2011 progress report to the Global Alliance for
Ministries and Departments of Peace

Country: Australia
Campaign: Ministry for Peace – Australia
Contact Person: Biannca D. Pace
Contact Email: bpace@ministryforpeace.org.au
Website: www.ministryforpeace.org.au

MFPA Campaign Report:

Dear Fellow Members of the Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace.

Greetings from Australia and know that we are sending you all our very best wishes for a most successful, innovative and progressive Summit.

Having participated in all Summits to date it is really disappointing to have to miss out on the fifth, for five (numerologically speaking) is the number of change and progression forward, something we hope will be taken into deep consideration at this Summit, and something which we would have enjoyed participating in.

Whilst we are unable to be with you on this occasion, we are tabling this report which outlines the activities we have initiated and implemented since the last Summit held in Costa Rica in 2009.

YOUTH PEACE PARLIAMENTS

We initiated these with a view to educating our youth in the processes and procedures of our Parliamentary system. These are very popular with the participating youth, currently from over 30 schools of different denominations and socio-economic status. Eligible students are those aged from12 -18years.
These are held and enacted in the Legislative Assembly of our Parliament House this of course when Parliament is not sitting.

Therefore the Youth are immersed in the corridors of power and let me say that they take to power like a duck takes to water. MFPA’s introduction emphasizes the word Peace and the students are asked to conduct themselves in a polite, rational and co-operative manner when debating the passing of a Bill in Parliament, or when they adjourn to their respective Party Rooms to formulate changes to the Bill in question. The process enables youth to learn peaceful parliamentary practices and to model these for their adult counterparts.

This initiative has been in place for the past two years and is partially funded and sponsored by the Hon Linda Burney MP. Minister for Community Affairs and since March 2011 (shadow) Deputy Premier of NSW.

YOUTH PEACE CELEBRATIONS- in Schools

MFPA initiated these in Sep 2006 and these continue to be hosted by different schools each year. This year Masada College will be the host and as is customary will invite student representatives from schools all over Sydney. MFPA encourages these youth celebrations by donating a Peace Pole to the school who hosts a peace celebration. To date we have donated over 20 peace poles.

PEACE EDUCATION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Our latest Youth initiative is the establishing of peace education in the curriculum of the Australian school system. Our aim is to introduce the concept to our State Minister for Education and continue the process until it is implemented. After which we will present the concept to our Federal Government in the hope that they will advocate for its implementation in all Australian States and Territories.

On this committee we have Prof Frank Hutchinson who researched and wrote a report and prepared a peace curriculum when he was working in the Dept of Education in the mid to late 1980’s. Sadly before its implementation in our State a new government was elected, and claimed that no funding was available.

Having Prof Hutchinson on board is most helpful as he is assisting us with the challenges that we will face.
Mrs. Helen Clarke Senior teacher at Knox Grammar School one of the largest and most prestigious colleges in Sydney is another vital member as is Dr Tam head of the Buddhist Assn of Australia and other MFPA volunteers.

UNIDP- SYDNEY PEACE FESTIVAL

This year is the 30th Anniversary of the United Nations International Day of Peace, which MFPA has celebrated since 2006. The objective was unify our many faceted and multi cultural community. Bearing in mind that in Australia we have 184 nationalities living together in relative harmony, it seemed an imperative to bring them together uniting in a common cause. For the past 6 years we have accomplished this, as the Festival participants represent Ministers from all of our political parties, Religious leaders from all religions, Consuls General from many countries, many diverse Peace Groups, students and teachers from some 30 schools, TV entertainers and of course our Indigenous people.

This year we are partnering with a group called Peace Angels and planning a truly spectacular event with the involvement of Baz Luhmann a famous Australian film director and producer, and Ric Birch the executive producer of the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

The intention of the MFPA in hosting these community events is to become a recognized organization that exists to inspire, co-operate and assist Australians to make the transition to a world where co-operation becomes the norm thus assisting to create a culture of peace and non-violence. This, with the hope that the people of Australia will evolve to the point where they themselves will demand that their Government, must establish a Ministry of Peace with equal funding and status to the Ministry of Defence.

TV DOCUMENTARY

We have over 40 hours of f film footage of our work and are currently in process of producing a documentary, which will be sold to ABC Television.

INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNT

Keep your focus narrow and do not lose sight of your goal. In Australia our goal is to persuade our Government that our country needs ,and the people want, a Minister for Peace and a Department of Peace established within our Political system.

Integrity – model the behaviour you want to create.
Whatever event – seminar, forum, youth events , peace events that we organized and hosted – we acted AS IF we were the Minister for Peace & the Department of Peace in the Australian Government and conducted our events & ourselves with the dignity and “gravitas that one would expect from a Government Official and a Government event.

Build a network and a strong support system.
Do not criticize, government of other organizations. If asked to advise it is best to point the way to a different solution: a more economical solution, a more eco friendly solution, a more compassionate solution etc. And include in your network as many as you can from the seven fields i.e. Corporate and Professional, Academia Religious- Educational- Health –Art etc.

Venue is important the better the venue the more prestige you derive for your organization. If you live in a Democratic Country get a Minister to sponsor your event so that you are able to use your Parliament House as a venue at no charge. Do make sure you invite that same Minister to be your guest speaker in many of your events.

Important to be impartial and non-partisan, invite Government Ministers from ALL political parties, to be guest speakers at your event. If only 1 or 2 respond that’s fine… you were impartial, because you invited a Minister from every political party.