Organisations and individuals who have signed in April and May 2020 are indicated below..
View some well known Australians video messages of support)
We the undersigned, call on the Australian Government to stop funnelling billions of dollars into offensive weapons for unjust U.S. led wars, and invest instead in the health and safety of people and the environment.
On 23 March 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for a global ceasefire. The UN call highlights the disparity between the huge financial and technological resources invested in wars, and the under-funded and under-resourced public health systems desperately trying to control this deadly virus.
We call on the Australian Government to support the UN Secretary General’s call.
COVID-19 has sharply exposed the dangerous and unsustainable priorities of our society. On the other hand, the vast majority of Australians are co-operating to control the virus. World-wide, there are desperate shortages in the supply of most basic safety and life saving equipment – ICU beds, ventilators, virus testing kits and personal protective equipment for front line health workers.
At the same time there are vast stockpiles of technologically advanced military weaponry worth trillions of dollars, waiting to be used in endless profit-making wars.
Redirect military spending
The UN call for a worldwide ceasefire means little unless foreign military forces are sent back to their home countries. To that end we call on the Australian government to bring home our military forces from battle zones in the Middle East, Afghanistan and the Philippines, and to close the Pine Gap function that supports U.S. drone warfare. Hundreds of billions of our tax dollars are used to buy military equipment largely to support the U.S. military agenda around the world. Instead, huge expenditure is urgently needed here in Australia, for health and medical services and to address the climate crisis.
Australia’s immediate priorities should be providing support for millions of people facing unemployment, homelessness and poverty during the national disasters of coronavirus, the climate crisis, drought and bushfires – rather than supporting unjust U.S. led wars.
Prioritise people and environment
In spite of this difficult period of physical distancing, people are organising and helping each other and building social unity. We need to make sure we come out of these crises with a more humane, just and democratic society.
We need a society that prioritises the health, education and safety of people and the environment over war.
We need a society that builds Australia’s self-reliant and diverse industries to manufacture and produce for the needs of the people, and an economy that’s not based on multinational profit making.
We need a society that invests in our research scientists, the CSIRO and other public research institutions, not globalised corporations in search of profit.
We need a society that prioritises peace, justice and the health of people and the environment – an independent and peaceful Australia.
14 April 2020
