A Prince of Peace! Why not a Minister for Peace?

The picture below has come from Geraldine Robertson
wmnsweb@iprimus.com.au 

Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions 
www.womensweb.com.au  
Women Working Together suffrage and onwards
www.womenworkingtogether.com.au 
Prejudice and Reason
www.prejudiceandreason.com.auT

Dale Hess's Calendar 2013-07-01 : War and Peace - Films - Women - Courses - Co-operatives - Spirituality - Military Intervention in the Pacific - Relationships

Thursday 4 July, 6.30 pm: War:  What is it Good For?  Screening of the documentary: On the Bridge. Keynote speaker: Vincent Emanuele, who is a former US Marine of two tours to Iraq who refused to go again by laying down his weapon. He is now organiser for the Michigan chapter of Veterans for Peace and serves on the National Board of Directors of Iraq Veterans against the War. There will be a panel discussion with Vince, Chip Henriss from STAND FAST, and Sam Castro from Wikileaks Australian Citizens’ Alliance. Venue: Trades Hall, 54 Victoria Street, Carlton.

Thursday 4 July, 8.15 pm - 9.45 pm:  Film Screening: Frontrunner: The Afghan Woman Who Surprised the World. Frontrunner is a 50-minute documentary which tells of the courageous struggle of Dr. Massouda Jalal, the first woman to run for President of Afghanistan. Although Jalal faces obstacles such as death threats and bomb attacks, she perseveres and in turn inspires over 500 women to run for a seat in Parliament only a few months later. Guest speaker: Dr Nouria SalehiOAM (2012 Victorian Senior Citizen of the Year). Special Q&A: Guest Panel: Dr Salehi OAM and Ms Ming Yu (Amnesty Campaigner Co-ordinator). Tickets: $12 Amnesty supporters and concession holders, $15 all others. Venue:  The George Revival Cinema, 135 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

Saturday 6 July, 9 am -6 pm: Special Breakfast Conversation and Open Day. The history, spirit & place of OASES, 9 am -11.30 am. Presented by Dr Jacques Boulet & Rev Paul Sanders. Founding Director, Jacques Boulet, and concept initiator Paul Sanders, come together for a rare glimpse into the beginnings of OASES, & to explore our evolving vision, programs & sense of place. Cost: $25/$15 including delicious buffet breakfast (with vegetarian options).All are warmly invited to OASES for this special occasion, following on from the Breakfast, when we gather to showcase & celebrate all that is OASES. It'll be an afternoon of food, music, presentations & workshops that offer an insight into our programs, spirit & vision. If you are interested in exploring our courses, events, volunteer opportunities, or just being inspired by a wonderful community of facilitators & supporters of OASES, join us this Open Day. Entry free: 12 pm – 6 pm. Venue: Oases Graduate School, Community Learning and Research Centre, 2 Minona Street, Hawthorn.

Saturday 6 July – Saturday 13 July:  Nuclear Abolition Week. This week kicks off with activities across the world for a ban on nuclear weapons. This global week of action is intended to raise awareness of the unacceptable harm caused by nuclear weapons, and the urgent need for a ban. Website: http://www.icanw.org/

Saturday 6th July, 2 pm – 4 pm: Can we build a mutually supportive economic model in Australia? 

Is it still possible to generate community empowerment and social dividends through credit co-operatives?  Does the astonishing growth of community credit co-operatives in South-East Asia in recent decades have lessons for us in terms of grass-roots community activism and integrated social development? Come and hear of humble methods and extraordinary achievements of Malaysian Cardijn Community member Paul Sinnapan, followed by reflections on the local scene by co-operative activist Jacques Boulet. Join a discussion moderated by Dr Race Mathews exploring what the first and third world countries might learn from one another. Venue: Evatt Room, Trades Hall Council, Lygon Street Carlton. Cost: Free. Registrations: Please register at Eventbrite: http://coopworkshopcredit.eventbrite.com.au/

Picture above from here

Tuesday 9 July, 6.30 pm for 7 pm: Bi-Monthly MAPW Victorian Branch Dinner. The next Victorian Branch dinner will be held at La Notte,140 Lygon Street, Carlton. Dr Peter Wigg will reflect on issues raised at the recent German IPPNW conference on small arms, where he presented a workshop with our President Dr Jenny Grounds. RSVP please to secretary@mapw.org.au ... Cost $35.00, student members subsidised at $20.00.

Friday 12 July, 10 am and finish off with lunch:  Bikes Not Bombs City Cycle Tour. ICAN invites you to take your wheels to the street, visiting and signing up Victorian and Federal parliamentarians on to the Parliamentary Appeal for a ban on nuclear weapons! The headquarters of several organisations involved  in funding and producing nuclear weapons will also be visited. Part of Nuclear Abolition Week. Venue: Meet at the ICAN-MAPW office at Trades Hall, cnr Victoria and Lygon Sts Carlton. Further Information: See the facebook events page

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.

