Reflection on Downing Street vigil for children of Gaza

Pat Gaffney, Vice-President of Pax Christi England and Wales writes: In my many years of peacemaking, and especially in organising and participating in vigils, acts of witness and protests, people often say: 'what is the point?' Good question. We rarely stop the war or the arms sales. So what are we doing?

By way of example here is what I think we were 'doing' at the fast and vigil held outside Downing Street on 11 April.

Alerted by my friend a colleague Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate, that she would be undertaking a 40 day fast for the children of Gaza, so appalled is she about the lack of international will to bring that war to an end, I felt drawn to do something in solidarity. Others did too. Around the world members of Pax Christi and others committed to times of fasting during these 40 days. With members of Pax Christi England and Wales we planned to fast for 24 hours and hold a vigil outside Downing Street for 7 hours. Prayer and fasting are part of the nonviolent toolbox and are a traditional spiritual practice. Some 'spirits' can only be driven out by prayer and fasting (Mark 9). The geography of our vigil, outside Downing Street, also carried a message that we were bringing our values, our questions and our demands to the heart of Government.

Another key part of the nonviolent toolbox is to communicate what you are doing and why. Not for personal gain or publicity but to amplify concerns and invite dialogue. A week before the event I wrote to Keir Starmer and to my local MP about why I would be at Downing Street. I believe the UK is culpable for the terrible death toll in Gaza and the failure to secure the release of all of the hostages by failing to call out the violations of international law and by its involvement, for many years, in the two-way arms trade with Israel. I also invited them to come and join us on the day. I look forward to receiving responses from both. We also invited Pax Christi members around the country to write similar letters.

Who were we? Seven women: Virginia who came all the way from Shaftesbury, Peggy, Fausta and Helga from North London, religious sisters Jill and Magda, Medical Missionary Sisters and myself from south London. And we had emails and texts of support from others. Our signs and messages were clear for all to see, calling for solidarity for the children of Gaza.

We produced a leaflet for the vigil setting out reasons why we were there and inviting people to join us for a simple prayer each hour or to join on their own. Virginia commented that she appreciated the discipline of fasting and then praying at each hour. We gave out more than 200 hundred leaflets, in addition to prayer cards, to those who showed an interest and had many good conversations.

One young mother with her child in a pushchair stopped and started to cry. She was Muslim and had come to the UK from France which she found too racist as a country. She said she could not watch the babies in Gaza, it made her think of her own child. She said it was all hopeless. Two of us chatted to her about what a wonderful mother she must be. What influence she would have over her child and how she would share her value. She took the leaflet and a prayer card and left, thanking us for listening. Another family with children ages 4 and 6 stopped to talk with Virginia. They waited as the girls asked questions while she told them why we were there. Another child stopped to read one of our posters out loud to his Mum. They were sad words but he read them so well, I complimented him and his Mum and she too thanked us.

We had the usual thumbs up signs and car horns tooting for us. I was not aware of one negative comment. People need to talk about what is going on in the world - we can't hide from it all the time and hopefully, we created a safe place where people could do just that. For those 7 hours we created a space for cooperation and solidarity with those around us, with Mairead and the people of Gaza. I hope that we also conveyed a deeper, political and spiritual message to our Government. That is what we were 'doing'

Meanwhile, Mairead continues her fast. I sent her a message with photographs of our day. She says she is doing well, encouraged by so many people joining the prayer and fast for Gaza and the children of the world.

LINKS

Pax Christi: www.paxchristi.org.uk

Pat Gaffney: facebook.com/pat.gaffney.94

Twitter: @scutumfero