News from the Centre

The Network Facilitation Collective continues to meet at Commonground.  We
are still feeling excited by this work of bringing people in the Network
together and helping people get the information about nonviolence that they
want and make the contacts they need.  From here it is easy to feel the
increase in nonviolence related activity and energy around the Land.

There are changes in the collective and in the Centre staff. Margaret is back
from up North to staff the Centre for Nonviolence.  Bryan Law is a visiting
member of the collective and working regularly at the Centre while living at
Commonground.  Jo and Kay have both resigned as Resource Coordinators though
Jo is still contributing through membership on the collective and by doing
tasks from faraway Daylesford.

The Facilitation Collective has started to think about two major outreach and
Network development projects which offer opportunities to make contacts with
like minded people.

The Native Forest Network (NFN) has initiated the idea of a long (ten day?)
activist education workshop to be organised in association with the
Australian Nonviolence Network (ANN).  We have started to talk to NFN about
what we have to offer.  The NFN is a sister network of indigenous people and
environmentalists.  Their aim is the protection of native forests through
nonviolent means.

And we have also been thinking about the contribution of the ANN to the
Benalla Women's Peace Camp. (See included article on page4.)

We have begun the process of becoming an affiliate of the International
Fellowship of Reconciliation.  Margaret is thinking about how to make the
ANN/IFOR relationship more real and practical.  For example we would like to
encourage other ANN nodes to receive IFOR literature.  We have been asked to
develop relationships with IFOR groups regionally.  Global networking is the
same as local networking - support and information exchange - only from
further afield. We can learn from and be inspired by exciting nonviolence
work throughout the world.

Finances are under control.  Thanks to those of you who help us in this way
to budget and plan. The pledge system is operating quite well with a new
system of automatic deduction.  Our Commonwealth bank account number is 3545
10101096.  Please contact us if you would like to make payments in this way.

The Network facilitation collective met again on 6 December, and had lots of
fun.  We focused on  links that are continuing to be made with activists and
organisations, both interstate and overseas.

The Phone Link Up continues to provide valuable information sharing and
coordination.  A number of activists have visited Commonground, and expressed
interest in developing their roles vis-a-vis ANN.  These included Geoff Evans
from Alice Springs, Jason McLeod from Brisbane, and Melissa McQuillan from
Cairns and Brisbane.  Members of the collective continue to use the telephone
and E-mail with the Key Contact system to maintain communication.

The notion of Key Contact People continues to be developed, with thinking
directed towards serving the activist base from as close to grass-roots as
possible.  People who like keeping in touch with local activities and people,
and who are able to distribute networking information as required, are asked
to contact Robert Burrowes (03) 387-3398 and tell him what they need to play
this role in their bioregion.

We are still considering the Benalla and Native Forest Network outreach
proposals, and they have been joined by a third from Bryan about a North
Queensland Nonviolence node.

There was some creative thinking about how these kinds of activities can be
supported and developed.  It was exciting to see how all our complementary
interests and skills can mesh so well together with the many opportunities
that exist for social change. Choosing among them for the best course
continues to challenge us.

Benalla has great potential, and widespread enthusiasm amongst the
facilitation collective and Commonground. We will see over the coming month
how it all comes together through the women's planning groups, and make
network commitments and decisions accordingly.  The Benalla Women's Peace
Camp finishes just before the 1995 Nonviolence Gathering, and will be a
feature of discussion and review.

The Native Forest Network and NQ node are developing over a longer term, and
may both come up for discussion at the 1995 Nonviolence Gathering.

The Gathering now seems fast approaching (April 21-25) and we are beginning
to organise for it.  It looks set to be lively, with strong contingents from
North Queensland and West Australia.  Get your suggestions/comments in for
the Agenda as soon as possible, and come if you can (see enclosed
questionnaire).

The Centre is approaching the set-up and technological threshold, and the
siren song of networking and nonviolence campaigning can be heard by all who
pass nearby.
Margaret and Bryan