Affiliates
Actors for Refugees,
Action for Solidarity in Asia and the Pacific,
Anglican Church Toork
Anglican Diocese Social Res. Ctee,,
Australian Jewish Democratic Society,
Australian Arabic Council,
Aust Palestine Coordinating Ctee,
Austn Conservation Foundation,
Australian Education Union,
Buddhist Council Of Victoria
Buddhist Peace Fellowship,
Campaign of International Cooperation and Disarmament,
Catholic Commission for Justice, Development & Peace
CPA (M-L)
CEPU (Communications Div),
CPSU/SPSF,
CFMEU Construction and General Division,
Committee for Workers Against Imperialism,
Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations,
CPSU / SPFS
Democrats (Victorian Branch),
Democratic Socialist Party,
Earth Worker,
East Brunswick Progress Association,
Electrical Trades Union,
Federation of Community Legal Centres,
Friends of the Earth,
,
International Socialist Organisation,
Islamic Council of Victoria,
Kurdish Community Vic
La Trobe SRC
Liberty Victoria,
,
Melbourne Pine Gap Network,
Melbourne University Anti-war collective,
Monash Uni Student Union,
Moreland Peace Group,
National Union of Students,
National Tertiary Education Union,
Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific,
Oxfam CAA
Ozpeace,
Pax Christi
People for Peaceful Solutions,
Philippine Caucus for Peace,
Psychologists for Promotion of World Peace,
Quakers Religious Society of Friends,
Refugee Action Collective,
Resistance,
Socialist Alternative,
Socialist Party
TCFUA Vic,
Unitarian Church,
Uniting Church Justice and International Mission Unit (VIC),
Victorian Council of Churches,
Victorian Council of Social Services,
Victorian Greens,
Victorian Trades Hall Council,
Vietnam Vets for Peace
Western Suburbs Peace Group
Wommen for Palestine
Women for Peace No Weapons No War,
Young Labor Left

General principles

The VPN is based on the following principles and concerns:
1. Concern at the increasing militarisation and political volatility of the Middle East and Asia, the consequences for these regions and the wider international community;
2. Support for the reversal of the military build-up in these regions, specifically the removal of nuclear, chemical ad biological weapons, an end to the inflow of arms, and the reduction in the current level of conventional arms;
3. Support for the removal of foreign military bases from these regions, and an end to foreign military interventions in these regions, including the withdrawal of Australian, American and other foreign military forces;
4. The regions conflicts should be solved in a just and peaceful manner, with the participation and support of all nations and peoples in the region, having regard for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international law and the rights of all peoples to self-determination;
5. Opposition to racism and the racist stereotyping of any part of the Australian community, and support for the right to express views without fear of prejudce, intimidation or reprisal.

The Victorian Peace Network works to bring together diverse organisations in pursuit of these principles; including education campaigns, public events and rallies. The Victorian Peace Network does not speak on behalf of individual organisations, and respects the diverse approaches of affiliate organisations.

Iraq

THE VPN recognises that:
1. The United States, with the support of the Australian government, is threatening all-out war on Iraq that will cost thousands of innocent lives, further destabilise the Middle East and legimitise the new American strategic doctrine of first strike and regime change.
2. The Iran-Iraq war and the destruction of Iraqi civilian infrastrucure in the 1991 war claimed the lives of more than half a million people. Twelve years of economic sanctions enforced with Australian forces have resulted in the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, especially children and the elderly.
3. Another war on Iraq would be a high-tech massacre, creating a toxic regional swamp of biological, chemical and depleted uranium warheads residues, and resulting in humanitarian and ecological devastation, and a crisis of new refugees.
4. Concern about weapons of mass destruction requires a world-wide move to reduce armaments and arms sales, not selling huge quantities of weapons into Middle East countries and then lighting the flames of war.
5. Support and respect for international law, including UN resolutions on disarmament and human rights, can only be based on their equal and impartial application, including those concerning the IsraelPalestine issue.

And therefore
THE VPN:
" strongly opposes a new war on Iraq;
" the participation of Australian military forces and intelligence bases in such a war; and
" supports a peaceful and just settlement of all conflicts in the Middle East.

Organisational matters

The VPN is a network of affiliates undertaking activities in accordance with the statement of aims and objectives, and where there is general agreement.
The decision-making body is the VPN affiliate meeting which shall be held at least monthly, based on one vote, one delegate per financial affiliate.
Affirmative decisions require the clear support of most affiliates, and the network is sensitive to the needs of those affiliates which are themselves umbrella organisations to confer with their own members.
The VPN affiliate meeting may appoint a steering committee of 5 to 7 persons to oversee the work of the VPN between affiliate meetings.
Working groups set up by affiliate meetings shall carry out activities in accordance with policy and decisions of VPN affiliate meetings.
Network activities build on the activities of individual affiliates, and should not be seen as a substitute for them.
The Network does not speak for its affiliates, or vice-versa. Only those mandated to so shall speak on behalf on the VPN.
Affiliation fees are $500 per year. Smaller, financially challenged organisations may make some of their affiliation fees by work-in-kind; however the minimum cash affiliation fee is $100 per year.
Commitment to expenduture may only be made with the approval of the affiliate meeting or the steering committee.
In addition to organisational affiliates, the VPN welcomes individual supporters who wish to be publicly identified with the VPNs activities and who pay a supporters contribution of $50 per year or more. Supporters do not have voting rights.

Suite 2,
Victorian Trades Hall Council,
54 Victoria Street,
Carlton South
Vic 3053.

Donations

We welcome all forms of support, including donations, which help pay for the costs of the VPNs campaigns. Donations should be sent to:

Victorian Peace Network
Suite 2,
Victorian Trades Hall Council,
54 Victoria Street,
Carlton South
Vic 3053