Peace Organisation of Australia
Encyclopedia
The Peace Organisation of Australia was a non-profit and non-religious organisation based in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 which was active from 2005 to 2009. Its stated objective was the promotion of world peace
World peace
World Peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or people. World peace is an idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to...

 through education. The organisation was established in May 2005 by a group of students from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...

, and its last president was Dr. Aron Paul.

The Peace Organisation of Australia lobbied the Australian Government to support the observance of a global ceasefire on the International Day of Peace
International Day of Peace
The International Day of Peace, also known as the World Peace Day, occurs annually on 21 September. It is dedicated to peace, and specifically the absence of war, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone. It is observed by many nations, political groups, military...

. It published the Australian Journal of Peace Studies, with the last issue being published in 2009. In July 2006, it awarded the inaugural Australian Peace Prize
Australian Peace Prize
The Australian Peace Prize was an annual award presented from 2006 to 2009 to an Australian citizen or resident, or to a group based in Australia, for outstanding contributions towards peace. It was awarded by the Peace Organisation of Australia. The first prize was awarded in 2006 to Dr Helen...

 to Dr. Helen Caldicott
Helen Caldicott
Helen Mary Caldicott is an Australian physician, author, and anti-nuclear advocate who has founded several associations dedicated to opposing the use of nuclear power, depleted uranium munitions, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons proliferation, war and military action in general. She hosts a...

 "for her longstanding commitment to raising awareness about the medical and environmental hazards of the nuclear age". The 2007 prize was awarded to Melbourne barrister Julian Burnside
Julian Burnside
Julian William Kennedy Burnside AO QC is an Australian barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author. He is known for his staunch opposition to the mandatory detention of asylum seekers, and has provided legal counsel in a wide array of high-profile cases...

 QC "for his staunch opposition to mandatory detention and the Pacific solution, and for doing all in his power to assist refugees fleeing war and persecution in their homelands". The Australian Peace Prize
Australian Peace Prize
The Australian Peace Prize was an annual award presented from 2006 to 2009 to an Australian citizen or resident, or to a group based in Australia, for outstanding contributions towards peace. It was awarded by the Peace Organisation of Australia. The first prize was awarded in 2006 to Dr Helen...

has not been awarded since 2009. The Peace Organisation of Australia was opposed to uranium mining, uranium enrichment and nuclear power generation.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK