Lest We Forget - a pacifist's remembrance of the centenary of ANZAC Day - Part 1

When one thinks of anti-war poetry, 
more often than not it is the poetry of World War 1, 
of the horrendous battlefields of the Western Front
of the poetry of Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. 
Wilfred Owen is the author of what may be the best known anti-war poem,
Dulce et Decorum Est
Please go here for Dr Andrew Barker's analysis of Dulce et Decorum Est

As I write this, on the centenary of the landing at Gallipoli, thousands of Australians have left their homes to attend Dawn Services across the country, to keep alive the ANZAC tradition.  Other thousands of Australians have left their homeland to commemorate the Australian war dead in Turkey and France.  I have chosen to stay at home and write this reflection.

My own commemoration was done on Thursday night as I watched on television Kate Aubusson's wonderful remembrance, Lest We Forget What?.  Kate's film is the best thing I have seen or read about our ANZAC tradition - the research done, the people featured in the film, the things we didn't know and which are seldom revealed.  

I think this day on the war-time service of the men in my family - especially of the one who didn't return home, my great uncle Claude Gallaway.  He perished on the Western Front in France.  He was 26 years old.  Through the Australian War Memorial records we have been able to see the heart-breaking letters written regularly to the powers-that-be from my great grandmother and my three great aunts reminding them that their son and brother was still missing.

My grandfather, Jack (Rupert Franklin Gore) Gallaway, and his brother William Gallaway were Lighthorsemen. 

In World War 2, my uncle Roland Gore Gallaway served as a Coastwatcher on Manus Island and later in Japan with the Occupation Forces. My uncle, Jack Franklin Gallaway, served in the Royal Australian Navy in World War 2 and in Korea. Jack wrote The Last Call of the Bugle: Kapyong, Korea.  The title of the book refers to Korea being the last Australian conflict for which the call went out for volunteers.

My father, John Joseph (Jack) O'Carroll, served in Malaya in the 2/10th Field Regiment of the Eighth Division.  He was invalided home six weeks before the fall of Singapore.

For my generation, Vietnam was an issue and a horror.  It was then I became a pacifist. I have seen no reason in the decades since to resile from this decision.

Across history we have seen one conflict begetting another. World War 1 begat World War 2.  The American invasion of Iraq in recent decades has certainly influenced the current violence in the Middle East. There is the history of foreign military involvement in Afghanistan.  In recent generations, we have developed the so-called proxy wars. Australia is becoming enmeshed in these wars of empire.

I believe that pacifists fulfill the slogan we say each Anzac Day.  We are there to remind people of the cost, the horror, the futility of war ... Lest We Forget.

The Ode of Remembrance

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

Lest We Forget.

