☮ Peace Fair ☮
From 19th September to 3rd October 2021
Address: 107 Redfern St, Redfern 2016
International Volunteers for Peace (IVP) and The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF, NSW) both celebrated their centenaries in 2020. They joined with the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN), to hold a series of events to mark those centenaries and draw attention to United Nations International Day of Peace (21st September).
The Peace Fair will include: exhibitions, talks, discussions, workshops, films, music and entertainment and children’s activities. Parallel online events will include short films, videos, speakers and discussion forums.
The exhibition will remain in place for two weeks and be open to the public with events each day, as a celebration of peace. All groups with an interest in peace, in any of its manifestations, are invited to set up a display or stall at a minimal cost. This will be an opportunity for new connections to be made and new initiatives to arise. Please join us in helping plan and shape this important event.
Participating organisations so far: Australia Institute, Australia for War Powers Reform, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons, Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition, IPAN, IVP, Institute of Economics and Peace, PEN Sydney, People for Nuclear Disarmament, Marrickville Peace Group, Maritime Union of Australia, Medical Association for the Prevention of War, Sydney Peace and Justice Coalition, Wage Peace, Australian West Papua Association, United Nations Association of Australia, Peacifica, Quakers Australia, Pax Christi, Peace Bus, Religious Society of Friends (NSW), SEARCH Foundation, Safe Ground, Sydney Peace Foundation, Teachers Federation, Uluru Statement, Creators of Peace, Pace e Bene, WILPF.
Event Overview...
Our Vision
This event will showcase and celebrate a broad range of initiatives, ongoing efforts and successes in promoting peace.
We will share knowledge, inspire, increase visibility, encourage new collaborations, attract and engage young people.
Aims
- Showcase the multitude of methods employed to work towards peace
- Draw attention to United Nations International Day of Peace (21 September)
- Strengthen collaboration and relationships between peace organisations, study centres and inter-related issues, eg. First Nations, Climate Change
- Engage with young people
- Explore a world where war is no longer an option
- Promote the delights of living in peace
- Promote understanding across cultures
Activities planned so far
- Welcome to Country
- Welcome ceremony with civic dignitary
- Celebration activities
- An Expo for the general public
- Time slots to showcase each organisations
- High profile inspirational speakers
- Nobel Peace Medal on display
- Talks/Lectures
- Workshops – indigenous perspectives, alternatives to violence
- Panel sessions
- Films
- Performers
- Children’s activities
Other possible activities
- Peace march to the venue
- Human library
- Meditation. Singing bowls. A minute of silence
- T Shirts – printing
- Schools competition – designing a peace poster
The Ambassador for Costa Rica has agreed to be our keynote speaker at Raising Peace.
This is the recent news article from the Canberra Times:
Costa Rica abolished its military. Other countries can too
A variety of other speakers are being approached.
This link will take you to Lee Rhiannon’s speech on the occasion of our Raising Peace event in 2020,
This event celebrated 100 years of SCI (IVP) and WILPF NSW.
International Volunteers for Peace (IVP)
The Australian branch for Service Civil International (SCI), one of the world’s largest Global Volunteering Networks with Branches in 44 countries and 106 Partners and Contacts in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. More than 5000 volunteers participate in hundreds of volunteer projects each year.
IVP is a non-profit local community group. it focuses on organising volunteering opportunities around worthwhile community needs and causes, for which it recruits participants from Australia and all across the world through its global network.
IVP activities are aimed at encouraging understanding among peoples and promoting discussion and an appreciation of the problems that different communities face in their struggles for social justice and environmental harmony.
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF, NSW)
- Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) brings a feminist perspective to the analysis of root causes of war and conflict, and emphasises the gendered impacts of conflict and war.
- WILPF has a transformative vision for permanent global peace, where a just economy and social, environmental and gender justice is achieved for all.
- WILPF brings together women and people of diversity from around the world who are united in working for peace by non-violent means; and encourages young women and others to participate.
- WILPF is recognised as an authoritative resource, a trusted support and an ongoing stable anchor point in the area of peace activism.
IPAN has the vision of an independent and peaceful Australia.
It advocates for that movement.
IPAN is a network of organisations around Australia – community, faith-based and peace groups, trade unions and concerned individuals. It aims to build public dialogue and apply pressure for a truly independent foreign policy for Australia. It wants our government to play a positive role in solving international conflicts peacefully, i.e. without resorting to armed conflict.
IPAN is currently conducting a ‘People’s Inquiry’ exploring the case for an independent and peaceful Australia, with specific reference to the Australia/USA alliance. Submissions to the inquiry from any interested party are welcomed!
See also:Independent Peaceful Australia
About Raising Peace
How did Raising Peace start?
Raising Peace began on the initiative of International Volunteers for Peace (IVP) as a way to celebrate the 100 years anniversary of our founding organisation, Service Civil International (SCI). The name also links us with the Raising Peace campaign of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS). We are delighted to have Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) and the NSW branch of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) as co-organisers.
What is the aim?
The name was chosen to celebrate and raise the profile of peace rather than the celebrations of war that we so often see held at official levels.
Raising Peace will bring together the myriad of organisations working for peace in all its manifestations. Mainly from NSW but also the East coast of Australia and nearby Asia-Pacific areas. There will be opportunities to learn from each other and for new collaborations to develop.