Please join UNE Peace Studies for dinner and a discussion of how to create a more peaceful society, at all levels, through nonviolent means. Hosted by UNE’s Peace Studies as part of the ‘Hand in Hand: Peace with Justice’ festival, it will also feature Bar Finch OAM from Women in Black and Jennifer Miller from Zonta International.

With so much violence evident in the world today, ranging from wars in Palestine/Israel and Ukraine to knife attacks in the streets and domestic violence in homes, what solutions can nonviolent conflict resolution, advocacy and activism offer? Is there a connection between these different types of violence? How does nonviolence compare with violence in terms of effectiveness in social change and conflict transformation? What are the gender aspects of nonviolence? This forum will examine the history of nonviolence, its past successes and future possibilities, and how it is covered, if at all, by journalists and historians. Can it resolve conflicts and reduce terrorism? Could it even replace the costly, carbon-intensive scourge of wars and militarism?

Women in Black embody nonviolent action and opposition to all forms of violence through their regular public vigils over many decades. Zonta International stands for women’s rights, equality, education and an end to child marriage and gender-based violence acts by empowering women through a supportive community of like-minded professionals from diverse countries and cultures. Peace Studies’ Dr Marty Branagan is a world expert on nonviolent action and cultural activism.

Peace Through Nonviolence
Friday 30th August 6pm
New England Hotel dining room