PPSEAWA Australia

Everyone in the world has the right to live in Peace

Peace - not just the cessation of war and violent conflict but when all people, whatever their culture, language, colour and religion live openly in harmony with each other.

Greater unity and common purpose among nations is needed with a balance between rich and poor in a world system of states unequal in wealth and power.

Women of the world are united in their wish for better health, education etc. for their children and families but are often restricted by the environmental, social and political conditions of their surroundings. One of the PPSEAWA objectives is to strengthen the bonds of peace by fostering understanding and friendship amongst women. We must be freely open to new ideas and learning from and listening to our fellow women of the world.

In Australia we are endeavouring to create harmony through sharing our diverse cultures. reconciliation between all peoples, supporting each other, interdependence working together for peace and understanding is our goal.

In order to see interdependence working throughout the world to achieve unity and harmony we need to eliminate intolerance. Tolerance calls for impartiality and openness. It calls for acknowledging a multiracial and multicultural world, where pluralism is a cause for celebration.

(Ignite the Power of Peace Discussion paper prepared for Australian Delegation to 21st PPSEAWA International Conference - Rarotonga - Cook Islands, November 2000)

What are you doing?

2004: PPSEAWA Australia invited churches in Sydney to ring bells for Peace in the heart of the city at midday.
2005: PPSEAWA Australia invited many churches and councils around Australia to ring bells at midday on 21st September. We look forward to this becoming a tradition to remind the population of the joyfulness of Peace.
2006: PPSEAWA will invite young people and adults to participate in a Peace Project with poetry, prose, photos, paintings, plays, music etc. Further information closer to the date.
2007: A Place for Peace at the PPSEAWA 23rd International Conference, Auckland, New Zealand where material contributed to the 2006 Peace Projects in PPSEAWA countries would be displayed.

A suggestion:-
Plan a day or a weekend as A Question of Faith or A Question of Peace. Share your faith, culture and traditions with women from different backgrounds. Your ideas and beliefs on the topic of peace. Share craft ideas. Craft a peace quilt or wall hanging.

PEACE

An Address to the Interfaith Service, St John’s Anglican Church, Canberra, International Women’s Day, 21 September 2005

What is peace ? Some definitions - Quiet; tranquillity; mental calm; freedom from or the cessation of war; a peace treaty between states at war; freedom from civil disorder; a liturgical greeting.

From Mahatma Gandhi: True peace is not just the absence of conflict but the presence of justice.

Everyone in the world has the right to live in Peace. Peace - not just the cessation of war and violent conflict but when all people, whatever their culture, language, colour and religion live openly in harmony with each other.

Women of the world are united by their desire for peace. They want their children to grow up without fear. They wish for better health, education etc. for their children and families but these are often restricted by the environmental, social and political conditions of their surroundings. One of the PPSEAWA objectives is to strengthen the bonds of peace by fostering understanding and friendship amongst women.

PPSEAWA decided to bring to the public’s attention the fact of the UN International Day of Peace by asking churches to ring their bells at 12 midday on 21st September. This year bells rang and drums sounded in PPSEAWA countries around the Asia Pacific region and it is hoped that this action will grow year by year with Peals for Peace sounding around Australia and throughout the world.

Peace , a beautiful word, a beautiful thought, a state that we all wish for and yet, how to achieve peace in a world in which there seems to be so much evil. What is a culture of peace? I would like to challenge you to examine your everyday use of language. Is your conversation peaceful or do you use expressions which have their roots in military or warlike expressions? How will children learn the language of peace when adults continue to use the language of war?

In the words of the children’s song - Peace is something when you give it away it comes right back to you. It’s just like a magic penny, hold on tight and you won’t have any. Lend it, spend it, give it away and it comes right back to you.

Recently I visited the isle of Iona in Scotland, a centre devoted to the making of peace. It was amazing to walk along a path which had been used by countless people, pilgrims and sightseers, for many hundreds of years. I am sure that foremost in their hearts was, and is the wish for peace in the world. A few days after our return home came the news of the explosions in London with many injured, many killed. This, following on from the frequent reports of deaths in Iraq was a reminder of the lack of respect given by some to other human beings throughout the world. Let us keep a time of silence whenever we hear of deaths caused by pointless acts of terrorism and other acts brought about by the disregard by some for the sacredness of human life.

And to close - from Making Peace ....... in practice and poetry - author Joy Mead and published by Wild Goose Publications a small extract from her introduction Personal Peacemaking