Events & Viewings – Martyn Lowe

Long Term Rules For Activists – Part 5 – Stats

Yesterday morning I leafleted the Smarter Travel conference and exhibition with other Liverpool Pedestrians outside the new conference centre by the River Mersey. We handed out a 2 sided A4 leaflet headed Actions Not Words. The rest of this leaflet was made up of four sets of statistical graphs which shows how Merseyside has the highest number of Pedestrians, Child Pedestrians, Cyclists, and Child Cyclists killed or seriously injured in any metropolitan area in the UK.

We keep been told that we should not so much make the case for radical change, but give people the figures to prove it needs doing.

So that’s what we did.

Being statistical information which was relevant to the subject of the conference had more impact, and it was clearly being read in a way which a body of text would not of been.

I’ve never handed out a leaflet which just gives statistical info before now, but it clearly works in getting over our point of view, and might be added to any future campaigning manuals.

Celebrating 50 Years Of Activism.

November 3rd 1968 to November 3rd 2018.

On that day I will be 69 years old. I have never been good at marking my birthday.

To quote the quote: – It’s just another day.

This year I will make it an exception, as on that day I will be:-

Celebrating 50 years of activism.

This started with a protest outside of the offices of Elliot Automation.

That was a company which made Head-up Display Equipment which was used in B52 bombers over Vietnam.

The List.

At different periods over the last 50 years I have worked closely with, or actively been involved in the following campaigns, groups, & organisations.

Anti Falklands War Support Network

At Ease

Campaign Against the Arms Trade

Close Capenhurst Campaign

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

COPS

Fly on the Wall

Greenpeace [ London ]

Housmans Book Shop

Information For Social Change

Kick Nuclear

Librarians within the Peace Movement

Liverpool Pedestrian Group

LIWO Support Group

Merseyside Peace Network

National Peace Council

Nuclear Waste Trains Action Group

Operation Namibia

PARTIZANS

[ People Against Rio Tinto Zink and its Subsidiaries ]

Peace News

Peace Pledge Union

Radiation Free Lakelands

Richmond Pacifist Group

Stop Nuclear Power Network

Stop URENCO

Torness Alliance

Undercover Research Group

War Resisters International

Many of the WRI Sections and Associate Organisations

YAPPU

[ Youth Association Peace Pledge Union ]

Plus Many Many More.

Plus Plus Plus Plus Plus

Though it is not just a matter of marking the past which I will be doing on the day, but using it as a marker for future campaing work.

Looking At Paintings.

I spend a lot of my time visiting art galleries, which is why I have come to the
following conclusion:-

That the classification of art can sometimes prevent us from really understanding
just what the artist is or was doing.

I’d like to illustrate this observation by looking at the work of two artists.

Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne ( 1839–1906 ) has traditionally been thought of as an Impressionist
painter,
yet in many ways he was more than that.

Just look at these painting:-

L’Estaque
1883–1885

The Bay of Marseilles, view from L’Estaque
1885

Still Life, Drapery, Pitcher, and Fruit Bowl
1893–1894

The watercolour

Mill at the River
1900–1906

If you look these works closely enough you will realise that they are more cubist
than impressionist in nature.

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh ( 30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890 ) is always referred to as being a
post-Impressionist painter.

What are less commented upon are his drawings.

For example:-

Cypresses (Les Cyprès), 1889

Starry Night, after the painting, 1889

Now just start looking at his paintings such as:-

The Starry Night, June 1889

Wheatfield with Crows, 1890

and

Cypresses, 1889

What will then become very obvious to you is that many of his paintings were no
more and no less than drawings in colour.

Understand that,
and start to look at the rest of his works with a fresh eye.

These observations about looking afresh at works of art can also be applied to political thought.

Just you think about it.

The Imperial War Museum.

I’ve just been back on a visit to The Imperial War Museum.

I was in the company of some young War Resisters from
German, Chile, and South Korea.

Although there is a lot within the museum upon the various
wars which Britain has been involved within during the 20th
century:
One can also find a lot of material upon conscription and
conscientious objection.

For me it was a visit to the museum in my teens which kick
started my thinking which resulted in my becoming a pacifist.

Every Pacifist should try and visit the museum.

Don’t knock it.