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There is also an international campaign calling on the UN to dramatically reduce military spending in favor of healthcare and all social and environmental needs. If you would like to sign this petition to add your voice, sign here https://www.change.org/HealthcareNotWarfare |
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Organisations who have signed this IPAN statement (4th May, 2020)
Alice Springs Peace Action Think Tank; Australian Solidarity with Latin America; Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament; Civil Liberties Australia; Communication Workers’ Alliance; Communist Party of Australia WA Branch; Concerned Australians; Earth Charter Australia; Fair Go For Pensioners – Victoria; Guam Coalition for Peace and Justice; International League of People’s Struggles- Australia; International Volunteers for Peace Inc.; Hunter Peace Group; Just Peace Qld; Maritime Union of Australia Victoria Branch; Marrickville Peace Group; Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia); Melbourne May Day Committee; Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church Inc.; Pace e Bene Australia; Pax Christi Vic; People for Nuclear Disarmament; Philippine Caucus for Peace; PJ Governance; Presentation Sisters WA; Queenscliff Reconciliation; Remembering and Healing Inc.; Socialist Alliance; Spirit of Eureka – Vic, SA & NSW; Stop The War Coalition (Sydney); Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition; Sydney West Peace Group; The Green Institute; Wage Peace; War Resisters International (Australia); Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Workers Art Collective; World Beyond War NZ;
Individuals who have signed (and agree to have their names published) – 4th May, 2020
Peter Abrehart; Cate Adams; Jo Adams; Lesley Agar; Brianna Aldersea; Owen Allen; Lynette Amaterstein; Dr Alison Anderson; Dr Jan Anderson; Jackie Antoun; Dr Colin Apelt; Maureen Arnott; Marcus Atkinson; Oddur Augustsson; Sheryl Aylward; Melinda Bacon; Wendy Bacon; Emma Bagg; Leith Bailey; Julie Bain; Alex Bainbridge; Judith Baker; Rehman Baktoo; Sabina Baltruweit; Pamela Baragwanath; Rev Geoff Barker; Dr Jan Barnett; Greg Barns; Rees Barrett; Bimbo Barretto; Dr Ben Bartlett; Dominica Bartlett; Harshini Bartlett; Natasha Bartlett; Bruce Battersby; Helen Bayes; Angela Bayliss; Pedram Bazrafkan; Margaret Bearlin; Dr Margaret Beavis; Prof Mark Beeson; Romina Beitseen; Ian Bell; Gerard Bennett; Nina Berberu; Manita Beskow; Michel Beuchat; Jo Blackman; Evan Blower; Leonnie Blumson; Judy Blyth; Prof Gill Boehringer; Janny Boersma; Pascale Boulanger; Cath Boyle; Kevin Bracken; Dr Marty Branagan; Adela Brent; Kaye Broadbent; Jane Brock; Dr Adam Broinowski; Dr Alison Broinowski; Jane Brownrigg; Richard Buckdale; Dr Chilla Bulbeck; Danielle Burette; Sheridan Burnett; Teni Burns; Gill Burrows; Pam Busby; Dr Nicholas Butler; Kay Byrne; Dr Helen Caldicott; Max Callaghan; Rita Camilleri; Emeritus Prof Joseph Camilleri OAM.; Clement Campbell; Kat Campbell; Dr Douglas Capp; Michael Carden; Seamus Carey; Monica Cavanagh; Marion Chapman; Dr Sandy Chong; Dr Ka Sing Chua; Dr Marion Cincotta; Carolyn Cintana; Mrs Carmel Clark; Rachel Clark; Jo Clay; Bilal Cleland; John Collingridge; Laurie Collins; Dr Susan Connelly; Brenda Conachie; Mary-Anne Cosgrove; Jane Costigan; Anne Costin; Dr Kin Coull; Eva Court; Karun Cowper; Anne