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar - 2015-04-08

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar April 8, 2015 Rally: Stop the forced closures of Aboriginal communities Friday, April 10, 4pm. A callout to hit the streets and voice your outrage at fascist Colin Barnett and the imposter governments forced closures of First Nations communities in Western Australia. National protests are being run around the country against this ongoing, slow motion genocide of our people. Flinders Street Station, City. Book launch: A Short History of Social Democracy Tuesday, April 21, 6:30pm. John Rainford's book examines social democratic attempts to civilise capitalism: from its origins in the socialist movement,  to its high point in the post World War 2 boom, and its surrender to neoliberalism in the 1980s and beyond. Speakers: John Rainford (former union official & director of Radical Wollongong) & Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance councillor for Moreland). 6:30pm. Entry by donation. Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth st, City (opposite Victoria Markets). For more info ph 9639 8622. This is the regular Melbourne activist calendar compiled by Green Left Weekly. Emailed to subscribers each Wednesday fortnight, it is a one-stop listing of the main left and progressive events in Melbourne and Geelong. Since it began in early 1991, Green Left Weekly has offered an indispensable alternative to the lies of the big-business media and has helped build the various movements for social change. To subscribe toGreen Left Weekly, visit our secure online website for rates and payment or call our national hotline on 1800 634 206. You can also contact us at the Resistance Centre, 5th floor, 407 Swanston St, City; ph 9639 8622. In Geelong we are at the Activist Centre, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St (opening hours: Mon 2-4:30pm, Fri 10am-4:30pm); ph 5222 6900. New email address? Not already receiving this calendar regularly? Want to subscribe someone else? Let us know at Greenleft Melbourne. Wednesday, April 8 Rally: 6 hours for 6 years. Demand freedom and permanent protection for indefinitely detained ASIO refugees. The Department of Immigration has kept these refugees locked up indefinitely on the basis of ASIO's secret assessments. In recent months, many have at last received security clearance, but they are now denied permanent protection and family reunion due to new migration laws. Speakers: David Manne (RILC), Trevor Grant (Tamil Refugee Council), Olivia Ball (Remedy Australia), Elizabeth O'Shea (social justice lawyer), Van Badham (social commentator), Jasmine Pillbrow (Walking for Freedom), Daniella Olea (long term detention centre visitor). 12-6pm. Immigration Department, cnr Spring & Lonsdale Sts, City. Speeches will start at 12.30pm and the day will end with a candlelit vigil from 5pm. Thursday, April 9 - Saturday, May 2 Exhibition: Ancient cultures, new futures. A photographic exhibition for Sri Lankan reconciliation. Photographs by Stephen Champion, Dominic Sansoni, Sivathas Sivasubramanium & Paul James. Mon-Fri 11am-5pm; Sat 11am-3pm. Opening night: Thursday, April 9, 6:30pm. RSVP Global reconcilliation. Walker St Gallery One, Dandenong. Facebook event Thursday, April 9 Gathering: Families, Friends, and Feminists Against Detention. This is our first public event, a group discussion about different concerning aspects of detention and then collectively decide on how we will enact solidarity around these on the day.10.30am. Coles Fountain, Parliament Gardens. Friday, April 10 Rally: Stop the forced closures of Aboriginal communities. A callout to hit the streets and voice your outrage at fascist Colin Barnett and the imposter governments forced closures of First Nations communities in Western Australia. National protests are being run around the country against this ongoing, slow motion genocide of our people. 4pm. Flinders Street Station. [Note change of venue and time.] Saturday, April 11 Rally: Stop the super trawler. Don't let this super trawler decimate out fishstocks and kill our marine wildlife. Hundreds of protected seals, dolphins and sea birds will be killed by this factory of death ship along with 16,556 tonnes of fish. 11am. Southern Beach reserve, St Kilda. Organised by the Victoria Marine Animal Defenders Conservation Society & the Trawler Alliance. Rally: Hands Off Venezuela! On the 13th anniversary of the defeated military coup against Hugo Chavez, join the community gatherings in solidarity with Venezuela to demand No more coups! End foreign intervention! Respect Venezuela’s revolution! Peace in Latin America! 12pm. State Library, cnr Swanston & La Trobe Sts, City. For more info ph Daniela Segovia (02) 6290 2967. Protest: Rally for kidnapped Hazaras in Afghanistan. Dozens of Hazaras have been kidnapped recently in Afghanistan. The government has been mysteriously silent on this issue and Afghan military has not taken any action. Demand that the Afghan government takes serious  action to free all the hostages alive. We also request UN and human rights organisations to take serious actions in this regard. 2pm. Federation Square, Swanston St, City. Comedy: Political Asylum late night riot. Melbourne International Comedy Festival gets invaded by outrage (and outrageousness) as Political Asylum returns once more! Featuring a fantastic line-up of smart and acerbic stand-up comics, this is the night for Abbott denialism, Labor lamentations and Palmer Party prophesising, all wrapped up in a flaming bundle of hilarity. 