Section Joint National Coordinators : Cathy Picone
8 Murray Street 
Hove SA 5048
Australia 
cpicone@westenet.com.au
Tel: +61 8 8296 4357
Fax: +61 8 8377 0706

Ruth Russell
15 Iliad Grove
Modbury SA 5092
Australia
ruth.russell@chariot.net.au
Tel: +61 8  8263 3778
Fax: +61 8 8226 6862 office hours

Address:                                                               PO Box 345 Rundle Mall, Adelaide SA 5000  Australia

City, State/Province:   Adelaide, South Australia

Postal Code: 5000

Telephone: 61 8 8232 6334 

Fax Number: 61 8 8377 0706

Work and/or Mobile Number:  61 8 0414 947 755

Email Address: wilpf.australia@wilpf.org.au

Section IEC Member:                                          Mary Ziesak

Address:
16 Toolara Circuit
Forest Lake Queensland 4078
Australia

City, State/Province:        Queensland

Postal Code:   4078

Telephone:         61 7 3879 3029

Fax Number:   61 7 3880 0276

Work and/or Mobile Number:    -

Email Address:      mdziesak@bigpond.com   

Section Fundraising Contact:     Ruth Russell and Cathy Picone
(Per the decision at the IEC 2006 each Section is to appoint a fundraising contact person)

Address:     PO Box 345 Rundle Mall, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia

City, State/Province:   Adelaide

Postal Code:   5000

Telephone:      61 8 8232 6334

Fax Number: 61 8 8377 0706

Work and/or Mobile Number:  61 0414 974 755

Email Address:  wilpf.australia@wilpf.org.au

2008 International Directory:
Please review your copy of the International Directory and provide all additional contacts and/or information that you would like to be listed in the 2008 International Directory. For example: Section Office, Section Treasurer, Secretary, Branch Contacts, etc.

Change to Joint National Coordinators :       Cathy Picone
8 Murray Street 
Hove SA 5048
Australia 
cpicone@westenet.com.au
Tel: +61 8 8296 4357
Fax: +61 8 8377 0706

Ruth Russell
15 Iliad Grove
Modbury SA 5092
Australia
ruth.russell@chariot.net.au
Tel: +61 8  8263 3778
Fax: +61 8 8226 6862 office hours

New Assistant National Coordinator             Stella Boyages
14 Hampson Ave
MAROUBRA NSW  2035
Australia
steliani@bigpond.com
Tel: +61 2 9349 5101

Treasurer                                                             Margaret Wood
2 Camden Cresent
Moonah Tasmania 7009
Australia
margw@bigblue.net.au
Tel: +61 3 6228 4967

IEC Member                                                         Mary Ziesak
16 Toolara Circuit
Forest Lake Queensland 4078
Australia
mdziesak@bigpond.com
Tel: +61 7 3879 3029
Fax: +61 7 3880 0276

"Peace & Freedom" Editor                              Chris Henderson
PO Box 224
Inala Qld 4077
Australia
biota@bigpond.com
Tel: +61 0437 327 890

Section Information:

Number of members:  Approximately 380          

Section website:  www.wilpf.org.au                                                                  

Section 2006 Income:     $32,721.82                              Expense:  $36,802.47  

Committee or Working Group that your IEC Member participates in: Working Group on Racism

What does your Section need from the 2007 Congress and what are the specific decisions that you would like to see this Congress make to further your work? Please place an X beside those that apply.

_X__ Development of 3-year Programme
__ Development of Committee or Working Group. Please specify.
___ Adoption of Resolution. Please specify.
___ Adoption of Constitutional Amendment Please specify.
___ Specific Proposal from your Section. Please specify.
___ Other. Please list below:

Geneva Office

We would like some feedback on the section mailing. Do you like the frequency and length? What topics would you like to see covered?

Currently the Section mailing comes in both electronic and hard copy.
We would be content if the Section mailing came only electronically to our 2 Joint National Coordinators, Assistant National Coordinator and IEC rep (details listed above).

This would lessen costs for Geneva Office as well as mailed copy taking some time to arrive.

What information from the Geneva Office would be helpful to you?

Updates on international conferences and events are useful – could be sent via email with a link to your website.
Information on coming events
Background information on current issues
Any other changes occurring eg. WILPF staffing etc.

What do you see as priority issues for the work of the Geneva Office?

To continue your current work focus to ensure consistency and building on WILPF’s experience and networks especially human rights issues and consultancy work with UN agencies.

How could we improve communication between us (E-Mail, Conference Calls, Section Visits)?

Email and email lists are a quick, easy and valuable means of communication.

We place importance on having an Australian representative at each IEC meeting as well as more attending Congresses – this builds connection and understanding of WILPF’s international work and structure.

UN Office (New York)

What information from the UN Office would be helpful to you?

Especially helpful are the regular email updates from Reaching Critical Will and PeaceWomen as well as updates when special UN meetings occur.
Information on coming events is helpful
Background information on current issues
Any other changes occurring eg. WILPF staffing etc.

