Not in Our Name     |     Peace Movement Aotearoa

National Peace Workshops 2005


This year's National Peace Workshops, the national gathering for people interested in peace and social justice, will be hosted by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (Tamaki Makaurau), Pax Christi and Global Peace and Justice Auckland, in association with Peace Movement Aotearoa, from Saturday, 22 October, to Monday, 24 October at the Ponsonby Community Centre.


  • Programme - web page   |   pdf file *
  • Registration - web page   |   pdf file

  • Publicity flyer

  • Contact details

  • Co-sponsoring organisations


  • Programme


    Saturday, 22 October

  • Registration opens at 12-30pm

  • 1pm to 2-15pm - Welcome and opening session: Perspectives on peace in Aotearoa New Zealand with Bob Newson, Kaiwhakarite, Human Rights Commission, and Joan Macdonald, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; feature address 'Wealth, Violence and Knowledge and the Politics of Power' by Mike Smith; and an overview of the National Peace Workshops.

  • 2-15pm to 3-45pm - Workshop session 1

      a) Conflict resolution techniques, mediation and associated skills: in this workshop you will be actively involved in learning about conflict resolution skills useful in the workplace or at home to resolve conflict situations peacefully. The first part of the workshop will explore general conflict resolution techniques and the second part will focus on the mediation process and associated skills.

      Presented by Yvonne Duncan, a very experienced teacher at primary and secondary levels, and a trained adult mediator. Currently National Coordinator of Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme for the Peace Foundation.

      b) Te Tiriti o Waitangi, peace and human rights: this workshop will look at Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a crucial peace issue in Aotearoa, from a Pakeha perspective. Sharing both our own stories and arc's story, we will focus on Te Tiriti and the Treaty relationship as a tool for peace and reconciliation. We will cover the government's response to the Court of Appeal ruling on the foreshore and seabed, the other ways that could have been resolved, and what lessons can be learned from this for the future.

      Presented by Tamaki Makaurau arc with Peace Movement Aotearoa - arc is a national network committed to tino rangatiratanga and Treaty justice that grew from the peace movement; starting initially as a group for young people, our network is made up of Maori, Pakeha and Tauiwi. Peace Movement Aotearoa is the national networking peace organisation.

  • 3-45pm to 4pm - Afternoon tea break

  • 4pm to 5-30pm - Workshop session 1 continued

  • 7-30pm - screening of 'Breath of Peace / Tau Te Mauri' introduced by Bunny McDiarmid, George Armstrong and film maker Kathleen Gallagher. "Tau Te Mauri Breath of Peace means to settle the mauri, to breath peace into the world. It is a unique documentary featuring stories of eight well known New Zealand peace activists, natural history footage and contemporary Maori music - waiata and taonga puoro (traditional Maori musical instruments)." Tickets are $6 / $10 each (the entry cost is separate from National Peace Workshops registration).


    Sunday, 23 October

  • Registration from 8-30am

  • 9am to 10-30am - Plenary session: Perspectives on the 'war on terrorism' with Tarek Cherkaoui, Keith Locke, Edwina Hughes, and other speakers to be confirmed.

  • 10-30am to 11am - Morning tea break

  • 11am to 12-30pm - Workshop session 2

      a) Parasites on poverty: this workshop will take its lead from the saying "there can be no peace without justice" and will focus on the Parasites on Poverty campaign, being run by Global Peace and Justice Auckland, which targets loan sharks and pokie machines. The workshop will involve practical, hands on campaigning. It will include a brief outline of the issues; discussion of campaigning strategies; completing a mail out in support of the campaign and a postering session around an inner city suburb.

      Presented by John Minto, a spokesperson for Global Peace and Justice Auckland and a social activist for several decades on a range of issues.

      b) War on Terror? War against People! Witnessing the face of the War's 'Second Front' in the Philippines: this workshop will cover the presenter's recent experience as one of the International Solidarity Mission entitled 'Supporting a People Fighting Repression', as well as in other specific contexts of struggle and peace-making in the Philippines. In response to participants' priorities, it will cover some of the following interrelated topics: state responsibility for significant human rights violations, particularly in the Eastern Visayas; struggles by miners and sugar workers for economic justice; local impacts of the privatisation of water; Muslim perspectives on the Philippines state and US imperialism as they bear the brunt of the 'war on terror'; the struggle to survive colonisation and conflict of the Sama Dilaut, indigenous sea nomads. These topics will be addressed in the context of the US 'war on terror', President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's state terrorism, and a call for the NZ Government to designate states as "terrorist entities".

      Presented by Tim Howard, a community and Tiriti worker in Whangarei with Northland Urban Rural Mission (NURM) which is a collective working on social justice and community development within a vision of Tiriti Justice. He is also a member of the Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa (PSNA).

      c) US Nuclear and Military Space Policies 2005: this workshop will cover developments in US nuclear policy since the election of George Bush in 2000 which have seen a major and highly disturbing shift in thinking about the nature of nuclear weapons and their place in the US arsenal. We will consider the clash between these policies and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and discuss the way forward for the elimination of nuclear weapons now being proposed; and will examine the relevance in 2005 of our ban on visits by nuclear powered warships. The possibility of space becoming a home for offensive warfighting weapons will also be discussed. Copies of papers covering the workshop material will be available for purchase at a reduced price of $5 each, half the usual price.

      Presented by Robert White, a retired nuclear physicist and Auckland University academic staff member. He has been Director of the University of Auckland Centre for Peace Studies for almost its entire life since it was established in 1988; the Centre produces academic level research papers on topics such as those to be discussed in this workshop, and on other peace issues.