Crawford; Dr George Cresswell; Dr Christopher Crouch; Johnny Crouch; Ken Cush; Jennifer Cuthbertson; Joy Dahl; Margaret Daly; Ricki Dargavel; Steve Darley; Emma Davidson; Ann Davies; Carmel Davies; Joy Davison-Lee; Nick Deane; Gaye Demanuele; Raul Diche; Dr Mark Diesendorf; Patrick Dodgson; Denis Doherty; Prof Maureen Dollard; Zachary Doney; Roger Donoghoe; Dermot Dorgan; Rebekah Dowling; Linda Du Boulay; Cheryl Duffin; Alison Durant; Deborah Durnan; Judith Durnin; Kathleen Edgar; Marianne Ehrhardt; Velvet Eldred; Sue Ellerman; Jo Errey; Anne Esbenshade; Dr Henry Esbenshade; Cate Faehrmann; Kerry Farrell; Marie Faulkner; Raymond Ferguson; Dr Marie Ferland; Bernard Fisher; Helene Fisher; K Fisher; Peta Fitzgibbon; Wendy Flannery; Catherine Flitcroft; Megan Flynn; Norma Forrest; Jenny Forster; Lisa Forward; Vicki Foster; Rev Patricia Fox; Joyce Fraser; Graham Freeman; Andrew Fullerton; Irene Gale AM; Kerrie-Ann Garlick; Georgina Gartland; Mary Gatica-Evans; Dennis George; Geraldine Gillen; Jenny Goldie; David M Golding; Frank Golding; Monique Gooch; jan goodall; Beth Gordon; Shirley Gourgaud; Andrew graham; Lesli Grant; Linley Grant; Rose Grant; Celia Gray; Rob Gray; Vaughan Greenberg; Andrew Greig; Janet Grogan; Dr Jenny Grounds; Peter Grullemans; Reyne Grullemans; Rev Berlin Guerrero; Dr Howard Guille; Neil Gurnett; Ross Gwyther; John Hallam; Henry Handley; Rosalind Hanley; Bob Hanney; Peter Harpas; Gary Harper; Lenore Harrigan; Paul Harris; Julie Hart; Victor Hart; Michael Hassett; Chris Hawke; Tom and Moira Hayes; John Healy; Penny Heley; Christine Henderson; Dr Michael Henry; Sue Herbert; Alison Herzfeld; David Hessey; Assoc Prof Phill Heywood; Maria Hilario; Pip Hinman; Stephen Hocking; Lenore Hodgkinson; Betsy Holden; Jennifer Hole; Tim Hollo; Alexander Hood; Stephen Horn; Lyn Hovey; Patricia Hovey; Roger Hughes; Judith Hugo; Elizabeth Hulm; Kathy Humphrey; Abigail Humphreys; Lachlan Hurse; Barvara Hush; Frank Hytten; Gavin Imhof; Dr Suzanne Ingelbrecht; Keri James; Maria Jamieson; Ann Jarman; Ailsa Jean; Ricky Jefferyes; Graham Jenkin; Robyn Jenkin; Patricia Johnson; Brian Johnstone; Peter Johnstone; Evan Jones; Genevieve Jones; Jessica Jones; Dr peter jones; Helen Jordan; Valerie Joy; Dawn Joyce; Eva Jozsa; Jim KABLE; Petra Kahle; Nina Kaine; Sue Kalab; Sandra Kanck; Cheryl Kaulfuss; Margaret Keane; Robert Keilbach; Boyd Kellner; Kathryn Kelly; Joan Kennedy; Karen Kennedy; Mary-Kate Kennedy; Roger Keyes; Dr Fayeza Khan; G King; Neville King; Ceri Kitely; Maree Klemm; Dr Kristine Klugman; Jill Koppel; May Kotsakis; Dr Zakaria Kouli; Alison Langmead; Caroline Le Couteur MLA; Susan Leach; Sylvie Leber; Toni Lechte; Margaret Lee; Dr Peter Lewis; Peter Limb; Yicheng Liu; Nicole Livar; Mark Lofts; Malou Logan; Dr Colin Long; Rosemary Longhurst; Prof Winnifred Louis; Prof Ian Lowe; Saskia Lucinda; Scott Ludlam; Leonie Lundy; Patrick Lynch; Helen Lynes; Dr Gosta Lynga; Jennifer Macdougall; David Macilwain; Ian MacLeod; Bob Maguire; Terje Maloy; Ken Mansell; Nelson Mapaye; Bronwyn Marks; Julie Marlow; Alesoun Marsden; Julia Martin; Tony Martin; Dr Sharon Matthews; Rosemary Mattingley; Dr Cora Mayer; Lucia Mayo; Ian Mc Callum; Patricia McAuliffe; Johanna McBride; Fiona McCandless; Anne McConnell; Anna