11pm. Town Hall, Supper Room, cnr Swanston & Collins Sts, City. $25/$20. To book visit Late night riot. Monday, April 13 Public meeting: Stopping deportations & the fight for refugee rights. The Abbott government is stepping up efforts to deport refugees to danger. Last year it forcibly deported asylum seekers back to Afghanistan for the first time. In December a deportation from Sydney was successfully prevented when the asylum seeker on board, in conjunction with passengers who stood up, demanded the deportee be removed from the plane This forum will hear about recent protests as well as past anti-deportation action, and will discuss their role in the broader refugee rights campaign. 6:30pm. ANMF Building, 540 Elizabeth St, City. Organised by Refugee Action Collective. Tuesday, April 14 Forum: Syria: Background to war; working for peace.  Speaker: Susan Dirgham (National Coordinator of Australians for Mussalaha (Reconciliation) in Syria). 6:45pm (for 7pm start). $5.To confirm your place on the night please call 9662 3744 or email NIBS. New International Bookshop, Downstairs, Trades Hall, cnr Victoria & Lygon Sts, Carlton South. Wednesday, April 15 - Saturday, May 2 Theatre: Beautiful One Day. A theatrical documentary about the irrepressible life and times of Palm Island; now touring Victoria. On Palm Island, 2004, an Aboriginal man dies in police custody. Members of the Palm Island community make a direct challenge to police power and the police station is torched. Eleven years later, the people of Palm Island continue to demand real justice, and all the while life continues. For metropolitan and country dates, venues and bookings see IlbijerriTheatre Company. Friday, April 17 Forum: The Kurdish freedom struggle today.  Discussion of the radical changes happening in the Kurds' long struggle against oppression in four countries. Speakers: Rob Pascoe (Professor of History VU), Seval Ulus (VU student, Kurdish Association), Rob Stary (civil liberties lawyer). 12 noon. Room E319, Victoria University, Footscray Park campus. Organised by Australians for Kurdistan. Saturday, April 18 Public meeting: Lex Wotton. A panel featuring veteran Palm Island leader Lex Wotton will discuss Indigenous liberation, leadership and what it will take to put an end to deaths in custody. The panel discussion will be followed by a social and reception for Lex. Start time TBA. Town Hall, 233 Sydney Rd, Brunswick. Organised by Indigenous Social Justice Association. Ayotzinapa Resiste: Lunch in solidarity with missing Mexican students. Six months ago, 43 students from Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, were kidnapped by state forces and six more were killed. Six months later, the state insists in closing the case. Six months later we must keep demanding justice. Come along and support this event in solidarity with the missing Ayotzinapa students, their classmates and courageous families. Entry $10/$5; lunch $15 ($10 for children). Plus aguas frescas, beer, tea & coffee. MUA hall, 46 Ireland St, West Melbourne (near North Melbourne train station). For info ph Lulu on 0421 957 341 or Francisco 0432 565 470. Sunday, April 19 Rally: Legalise medical cannabis. Come and join us at our next event, as we celebrate 4:20 with speeches, music, comedy, prize drawers and freebies, and help weak and ill children and people everywhere access medical cannabis. 3pm. Treasury Gardens, 2-18 Spring St, East Melbourne. Monday, April 20 Public meeting: What is the future of Anzac Day? A century on from WW1, Anzac Day marches and pilgrimages to Gallipoli are attracting record crowds.  But it hasn't always been that way.  Will today's patriotic fervour continue to grow? Panellists: Michael Brissenden (ABC journalist ); James Brown (defence analyst); Carolyn Holbrook (historian); Celeste Liddle (trade unionist & Indigenous activist). 6pm (doors open 5.30pm). Deakin Edge, Federation Square, City. Free event but bookings essential. To book email Conversations or call 9658 9965 during business hours. Tuesday, April 21 Book launch: A Short History of Social Democracy. This new title from Resistance Books examines the social democratic attempt to civilise capitalism: from its origins in the socialist movement,  to its high point in the post World War II boom, to its surrender to neoliberalism in the 1980s and beyond. Speakers: John Rainford (former union official & director of Radical Wollongong); Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance councillor for Moreland). 6:30pm. Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St, City (opposite Victoria Markets). For more info ph 9639 8622. Presented by Green Left Weekly and Socialist Alliance. Wednesday, April 22 National day of action: It's time to divest! Join us as we deliver a massive petition signed by students, staff and members of the community and a second petition from alumni calling on the University of Melbourne to divest from fossil fuels. 12pm. South Lawn, Melbourne University. Thursday, April 23 Public meeting: War and peace in Moreland. Along with other parts of Australia, Moreland sent men to fight in the Great War. Some 700 would not return. The argument over the war was particularly strong in Moreland, with Frank Anstey, Frank Hyett and John Curtin leading the opposition to conscription. Stuart Macintyre, a professor of history at the University of Melbourne, will relate the wartime experience and its affects. 