MPD Blog

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  • 2024-08-10 10:50:06 GMT

    Letter to the BBC

    7 August 2024

    Dear Mr Davie,

    On behalf of the members and committee of Musicians for Peace and Disarmament, I am writing to express our surprise and dismay that the advert placed by the Peace Pledge Union in the programme for the Promenade concert on 17 August has now been removed, in spite of originally being accepted and paid for.

    The work to be performed, Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, was created as a direct result of the composer’s deep commitment to peace. For many years, he and his partner Peter Pears had a close involvement with the PPU, and the advert provided important context for the origin of the piece.

    At a time when tensions in many parts of the world have reached a frightening level, and when huge numbers of people are experiencing unimaginable suffering, the promotion of peace is urgently needed. Britten’s masterpiece conveys the horrors of war very powerfully; by drawing attention to the composer’s links with the PPU and giving information about the organisation, the advert affirms this message, and could not conceivably have offended anyone. The composer himself would surely have been appalled by this unnecessary censorship by the BBC.

    We hope that you will reconsider your decision and reinstate the advert.

    Yours sincerely,
    Anthony Lamb (Chair, MPD)

  • 2024-02-27 16:47:28 GMT

    The Conflict In The Middle East

    The raid by Hamas on 7 October was unspeakable in its brutality. The
    crushing response by the Israeli government has at the time of writing already resulted in nearly 29,000 dead and countless more injured or missing, and has devastated the lives of everyone in Gaza. The sheer scale of slaughter and destruction have led many around the world, including the International Court of Justice, to warn that this response might constitute genocide. It should be remembered that our own government has over many years supplied weapons to Israel, which are now being used in this way.

    The horrific and ever-deteriorating situation in Gaza has tragically opened up deep and painful divisions in our society and around the world, with people on both sides polarised in their fervent indignation and outrage. MPD’s position reflects our core belief that violence and killing are wrong in any context, and that in the long term they create a vicious circle of revenge and counter-revenge, in which everyone loses, and untold numbers of people suffer.

    Unless a solution is found which guarantees the security of everyone in the region, there will be further bloodshed, and an already catastrophic situation could become even worse if other countries are further drawn into the conflict. The task is immense; historical events, including a long occupation of Gaza and increased illegal Jewish settlements, continuing attacks on Israel, religious and cultural differences, and many other factors, are a major stumbling block to achieving peace, but ultimately only one course of action is possible if a never-ending cycle of violence and death is to be avoided: a complete ceasefire leading to political agreement. Ultimately, humanity must prevail.