Upcoming events

Nonviolence Summer School

Sydney, Australia. January 24-31, 2008

Course convenor: Dr Lynda-ann Blanchard
Civil Rights in the US; the fall of the Berlin Wall – now, a brighter future for the people of Burma? Nonviolence has inspired, triggered or brought about the most momentous political changes of our lifetimes. Find out how on this course. You’ll also undergo training to make your own nonviolent intervention, from experienced practitioners who prepare volunteers for Peace Brigades International – Australians protecting human rights defenders in conflict zones.

Enquiries: lynda.blanchard (at) arts.usyd.edu.au
Enrol NOW online: www.summer.usyd.edu.au

Solidarity with the Burmese Pro-democracy Movement

Actions that you can take in Australia

The Australia Burma Network have organised a Online petition in protest of Australia's training of Burmese police and miltary.

Since 1997, Australian aid through the ASEAN-Australian Development Cooperation Program has supported the military regime in Burma and not the humanitarian needs of the people.

Australia has conducted intelligence gathering, counter-terrorism and police cooperation training with Burma's police through the 'Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation'. In 2004-2005 $480,000 of AUSAID money was spent training senior officials in Burma. In November 2006, 20 senior intelligence officers were trained at the Centre by Australian Federal Police (AFP). The AFP also trains Burmese police at its Liaison Office in Rangoon, Burma.

The AFP training can be directly linked to the Burmese military command which recently killed, arrested and tortured peaceful monks and civilians involved in pro-democracy protests. According to human rights groups, it is likely that some senior police involved in the crackdowns in Burma received AFP training.

An immediate end to Australia's involvement in training police and intelligence personnel in Burma will demonstrate how seriously the Australian Government views ongoing human rights abuses by the military regime - a regime Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has described as one of world's most corrupt and oppressive.

This petition was co-organised by the Australia Burma Network, Sydney Burma Network, Canberra Network for Democracy in Burma, Australia-Burma Friendship Association NT, Democracy for Burma Action Group WA, Ethnic Nationalities Organisation of Burma & Northeast India

ARTICLE: Burma's new generation political activists

As the war being waged by the Burmese military against its own people slowly fades from international headlines, Burmese young people from all walks of life continue to step up their nonviolent resistance campaign against the military leaders, while arrests and detention, violent beatings and night-time raids continue.Read More

Online Activism
For the best local reporting on the situation in Burma, try these links: http://www.irrawaddy.org

Australian Contacts and Resources on Burma
For updates and current information on the protest see: www.campaigns.ahrchk.net/burmaprotests/
All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF)

The ABSDF is a Burmese Students organisation formed in 1988 at Thai-Burma border after the nationwide pro democracy uprising. ABSDF aims to achieve democracy and human rights in Burma. The Australian chapter of ABSDF was formed in 1997 to support the ABSDF overseas and to join campaigns and activities in Australia.
Burma Gateway: website of the Australian Burma Network
Australian Burma Council and the Burma Support Network

Interested in Nonviolence in Australia?

Nonviolencenet is the only national networking email list for people involved with or interested in nonviolent social change in Australia. Nonviolencenet helps to facilitate discussion and to share info about nonviolence events, trainings, and important messages from international networks such as IFOR, PBI, Nonviolence International and the Nonviolent Peaceforce. For more info see the Group's site at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nonviolencenet/

About the Nonviolence Training Project

Nonviolence is often described as the ‘politics of ordinary people’. As a means of radical social change, nonviolence draws on a rich history of people’s struggles from around the world. Grassroots people’s movements have brought down dictators, stopped armies, undermined corporations and halted entire industries with nonviolent resistance. Nonviolence can be applied personally as a way of life, or collectively as a method of transforming conflict and building peace.

As a strategic and grassroots approach to social change, nonviolent campaigns apply a huge array of creative protest actions, mass nonco-operation and nonviolent interventions with the aim of redistributing power in society. Revolutionary nonviolence aims to create conditions for just, peaceful and sustainable societies that meet the needs of all people. At its core is a recognition of the shared humanity of all people and the value of life itself.

In Australia, nonviolence has a long association with the movements for environmental protection, nuclear disarmament and international solidarity. Nonviolent tactics including strikes, boycotts, marches, sit-ins and blockades have played a key role in movements for the rights of women, workers and indigenous Australians.

Nonviolence training has a role to play in all cultures because so few human institutions teach us how to deal constructively with conflict. Usually, we are taught to avoid it or leave it to the authorities. Neither of these paths are open to people who actively confront violent conflict or injustice. More ...