Association Peace Contacts keen to be more effective in their roles gathered at Federation HQ recently to build their skills and knowledge.
The Association Peace Contacts course was an incredible day of inspirational presentations, with Association Peace Contacts realising the extent of union support and solidarity all around them.
Attendees learned the finer points to building awareness of peace issues within their schools and Associations by creating a plan for future campaign actions.
Federation TAFE Lead Organiser Kelly Marks, who developed the course at its inception following the 2023 Annual Conference decision On peace, led members in a brainstorming session of how they can use the Association Peace Contact role statement to give them ideas for strategies and activities to undertake in their role as Association Peace Contact, such as requesting space on their Association meeting agenda for a report on peace and keeping up to date on current issues through participation in the Peace and International Issues Special Interest Group.
Author, journalist and Director of Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at Sydney University Professor Jake Lynch led a session explaining the theory and practice behind peace journalism and introducing the language of peace and conflict into our classrooms.
South Coast Labour Council Secretary Arthur Rorris, who is active in the fight against establishing a nuclear submarine base in Port Kembla, instructed Association Peace Contacts on how they can help build peace across a range of different communities.
Sydney Peace Foundation executive director Mel Morrison spoke about building global peace.
Association Peace Contacts were encouraged to build support among the membership for the campaign seeking to pressure superannuation funds to exclude companies who profit from, or enable the committing of, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Association Peace Contacts joined with APHEDA-Union Aid Abroad’s Maria Gaona to record a message of solidarity as part of the Australian unions campaign to hold the Myanmar’s military junta to account. Young trade unionists in Myanmar are ignoring threats to their own safety to capture and record workers’ stories and bring human rights abuses to public attention. International solidarity has supported these brave unionists and has helped secure a historic breakthrough at the International Labour Organization. Information about this campaign can be found here.
Officer attached to the Sam Lewis Peace Prize Committee Theo Bougatsas reminded attendees to mention to their colleagues that submissions in for the annual Sam Lewis Peace Prize close on 11 September.
How you can get involved with Federation’s peace activities
- If you are a Peace Contact for your Association, make sure you’re across the Trade Union Training courses available to you, as well as the Centre for Professional Learning’s invaluable Teaching Peace — Integrating Peace Studies into the Syllabuses course.
- Also consider joining Federation’s Peace and International Issues Special Interest Group. And if your Association has not yet elected a Peace Contact, please read the role statement, speak with your Organiser and consider nominating yourself for this important and role.
- The Association Peace Contacts course is conducted annually for elected Association Peace Contacts.