On April 18th, the first Waiwhetu Lower Hutt Peace Group meeting this year was helded on the first day of the 2017 Global Day of Action on Military Spending fortnight of activities, with a presentation by Edwina Hughes, Coordinator of Peace Movement Aotearoa (which coordinates the Aotearoa New Zealand Campaign on Military Spending).
The pervasive costs and consequences of militarisation in times of peace are often overlooked when compared with the attention given to the tragedy of armed conflict and war. Edwina ‘s presentation provided an overview of those costs and consequences – globally and in Aotearoa New Zealand – in relation to social justice, the environment, climate change, attitudes towards violence as a means of resolving conflict, and the increasing level of militarisation of children and their education here. The presentation concluded with a brief outline of the outcomes of the nationwide consultation with peace and faith groups to develop responses to the World War One centenary which led to the World War One Centenary Peace Project, and some of the peace events that will be held in the Hutt / Wellington region during April.
Find out more here.