Dear Friends,
Welcome to our first CAAT News of 2024
Here’s another jam-packed issue, full of action and reflection. It also marks the beginning of the year we celebrate 50 years of campaigning against the arms trade; much has changed in the way we live our daily lives, but tragically the arms trade continues to spread death and mayhem around the world. The UK government shamefully fuels this trade, helping arms companies export their deadly products, while its MPs and former ministers get lucrative board memberships and consultancy contracts.
Thank you to all who have joined us on this journey, we couldn’t do it without you!
Here’s a brief overview of some of the highlights you’ll find inside:
- Arms to Israel. Since the last issue of CAAT News, we have seen Israel's policy of increasing violence, imprisonment without charge and illegal evictions in the West Bank, Hamas's attack on military and civilian targets on the 7th October and what the International Court of Justice described Israel's unprecendented mass killings in Gaza that "plausibly" could amount to acts of genocide. As you would expect, we cover this from several angles. See pages 3, 7, 8-9, 10 and 11.
- In October 2023, we launched the second of our annual reports into UK arms exports. Read about it on page 6, and watch the recording on YouTube.
- Following the ejection by local people of the arms fair from Malvern, it popped up again in Telford. Of course, we had to join with our friends to work towards its demise. On page 12, you can read all about it!
- It’s encouraging to read on page 13 about the students at Glasgow University who have challenged their university to follow its own Socially Responsible Investment policy and withdraw its funds from BAE Systems.
- Do keep an eye on your emails. This is important this year, as we roll out plans for our 50th Anniversary – we won't be able to send all of our 50th updates by post, so will use email, social media and our website for the very latest information. Please don't miss out!
This issue went to press before we heard the news of the UK and US bombing of Yemen – do look at our website and social media feeds for CAAT’s action and reaction. Read our Statement on Yemen.
We also use these emails to ask you to support CAAT in our continuing work to STOP the arms trade by making a donation.
Do, please, help as you are able.
We trust that you believe in what we are doing, and support our work. Do let us know your thoughts, and alert us of anything you hear of that you think would be useful for us to know.
A very big thank you to all of you who were able to give following our 2023 round-up.
We’d ask you to consider making your donations to us by Direct Debit HERE: these are easy to set up and really do mount up over time (you are protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee and can easily stop them at any time). There’s the further benefit of helping us manage our regular budget and plan for the future.
One-off donations can be made securely by PayPal (you don't need an account) HERE.
If you are not able to help financially at the moment, you can read on for plenty of other ways to get involved in this work in CAAT News.
Thank you all so much for your support in so many ways!
PS – Do let me know if you have any stories you’d like to pass on about your involvement with CAAT over this half-century. Send an email to me: [email protected]