  • 12-30pm to 1-30pm - Lunch

  • 1-30pm to 3pm - Workshop session 3

      a) Parasites on Poverty continued from workshop session 2.

      b) A Dialogue on Faith and Peace: while some political leaders are trying to set up a worldwide standoff between Islam and Christianity, religious leaders in those faiths are finding ways to deepen the dialogue on their underlying commitment to peace. In this workshop, the presenters will share their thinking and lead discussion on making the peace message of Islam and Christianity more present in current debates.

      Presented by Ahmed Zaoui, and Peter Lineham, Associate Professor of History, Massey University, Albany.

      c) Aceh and West Papua: what are the prospects for peace? this workshop will provide an update on historic developments in Aceh; will the recent peace agreement lead to a 'New Aceh' or is the process at risk of sabotage, how can the international community and New Zealand help? There will be an update on the situation in West Papua, and an update on burgeoning international solidarity movement for West Papua. A key element in current campaigning is a call for a UN review of the events at the time of the 1969 'Act of Free (No) Choice', New Zealand could play a vital role in supporting peace and justice in West Papua. Recent documentary footage about both West Papua and Aceh will be included.

      Presented by Maire Leadbeater with Cameron Walker, Indonesia Human Rights Committee, Auckland.

  • 3pm to 3-30pm - Afternoon tea break

  • 3-30pm to 5pm - Workshop session 4

      a) Aceh and West Papua: what are the prospects for peace? continued from Workshop session 3.

      b) The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq: this workshop will examine the geo-political context of the US led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq post September 2001, the current US strategy and the ongoing resistance to the US occupation of both countries; and a discussion about what New Zealanders can do working together to challenge US policy.

      Presented by Mike Treen, who is a spokesperson for Global Peace and Justice Auckland and an antiwar activist from his high school days when the issue was NZ / US involvement in Vietnam to the invasion / occupation of Iraq.

      c) Physical punishment of children and repeal of Section 59: Section 59 of the Crimes Act, 1961, is an anomaly in New Zealand law. Children's human rights to protection and physical integrity are breached by this legislation. Recently Sue Bradford's Private Members Bill to repeal section 59 was passed to the Select Committee for consideration. Whether the bill is given a fair hearing will depend on the attitude of the new government. This workshop will review the status of physical punishment of children in New Zealand and reasons to repeal section 59. Participants will be invited to share their views on physical punishment of children and section 59, and options for achieving change will be considered.

      Presented by Beth Wood, Advocacy Manager for UNICEF New Zealand and spokesperson for EPOCH New Zealand. She has a background in social work, child policy and child advocacy.

  • 5pm to 6-30pm: Announcement of the winners of the 2005 DICK (Destructive Industry Connected to Killing) NZ Awards and the 2005 'Guided Missiles and Misguided Men' Awards for Government Politicians; drinks and nibbles.


    Monday 24 October

  • Registration from 8-45am

  • 9am to 10-30am - Workshop session 5

      a) Children and Poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand: children are over-represented in the New Zealand poverty statistics, and they are also significantly at risk as a result of the experience of poverty. Drawing on the work of the Child Poverty Action Group, this workshop will identify what we mean by child poverty; discuss the causes, effects and consequences of child poverty; and explore current policy issues associated with child poverty.

      Presented by Associate Professor Mike O'Brien, Head of the School of Social and Cultural Studies, Massey University, Albany, and an executive member of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) which is an independent charity working to eliminate child poverty in New Zealand through research, advocacy and education. Mike has written extensively on child poverty, social security and income support; his recent work includes 'Workfare: Not Fair for Kids?' and 'Children: Our Priority', both published by CPAG.

      b) Military and weapons related production in Aotearoa New Zealand: this workshop will include an overview of the global context; background information on the New Zealand Defence Industry Association, the lobby group for companies that profit from bloodshed and war; examples of some of the companies involved in military and weapons production here, and the ways the NZ government supports them.

      Presented by Edwina Hughes, Coordinator of Peace Movement Aotearoa, on behalf of No WARP! Network Opposed to Weapons and Related Production.

      c) Changing Times in Tonga: a workshop about how Tongans, here and in Tonga, are dealing with the changing political situation.

      Presented by Palu Taufaeteau and Dr 'Okusitino Mahina. Palu is a member of the Tongan Council and a lawyer whose work in Tonga included helping Catholic women's groups understand their legal rights; she is currently living in NZ for the sake of her children's education. 'Okusitino is an anthropologist who lectures on Pacific political economy and Pacific arts at the University of Auckland.

  • 10-30am to 11am - Morning tea break

  • 11am to 12-30pm - Report back from workshops and closing

  • 12-30pm to 1-30pm - Lunch

  • 1-30pm to 3pm - Strategising sessions: including Strategising around ANZAC Day, with Peace Action Wellington; Progress towards a university peace centre for Aotearoa New Zealand, with the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies Working Group; and more topics to be added during the National Peace Workshops. This is an open space for anyone who wishes to strategise around a specific issue or topic in a plenary session or in a small group as you prefer - there will be a place available throughout the National Peace Workshops to write up any topic/s you would like to have a strategising session on.


    Contact details

  • If you have a general enquiry or an enquiry about your registration, please contact Peace Movement Aotearoa, email;

  • The emergency contact telephone number to reach someone attending the National Peace Workshops is (04) 382 8129.


    Co-sponsoring organisations

  • Anglican Pacifist Fellowship

  • Anti-Bases Campaign

  • Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa

  • Child Poverty Action Group

  • Christian World Service

  • Human Rights Foundation of Aotearoa New Zealand

  • International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (Pacific Office)

  • National Consultative Committee on Disarmament

  • Pax Christi

  • Peace Action Wellington

  • Peace Foundation

  • Peace Movement Aotearoa

  • United Nations Association of New Zealand (Northern Region Branch)

  • Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Aotearoa section


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