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Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition Statement to Walk Against The War Coalition
The people of Sydney, and the Walk Against The War Coalition, made sure that the Howard government, George W Bush and Tony Blair knew that the majority of people here opposed their crusade against Iraq. They also made sure that the Iraqi people and the United Nations Security Council knew that the majority wanted a peaceful resolution of the crisis. The Walk Against The War Coalition organised that campaign between October 2002 and April 2003 under the direct and simple slogans of No War on Iraq and No Australian Involvement. That very simplicity, eclipsed by the end of the invasion phase of military action in Iraq, means that we need a new framework to respond to the developing situation after Bush's conquest of Iraq and to respond to the global scale of the Bush Administration's strategy. During the campaign against the war on Iraq, we had some significant conflicts within the Coalition, the worst relating to the 'Books Not Bombs' protests of March 26 and April 3. Those conflicts concerned our responsibility to participants for the conduct of protests, how to build an inclusive Coalition and most effectively mobilise people. After the occupation of Iraq, we wanted to propose the UN go in or for international supervision. Others refused, leaving no alternative transition but the occupation forces, frustrating many. The Charter of the Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition was worked out by some Walk Against The War Coalition sponsor groups to address these challenges and recreate a diverse, strong Coalition for the next period. Some have called this 'undemocratic', 'conservative', 'secret', 'laborite', and even implied that it is anti-Muslim and against grassroots community organising. The range of groups in the Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition belies this. The insults do their authors no credit. Formed on July 7, the Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition is already organising activity to expose the American government's global militarism and Australian government subservience to it, against nuclear weapons proliferation, against the WTO corporate globalisation agenda, and for repatriation of the Australian prisoners at the US military gaol in Guantanamo. It would be wrong for a residual section of the Walk Against The War Coalition to represent themselves as the whole coalition which organised the mass rallies against the war on Iraq. At the Walk Against The War Coalition Special General Meeting on August 18 there will be a proposal moved by two of the three co-convenors to disperse the funds of the Walk Against The War Coalition and bring it to a close. Signed: Ray Richmond (Wayside Chapel, Uniting Church), Hannah Middleton (CPA), Labor Council of NSW (Alison Peters), Palestine Human Rights Campaign (Sari Kassis), National Union of Students (Anna York), Medical Association for the Prevention of War (Gillian Deakin), Pax Christi (Claude Mostowik), Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) Justice and Peace Centre, Search Foundation (Peter Murphy), Evatt Foundation (Bruce Childs), Australian Democrats (Paul Corvin), Ann Wansbrough (UnitingCare NSW.ACT), David Barrington (Politics in the Pub), Denis Doherty (Independent Education Union), CPA M-L (Bruce Cornwell), NSW Teachers Federation (Barry Johnson, General Secretary & Angelo Gavrielatos, Senior VP), CFMEU (David McElrea & Phil Davey), Australian Anti-Bases Campaign (Lindy Nolan). The signatories include at least 12 of 16 coordinators of the Walk Against the War Coalition and 2 of the 3 co-convenors. |
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© Walk Against the War Coalition 2003. |
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