Birmingham City Centre Peace Trail

At a working lunch in the BMI on Tuesday 9th July, the City Centre Peace Trail leaflet was launched.

After a John Bright Day held in the city a couple of years ago, Dr Peter van den Dungen – co-ordinator of the International Network of Peace Museums – suggested that a city centre peace trail leaflet be produced. A precedent has been set by London, Leeds, Bradford, Manchester and Atlanta to be followed in autumn this year by Berlin, Budapest, Paris, The Hague, Torino and Vienna.

Cllr Martin Mullaney arranged for a meeting with Dr Mashuq Ally, the council’s Assistant Director, Equalities & Human Resources who suggested that the leaflet be followed by a social cohesion project in ‘wider Birmingham’ – reflecting the city today – bringing in churches, gurdwaras, community organisations and mosques. Patrick Baird (former head of local studies at Birmingham Central Library) agreed to do the research and Anthony Spettigue took the photographs. The design and production was the work of Paper and Print, of Shirley.

Present were Amrick Singh Ubhi, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ), Andrew Smith, Bishop’s Adviser in Interfaith matters, Anthony Spettigue, project research group, photography, Barbara Panvel, project research group, Elizabeth Way, project research group, United National Association, Hansa Shah, Palestine Ecumenical Accompanier, Janet White, daughter of legendary city Quaker peace education activist Sidney White, John Beard, Birmingham Buddhist Vihara Trustee, Jonathan Gurling,  Birmingham Faith Leaders Group, Joyce Springer-Amadedon, Handsworth and Lozells Community Team. Equality and Community Engagement Manager, Mashuq Ally, Assistant Director, Equalities & Human Resources, Patrick Baird, lead researcher, project research group, Peter Van den Dungen, University of Bradford, Co-ordinator: International Network of Peace Museums INMP), Sara Hagel, director of the Quaker Peace Education project, based in Edgbaston and Rianne ten Veen, who – after ten years with Islamic Relief Worldwide – is expanding her Open University teaching on interdisciplinary modules around environment, ethics and development.

The Peace Trail may be downloaded from the INMP website. To fit on the screen a magnification of 65% works – but some definition will be lost. Start with page 2 and travel from the Peace Garden in Granville Street, following a two-hour trail which ends with the offices of West Midlands CND at the Warehouse in Allison Street Digbeth.

In due course, Dr van den Dungen’s reflections on the value of reviving and recording local peace history and Dr Ally’s reflections on social cohesion will be placed on this site.