Every three years, WILPF
Australia Triennial Meeting
members of the Australian
Section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
gather in a National Section Meeting. This year's Meeting was
held 22nd to 24th May 2009 at Mercy Place, Bardon. Mercy Place
is in a beautiful setting in suburban Brisbane near Mount Coot-tha.
Many WILPF women around Australia, and particularly members in
the Queensland Branch, worked hard to make the Australian Section
Meeting go so well. At the Meeting, members were welcomed to
country, heard fine speeches, participated in workshops and plenary
sessions, sang songs, enjoyed performances by the Queensland
WILPF Performers for Peace group, planned our work programme
for the next three years and elected office bearers.
On Saturday morning 23rd May, we were welcomed to country by Maroochy
Barambah of Turrbul/ Dippil ancestry. The Meeting was officially
opened by the Governor of Queensland, Her Excellency, Ms Penelope
Wensley AO. The Governor's opening speech is available at:
http://www.govhouse.qld.gov.au/the_governor/090523_wilpf.aspx
Our keynote speaker was WILPF International Vice President, Felicity
Hill. Her speech is available here:
The speaker for the conference dinner on Saturday night was Senator
Claire Moore, Labor Senator for Queensland.
At the annual general meeting on Sunday 24th May, members accepted
the annual report. The annual report of the Australian Section
for the year ended December 31st 2008 is available here:
A number of workshops were presented at the Meeting on these topics:
* Growing WILPF
* WILPF Communications
* On the Art of Stealing Human Rights
* Responding to the Defence White Paper
* Peace Talks in the Philippines
* Enhancing our Effectiveness as Activists: an Introduction to
Re-evaluation Counselling
* Gender Power Imbalances and Family Court Hearings Involving Indigenous
Offenders and Victims
* The Commodification of Water; and
* Sustaining and Targeting Activism
The PPT slides for the workshop on "Sustaining and Targeting
Activism" by Winnifred Louis of Psychologists for Peace is
available here: http://www2.psy.uq.edu.au/~wlouis/wlouis_wilpf_0509.ppt
Saying NO to Nuclear
At a recent protest organised by the Anti Nuclear Alliance of
Western Australia, WILPF International Vice President, Felicity
Hill gave this speech saying NO
to nuclear weapons, NO to nuclear reactors and NO to uranium mining.
Women, Peace and Security
Discussion paper here:download
pdf see consultation dates for each state
With funding from the Australian Government's Office for Women,
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is
conducting research and consulting widely on ideas for developing
an Australian National Action Plan to implement United Nations
Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.
The key question under discussion will be:
Should Australia become
the next country to develop a national action plan to implement
United Nations Security Council resolution
1325 on Women, Peace and Security?
If so, how? If not, why not?
During May and June, consultation workshops will be conducted
in eight capital cities around the country. The consultations will
be facilitated by Professor Elisabeth Porter of the University
of South Australia. Professor Porter is the internationally renowned
author of monographs such as "Peacebuilding: Women in International
Perspective".
This discussion paper provides background for the consultation
workshops. While it is not necessary to do so, participants may
wish to read the discussion paper before attending the consultation
in your city. Copies of the discussion paper will be available
to all participants on the day.
Please download from our website the invitation flier for the consultation
in your capital city.
Written responses to the discussion paper are also welcome. Written
submissions can be emailed to wilpfaustralia@wilpf.org.au by 10th
June 2009.
Further information on UNSC Resolution 1325 visit our other WILPF
websites
http://www.1325australia.org.au http://www.peacewomen.org/
WILPF media release: "Budget Jackpot to
Defence": download pdf
Discussion paper here:download pdf
return to top of page Dates for consultations:
ACT:Thursday 28th May 2009,
9.30am – 12.30pm
Quality Suites Clifton,
100 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra [download
invite]
NSW: Friday 29th May 2009,
9.30am – 12.30pm
The Women’s College, University of Sydney,
15 Carillon Avenue, (see campus maps attached)[download
invite]
NT: Monday 1st June 2009,
9.30am – 12.30pm
Darwin Central Hotel,
21 Knuckey Street Darwin[download
invite]
SA: Wednesday 20th May 2009,
9.30am – 12.30pm
“The Terrace” Pavilion, Veale Gardens,
Corner South Terrace and Peacock Road, Adelaide[download invite]
Qld: Wednesday 27th May 2009, 9.30am – 12.30pm
Boulevarde Room, Rydges, Corner Grey and Glenelg Streets South Bank
[download
invite]
SA: Wednesday 20th May 2009,
9.30am – 12.30pm
“The Terrace” Pavilion, Veale Gardens,
Corner South Terrace and Peacock Road, Adelaide[download invite]
Tas: Friday 5th June 2009,
9.30am – 12.30pm
Tasmanian Women’s Centre,
140 – 142 Macquarie Street Hobart[download
invite]
Vic: Thursday 4th June 2009,
9.30am – 12.30pm
Queen Victoria Women’s Centre,
Level 1, 210 Lonsdale Street Melbourne[download invite]
WA:Tuesday 2nd June 2009,
9.30am – 12.30pm
“
Montana-A”, All Seasons Perth,
15 Robinson Avenue, Northbridge[download invite]
WILPF Triennial Australian Section Meeting and
AGM
Brisbane May 22-24th 2009 Dowload Information
and registration form
Workshop Proposal Form
April
2009 Peace and Freedom
Make you Maoney work for peace
The Australian Government's Department of Defence will be hosting
a Defence + Industry Conference and Trade Exhibition at the Adelaide
Convention Centre, North Terrace, 30 June to 2 July 2009. At
this conference, potential contractors will “maximise their
business opportunities” with the Department of Defence.
