It is starting to become ancient history now but many of us still remember the moment of the attack on the New York world trade towers. To many of us, we also remember the gut feeling this would lead to retaliation and war, opening a Pandora’s box.

Brisbane based Just Peace Qld is one of the organisations that formed in the aftermath of 9/11, with the banner message at the rally in King George Square on the first anniversary of 9/11 being  ‘Our Grief is Not a Cry for War’

The Qld Peace Network formed soon after bringing together over 60 community organisations. The protest march on Sunday, February 16, 2003, was one of Brisbane’s largest mass protests with an estimated 100,000 people protesting against a military invasion of Iraq.

Now almost 20 years later we are looking at the costs and consequences of Australia’s involvement in the wars of the Middle East, which continues right up to today, and the embedded relationship with the United States of America.

Just Peace Qld is one of over 60 organisations nationwide that formed the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN).

Now, nearly two decades on, IPAN is initiating a groundbreaking national People’s Inquiry with the aim of engaging people from all walks of life in a dialogue around the continued unquestioned allegiance to the United States military-industrial complex and the alliance.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS treaty and its been 70 years of wars, death and destruction of people and countries who posed no threat to Australians.

The People’s Inquiry has a team of eight community leaders each with a focus on a community sector clearly impacted by our foreign policies and an overall Chair Kellie Tranter lawyer and human rights activist who have volunteered to read your views submitted to the Inquiry and write the full report for release at the end of 2021.

As part of the People’s Inquiry, we are trying to stoke public engagement and discussion, to that end we are running monthly webinars on how Australia’s alliances affect different areas of our daily lives.

Brisbane’s well known refugee and human rights advocate, the Dean of St John’s Cathedral Dr Peter Catt and much loved and respected environment expert Prof Ian Lowe will speak at the first in this series of webinars on Thursday, February 25, at 7 pm AEDT, where the impacts of Australia’s support and involvement in US-led wars will be discussed.

Dr Catt will look at the social and community impacts and Prof Lowe will address the impacts on the environment.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

February 25, 2021 6:00pm  in Brisbane and 7.00 pm Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

You can register for the webinar over Zoom.

We also urge everyone to join the discussion and find out how easy it is to make a submission to register your burning concerns in the Inquiry. For more information, you can go to the People’s Inquiry website.