7:45pm. Brunswick Library, cnr Dawson St & Sydney Rd, Brunswick (enter via Dawson St). Friday, April 24 Vigil: Rana Plaza anniversary. Mourn the dead, fight for the living. Vigil for the workers who were killed in the name of greed in Bangladesh's Rana Plaza disaster. 4:30pm.  8 Hour Monument, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. Organised by Australia Bangladesh Solidarity Network. Sunday, April 26 These Machines Cut Razor Wire 2015. Fifth annual music fundraiser for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre  Performers: Jeff Lang, Kavisha Mazzella, Les Thomas Band, Little Foot duo and more. 6pm. Ding Dong Lounge, 18 Market Lane, City. Tuesday, April 28 May Day film night. 7pm. Democritus Workers League, 583 High St, Northcote. Wednesday, April 29 Film screening: Frackman. 6:30pm. $20. Bookings here. Jam Factory, 500 Chapel St, South Yarra. Promoted by Coal and Gas Free Communities. Thursday, April 30 May day wreath laying. 5pm. 8 hour monument, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. May day Multicultural event. 5pm. Trades Hall Old Ballroom, cnr Lygon & Victoria sts, Carlton South. Book launch:  Collision Course: Endless Growth on a Finite Planet. The notion of ever-expanding economic growth has been promoted so relentlessly that the public is now convinced that 'growth' is the natural solution to virtually all social problems — poverty, debt, unemployment, and even the environmental degradation caused by growth in the first place. Warnings from scientists that we live on a finite planet have been ignored or even scorned as bogus predictions of doom and systematically resisted by economists and the corporate sector. Author Kerryn Higgs will discuss these and other themes and their importance for left politics in the 21st century. 6:45pm. New International Bookshop,  54 Victoria St, Carlton South. Friday, May 1 Book launch: Robbed of Every Blessing. John Tully's new novel is a dark tale set in Ireland and Van Diemen’s Land in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars; The title is taken from a traditional song about transportation to the Tasmanian penal colony. Speaker: Bronwyn Cran (Dean of the College of Arts, Victoria University). 6pm for 6:30pm start. Readings Bookshop, Lygon St, Carlton. Concert: I’ll Be There! Songs and stories of solidarity. The Victorian Trade Union Choir’s hit show, I’ll Be There!, brings to life inspiring moments of the trade union, labour and social justice movements. 7:30pm. Footscray Community Arts Centre, 45 Moreland St, Footscray. Booking I'll be there. Sunday, May 3 Join with Socialist Alliance at a May Day toast.  Breakfast from 10am; speeches 11am. Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). For more info ph 9639 8622. Rally: May Day march. 1pm. Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. Friday, April 10 TORQUAY Film screening: Isolated. When five surfers travel to West Papua in search of untouched waves, they discovered a lot more than just surf. The movie Isolated is the story that had to be told, of genocide and exploitation. Introduction from West Papuan Ronny Kareni, performances by The Black Orchard Stringband and Q & A from Greens Senator Richard Di Natale. 6:30pm. Beer & Mexican food available. The Usual Suspects Coffee Co,  4 Baines Crescent, Torquay. Monday, April 13 GEELONG Film screening: Frackman. 6:30pm. $20. Bookings here. Village Cinemas, 194-200 Ryrie St, Geelong. Promoted by Coal and Gas Free Communities.   Thursday, April 16 GEELONG Film screening: India's Daughter.  Leslee Udwin's documentary is based on the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman student. The film includes a confrontiong interview with one of the rapists. The government banned the film in India and the attempted to block it on YouTube. 6:30pm. Percy Baxter Theatre, Deakin Waterfront Campus. 6.30pm. Presented by Deakin Young Socialist Alliance & the Deakin Anthropology Department . For more info  ph 5222 6900. Friday, April 17 GEELONG Red Cinema: This Land Belongs to the Army. Highlights the post-civil war landscape in Sri Lanka, the government's policy of Sinhalisation and land grabbing through a brutal army of occupation. 7pm (dinner from 6:30pm). Downstairs, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St, Geelong. Entry by donation. Presented by Socialist Alliance. For more info  ph 5222 6900. Sunday, April 19 ANGLESEA Book launch: 'The Coal Face' by Tom Doig. The February-March 2014 Hazelwood mine fire was one of the worst industrial pollution events in Victoria's history. It may turn out to be one of the worst public health crises the state has ever seen. Speakers: Tom Doig & Wendy Farmer (President of the Latrobe Valley community group Voices of the Valley). 2:30pm. Community Hall, 5 McMillan St, Anglesea. Organised by Surf Coast Air Action. Wednesday, April 22 MORWELL Film screening: Frackman. 6:30pm. $20. Bookings here. Village Cinemas,  Mid Valley Shopping Centre, Princes Drive, Morwell. Promoted by Coal and Gas Free Communities. Wednesday, April 29 BALLARAT Film screening: Frackman. 7pm. $20. Bookings here. Regent Cinemas, 49 Lydiard St North, Ballarat. Promoted by Coal and Gas Free Communities. WARRNAMBOOL Film screening: Frackman. 6:30pm. $20. Bookings here. Capitol Cinema, 54 Kepler St, Warrnambool. Promoted by Coal and Gas Free Communities.  