What do you see as priority issues for the work of the UN Office?

To continue the current work with sufficient resources is probably the highest priority.

How could we improve communication between us (E-Mail, Conference Calls, Section Visits)?

Email and email lists are quick, easy and valuable means of communication.

We place importance on having an Australian representative at each IEC meeting as well as more attending Congresses – this builds connection and understanding of WILPF’s international work and structure.

Do you use the Reaching Critical Will website?   

Yes

If so for what? What is the most useful? What would make the site more useful for you?

The website is used when preparing submissions to our government on particular issues to provide up to date information and background information for a well researched submission or just recently when preparing a statement for a meeting with government representatives. 

Do you read the RCW E-news reports on CD, UN GA 1st Committee, NPT?

Yes, they are also kept as an official record on what is happening so that as National Coordinators we have current information on recent events.

What could be improved?

Nothing comes to mind.   It is useful to have the reports highlighting in blue ink each country’s statements and other important points as well as listing what will be available on the website.   The layout is easy to read with concise language.  

Do you use the Peace Women website?  

Yes

If so for what? What is the most useful? What would make the site more useful for you?

We see this website as the definitive information hub for up to date information on meetings and events relating to UN Res 1325 and refer to it when requiring up to date information.
It is also linked to our Australian website – www.1325australia.org.au  for which we received funding heresome years ago to establish.

Do you read the Peace Women E-news?

Yes. Each E-news is kept archived for reference when we include UN Res 1325 in a range of presentations or meetings about WILPF.   We provide updated information from this E-news in our national journal and branch newsletters if appropriate. 

What could be improved?

Nothing comes to mind – good to mark NEW for recent additions.

Does the work of your section relate to the United Nations?

Yes

If so how?
WILPF Australia works in partnership with both our national United Nations Association and branch United Nations Associations to promote the UN, its works and agencies to which WILPF is affiliated.  Eg in April, reps from the national UN and WILPF are invited to provide statements to the Australian government representatives on nuclear issues.  We work together on local and national human rights issues, indigenous issues, gender issues, UN Res 1325 by supporting each other’s campaigns and events.

Does your section work on WILPF’s International Program?

Yes

What is your main focus?

 Our focus is on promoting WILPF as a well established, credible and important NGO especially in relation to Reaching Critical Will and UN Res 1325. We write numerous submissions and letters to our Federal Government on a variety of topics related to the international program. We host public meetings and organise vigils and rallies, often in coalition with other like-minded groups. A great deal of our work focuses on conflict resolution, disarmament and human rights issues such as refugee rights, “anti-terrorism” legislation (ie., loss of civil liberties) and reconciliation with Australia’s Indigenous peoples, We have also written and conducted meetings on the situation in Indonesia, particularly West Papua and produced some work on the situation in East Timor as well. For the last year, we have become involved in a community radio program. For the last two years we have sponsored an International Law Prize at an Australian University as a way of promoting WILPF and our international work.   We also promote the internships available as a way of generating interest in WILPF internationally.

Global Economic Justice?

Yes

How?
WILPF Australian Section and branches support many campaigns such as Make Poverty History and  Fair Trade
as well as Australian campaigns relating to East Timor’s oil, West Papuan colonisation by Indonesia etc.

Environmental Sustainability?

Yes

How?

WILPF is active at many levels – opposing uranium mining in Australia, global warming and the recent government promotion of nuclear energy as the best future option.  Australia has had a sustained drought which has focused a lot of attention on water resources, degradation and better use of the land etc. as well as increased awareness around climate change.  WILPF Queensland branch has performed several street theatre events around anti-uranium.  

WILPF also actively supports many campaigns initiated by other environmental groups rather than taking the lead.

Disarmament and Demilitarization

Yes

How?

WILPF is a strong voice in Australia for disarmament and demilitarisation – challenging our government’s uncritical support of the US alliance, including Australia’s involvement in both the Iraq and Afghanisation wars which has caused the defence budget to increase; joint military training with US and South Korean forces and more de facto US bases in Australia.  The constant talk of terrorism has been a convenient excuse for increasing military operations and belligerence which has in turn made Australia more of a target than had Australia maintained an independent foreign policy.

WILPF promotes the work done by Reaching Critical Will and WILPF at the UN – NPT committees etc.
We organise events around Hiroshima Day and Anzac Day (25th April).

Australia’s role in proposing to sell uranium to both China and India causes concern and WILPF made a submission to the government and attended a public hearing opposing sale to China. We will do the same in relation to sale of uranium to India.

We expressed our concern to the Australian Government that they did not support the Pacific Nuclear Free Zone despite being a signatory to such a treaty in 1986.

Water?

Yes

How?

The lack of sustainable water resources has come to the fore in Australia as an issue while many Australians live under long-term water restrictions in many States.   The privatisation of water and lack of maintenance of infrastructure are also issues here in Australia.  

