News from the Centre for Nonviolence Activity at the Centre for Nonviolence c/- Commonground (CNC) has been much quieter since the 1995 National Gathering of the Australian Nonviolence Network. This reflects the facts that the Centre is now fully established and functional but without Resource Coordinators to actively staff it. The Network Facilitation Collective (NFC), which has only two members (Glen Ochre and myself) since Jo Barter resigned and Margaret Pestorius and Bryan Law departed for Cairns, has used its meetings since the Gathering to develop and refine processes that allow the Centre to function efficiently without Coordinators. This system is now working well with help from Ed McKinley and Teresa Prince at Commonground, and Margaret in Cairns. Glen and I would like to encourage Network members to give thought to how the Centre can best assist you to practice and promote nonviolence in your bioregion. And to let us know! The 1996 National Gathering The 1996 National Gathering will be held at Commonground during the period 25-29 April. As it is now time to start planning this Gathering, the NFC invites your suggestions for items to be included on the agenda. The aims of the Australian Nonviolence Network are to organise within the ANN and the Global Nonviolence Network, to connect with people and groups outside the Network, and to develop a culture of nonviolence. Within this framework, the aims of the 1995 Gathering were to share, affirm and celebrate our experience as participants in the ANN, to build and strengthen the relationships that make up the Network, and to develop the organisational and cultural base of the Network. As a result of experience at previous gatherings, the decision was made to include more time for story-sharing and networking, rather than 'policy work', at the 1995 Gathering, and this seems to have worked well; participants indicated a preference for this to continue at future gatherings. Because it was agreed that the agenda for the 1996 Gathering should be prepared in advance, the NFC needs your feedback. What issues, if any, would you like discussed at the Gathering? For example, do you want a review of the year's work? Do you want to suggest a revision of the Network's principles? Do you want to work on policy issues or to discuss priorities for the year ahead? Do you want to consider how the Network can better help people working in isolated locations? Do you want to work on improving the Network's Phone Link-up (PLU)? One suggestion that emerged from events at the 1994 and 1995 Gatherings is that we spend a day (or more) discussing patriarchy and how this relates to the principles and work of the ANN. Would you attend the Gathering to participate in a discussion of this nature? If so, how would you suggest that we structure and process such a discussion? This item could be a major feature of the 1996 Gathering so your feedback about this suggestion is very important. What activities would you like to participate in during the Gathering? At the 1995 Gathering, activities included discussions, art, music, drama, games, sport and a ball! Although participants at the 1996 Gathering are going to be asked to commit themselves to be in attendance from 8pm on Thursday until 5pm on Sunday, the Thursday and Monday are optional social days that other Network members might attend. How can we best use these two days? Do you have time to help organise the Gathering? Do you know who might be willing to cater for the Gathering? Or how we might organise it? Do you know who might be willing to undertake childcare? Or how we might organise it? Do you know how we might better share the preparation and cleaning of Commonground before and after the Gathering? Finally, if you intend coming to the 1996 National Gathering, would you please write, email, telephone or fax the Centre for Nonviolence by 29 February 1996? Centre for Nonviolence c/- Commonground Australian Nonviolence Network P.O. Box 474 Seymour Victoria 3661 Email: nonviolence@peg.apc.org Tel/Fax: (057) 938400 Robert J. Burrowes