Australia Kurdistan Solidarity. Meets regularly to build solidarity with the Kurdish freedom struggle in Rojava (liberated zone in northern Syria), Turkey and elsewhere. For campaign and open letter to have the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) removed from the Australian list of terrorist organisations see Lift the ban on the PKK. For information ph Gulay 0412 926 706 or Aran 0410 197 814. Australian West Papua Association (AWPA). Struggles against the Indonesian occupation of West Papua and against environmental destruction and resource theft. For info 9510 2193 or email AWPA. Climate Action Moreland. Meets regularly to develop action on climate change in the Moreland area. For information ph Andrea on 0424 508 535 or email CAM. Friends of the Earth's Anti-Nuclear & Clean Energy (ACE) collective. Meets every second Tuesday. FoE office, 312 Smith St, Collingwood. For meeting times & more info email Zin. Indigenous Social Justice Association. The Indigenous Social Justice Association was established in January 2005 campaigns to permanently stop Aboriginal deaths in custody. During 2013, ISJA will meet the first Thursday of every month. For more info visit ISJA. Quit Coal: No New Coal Power for Victoria. A Melbourne-based collective which campaigns against expansion of the coal industry in Victoria. We believe this is important because building new coal infrastructure locks in decades of dirty, old technology, when we should be moving towards clean, renewable energy. Quit Coal meets each Wednesday at 6pm, at FOE, 312 Smith St, Collingwood. For more info visit Quit Coal or email us. Refugee Action Collective. Established in 2000, RAC is a democratic, grassroots activist collective, representing a broad cross section of the community. It aims to mobilise opposition to Australia's inhuman refugee policies. For more info ph 0413 377 978 or visit RAC. Timor Sea Justice Campaign. For info visit TSJC, email Tom Clarke or ph 0422 545 763. Victorian Climate Action Calendar. Online updates are available at http://vcac.org.au/calendar/. Recent articles from Green Left Weekly Counter-rallies challenge 'Reclaim Australia' Thousands rally for refugees on Palm Sunday Campaign launched to de-list the PKK Weekend penalty rates under threat thanks to South Australian deal Check out Green Left TV: See There is no price on culture To subscribe to Green Left Weekly visit our secure online website for rates and payment or call our national hotline on 1800 634 206. Join us on Facebook. You can also contact us at the Resistance Centre, 5th floor, 407 Swanston St, City; ph 9639 8622. In Geelong: Activist Centre, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St (opening hours: Mon 2-4.30pm, Fri 10am-4.30pm); ph 5222 6900. Links: 'Socialism for the 21st century' Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal is a journal for the post-Cold War left; a journal that rejects the Stalinist distortion of the socialist project; a journal that takes into account ecological questions; a journal that is taking steps to bring together the forces for socialism in the world today; a journal that aspires to unite Marxists from different political traditions because it discusses openly and constructively. Links seeks to promote the international exchange of information, experiences of struggle, theoretical analysis and views on strategies and tactics within the international left. Kurdistan: Political and cultural revolution unfolds in Rojava Ireland: Sinn Féin fights welfare attacks in north, power sharing threatened South Africa: United Front condemns COSATU's expulsion of Zwelinzima Vavi Greece: Radical Eric Toussaint to audit Greek debt Socialist Alliance: Broad, non-sectarian, activist Socialist Alliance is a proud supporter of the Green Left Weekly project and contributes a regular column. Socialist Alliance is a broad, non-sectarian socialist party, dedicated to bringing together all those who want to resist the capitalist assault on our planet and its people and fight for a socialist society that puts people's needs before business profits. Anyone who agrees with the general approach of our policies is welcome to join and organisations are invited to affiliate. For more information visit Socialist Alliance or join us on Facebook. See our recent statements: Socialist Alliance welcomes cancellation of Sydney CSG License State governments share blame for (not) closing the gap Paris massacre: Abbott's response 'no solution to cycle of violence Contact Socialist Alliance. Join with other socialists in the struggle. Melbourne: Visit us at the Resistance Centre, 5th floor, 407 Swanston St, City; ph 9639 8622. In Melbourne, Socialist Alliance meets on the first Tuesday of each month, 6:30pm, at the Resistance Centre. Geelong: Activist Centre, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St (opening hours: Mon 2-4:30pm, Fri 10am-4:30pm); ph 5222 6900. Moreland Socialists Moreland Socialists is open to anyone (even if you live outside the area) who wants to work constructively to support Socialist Alliance councillor Sue Bolton and use her position to build up a stronger activist left presence in Moreland. In general, we meet monthly and alternate between Coburg and Fawkner. If you want to get involved in the group, email us at Socialist Alliance or phone Sue on 9639 8622 or 0413 377 978. For news and opinion visit Sue's Moreland Report or Facebook. Resistance Bookshop Just out! 184 pp, $20. Available from Resistance Bookshop, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City & New International Bookshop, Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South.

