Our street actions are usually at Bankers Corner, Terminus Road, Eastbourne.
They are always a good opportunity to meet each other and to engage with the public.
It also gives us a chance for exposure in the local press.
We usually have good support for our actions, but would welcome any members who would
like to take part for a couple of hours.
March, April and May
We quizzed the public on “Do you feel safer on the streets of Eastbourne because
British troops are in Afghanistan?” Most people did not feel safer. You can read
some of their comments here >
We also finished a pair of Opinion polls with a single question, “Should we sell
British-made arms to regimes with poor records on democracy and human rights - even
if the USA, Germany and France are doing this? Of the people who responded the great
majority were against such arms sales.
As a result of the stall we sent a letter to the to the Department of Business,Innovation
and Skills You can read this here >
In June our topic was a public opinion poll on military spending and the Millennium
Development Goals. You can see a flier for this here >
Members of the public were asked to sign personal letters addressed to the Department
of Overseas Development asking how they reconcile the mismatch between the gross
level of military spending compared with the comparatively small amount which could
transform world health, education and development.
You can read this here >
Our last action was on 23 Feb Members of the public were asked to sign peace doves,
adding their own personal message, for the UN International Day of Peace. The press
release is shown here.
This action was so successful that we shall repeat it at Bankers' Corner. The weather
has been so bad recently that we have decided to make an emergency date as soon as
we enter a reasonably reliable fine period.
Duarte.
When asked if there was any point in signing, members of the peace group explained that it is vital for diplomats to know what ordinary people believe and hope for. Members also pointed out that the abolition of slavery and votes for women were not privileges granted by the powerful. They happened because of sustained pressure from below.
Group secretary George
Farebrother said, "Many of these messages were quite realistic about the challenges facing us.
“One said: ‘Peace is not only better than war but infinitely more arduous’ while another stressed that, ‘Peace is a task that is never fully completed’.
‘Live simply and peacefully in love and light showed that world peace can only be achieved by paying attention to peace in our own lives.’ ”
PEACE activists were out in force at the weekend - asking passers-by to jot down their feeling' on war on cut-out doves.
Members of Eastbourne for Peace and Liberty manned a street stall in the town centre and, having collected a number of personal messages from local people keen to see an end to violent conflicts, the doves will now be sent to United Nations under secretary-general Sergio
