Jeffrey Segall 1924 - 2010

Jeffrey Segall, veteran champion of UN reform through the more systematic participation of world civil society, died on 22nd May after a long period of illness.

For many years a member of the Finchley Branch of UNA, he founded and led a series of reform initiatives from the early 1980s, culminating in UNGA-Link UK (UK Network for Civil Society Link with UN General Assembly).

All were to promote his conviction that peace would only be possible when “we the peoples” were given due weight in the UN system against the realpolitik of the member states.

If you would like to make a contribution to honour Jeffrey's work, you can send cheques payable to UNICEF whose work was close to his heart and that of his wife, Elizabeth.

 

John Chitty 1932 – 2008
An obituary by Jas Weir, Chair of Purley with Sutton Branch

I've had the privilege of knowing John ever since he persuaded me first to judge our Branch Inter school debating competition. In that time I've learned just how committed John was to the work of UNA.

Purley with Sutton is one of the largest and liveliest of the branches in the London and SE region – almost entirely because of John's hard work and dedication. Probably our best known activity is the Inter School Debating Competition, involving over 30 schools from Croydon, Purley, Sutton, Surrey and Sussex. John organised this for 37 years, devising the topics and fixtures, keeping the scores and arranging the Final and Trophies. All this in addition to facilitating, with Alison Cavendish, the parallel Public Speaking Competition for a separate group of schools.

One teacher wrote to me "He was so friendly, enthusiastic and genuinely interested in everybody and everyone. It really was a privilege to have known such generous spirit." And I've had many such appreciative messages from teachers and young people involved in these activities and also benefiting from the sponsorships which John arranged for students in their gap years to work on community projects overseas.

All this costs money and John was also a tireless fund raiser, especially generating 20k for the Adopt a Minefield programme. Every year John organised a Swimathon to raise funds. In addition, he arranged regular rotas of collectors to shake tins for UNICEF outside local supermarkets, a Summer Garden Party with International Food aimed at our younger members, and the Annual Church Service where John arranged for a variety of multi-national readers as participants.

John really did devote his life to the work of the UNA and this was recognised in the award to our Branch of the STEVENS TROPHY for being the best Branch in the whole of the London & SE Region.

When I collected this award it was made quite clear to me it was specifically in recognition of John & Diana's outstanding work with young people and fund raising. Those of us attempting to continue the good work locally for UNA now know only too well we shall not see his like again.

Betty Scharf 1917 - 2009

Betty Scharf, one of the most committed and long-standing member of UNA, passed away peacefully at her home in Hampstead on 25 April, aged 92.

She was born on 1 January 1917 as Betty Hinchliff. In the years leading up to the Second World War she studied at the LSE, where she was prominent in the League of Nations Society and the Student Union. In 1937, she led a delegation to the then Czechoslovakia and took an active interest in Spain. During the war she lectured in Sociology at the LSE. In 1944, she married Rafael Scharf, a Polish Jew working as a War Crimes Investigator.

Post war, Betty Scharf continued to work at the LSE, with a break to raise her family, until she retired. She wrote what became a standard textbook “The Sociology of Religion”, introduced a course on sex and gender and for many years served as adviser to women students. In the 1950s, she fought council elections in Hendon for the Labour Party, and took up a number of causes with great dedication, including comprehensive education and Freedom from Hunger in the '60s, and gender equality – she chaired the Fawcett Society in the '70s and '80s. An active member of UNA, she served for some years on the UNA Religious Advisory Committee.

Betty campaigned fearlessly for peace (and against nuclear arms), and was always ready with incisive interventions at numerous public meetings. Naturally modest, she wore her learning lightly: but despite this, her intellectual grasp of issues was always obvious, and she was widely loved and respected by all who knew her. She will be much missed.

Read Obituary on The Independent

 

Jim Addington 1924 – June 2007
An obituary by Vijay Mehta, acting Chair, Action for UN Renewal

Jim had a rather sketchy early education, going into the RAF at the end of the war. After which, he attended Ruskin College. He was a very keen athlete and won several cups for long distance and marathon running at a county level. He started a small carpet business in the early 60s and then after marrying Rosemary in 1965, together they developed the business to cover all aspects of soft furnishings. He refused to retire completely and still estimated for carpets installation up until the end.

He was also a keen choral singer and lover of music, sang with Kingston Choral Society and was a regular attendee of the Proms. He also enjoyed the theatre and walking in the countryside.

In later life, Jim was a great peace activist and passionate about UN reforms. He was chair of Action for UN Renewal for many years, former chair of LRCND, an active member of UNA, Kingston Peace Council and LAP. He also wrote regularly in the Morning Star on UN reforms and international affairs.

I enjoyed working with Jim as we used to plan the campaigns for Action for UN Renewal together and participated in meetings and conferences, especially the UNA and CND annual conferences. I remember the conference in Vancouver, Canada called the World Peace Forum, where Jim and I shared the platform on the subject of the UN Institutional reform and the whole proceedings were televised. I went with my wife Shanti, and Jim with Rosemary where we had some good times together.

There were certain things that Jim was quite fond of doing. After the dinners at UNA or CND conferences, both of us used to go on long walks wherever the conference was being held to discuss the current international situation and reforms of the United Nations. After a few miles we used to end up back in the hotel at the dead of night, wake up the hotel staff and ask them to make hot chocolate! It wasn’t that we would have one cup of each, we would ask them to make a pot so we could have several.

On coming back from one of the Birmingham conferences, just before we arrived at Euston Station, Jim asked me to hang on until all the passengers had left and then he started collecting the leftover newspapers from all of the compartments. He told me that he learned this habit from a member of parliament who used to collect all the different newspapers and write letters to the Editor. Once, my daughter, Renu rang me from Paris and asked me if I could pick her up from Waterloo. I, with my wife Shanti, went to Waterloo and we were having a cup of hot chocolate and there was Jim Addington. I asked him if he was going somewhere or coming back. He said no, I have just come to collect papers!

Jim has recruited me in following in his habit of collecting papers when I am leaving trains!

Jim, my great friend, we wish you peace and we will carry on the good work you were doing.

Jim is survived by his wife, Rosemary who is a great peace activist in her own right and member of the peace council.