Phone Link-Up Report The nonviolence network's PLU's play an important role in helping to maintain cohesion and further strengthen the network. They are held every six weeks with the Nonviolence Network people, from all over Australia. It is hoped that reporting on the link up in Nonviolence Today will further strengthen the Network and communication within it. The most recent PLU was on the 7th October with Brenda (Perth), Margaret (Cairns), James (North Coast NSW), Karen (Melbourne), Chris (Benalla), Jack (Tasmania), Col (Adelaide), Carol (Perth), and Robyn (Alice Springs) who is a very welcome new person to the link up, and wonderful in terms of our networking "web" to have an Alice Springs point of contact. At the beginning of each link up, there is time for each person to say how they are personally and what is happening in their area from a nonviolence perspective. So around Australia in a spiral there is: * Perth - a dinner coming up for 120 people. Groundswell and Nonviolence groups are not meeting but still lots of activist things happening. * Cairns - alongside relationship building there's 'nonviolent taxi driving' by Margaret and Bryan. A women's Legal Service involvement, which has led to a steep learning curve about bureaucracy and women's 'internalised oppression'. Reclaim the Night involvement with singing workshops and a group to organise Maori women to go to the March, with a dinner beforehand. Consultation work about nonviolent approaches with a hillside protection group. Respect is slowly being built here. The PLU was also organised from Cairns. * The North Coast of NSW - there is also involvement in a Reclaim the Night march planned for Port Macquarie area. James and Louise both have a heavy time commitment to long term personal goals. * Benalla - another nonviolent action in support of the people of Bougainville and East Timor has been held at the Australian Defence Industries (ADI) munitions factory with twenty-two people being arrested. The action was planned by Australian Humanitarian Aid to Bougainville (AHAB). The court case of the women arrested over Easter this year, as a result of the women's action, also at ADI, was heard in the Benalla Court. The case was beautifully conducted by the women themselves and was an action in its own right. On the home front, an expression of a nonviolent lifestyle in the form of home education of children. * Melbourne - there are lots of things happening on the nonviolence scene. AHAB is active and developing good relations with the police. Nemesis, a Daylesford based women's group with a domestic violence focus, has formed and is working towards an art show. The Melbourne women's group is still happening. The Forest Network and East Gippsland Forest Alliance are winding up for summer. There will probably be a women's group as part of the forest actions, and Kay (03) 9376 3621 is the person to contact if you are interested in getting involved in this women's group. The forest people want everyone who goes into forest blockade to have some training in forest actions. The Nonviolence Education Collective have just done a workshop in Daylesford and there will be a two-hour workshop at the Mullum Mullum Creek Festival. * Tasmania - Jack has just had his 66th birthday and has been asked to become a board member of the Community Mediation Centre. On the forest actions front, the Tarkine Tigers Rainforest Group have agreed to have nonviolent actions for the first time. Jack suggested that there is a woman in the north of Tasmania who is very active, and it would be good to include her on the PLU. * Adelaide - there is a group developing around the anti-nuclear platform. It has grown rapidly due to the French activity and involvement of the nonviolence network would be good. * Alice Springs - welcome to Robyn. More Reclaim the Night organising, linking in with the Clothes Line Project, where one painted T-shirt is hung for each sexually assaulted woman: a graphic representation of alarming statistics. A Rob Burrowes workshop held two months ago was inspirational. Men's group is still going and an accountability group is forming. A rally has happened up here recently on the French nuclear testing issue. * Commonground (Seymour) have just had their land title handed to them by the Brotherhood of St. Lawrence; they are now only accountable to themselves. Glen is going overseas for five weeks and they are busy getting ready for their Summer School Program, with areas such as women's and men's empowerment being covered. They are increasingly busy with their social change work as a result of their new brochures. We then discussed the "where to now?" on the 'structural gender oppression' or 'patriarchy' issue. Many views and feelings were expressed and they included: keeping the word patriarchy in the discussion; having another PLU with women and men participating; as often as possible, to have discussion between now and the next gathering and to keep discussion as open, inclusive and general as possible and to leave decisions about more specific language to the gathering itself. The December PLU will be specifically on this issue. The Nonviolence Network has recently received a questionnaire from the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) on their renewal process. It was felt to be a huge area and we are not informed enough about IFOR. It was suggested that we individually attempt to respond to each question, then send our responses to Margaret. We could seek clarification from IFOR where needed. Margaret has information on IFOR's structure if anybody wants it. The value of the PLU can be heard in the enthusiasm people express for the connections it makes and continues to strengthen between nonviolent activists who live a long, long way from each other. Date of the next PLU is 2nd November at 6.30 pm E.S.T. Chris, from Nonviolence PLU minutes