Friday 19 July – Sunday 21 July: Resistance and Contemplation: A Retreat with Wes Howard-Brook and Sue Ferguson Johnson. Wes and Sue are authors, activist, theologians, spiritual directors and educators, with many years’ experience in community and activism. They are well equipped to help us explore the journey of resistance and contemplation. Venue: Amberley Retreat Centre, 7 Amberley Way, Lower Plenty. Cost: $210/$180. Registration closes 5 July.  Further info: Dale, d.hess@ozemail.com.au, 0488 012 272.

Picture above from here

Thursday 25 July, 6.30 pm:  Public Meeting: US Militarisation of the Pacific. MAPW with the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network is organising this meeting with visiting activists Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero from Guam, and Bruce Gagnon, US campaigner against the militarisation of space. Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero will speak about the US military build-up in Guam, and Bruce Gagnon will discuss Pacific implications of changing US strategy and the "pivot" to Asia and the Pacific. Venue: Meeting Room 1, Trades Hall, corner of Victoria and Lygon Streets, Carlton.

10 August, 12 October, 10 & 11 November: Community Development. A 4-day short course from one of the world's leading community development practitioners. Working with Dr Jacques Boulet, students will explore concepts, strategies and practices associated with community development. This course looks at ways to empower community not just for survival but with the aim that they will thrive in a way that is sustainable and life enhancing. 

For more info & to register, click here. Venue: Oases Graduate School, Community Learning and Research Centre, 2 Minona Street, Hawthorn.

11 August, 8 & 9 September, 13 October: Sustainable Relationships in a Technological Age. A 4-day short course at the heart of what it means to live well. How are your relationships with others and the rest of the living world being affected by this age of extraordinary technological progress? Under the guidance of one of Australia’s leading experts in social development, Dr Jacques Boulet, you will reflect on the last 600 years of human history and understand how to create better relationships and communities. For more info & to register, click here. Venue: Oases GraduateSchool, Community Learning and Research Centre, 2 Minona Street, Hawthorn.

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 TasterOpportunity: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 PallottiCollege, Millgrove Melways 289 A2. An application form for registration is available fromwww.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.

Thursday 19 September (time & location TBA): Satish Kumar to visit OASES & present a talk in the evening. A former monk and long-term peace and environment activist, Satish Kumar has been quietly setting the Global Agenda for change for over 50 years. He was just nine when he left his family home to join the wandering Jains and 18 when he decided he could achieve more back in the world. Satish is Editor of Resurgence Magazine & a Visiting Fellow at the Schumacher College, a close affiliate of the OASES Graduate School. We hope you can join us for an evening with this warm, creative and highly respected man.

Saturday 12 October: March Against Monsanto. Please organise or join the next March Against Monsanto in your town. The movement for GM-free is now grass roots and global! Find the cities already participating at: http://bit.ly/ZTDsk8.

Saturday & Sunday 19 & 20 October, 16 & 17 November:  Creating Connections & Opening Up Creativity. A 4-day short course learning deeply about our inherent creativity. An aesthetic experience can spark an enlightening moment where things become clearer and make more sense. This course will guide participants to create your own bridges towards clarity. For more info & to register, click here. Venue: Oases Graduate School, Community Learning and Research Centre, 2 Minona Street, Hawthorn.

Turning trespassers into terrorists : US gun politics : Australia's gun politics

Picture above from Common Dreams

According to the US Government, 

these three peaceful trespassers are violent criminals.

Picture from Transform Now Plowshares

Don't know how other Australians feel, but I think the United States of America has made itself a laughing stock because of its inability to legislate, through its national government, meaningful gun reform. 

The National Rifle Association has brought its nation into disrepute.

Hear Wayne LaPierre here.

Read about Wayne LaPierre here.

Vile dogma of the NRA is being spread by Amazon.com

with publication of the slogan that

"the only thing that can stop a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun".

How can the United States of America be or become a nation of peace,

with values such as this?

Peace, real meaningful and lasting peace, 

does not come from the barrel of a gun.

It comes from the heart - 

from believing in doing unto others

only that which you would have done to yourself.

If the NRA believes in gunning down human beings,

do they wish themselves and their families to be gunned down too?

To read about the Australian situation

and gun politics (yes, Oz too has gun politics)

please go here for a starter.

Then move on to reading about

the Shooters & Fishers Party.

This tiny party is highly influential in Australia's largest state, NSW.

It holds a balance of power in NSW's Legislative Council,

and the conservative Liberal National Party Government

is beholden to them -

as was the Australian Labor Party before it.

Because of this, the NSW Government is allowing hunting in National Parks.

Read about it from a rootin' tootin' shootin' huntin' point of view here.