Letters - 14 April 2023
From The Peace Testimony to Quaker sporting links
The Peace Testimony
David Boulton (17 March) states a simple truth. ‘Russia invaded a country… in defiance of international law.’ History does repeat itself sadly without the lessons being learnt.
In 1968 Russia (then the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) invaded Czechoslovakia to overthrow the government of Alexander Dubček. As the tanks rolled in, crucially Dubček ordered his army and his people not to fight back with the inevitable result that the Russian occupation was successful and the Czech people endured some twenty years of occupation before the Russians were obliged to leave when the Soviet Union collapsed.
At the time of the invasion and throughout the occupation the Czech people united in carrying out a campaign of nonviolent civil resistance – to the great discomfort of the occupiers. Crucially, due to the nonviolent response, many lives were saved, buildings and industries remained intact, and the country did not collapse into devastation. The people were able to carry on with their almost-normal lives, although it took a long time before they were once more free.
There are many lessons from history that tell us that nonviolent resistance in line with our Peace Testimony can and does achieve success. Our Veterans For Peace UK campaigning mission statement says: ‘War is no solution to the problems we face in the 21st century.’ As we in the west continue to supply one side with ever-more- lethal weapons we are now facing an increasingly protracted and escalating war which reminds us only too well of what happened in 1939-1945.
John Bourton
Funerals
I was interested to read Barrie Mahoney’s account of his neighbour’s non-funeral (24 March). George’s widow, Maureen, is quite right in implying that funerals are expensive. But it is not necessary to have a funeral in order to celebrate a life. Maureen could invite those friends who loved George to his garden for a small tea party. Barrie could bring the cake. They could all share their memories of George without fuss or expense in the place he loved.
Penelope Putz
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