Dale Hess - Calendar - 2013-04-29 - War and Peace, Exhibitions, Writers and Film, and morel

Tuesday 30 April, 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm: Debate on Anzac Day.

Anzac Day is more puff than substance’ is part of the ‘Intelligence squared’ debate series at the Wheeler Centre. For the proposition: Marilyn Lake, author of What's wrong with ANZAC; Jeff Sparrow, editor of Overland; Graham Wilson, historian and author

Against the proposition: Brendan Nelson, former politician, now director of the Australian War Memorial; John Martinkus, journalist and cinematographer. Venue: Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale St., Melbourne.

Until Sunday 12 May: Exhibition on Peace.  This exhibition asks the question: what is peace? It examines international, national and local efforts that seek to ensure stability and opportunities for creative collaboration in our world.’ Venue: Shrine of Remembrance, Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne. 

Until Sunday 28 July: Exhibition:  The Enemy Within: Prisoner of War Camps and Internment Camps in Victoria. During the Second World War Victoria hosted eight Prisoner of War and Internment Camps. This exhibition explores the impacts on prisoners of war and internees who lived and worked in camps. Venue: Shrine of Remembrance, Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne.

Mindful in May:

Elise Bialylew, who participated in the OWIC course, would like to tell you about her project Mindful in May. Mindful in May is for both beginners and more experienced meditators, aimed at bringing the benefits of meditation to you whilst improving the lives of others. The funds raised during Mindful in May will be given to Charity Water, an innovative, not for profit organisation that builds clean water wells for those in need. For further information see:http://www.mindfulinmay.org/

Saturday 4 May, 9 am - 11.30am: Breakfast:Fusion: an exploration of ancient Persia & contemporary Iran.

Speaker: Kristin Diemer (Sociologist and Photographer) is a co-facilitator at OASES Graduate School & research fellow at the University of Melbourne. 

The first time I travelled to Iran I was struck by marked contrast between what I saw, what I know from Persian family and friends, and what I hear in the media (both inside and outside of Iran). On this second journey, eight years later, the contrast remains but alongside it I found an emergent and vibrant fusion between ancient Persia and the contemporary world external to Iran. 

Come along on a journey of discovery, the imagery and sounds of Iran in 1392 / 2013. Cost: $25/$15 including delicious buffet breakfast. Venue: 2 Minona Street, Hawthorn, VIC 3122. Phone: 03 9819 3502; register by e-mail, phone on 9819 3502, or online.

Tuesday 14 May, 6.30 pm: MAPW Dinner and Meeting: Moving Towards a Ban on Nukes. 

The next meeting of MAPW's Victorian branch is at La Notte, 160 Lygon St., Carlton. The meal costs $35 ($20 for students). The speaker will be Tim Wright from ICAN who will talk about the significance of the international conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear war held in March in Oslo.

