Media Release
February 21 2007
A world addicted to violence
The
world is addicted to violence as a way of solving problems, according to
American peace activist and Jesuit priest, John Dear.
“We cannot achieve peace and justice by waging war and supporting systems of injustice. We can’t protect human rights by any methods that violate human rights. War can never stop terrorism because war is terrorism,” he says.
Lecturer, author/editor of 20 books and an outspoken critic of the wars in Iraq and on terrorism, John Dear believes the means and the end are one. He will present his brand of active non-violence at the University of South Australia on Thursday March 8.
Human rights and non-violence in a culture of war and injustice is jointly presented by Pace e Bene Australia, the Decade to Overcome Violence Committee of the South Australian Council of Churches, and the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, UniSA.
Director of the Hawke Centre, Elizabeth Ho said the Centre was pleased to be offering this topic to the community at a time when the war in Iraq and the questioning of facilities like Guantanamo Bay were uppermost on the US agenda and increasingly in Australia.
“This lecture is being given in our Focus on Rights Series, and in the context of a world that accepts human rights violations of many kinds – from homelessness, the lack of affordable medicine and hunger, to torture – John Dear considers war and nuclear weapons as the ultimate human rights violations,” she said.
Dear’s non-violence calls for us to eliminate violence in our own lives, and also to stand up – publicly, actively, and peacefully – against all forms of injustice. It seeks to confront, heal and transform the world’s violence at every level, from the personal, to the international and the global.
“It is far more than a tactic or strategy. It is way of life,” he says.
Human rights and non-violence in a culture of war and injustice
To be delivered by John Dear, SJ
Jointly presented by Pace e Bene Australia, the Decade to Overcome
Violence Committee of the South Australian Council of Churches, and the
Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, UniSA
6.15pm for a 6.30pm start, Thursday March 8
UniSA City East Campus, Mutual Community Theatre
Basil Hetzel Building (off Frome Road)
Registration essential
Register at
www.hawkecentre.unisa.edu.au or the RSVP phone line on 8302 0215
Gold coin or note donation gratefully accepted towards the work of Pace
e Bene Australia
Media contact
-
Vincent Ciccarello office (08) 8302 0578 mobile 0434 603 457
email vincent.ciccarello@unisa.edu.au