Ending War, Building Peace
Two-day conference — Tuesday and Wednesday, April 15 and 16
Customs House, Circular Quay, 31 Albert Street, Sydney
Professor Joseph Camilleri (La Trobe University) states:
The mounting human, financial and diplomatic costs which the United States has had to shoulder in Iraq are directly related to the illegitimacy of the operation…. The same process is about to unfold in Afghanistan, although here allies of the United States, including Australia, have been less forthright in distancing themselves from US priorities and policies.
Associate Professor Jake Lynch (University of Sydney) suggests:
Australian troops are now being pulled back from frontline duties in Iraq, but public opinion is split down the middle on whether we should be in Afghanistan– the case against it is seldom aired because the mission is supported by leaders of both main parties in parliament.
Professor Stuart Rees (Sydney Peace Foundation) argues:
The continued Iraqi deaths and the recording of the 4000th US casualty make the peace debate long overdue. But imagining peace requires a radical shift in thinking away from militarism and violence towards all the ideals of human rights .
Cost: $95 full price and $55 concession, includes conference materials, lunch (vegetarian & halal available) morning and afternoon tea and an evening peace festival aboard the Peace Boat in Sydney Harbour.
Proceeds from this conference will go towards scholarships for
Iraqi and Afghan postgraduate students to study in Sydney
Register online at www.usyd.edu.
In addition to marking the 5th Anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the conference will celebrate the 20th Birthday of Sydney University’s Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies and the
25th Anniversary of the launch of the Peace Boat.
Enquiries: spf@arts.usyd.
Conference organised by the Sydney Peace Foundation and the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney; Macquarie University’s Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, and the Global University of the Peace Boat.
Conference Programme
March 26, 2008Iraq Never Again:
Ending War, Building Peace
The assumption by leaders that violence is a way to obtain resources and even to promote democracy has contributed to the catastrophe of Iraq. Running parallel to this age old reliance on militarism is the inability of leaders to plan for a just peace. This conference will examine the non violence policy alternative to war, the human costs of Iraq and the humanitarian means of security. In Iraq and elsewhere, only these alternatives promise a more peaceful and joy-full future.
In addition to marking the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, this conference will celebrate the 20th birthday of Sydney University’s Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies and the 25th anniversary of the launch of the international Peace Boat.
Tuesday and Wednesday April 15th and 16th 2008
Two Day Conference
Customs House
Circular Quay, 31 Albert Street, Sydney
Day One - The Fascination with Violence
8.30 Registration
9.00 Welcome
A/Professor Jake Lynch, Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
Opening
Professor Richard Broinowski, Adjunct Professor, University of Sydney, former Australian diplomat and former General Manager, Radio Australia
9.30 Fascination with Wars, Illiteracy about Non-Violence
Facilitator: Dr. Lynda-Ann Blanchard, Executive Officer, Sydney Peace Foundation
Dr. Michael McKinley, Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Strategy,
Australian National University
Emeritus Professor Stuart Rees, Director, Sydney Peace Foundation
11.00 Morning tea
11.30 The Human Costs of Iraq and other Wars
Facilitator: Donna Mulhearn, Peace Activist
Dr. Susan Wareham, President, Medical Association for the Prevention of War
Dr. Richard Hil, Senior Lecturer, Southern Cross University
1.00 Lunch
2.00 Iraq War and Regional Consequences
Facilitator: Nick Deane, Marrickville Peace Group
I.Asia Pacific – Professor Kenji Isezaki, Head of Peace & Conflict Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, former Japanese Government Representative for Disarmament, Demobilization & Reintegration in Afghanistan
II.Middle East – Noah Bassil, Associate, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Macquarie University
3.30 Afternoon tea
4.00 Thinking Differently about Iraq? – Poets and Poetry for Peace
Orchestrated by: Brendon Doyle, Lynette Simons, Stuart Rees
Teachers in “Passion, Peace and Poetry”, University of Sydney
4.45 Peace Boat Festival Announcement
4.50 Closing
Professor Sev Ozdowski, Adjunct Professor CPACS, former Human Rights Commissioner
Evening Session: Peace Festival – On the Peace Boat
5.30 – 9.30 Performing Arts as Antidote to War
Day Two - The Non-Violent Alternatives
8.45 Registration
9.00 Building Peace in Iraq: Youth Visions
Roza Germian, Kurdish Journalist and Peace Activist
Samer Khamisy, Iraqi Peace Activist
Representative from the Peace Boat
10.30 Morning tea
Facilitator: Dr. Hannah Middleton, Sydney Peace Foundation
Professor Joseph Camilleri
Professor of International Relations and Director, Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe
11.45 Coalition of the Unwilling: Washington or Democracy, Not Both
A/Professor Jake Lynch
Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney
12.30 Closing
Ian Cohen
Green MP, Member of the NSW Legislative Council
12.45 Farewelling the Peace Boat leaving Sydney Harbour
