The UNE Peace Studies Peace and Justice International Conference in Sydney featuring peace organisations, peace academics, lawyers, doctors, unionists and students has called for a forefronting of peace and justice, and a recognition of the connections between the two.

‘You can’t have sustainable peace without addressing issues of justice’, said conference organiser Associate Professor Marty Branagan from UNE’s Peace Studies. ‘At the same time, societies that aspire to be just, egalitarian and democratic require a commitment to peace, nonviolence and the dismantling of militarism.’

The conference highlighted growing opposition to AUKUS by peace organisations and unionists, and was critical of Australia’s failure to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted in 2017 by the United Nations. A rally exposed the Commonwealth Bank’s funding of nuclear weapons.

The conference explored peacebuilding in Myanmar, West Papua, Bangladesh and Ethiopia, and performative reconciliation at NSW’s Myall Creek Memorial. It introduced a new think tank, the Australian Peace and Security Forum, and showcased recent books about the Alternatives to Violence Project and the cultural dimensions of peacebuilding.

‘Many of the speakers were women with decades of experience in cultivating more just and peaceful societies,’ said Dr Branagan. ‘For example, we were fortunate to hear insights from Vesna Cerroni, a veteran of the successful nonviolent movement which overthrew Serbia’s Slobodan Milošević, the “Butcher of the Balkans”’.

The conference urged resistance to the militarisation of our educational systems, media and museums by the military-industrial complex, and showcased peace education, peace journalism and peace museums, such as the Kyoto Museum for World Peace.

Nuclear cycles and radiation; women and youth activism; and the nonviolent dynamics of the burgeoning Rising Tide movement were also explored. Other sessions examined the spiritual dimensions of an active culture of peace, including a morning at an international Buddhist centre with a significant peace poster collection.

Despite the usual disinterest by mass media, the conference was a highly successful summit of peace organisations, involving deep analysis, information exchange, networking and movement building.

‘If societies are serious about reducing violence locally and internationally, they should consult peace experts instead of think tanks sponsored by arms dealers,’ said Dr Branagan. ‘Peace and justice are both possible if they’re approached strategically.’

For further information, contact Associate Professor Marty Branagan 0267733951 marty.branagan@une.edu.au