Peace activists organised a vigil outside the official聽Armistice Day ceremony on November 11, reports Nick Deane.
Nick Deane
The climate movement needs to adopt the call for peace as聽there will be no future, sustainable or otherwise, unless we resist authorities鈥 willingness to go to war, argues Nick Deane.
By calling Armistice Day on November 11聽鈥淩emembrance Day鈥 we miss the point. The original Armistice Day in 1918 was a day of joy, celebrating the end of a hugely bloody war. As one newspaper at the time described it:聽鈥淲hole country goes wild with joy at news of peace鈥. 聽
The Invictus Games, taking place in Sydney over October 20-27, features athletes who were injured serving in the armed forces of 18 countries. The games celebrate the undefeated human spirit, but come with deep irony, being sponsored by the very same arms companies that profit from causing the injuries in the first place.
Many Australians are unaware that up to 2500 armed personnel from a foreign nation routinely occupy Australian territory. However, soon the next contingent of US marines will arrive in Darwin, writes Nick Deane.
Since US President Donald Trump鈥檚 inauguration, there has been a spike in commentary about the increasing risk of a war in our region 鈥 a war that could involve the US and China. As things stand, it would be impossible for Australia to avoid involvement in such a war. That is a reality we must urgently confront.
The Defence Department鈥檚 website says: 鈥 is a biennial combined Australian and US training activity, designed to 鈥 improve the combat readiness and interoperability between our respective forces. This exercise is a major undertaking that reflects the closeness of our alliance and the strength of the ongoing military-military relationship鈥 and is 鈥渇ocused on the planning and conduct of mid-intensity 鈥榟igh end鈥 warfighting.鈥
In November 2011, US president Barack Obama announced that the military focus of the US was 鈥減ivoting鈥 to the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, as part of this 鈥減ivot鈥, he announced that US marines were to be stationed in Darwin.
Following those announcements, a ripple of discontent spread around the nation. Numerous peace groups, academics, faith-based groups and unions began talking to one another about this 鈥減ivot鈥 and the threat it represents.
In Canberra on April 21, there will be the first meeting of representatives of the groups that together make up the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN). The individual representatives will be drawn from every state and territory.
On April 22, the main conference will take place, with invited experts speaking on a range of related topics. The conference will be open to the general public and is expected to draw a large number of people with an interest in creating a more independent Australia.
As one who took part in demonstrations against the war in Vietnam, I could hardly believe it when the US 鈥渨ar machine鈥 resurrected itself and began its march on Iraq.
Appalled by what appeared to be happening, I was delighted to discover, following a rally in November 2002, that a local peace group had been created. I joined that group and began actively campaigning for peace which I continue to this day.