Thursday 16 May, 8 pm:  In support of the Lake Eyre to West Papua Land and Sea Convoy for Peace and Justice

The Kinship’ brings to you a night of high quality hip-hop, strut-hop, folk-hop and any other kind of hop you can shake your booty to. It features a stellar line-up: Izzy Brown (Combat Wombat), Rachel By The Stream, Project NRT (feat. members of Pataphysics), Mattriks, Nodes. Show your solidarity and come join us for a night of epic tunes, phat beats and awesome lyricism; celebrating the infinite possibilities that open up when we work together. All proceeds go to the convoy! Thu 19th May, Doors open 8 pm - $10. The Gasometer/484 Smith St/ Collingwood. MORE INFO: http://lizardsrevenge.net/lake-eyre-to-west-papua/.

Friday 17 May, 7.30 pm: Screening of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. The film shows some of the stories of asylum seekers who arrive by boat. Amanda Bater, who has worked with asylum seekers for the past ten years, will explain the experiences of being an asylum seeker. Venue: the Parish Hall, Sacred Heart Church, 13 Fernhill Road North,Sandringham. A cup of tea and coffee will be served so we would appreciate knowing in advance if you are coming. Gold coin donation. Phone: 9598 1511 or email:domecc.sand@bigpond.com. Further information: www.deepblueseafilm.com orwww.asrc.org.au.

Sunday 19 May 3 pm to 6 pm: MAPW Fundraiser Concert. Songs for Peace, a concert with "The Sweet Nothings", Polly Christie and Andy Rigby 

Seasons Bistro, Riddells Creek, Victoria. There will also be a silent auction. If there is anything you can donate towards it please email jenny.grounds@mapw.org.au.

Tuesday 21 May, 8.30 pm: William Dalrymple: The Return of the king: the battle forAfghanistan. In 1839 The British launched an invasion of Afghanistan largely as a result of false intelligence. William Dalrymple has told the story of the first Anglo Afghan war and the subsequent "war of retribution" using Afghan sources. As well as being a great read the book draws parallels which shed light on the current situation. Venue: Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne. Cost: $20; $12 concession. Further information: Wheeler Centre

Sunday, 16 June, 1 pm Shared meal; 2 pm discussion: Resisting war to make peace.

Pax Christi invites you to hear Professor Michael Hamel Green of Victoria University who will introduce conversation around his experiences as a war resister, conscientious objector and peacemaker. N.B. Many of you have experiences to share.  Please feel free it invite others. Venue: Kildara, rear 39 Stanhope Street, Malvern. Further info: 0424 950 852.

Tuesday 16 July, 5 pm – 9 pm: An evening with Wes Howard-Brook and Sue Ferguson Johnson.

Pax Christi invites you to hear Wes Howard Brook, who teaches biblical studies Seattle University, USA, and Sue Ferguson Johnson, who is a spiritual director.  Together they run “Abide in Me Ministries”. They will speak on restoring one's sense of bonding around the earth itself, focussing on creation, to help everyone to come out of their identity with violence and empire and into a life of peace and love. The first session will be between 5 pm - 6.30 pm, then a shared meal between 6.30 pm -7.30 pm. Please bring food to share. The second session will be between 7.30 pm – 9 pm. Venue: Kildara, rear 39 Stanhope Street, Malvern. Further info: 0424 950 852.

http://www.wellspringcentre.org.au/courses_reconciliation.html

Sunday 18 August to Wednesday 21 August:

JCMA’s 10^th Winter Conference: Sorry is the Hardest Word: Forgiveness and Repentance. JCMA conferences are intended for anyone from one of the three Abrahamic faiths. Participants include men and women, academics, those working in support or welfare roles, tertiary students, and members and leaders of faith communities. Sunday Taster Opportunity:1 pm - 9.45 pm. Cost: $55. Sunday, the first day of the conference, will provide an overview of the main themes. People who unable to attend for the whole conference are welcome to come to this Sunday taster. Applications closing date: Friday 19 July 2013. Conference Centre, Pallotti College, Millgrove Melways 289 A2. An application form for registration is available from www.trybooking.com/CFGA.

Friday 23 August – Sunday 25 August: Pax Christi Australia National conference:

Peacemaking, an Alternative Narrative! Venue: Edmund Rice Centre, Homebush, Sydney. More details soon.