Inspired by the ‘Raising Peace‘ initiative, members of Marrickville Peace Group have got together, with film-makers Fabio and Mandy, to produce a short video to tell everyone what MPG is all about.
The group rehearsed beforehand (using ‘Zoom’) and gathered at Addison Road Community Centre, at the Good Ship (Hut 9) for filming. The result can be seen here:-
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has been awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.
In an announcement on October 6, 2017, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said that ICAN had won the award “for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition on such weapons.”1 Continue reading ICAN wins 2017 Nobel Peace Prize
Representatives of groups affiliated with the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) met in Melbourne over the weekend of September 8-10, 2017. (MPG is an affiliate of IPAN and was represented at the conference by Nick Deane.) Continue reading 4th Annual Conference of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network
Remember US Defence Department Assistant Secretary David Shear’s testimony before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in May last year? During this hearing Assistant Secretary Shear said that the Pentagon would be “placing additional air force assets in Australia” including “B-1 bombers and surveillance aircraft”. Continue reading B-1 bombers would undermine Australia’s security
On Thursday, February 18, Nick Deane (MPG) gave a talk to the Quakers’ Peace and Justice group on the topic of how Australia goes to war.
He based his talk on the publication How Does Australia Go To War? produced by Australians for War Powers Reform.
The talk lasted for about 20 minutes and a lively discussion followed.
The full text of Nick’s address can be read here. The booklet can be viewed on-line here. Refer also to the Radio Skid Row interview relating to the same topic that was broadcast on February 25, 2016.
Within the Federal parliament, Andrew Wilkie MP (Independent member for Denison in Tasmania) has been a consistent and vocal opponent of Australia’s ongoing military invention in the Middle East. On January 14, he was interviewed by ABC RN Breakfast reporter, Alison Carabine, on the Turnbull government’s decision to decline a US request for more military assistance in Iraq and Syria.*
The request was originally sent to about 40 countries by US Defence Secretary Ash Carter in early December last year. The Turnbull government informed the US of its decision later that month. Continue reading Andrew Wilkie on Australia’s decision to reject US request for military support
On Sunday November 22, a public forum on ‘WW1, the Case of Fr Jerger and Civil Liberties’ was held in Marrickville.
Co-hosted by Gallipoli Centenary Peace Campaign* and St Brigid’s Parish, the forum was addressed by three speakers: Dr Janice Garaty, Assoc Prof Douglas Newton and Dr Peter Manning.
In the context of the divisive WW1 conscription debates in Australia, Janice Garaty discussed how Fr Jerger was accused of allegedly expressing “disloyal sentiments” designed to discourage recruitment to the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during a sermon in Marrickville on September 26, 1916. Despite the lack of evidence for such a claim, Fr Jerger was eventually interned in February 1918 at the Holsworthy Military Camp and later deported in July 1920. Continue reading War as the pasture of bigots, and the solvent of principle
The official launch of ‘Richardson’s Lookout – Marrickville Peace Park’ took place on Sunday November 8. The event attracted around 80 people.
Organised by the Gallipoli Centenary Peace Campaign (GCPC*), speakers included John Butcher (GCPC Convenor), Allan Barnes (Marrickville Aboriginal Consultative Committee) who presented the ‘Welcome to Country’, Clr Sam Iskandar (Mayor, Marrickville Council), Clr Sylvie Ellsmore (Marrickville Council), Linda Burney MP (Member for Canterbury) and Jo Haylen MP (Member for Summer Hill). As well, Sydney’s Solidarity Choir performed at the launch.
One of the most evocative parts of the event was the reading of Denise Levertov’s poem ‘Talk in the Dark’. Continue reading Official launch of Marrickville Peace Park
A public forum on the bombing of Syria was hosted by the Independent Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) in Sydney on October 20.
Entitled ‘Is Bombing Syria the Right Strategy?’ the forum attracted over 50 people. Chaired by Denis Doherty (IPAN and Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition), the forum was addressed by two speakers: Nick Deane (IPAN and Marrickville Peace Group) and special guest, Vincent Emanuele, a former US Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq. He refused to do a third military tour and is now an anti-war veteran and peace activist.
