AUKUS has raised much debate. Do Defence Alliances make us truly secure? What value do we put on trust building and better relations with countries? How deft is our foreign policy towards China? What is the cost of not pursuing non-violent approaches to conflict prevention? This Conference is timely before a Federal Election. The conference is planned for February 19th, 2022.
The Structure of the Conference
This Conference will introspect via four interlinking sessions what would make Australia truly secure, beyond the prescriptions by politicians and vested interests. It begins with a Keynote Session on Peace vs Militarism the primary issue in the Australian Context. It will set the backdrop for the day’s deliberations in light of the earlier set of observations.
The present situation with China has implications for Australia’s security and will be the subject of the second session. The growing conflict with this country that has boosted Australia’s economy for three decades is seriously worrying. What has led to an impasse now feared as a threat to our security? How Deft is Australia’s Foreign Policy towards China?
If good relations are an important key to our security, does our Overseas Aid help or hinder? Is our Aid framed with a quid pro quo calculation, increasingly associated with military considerations? Does it have genuine peacemaking at its core? The third session will discuss this.
The fourth session is on Just Peace. The latest encyclical of Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, addresses his Church and the world at large on the necessity of “Fraternity and Social Friendship” for individuals, societies and nations as a sine qua non for peace today. Even though a theologically framed statement, its enlightenment is relevant to today’s world, and Australia should consider it as we navigate a challenging future.
The conference is planned for February 19th, 2022.
Pax Christi 2022 Conference Flyer
FINAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM
