Dear Reader,

In this issue you can read about a generous Coventry citizen has donated £2000 to promote children's interest in poetry, and about the record entries for the Peace Poem Competition, as well as a number of other stories we featured on our website in December.

At this time of giving we ask you to support the Lord Mayors Appeal supporting charities and organisations that help victims of domestic abuse.

Please do let us know of any peace-related news or activities happening in or near Coventry and we will be happy to add them to our website http://coventrycityofpeace.uk and include them in a future edition of this newsletter.

Philip Brown
Chair, Coventry Lord Mayor's Committee for Peace & Reconciliation
covlmpc@gmail.com

Peace News

Please Support Lord Mayor's Appeal

As Lord Mayor of Coventry, Councillor Ann Lucas will be supporting charities and organisations that help victims of domestic abuse throughout her year in office. Cllr Lucas has been an active campaigner against domestic violence for many years and was awarded an OBE in 2014 for her national and local work as a champion of domestic violence issues and her …

Nobel Peace Prize 2020 Awarded

On 10 December the The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 to the World Food Programme (WFP) for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict. …

£2000 Donation from Coventry Citizen

Coventry Lord Mayor's Committee for Peace and Reconciliation received a donation of £2000 from Coventry citizen Joyce Jones with the aim of encouraging children at the top of primary schools in Coventry to read, write and enjoy poetry. "When I was that age I didn't like poetry," Joyce says, "but I think if I had been taught differently I might …

Record Number of Entries for Children's Peace Poem Competition

The Coventry and Warwickshire Children's Peace Poem Competition received a record number of entries in 2020. We received 341 poems in total, almost three times the number last year. Coventry Lord Mayor's Committee for Peace and Reconciliation are of course delighted to receive them but it has meant that the judges have had to spend extra time reading and grading …

Please Support Lord Mayor's Appeal

Coventry Modern Foreign Languages Hub

Enabling communication between people of different nations would help to promote peace and understanding. In addition, if the UK is to make a success of increasing trade with the rest of the world after Brexit it needs people with language skills. But foreign language understanding in the UK is low and probably getting lower. According to Eurostat's Foreign language skills …

Twin Cities

In 1944, Coventry and Volgograd created the first twin cities whose aim was to promote peace and reconciliation between people in different countries. However, what we now call twin cities have existed for over 1000 years (see the Wikipedia article on Sister Cities below). Coventry is now twinned with 26 other cities. However, the participation by and awareness of most citizens …

Petition to Cabinet Office for Recognition of Coventry as City of Peace and Reconciliation

This report was published as Agenda item 14 for Coventry City Council Meeting at 2.00 pm on Tuesday, 8th December, 2020. Executive Summary: This report requests the Council to agree to a proposal to submit a petition the Cabinet Office to seek the formal recognition of Coventry as the UK City of Peace and Reconciliation. This would recognise the important …

Forthcoming Peace-Related Events

Anniversary of First UN General Assembly Meeting

The first meeting of the General Assembly was held in Westminster Central Hall, London, on 10 January 1946. The Security Council met for the first time a week later in Church House, Westminster. 10 January was also the date of the founding of the UN's predecessor, the League of Nations, which was founded on 10 January 1920. The League of …

Cross of Nails Presentation and Opening of Japanese Peace Garden

On 26th March 2021 His Excellency the Ambassador from the Embassy of Japan will be presented with the Cross of Nails in Coventry Cathedral at 10.30am. This will be followed by an exhibition of Japanese arts (pupil work). After this, guests will be invited to the official opening of the Japanese Peace Garden at the War Memorial Park.

City of Culture Programme to Begin in May 2021

On 3 July 2020, Coventry City of Culture Trust announced that it will officially commence its programme in May 2021. Co-created with national and local partners, and grassroots organisations across the city, the programme will include major international artistic events, world premieres and commissions across theatre, music, dance, literature, comedy and visual art. As Covid-19 continues to have a major …

Ruined and Rebuilt

This classic book is on sale now in hardback or paperback and would make an ideal and unique gift. On the night of 14 November 1940, Reverend Richard Howard, Provost of Coventry Cathedral, was one of four firefighters who climbed onto the roof to smother with sand the incendiary bombs that were landing not just on the Cathedral but starting …

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Website and newsletter created by Coventry Lord Mayor's Committee for Peace and Reconciliation

For their generous support, the Lord Mayor's Committee for Peace and Reconciliation expresses our thanks to the Lord Mayor's Office and Coventry City Council. We also thank Coventry Cathedral, Coventry University and Warwick University for their support and assistance.