Launch of the Irish campaign to Stop Killer Robots

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At the Irish Launch of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots: (From left to right): Fiona Crowley (Amnesty Ireland), Tony D'Costa (Pax Christi), Iain Atack (ISE), Professor Noel Sharkey, Joe Murray, Lisa Patten (Afri). Photo: Dave Donnellan
At the Irish Launch of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots: (From left to right): Fiona Crowley (Amnesty Ireland), Tony D’Costa (Pax Christi), Iain Atack (ISE), Professor Noel Sharkey, Joe Murray, Lisa Patten (Afri). Photo: Dave Donnellan

On 10 April, the Irish launch of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots took place at Trinity College Dublin with a keynote address by Professor Noel Sharkey, chair of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, a founder of the global Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Afri—a peace and human rights organisation that opposes war and militarization—held the launch in association with the International Peace Studies Programme of the Irish School of Ecumenics. Other organisations participating in the Irish Campaign to Stop Killer Robots include Amnesty International Ireland and Pax Christi Ireland.

Born in Belfast, Sharkey is a well-known robotics and artificial intelligence expert at the University of Sheffield in the UK. At the event, he called on the Irish government to show leadership on the crucial issue of ensuring human control over targeting and attack decisions by banning fully autonomous weapons.

In a press release, Afri described the launch as timely given the context of moves by some countries towards the use of lethal autonomous robotic weapons. It expressed strong support for call for a comprehensive ban and said it was “delighted” to have Professor Sharkey at the launch of campaign in Ireland.

Afri co-ordinator Joe Murray called for an urgent ban of autonomous weapons, noting “Should we allow the monumentally insane policy of developing fully autonomous weapons to be pursued then even the element of human intervention will be sidelined and we will have war and violence of epic proportions. It is time to wake up and shout stop.” Continue reading “Launch of the Irish campaign to Stop Killer Robots” →

Stop the automation of warfare and killer robots

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On Thursday 10th April Afri, in association with the International Peace Studies Programme, Irish School of Ecumenics, will host the Irish launch of the campaign to Stop Killer Robots in Trinity College Dublin (see details below). The keynote speaker will be Professor Noel Sharkey, a well known robotics and artificial intelligence expert from the University of Sheffield, UK and Chairman of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control.

Professor Noel Sharkey is calling on the Irish Government to show leadership on the crucial issue of fully autonomous weapons as he visits Dublin for the launch of the Irish campaign to Stop Killer Robots. During his visit to Dublin Professor Sharkey will meet with Afri, Amnesty International Ireland, Pax Christi Ireland as well as with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Irish Defence Forces.

Professor Sharkey stated that “There is great concern that several nations are developing weapons that once activated could select their own target and attack them with violent force without human intervention. These weapons are variously known as Fully Autonomous Weapon (FAWs), Lethal Autonomous Robots (LARS), Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) and Killer Robots.

But do we really want to delegate the decision to kill humans to a machine? Is this not crossing a fundamental moral line in the ultimate violation of our human rights and indignity? If we do not act, our silence will let it happen.” Governments must act to ensure that human control over targeting and attack decisions is never relinquished to machines in the future. Continue reading “Stop the automation of warfare and killer robots” →

Peacemakers like Margaretta D’Arcy uphold the greater moral law

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Photograph taken in solidarity with jailed Peace Activist Margaretta D’Arcy at “Airing Erris: The Media and Shell Corrib” in Ceathrú Thaidhg, County Mayo on the 18th January

Signs of hope and causes for optimism are still to be found amid the bleak picture often presented on the daily news. Despite the realities of war, climate change and hunger, we can find hope and inspiration in those who continue to resist, to struggle, to challenge, and even to celebrate.

Imbolc, the ancient Irish festival that marks the beginning of spring, is almost upon us. It represents a time of new beginnings after the long, dark winter. In Irish tradition, people celebrated this time on February 1st, and honoured Brigid, who was noted in legend as a strong and fearless leader that carried a torch for peace, truth and justice. Continue reading “Peacemakers like Margaretta D’Arcy uphold the greater moral law” →

Airing Erris: The Media and Shell Corrib

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Airing Erris: The Media and Shell Corrib will take place on Saturday 18th January in the Seanscoil, Ceathrú Thaidhg, in Erris, County Mayo, 12 noon til 6pm. This will be the first of a series of two seminars on the media treatment of the Shell Corrib issue.

Speakers will include Harry Browne, journalist and lecturer, Lelia Doolan, documentary-maker and former CEO of the Irish Film Board, Betty Purcell, former Editor of Features and Current Affairs RTE, and Liamy Mac Nally, Mayo-based freelance journalist.

There will also be a series of testimonies from people detailing infringements of freedom of expression and denial of information in relation to the Shell Corrib gas project.

Free Bradley Manning

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Bradley Manning is a US soldier,  imprisoned on suspicion of having released secret documents to WikiLeaks. Manning has suffered ‘unduly harsh’ conditions since he was brought from Kuwait to a military prison in Virginia more than a year ago. For a period of his imprisonment he was stripped naked every night, had his prescription glasses taken away, forcing him to sit in ‘essential blindness’ and was subjected to other severe punishments. His treatment led to an investigation by the UN and protests to the US government from Amnesty International.

More information from http://www.bradleymanning.org/