On the global scale, we promote the need for better water resource management and future planning using justice and equity principles and oppose privatisation of water.

SCR 1325/Women and Peace and Security Issues?

Yes

How?

See notes above under Peacewomen website.

Women’s political participation?

Yes

How?

WILPF actively promotes the need for gender equity in all societies, even as we see the rollback of the small gains made in Australia through a resurgence of patriarchy and political campaigns to restore men to a dominant position.  Many women are unaware of the unravelling of past equity gains and despite united and sustained efforts to speak out for better gender equity, both here and in other parts of the globe eg. Afghanistan through the Revolutionary Association  of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), East Timorese women’s campaign Aloha etc.

Sexual and Gender based violence issues?

Yes

How?

WILPF maintains a strong opposition to gender and sexual violence, joining various campaigns and writing submissions to government as required. During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we conducted a public workshop on the issues.  WILPF also sent letters opposing the proposed execution of some women in Muslim countries.

We also join with other women’s groups to campaign together against violence.

What is the political situation in your country?

Australia under the John Howard Government for the last eleven years has seen a new subservience to United States foreign policy imperatives. Over the last decade, Australian foreign policy has become a pale echo of Washington. Once viewed on the international stage as an honest broker, Australia has become viewed internationally as hostage to Washington and even a mere lackey of the US following the US into every rotten war including the so-called “war on terror”. Our government has also taken us into the US “missile defence “ scheme and into joint military exercises with the US.

Over the same period, the rollback of many important civil liberties, affirmative action for women, together with legislation aimed at silencing dissent through a range of tactics such as defunding any organisation that has a lobbying role or taking away their “charity status” for tax purposes.  Many draconian sedition and anti-terrorism laws have been passed in small bite-sized pieces which in totality result in the possibility of “suspects” being arrested and held without trial with no access to lawyer with even family unaware that they are being held.
 
A groundswell of support for domestic human rights bills (both national and state based) has arisen over the human rights abuses of many people seeking political asylum in Australia after arriving by boat.   The Australian Government has even excised islands from Australian sovereignty in an effort to evade their responsibility for processing such arrivals.  A “Pacific solution” was developed, by putting asylum seekers on Nauru (an isolated Pacific Island) where there was no contact with Australian citizens or assistance. No doubt this idea was extrapolated from the US Guantanamo Bay prison – keeping those interred away from seeking justice through the local Court system. 

Australian detainee, David Hicks, was held at Guantanamo Bay for “suspected terrorism” without charge for five years.  This slowly generated a public outcry to which the Australian Government belatedly responded with the unsatisfactory result that David agreed to plead guilty so he could return home as the ongoing challenges to the legality of military tribunals resulted in appeal and counter-appeal with no end in sight.

Recently the Government has signed a defence cooperation treaty (the “Lombok Treaty”) with the Government of Indonesia. This Treaty will see the Australian Defence Force undertaking joint military training with the Indonesian military whose record of human rights abuses against citizens in various Indonesian provinces is egregious.The Howard Government has passed savage industrial relations legislation stripping workers’ conditions such as penalty rates and overtime, and cutting wages. Under these laws, Australian workers no longer have the right to collectively bargain; employers must agree to it. The right to strike has been severely curtailed. Although the Labor opposition has historical links with the trade union movement, those links are being gradually eroded as fewer and fewer Australian workers are now members of trade unions and increasing numbers of Australians are running their own small businesses.

Australia is a much less equitable society. Poverty is growing but quarantined. Public health services and public education have been gutted while the Howard Government promotes privatisation of public utilities and services. Thus services are being downgraded in pursuit of profits. Provision of child-care for instance has become an industry in pursuit of profits and is expensive and hard to find. Workers in those “industries” work for low wages.

While many Australians are poorer, the middle class has become more complacent and consumerist. Government economic levers have hugely increased the cost of home ownership cutting the younger generation out of the great Australian dream of owning your own home. Tertiary students now incur large debts for their education which was once free. Universities are straining for funds and so have become more competitive – more like businesses than educational institutions.

The alternative Labor opposition has been ineffective and only marginally more progressive, seeking to promote themselves as tough on crime, supporters of the US alliance and militarism etc. It is likely they will overturn a long held policy of opposing more uranium mining at their coming national conference in April.

With new media ownership laws, ownership of our media has become concentrated in even fewer hands who tend to present a very reactionary view of the society. In addition, as in the United States, a small number of “shock jocks” with very big listening audiences exert enormous political influence. Public broadcasting has been constrained.

 While Australia has had a long run of economic prosperity, there has also been a sustained drought and concern about the effects of climate change increasing, creating general unease. Opposition to Australian involvement in the war in Iraq remains high but less so for involvement in Afghanistan, despite more Australian troops being deployed there.  These factors are feeding into the political campaigns of parties vying for voters in the coming federal election, expected to be held in November this year. Despite any change of government it is likely that conservative policies will continue.

The work of WILPF is needed now as much as ever.

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