This may mean
demonstrations in SILENCE ("Noble Silence" as the Buddhists say)
rather than the out-worn and predictable "One, Two, Three, Four, We
Don't Want your Terror War". We do not have or want to use force in
the furtherance of our goals. Our field of struggle is in the powerful
domain of legitimation.we must develop imaginative ways to change the
ways of thinking that lead to the normalisation of war as an extension
of policy, at a time when we have less than ten years to switch
investments in military into energy, climate, water and food security.
We possibly have less than a year to develop responses in the built
environment that depend on current historically low price of oil.
The hour is very late. The shouting in the streets culture of protest
has failed to deliver. It is time for a form of protest in which
people who want to DEMONSTRATE a culture of peace, and families, kids
and old folk can feel able to participate.

In solidarity,
Alistair McKee