Peace and the resolution of conflict
The Peace Party does not support or condone war of any kind. War is a morally unacceptable way to resolve conflict and must never be an instrument of government policy. Governments should always foster and promote peace, and work to remove of the causes of war.Peace is not only desirable in international relations. It also needs to be expressed nationally through a proper regard for the interests of those with little or no political power, and by preventing commercial exploitation and domestic violence.
Values strongly against violence and war aren't that prominent in any of the main political parties at the moment - this should change, for a number of reasons such as funding and the moral complications. A country such as Britain or America has a huge power over some smaller countries, and it isn't ethical as lots of innocent people are being killed.
The fact that the government can commit gigantic crimes while citizens have strict laws against them, is believed to be illogical by many.
The Peace Party's policies
Below are overviews of the policies outlined on their website.
Responsibility
'we have a responsibility as citizens and members of a community not to consent to harm being done.'
Non-violence
'The Peace Party will press for a better and wider understanding of the principles and practice of non-violence, and will explore ways of incorporating into government sound and accepted techniques for peaceful conflict resolution.'
Militarism and the armed forces
'A society that is determined to resolve conflicts by peaceful means can have no use for armed forces, and we believe they should be disarmed. This will also help to assuage some countries' legitimate concerns about out intentions, and send a message of support to other peaceful countries.'
Giving minorities a voice
'The balance must be redressed by taking seriously the concerns of the poor and the politically weak, providing platforms where their voices can be heard, and bringing competing groups together in a positive atmosphere in an attempt to increase the level of mutual understanding.'
Domestic issues
'Over recent years there has been a move away from adversarial models of conflict-resolution in domestic issues such as divorce and custody of children.'
Security and human rights
'We are particularly concerned about popular attitudes to immigrants, 'travellers' and Muslims, and will seeks ways of protecting their security, freedoms, opportunities for advancement, and status within our society.'
General Election 2015 - Manifesto
By declaring that the quest for Peace is the central issue in politics, the Peace Party has set a new standard through which all of the problems in society will be solved.Putting our faith in the good nature of human beings and trusting in their ability to work hard together and as individuals to develop a more compassionate, a more idealistic, a more positive way forward, the Party is showing that we can do it!
Much of our political debate is conducted in a spirit of negativity, mistrust and hostility. The Peace Party believes that there is a better way, that people are capable of compassion, kindness and generosity and it is this belief that informs all of our policies.The two areas that bring these ideas into sharpest focus are war and poverty. To put it simply, our ultimate objective is to eliminate both of these scourges and, in the process, release vast resources for the benefit of humanity.With your help and the help of other peace movements throughout the world, we could radically improve the situation.
Foreign Affairs and Defence
We should focus on bringing PEACE and security to the world through dialogue, trade, co-operation and humanitarian assistance. This would be vastly superior to deploying military force. NO intervention in others' wars.
Climate Change
Our aim is to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide to help slow down global warming and climate change by fully developing all forms of non-polluting energy.
Poverty, Inequality
Our aim is to eliminate the huge and growing disparity in income between rich and poor. The structure of taxation will be changed to correct this grave injustice.The UK is a rich country but many are forced to live in abject poverty. A basic income for all adults would allow everyone to have a decent standard of living and make a major contribution to solving social problems.
Education, including Schools
End student fees! Ensure that properly funded, free education at all levels is available for everyone throughout life.
Human Rights Act
All laws must be based on the basic human rights as defined by the European Convention on Human Rights which is itself based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Peace Party supports the Human Rights Act.
Race Relations and Immigration
Immigrants are not the problem! They enrich our culture and our economy and should be welcomed and celebrated. There must be compassionate and just policies on asylum and migration. The Peace Party recognises that the political, social and economic circumstances leading to people leaving their homes are partially caused by the imbalances of wealth in Europe and beyond. We would seek ways to work with other countries in order to help treat the issue at its root.
National Health Service
The NHS is one of the best and most cost-effective in the world. It must continue to be fully funded by the government. NO privatisation - NO profits.
Housing
A housing programme should be in existence to ensure that everyone has a home of their own to rent or buy at prices they can afford.
http://peacepartyuk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/our-2015-manifesto.html
Their 2015 manifesto was recently posted on the party's blog. It outlines very clearly their beliefs and what they are trying to change within the government. They mostly consist of treating people fairly and humanely, and helping out the less fortunate. They also are strongly against oppression of certain marginalised groups.
I will sum these policies up in a later post.
The following is content taken from a Telegraph article about the Peace Party.
Key pledges of the Peace Party
"People say 'obviously everyone wants peace', but they talk as if it will never happen," said Mr Holgate. "They speak of peace as though it is something that can only come when all war is ended, but we are keen to talk about peace as a process, as opposed to merely a 'distant goal that we seek', as Martin Luther King said."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11527178/Free-tai-chi-and-dance-classes-meet-the-political-party-promoting-world-peace-in-General-Election-2015.html
An interesting perspective from one of their candidates is brought to light in this article, saying that people see the idea of 'peace' as something far away and unable to be reached. This sounds like something that could be visually represented in a logo.
Further::
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32167563?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_politics&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central
https://twitter.com/daily_politics/status/585432503810334721
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