Marty Morrison, who attended the forum, noted that Nick Deane outlined three main concerns about the bombing in Syria: (a) Of all the nations involved, Australia is perhaps the most secretive about its military operations and impact on civilians (b) Far from ‘degrading’ ISIS, the US-led bombing campaign is more likely to add to the suffering of Syrians in ISIS controlled areas and (c) The campaign risks being counter-productive in the sense that every misdirected bomb is a ‘recruitment poster’ for those at war with the US and its allies. Continue reading Is Bombing Syria the Right Strategy?
Diplomatic cables and ministerial briefings, obtained on September 9 by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) under FOI laws, reveal that the Coalition Government has become increasingly “worried” about the “growing momentum” behind the Austrian-led Humanitarian Pledge to ban nuclear weapons.
This growing momentum was confirmed once again when foreign ministers and other high-ranking government officials met at the United Nations on Wednesday September 30 to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
It was reported that many of these officials agreed that the Humanitarian Pledge on nuclear disarmament had opened up new possibilities to achieve much-needed progress towards abolishing these weapons of mass destruction.1 Continue reading Australia undermines Austrian-led nuclear ban initiative
According to press reports in Britain recently, it has been revealed that the Russian ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, laid out a three-point plan in 2012 which included a proposal for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to cede power at some point after peace talks had begun between the regime and opposition parties.
This proposal, however, was rebuffed at the time by the US and other Western nations. In commenting on this peace proposal, former Finnish president and Nobel peace prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari said the failure to consider the Russian offer had led to a “self-made disaster”.
The same report in The Guardian noted that in 2012 “the death toll from the Syrian conflict was estimated to be about 7,500. The UN believes that toll passed 220,000 at the beginning of [2015], and continues to climb. The chaos has led to the rise of Islamic State. Over 11 million Syrians have been forced out of their homes.”
This revelation about how the the US, Britain and France rejected Russia’s proposal in 2012, appears to have been ignored so far by Australia’s mainstream press.
To learn more about this story, read The Guardian’s report ‘West ‘ignored Russian offer in 2012 to have Syria’s Assad step aside”, Sep 17, 2015 here.
On September 9, Prime Minister Tony Abbott confirmed that Australia will extend its airstrikes in Iraq to ISIS targets in Syria.
This decision had been under consideration for a number of weeks. On August 21, Abbott announced that a “formal request” had been received from the US to join bombing missions in Syria. However, according to a Fairfax Media report on August 26, the driving force for the formal request came from the Prime Minister’s office, not Washington.
Following the PM’s announcement, Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, said that these RAAF aircraft would likely begin operations over eastern Syria within a week.
It can be safely predicted that these bombings, far from “degrading and ultimately destroying ISIS”, will not only cause more civilian casualties, but will also anger the Syrian civilians in these ISIS dominated areas. For the most part, these captive communities loath ISIS, but they also resent being attacked by American and Australian bombs. Continue reading Greens, Wilkie denounce decision to bomb Syria
The Independent Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) has issued a media release strongly opposing the prospect of RAAF planes carrying out bombing missions in Syria.
This follows a statement made by Prime Minister Tony Abbott on August 21 that indicated the likelihood of Australia joining the United States in carrying out airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria.
The PM claimed that he had received a “formal request” from the US administration for the RAAF to carry out bombing missions in Syria.
The US has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria for many months and RAAF planes have been involved in refuelling aircraft engaged in these missions. Continue reading IPAN opposes Australian airstrikes in Syria
Protesters converged on the recent biennial Talisman Sabre 2015 (TS2015) military exercises which were held simultaneously for the first time within the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, near Rockhampton in Queensland and at Fog Bay, south west of Darwin.
During the protests, peace activists criticised Australia’s strategic alliance with the US and the dangers it poses to human security in this region. They argued that TS2015 served to make our military assets usable in future US confrontations and wars especially in the South East Asia region.1
The Talisman Sabre military exercises (TS2015) which are about to begin in northern Australia represent the largest combined military exercise undertaken by the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Around 30,000 service personnel, including 12,000 Australians, are taking part. There will be contingents from the US, NZ and, for the first time, Japan.
The exercises demonstrate the closeness of the alliance between Australia and the US – but will also serve to make that alliance even closer. Continue reading Talisman Sabre 2015