Minutes, Accounts

OUR AIMS:

North Shore Peace and Democracy is a secular, non-party-political voluntary association open to all people committed to peace, human rights and social justice. We are concerned about failures of accountability and democracy exposed (amongst other things) by the manipulation of the case for invading Iraq. We encourage our fellow citizens to take a stand for peace, international cooperation and the democratic process in Australia. As a local part of the global movement for peace and justice, we want to create a world of peaceful co-existence and respect for human values and human rights. In order to achieve this, we will act at our local level with a commitment to:

The non-violent resolution of conflict.
Respect for international law and supporting the United Nations.
Defending human rights as set out in the UN Charter, including the humane treatment of asylum seekers.
Democratic decision-making at all levels.
Challenging militarism and promoting worldwide disarmament.
Promoting dialogue between peoples, governments, religions and cultures to foster greater understanding and cooperation.
Monitoring what politicians are saying and doing in our name.
Engaging in dialogue with those who don’t yet agree with us.

We are members of the Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition.

Meetings around the management of North Shore Talks
Meetings from the second forum in May 2004 until we though of North Shore Talks.
Meetings from after the first forum in October 2003 to after the second forum in May 2004.
Meetings of the joint organising committee for the October 2003 forum from June 2003 on - may be useful hints for people hoping to repeat the experience!
Finally, meetings of the North Shore Against War group from January to April 2003.

Mike Wheals, Jim Wilks and Andrew Macnaughtan: we have to record the contributions made to this group by three members who have died in our short history.

Mike Wheals joined the group after he moved to Balgowlah in late 2004. He was involved in Nrth SHore Talks from the beginning, and was due to chair the meeting on What our children need, which was held on the day of his funeral.

Before his sudden death in the middle of the 2004 election campaign, Jim Wilks was a stalwart regular at meetings, a tireless worker in keeping the organisation going, a major source of ideas (in particular in producing the original drafts of the Charter for A Democratic Australia), and a fun bloke to have around at socials and fundraisers.

Andrew Macnaughtan was found dead just before Christmas 2003. In our first year he contributed ideas, drafted leaflets, was a major influence in the creation of the two fora (see below), and a source of inspiration. We were only one of many groups he made significant contributions too, as can be seen from the obituary that the SMH ran.

We miss them all.

Our most substantial contribution to these aims has been to run two discussion fora:

• Truth and Democracy: Casualties of War? 20 October 2003
  Tony Abbott, Tanya Plibersek, Peter Macdonald, Donna Mulhearn,

and

• Secrets and Lies Destroy Democracy? 3 May 2004
  Kevin Rudd, Kerry Nettle, Aden Ridgeway, Marise Payne

Accounts:

Accounts of NSPD from January 2006:

Summary of previous income and expenditure:

Accounts of NSPD from June 2004 to December 2005:

Accounts of NSPD from October 2003 to May 2004 (Forum 2 organisation):

Accounts of NSPD May to October 2003 (Forum 1 organisation):

Accounts of NSAW to February to 3 May 2003

© NSPD 2006. Last modified 21/3/07.