If you would like to express your opposition to this disproportionate
government spending and to the arms trade in general, you are
invited to join us in a series of four workshops. People of all
sexes, ages and singing abilities are welcome to come to any
or all of three singing workshops and one non-violent direct
action workshop. (Full
Details)
In mid-2008, Australian WILPF women and
many other peace activists made important contributions to
the Defence White Paper review of Australian defence policy.
WILPF (Australia) made a written submission to the review and
many WILPF women attended the community consultations around
the country where we asked questions and/or made statements
to the review panel.
In terms of government funding, the Department of Defence receives
special treatment. As indicated above, Defence spending has been
prioritised to increase in real terms. The 2000 Defence White Paper
successfully recommended that the government commit itself to increasing
Defence base spending by 3% per annum in real terms to 2010-11.
This is very generous treatment given the focus on cutting budgets
in other areas (ie Defence has been quarantined from cuts and it
initially added $28.5 billion in resources over the period 2000-2010).
In the 2006/07 Budget, the Howard Government extended this commitment
to 2015-16. In the first Rudd Government budget, the commitment
was extended to 20017-18.
The 2006/07 budget of the Howard Government was the sixth budget
since the 2000 Defence White Paper that had met or exceeded the
White Paper commitment of 3% increase in real terms. As a result
there was a 37% increase in Defence expenditure in real terms since
the first Howard Government budget (1995/96-2006/07).
By comparison, the projected increases in Defence spending (increase
of $39.2B 2000/01-2015/16) is more than 3 times the budget allocated
to restore the Darling River Murray System (about $12B now under
Rudd).
In September 2008, WILPF (Australia) made our written submission
to the Defence White Paper policy review. (Full
text here...)
This Defence White Paper review process was chaired by former senator
Stephen Loosely who in March 2008 had been appointed as a Director
to the Board of Thales, one of Australia's largest arms manufacturing
companies. Because of these links on the part of Mr Loosely with
the arms trade, WILPF also wrote to the Minister for Defence, Joel
Fitzgibbon, about the inappropriateness of the appointment of Stephen
Loosely as chair of the community consultations. (Full
text here...)
And there's more Talisman Sabre War Games in 2009 - Letter
to Minister for Defense
Because women have been inadequately represented in debates
worldwide on issues of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation,
WILPF's submission of February 2009 to the Joint Standing Committee
on Treaties' Inquiry into Nuclear Non-proliferation drew the
Committee's attention to the question of gender balance. (Full
text of submission here ...) and the covering letter (here)
The importance of this Review Conference cannot be underestimated.
Australia has an ever increasing number of different cultural
and racial groups settling to live permanently and becoming citizens.
Every Australian needs to be engaged in working to study and
understand these differences so we can become a more harmonious
society where all are accepted without discrimination of any
kind, and racist attitudes and intolerances are a thing of the
past. In addition, Australia has the eyes of the world on us
due to the well-known and ongoing difficulties and gap in life
expectancy endured by our Indigenous Australians. (full
letter)
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF) wrote to you twice in recent months regarding the limitations
of funding and restrictions on the scope of work that Family
Planning organisations could perform in developing countries.
We now wish to congratulate you and the Government on your decision
to rescind the restrictions on information and education programs
in women’s health in developing countries which included
references to abortion or post-coital contraception. (Full
Letter)
We believe that Israel’s undisputed
right to self-defence does not allow the killing of civilians.
According to estimates from reliable Palestinian medical sources,
the death toll from the recent attacks in Gaza now stands at
over 900, and the United Nations has confirmed that a large
number of the dead are civilians. (Full
Letter)
It is with heavy hearts and a deep sense
of great sadness that we find it necessary to write to you
once again. We write on behalf of the Australian Section of
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
concerning the conflict in Gaza. We write to add the voice
of our organisation to increasing calls from the international
community (Full
Letter)
Our members were relieved and delighted
to learn of the cancellation of the Asia Pacific Defence and
Security Exhibition (APDSE) ........