McCormack; Julie McCrohan; Mary McDonnell; Matthew McGuire; Frances McIlroy; Marita McInerney; Brendan McKeague; Maureen McKeown; Janette McLeod; Kay McPadden; Bernadette McPhee; Sandra Michael; Dr Hannah Middleton; Ed Mikucki; Ruth Mitchell; Vinnie Molina; Shar Molloy; Selene Moonbeams; Barbara Moore; Michele Moore; Beth Moran; Rev Carol Morgan; Ellen Morrison; Hannah Morrow; Rowe Morrow; Susan Morwood; Father Claude Mostowik; James Mumme; Dr Angela Munro; Dennis Murphy; Peter Murphy; Dr Lisa Natividad; Amador Navidi; Honey Nelson; Patrick Newbold; Mark Newhouse; Darren Newington; Dr Ian Newman; Alastair Nicholson; Jane Nicholson; Leon Nielsen; Libby Nipper; Rod Noble; Dr Murray Noonan; Prof Peter Norden; Kath O’Connor; Dr Marion Oke; Clare O’Leary; Dr Terry Olesen; Tim Oliver; Andrew Olsson; Martin O’Malley; Trevor Omara; Jenny Osborne; Jane O’Sullivan; Karen Oxley; Dr James Page; Dr Charlotte Palmer; Jim Palmer; Wayne Palmer; Caron Passmore; Margot Pearson; Christina Pender; Mia Pepper; Margaret Peril; Margaret Pestorius; Paul Petersen; Dr Andrew Pike; Christine Pilbrow; Jasmine Pilbrow; Jonathan Pilbrow; Dr Timothy Pilbrow; Dr Ian Pitt; Beverley Polzin; Rosalie Pratt; Rev Dr Noel Preston; Chantelle Prince; David Purnell; Sam Quinlan; Tom Raeside; Julian Randell; Shane Rattenbury MLA; Simon Reeves; Jan Reilly; Liz Remmerswaal; Lee Rhiannon; Antoinette Riley; Janet Ristic; Geraldine Robertson; Wendy Robyn; Petar Rogan; Gwyneth Rowlands; Saul Ruiz; Michael Russell; Ruth Russell; Geraldine Ryan; Maureen Salmon; Amanda Samm; Martin Sanderson; Peter Sands; Kerry Sattler; Kim Sattler; Leonie Saunders; Patricia Saunders; Lynette Saville; Kerry Scarlett; Mark Schneider; Ronald Schneider; Jacqueline Schultze; Gil Scrine; Bob Searle; Dr Gilda Segal; Darryl Seto; Dr Peter Shannon; Ben Shaw; Dr Helen Shearer; Toni Sheridan; David Shoebridge MLC; Vincent Sicari; Donella Sinclair; Wendy Slee; Terry Slevin; Gareth Smith; John Smith; Warren Smith; Dr Louisel Sparrow; John Speight; Robert Stary; Senator Jordon Steele-John; Dr David Stephens; Lyn Stephens; Jade Sterling; Sarah Stitt; Don Stokes; Richard Stone; Dian Stroud; Ian Stuart; Joshua Subramaniam; Rebecca Sweeney; Martin Szo; Martin Szyler; Howard Tankey; Prof Richard Tanter; Robin Taubenfeld; Jane Taylor; John Charles Taylor; Joy Taylor; Jim Thom; Dr Geoff Thompson; Stephanie Thuesen; Maureen Todhunter; Margaret Tonkin; Miriam Tonkin; Ifeanna Tooth; Jane Touzeau; Kellie Tranter; Noel Turnbull; Simon Turner; Wendy Turner; Justin Tutty; Jo vallentine; Dirk Van Dalen; Lucy van Kessel; Laura Velm; Christine Venner-Westaway; Dr George Venturini; Susan Vos; Sam Wallman; Lisa Walmsley; Susan Walmsley; Kieran Walsh; Margaret Walters; Mosese Waqa; Biff Ward; Dr Sue Wareham OAM; Chris Warren; Giz Watson; Dr Ivan Watson; Peter Weitzel; Pera Wells; Bob West; Lynn West; Robin and Laurie Westcott; Lew Wheeler; Albert White; Chris White; Grayem White; Jo Whitehead; Patti Wilkins; Jacqueline Williamson; Margaret Williamson; Michael Williss; Lyn Willson; Keith Wiltshire; Shirley Winton; Nicole Witham; Graham Wood; Patriciia Wood; David Woods; Vera Yee; Elizabeth Young; Stephen Yuen; Anne Yuille; Dr Rosie Yuille; George Zangalis; lila zanrosso; Annelies Zeissink; Xinyang Zhao