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VOTE
FOR PEACE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION!
A
Vote for Peace rally was held at Bangor in North Wales
on Saturday 30 April in order to focus attention on issues
of peace, justice and human rights in the run up to the
2005 General Election.
Convened by the Bangor & Ynys Môn Peace and
Justice group, it was well attended and received good
media coverage. Music was provided by Bangor Community
Choir and drummers from Africa Links.
The
first speaker was Linda Rogers of Peace and Progress.
Linda spoke of the lie that says we need human rights
OR security. Human rights are in fact essential to security
and where they have been ignored, for instance in Palestine
and Chechnya, there is an increase in violence and terrorism.
She mentioned the conditions of Iraqis two years after
the 'liberation' - 60 percent of families are still reliant
on a monthly food ration. More than a quarter of Iraqi
children do not get enough food to eat.
Linda also discussed the illegal use of depleted uranium,
1500 tonnes of which had been used in Iraqi cities. Linda
spoke of how the questions of peace are not divorced from
other major issues such as the growing gap between rich
and poor, sustainibility and fair trade. The invasion
of Iraq had been because of policies and lifestyles that
are unsustainable and the need to create new markets and
plunder the resources of others.
These
themes were reinforced by other speakers. Representatives
of other political parties included Jim Killick
(candidate in Conwy constituency for the Green Party),
Gareth Roberts (the same for the Lib
Dems), Dafydd Iwan (President of Plaid
Cymru) and Hywel Williams (Plaid MP for
Caernarfon).
(Peace
and Progress has agreed reciprocal endorsement with Plaid
Cymru’s candidate in the Brycheiniog constituency,
Mabon ap Gwynfor.)
Other
speakers in Bangor included veteran peace campaigner Emlyn
Richards (CND Cymru); Mirwas Khan
(Bangor Islamic Centre); Awel Irene (recently
returned from a visit to Libya with members of Youth Forum
Wales and Gwerin y Coed/Woodcraft Folk; and John
Butler of Bangor & Ynys Môn Peace &
Justice Group, who has led recent delegations to Palestine.
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