Our Story

In 2020, International Volunteers for Peace (IVP) and The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF, NSW) both celebrated their centenaries. To mark these milestones and draw attention to United Nations International Day of Peace (21st September) they joined with the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) to organise some events around the day.
 

From that small beginning Raising Peace returned in September 2021 with an online festival that attracted 30 peace organisations, running 30 events over 10 days for an audience of more than 1000 people. Raising Peace continues to bring together a community of peace activists and practitioners, researchers and First Nations people to listen, learn and build peace together.

 

Our Aim

The name was chosen to celebrate and raise the profile of peace rather than the celebrations of war that we so often see held at official levels.

Raising Peace will bring together the myriad of organisations working for peace in all its manifestations. Mainly from NSW but also the East coast of Australia and nearby Asia-Pacific areas. There will be opportunities to learn from each other and for new collaborations to develop.

 

Our Values

While comprising of many diverse groups and individuals, the Raising Peace Network shares the following values that inspire us to act together for peace:
  • We believe that the pursuit of peace and the nonviolent resolution of conflict, by individuals, communities and nations, is the path to our best shared future.
  • We are committed to the realisation of the rights and recognition of First Nations people in Australia, notably through the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
  • We support war veterans and remember those killed in wars as they remind us of the long aftermath of the horrors of warfare.
  • We advocate for diplomacy, led by a professional and well-resourced diplomatic service, to develop cooperative relationships with other countries and to contribute to conflict negotiations between and in countries to avoid violent conflict.
  • We believe that Australia, as an island continent, will be more peaceful and secure as an independent, defensive state than as an allied, offensive one. Military expenditure is to defend Australia, not for involvement in wars in foreign countries.
  • We believe that Australia’s R&D and manufacturing industries should be used for peaceful purposes, not to support military industries and exports.

 

We work to:

  • be a network that brings together the many organisations and individuals working for peace by creating opportunities to learn from each other, for new collaborations to develop and to explore inter-related issues such as First Nations and climate change impacts
  • showcase and celebrate a broad range of initiatives, ongoing work and successes in promoting peace through voluntary and paid work by individuals, local, national and international organisations, educational institutions and other networks.
  • contribute to a broad-based peace movement in Australia
  • promote and foster the teaching of nonviolent approaches to conflict resolution in inter-personal relationships as well as in community, national and international contexts
  • encourage and sustain one another as we work for peace and create a positive engagement in its ongoing process
  • attract and engage young people in learning and taking action for peace
  • promote the United Nations International Day of Peace, 21 September

Donate to Raising Peace

The Raising Peace Festival is run by volunteers.
We welcome any donations to support our work,
including running our events and managing the website.