We very much regretted the blunder on the part of the APDSE proponents,
the UK arms manufacturer, concerning their poor choice of opening
date. We believe that to schedule the opening of such an event
on Remembrance Day was an insult to the memory of all those who
have lost their lives in war, ...
It is truly hard to believe that the arms manufacturers could have
been so negligent and disrespectful as to schedule the opening
of their arms exhibition to coincide with such an important day
of remembrance. It was insensitive in the extreme. (full
Letter)
More recently, he has described peace
activists, among whom we number ourselves, as “feral
low-life” (Adelaide Now, September 7, 2008). ...
You will no doubt be aware that Mr Foley’s comments are unwelcome
to many women voters in SA, and, we suspect, to many men as well.
In a changed electoral climate when the Northern Territory and
West Australian Labor Governments have struggled in recent times
to maintain their electoral advantage, we believe that Mr Foley
has become a liability for SA Labor. (full
letter)
Letter to Deputy prime minster Gillard
on the Submission to the Federal Government’s legislation
to suspnd welfare payments to parents
Our organisation is deeply concerned to
learn of the legislation, which we understand you have introduced,
to suspend welfare payments in the case of truancy for more
than 3,000 children in six areas in the Northern Territory and
two other districts, including Canning in Western Australia.
As a means of ensuring parental responsibility, this very punitive
approach is likely to produce a number of (presumably) unintended
consequences. Read
full Story
Northern Territory Emergency Response Review
submission
Appendix1-transcript
of interview with consultant
Appendix 2 - Why
Warriors Lie Down and Die_- executive summary
SInging for Peace Workshop
Around the whole country, planning is well underway
for our protest actions against the big arms expo, called the
Asia Pacific Defence and Security Exhibition (APDSE) which is
due to run in Adelaide from 11 to 13 November this year.
Read a report on the first of the singing protest workshops in
the lead-up to APDSE which was held on Saturday 16 August at the
Quaker Meeting House, 40A Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide. Read
full report and get song files
You can join the web group and download mp3 to
learn the songs in your town or organisation.
Australia sells guns and
war toys on Armistice Day instead of Poppies
In November this year, an arms fair called the
Asia Pacific Defence and Security Exhibition (APDSE) will be
held in Adelaide, South Australia. Inappropriately, it is due
to open on Remembrance Day (Tuesday 11 November), and runs over
three days, finishing on Thursday 13 November. read
more and get leaflet to share
Statement prepared by the Australian Section of
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
Statement by the Australian Section of the Women’s
International League
for Peace and Freedom, 28 April to 9 May 2008
presented at celebrations of the 93rd anniversary of the Women’s
International League for Peace and Freedom, 23 April 2008, Canberra
of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
WILPF Letters to Australian
Government Members on the Occasion of their first day
WILPF welcomes the incoming Rudd Government. WILPF
welcomes the new government's apology to the stolen generations
and the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol - both moves were
long overdue.
The first meeting of Australia's 42nd Parliament on Tuesday, 12th
February 2008 is time of great hope for the Australian people.
WILPF has observed that, over the past eleven and a half years,
much has been lost in Australia.
We believe that during the Howard years, Australia has moved towards
becoming a less community-oriented, less caring and less egalitarian
society. The Australian ethos of the fair go has waned. We have
seen a far greater emphasis on militarism through increased annual
joint training exercises with the United States and other nations,
especially at Shoalwater Bay in Queensland. At the same time, there
has been a noticeable increase in nationalism, jingoism and the
'glorification of war' through a changed attitude to the commemorations
of Anzac Day and Australia Day.
We have also observed that successive Federal budgets over the
time of the Howard Government significantly increased defence expenditure
compared with spending on education, health and welfare. This disproportionate
spending on defence did not serve the needs of all Australians
for real security - which cannot be bought through military might
or military alliances - and certainly does not well serve the needs
of Australian women. The situation for Australian women has deteriorated
during the last eleven years.
We recall the great hopes of people in the United Kingdom when
the UK Government of Prime Minister Tony Blair was first elected
in 1997. Now eleven years later, we in Australia have elected a
new Labor Government. While we recognise that there is a limit
to what reformist governments are capable of in a capitalist society,
we nevertheless hope that our new government will not break faith
with the Australian people. With this in mind, we have written
to some of the new Ministry expressing our hopes for a fairer Australia.
Claire
Moore Jenny
Macklin Penny
Wong Tanya
Plibersek
Peter Garrett Attorney
General McClelland Joel
Fitzgibbon Stephen Smith
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