Blessed are the Peacemakers - Building a Peace Church

Justice and International Mission Convention 2026

Where: Centre for Theology & Ministry, 29 College Crescent, Parkville

When: Saturday 25 July 2026, 9:30 am – 4:45 pm

Cost: $50 for metropolitan participants/$25 concession and non-metropolitan Melbourne participants

The 1982 National Assembly affirmed the Uniting Church in Australia to be a peacemaking body and encouraging alternatives to war. However, the resolution did not rule out the use of “Just War” in exceptional circumstances. With a number of serious armed conflicts around the world, and increased polarisation across communities, the following statement from the World Council of Churches is highly relevant:

We are convinced: A clear witness to peace and nonviolence grounded in justice is what the world needs today from all the churches together…As Christians, we are motivated and encouraged by the Gospel message of the peace of Christ and the rich Biblical tradition of peace and justice…We want to engage in constructive efforts to build a culture of peace.

True peace-building must seek to create socially just outcomes, not simply aim for the absence of violence. Without addressing underlying injustices, the chance for lasting peace fall to near zero.

An assessment of civil resistance movements between 2010 and 2019 found 34% of non-violent struggles succeeded compared to 9% of violent campaigns. Thus, in practice, non-violent campaigns are four times more likely to be successful than violent ones.

The focus of the 2026 Justice and International Mission Convention will be to explore how Uniting Church members can build greater engagement on non-violent peacebuilding.

Keynote speakers

Dr. Nida Shoughry

Co-Director, Center for Women, Peace and Security, Itach-Ma'aki

Dr Shoughry is a scholar-practitioner working at the intersection of feminist peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and women's political participation. She has co-trained and accompanied over 100 Palestinian and Israeli women leaders in preparation for peace negotiations. She has collected more than 2,000 online accounts of Palestinian women documenting survival, resistance, and visions for peace.

Dr. Tsameret Levy-Daphny

Strategic Advisor and Lecturer; Fellow, Forum for Regional Thinking

Dr Levy-Daphny is an expert on Turkey and the Middle East, and a lecturer and strategic advisor with over 25 years of experience in Israeli academia and civic initiatives. She previously headed the Turkey Forum at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, where she led research programs and regional collaborations.

Dr. Matt Anslow

Matthew is a biblical scholar and theologian, activist, author, and preacher.

Matthew’s first book, Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets, was published in 2022 and he has published numerous academic and popular articles on subjects such as peacemaking, nonviolent activism, agriculture, biblical studies, preaching, and philosophy.

Program

9:30 am – 9:45 am Acknowledgement of Country and Opening Worship

9:45 am – 10:45 am Plenary Session

Theological reflections on peace building – Matthew Anslow

10:45 am – 11:15 am Morning Tea

11:15 am – 12:30 pm

Half the Story, None of the Power: Women, Exclusion, and the Failure of Israeli-Palestinian Peace – Nida Shoughry and Tsameret Levy-Daphny

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch

1:30 pm – 2:15 pm Workshop Session 1

2:20 pm – 3:05 pm Workshop Session 2

3:05 pm – 3:30 pm Afternoon tea

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Plenary Session – How to build support for non-violent peacebuilding and the direction of the JIM Cluster

4:30 pm – 4:45 pm Closing worship

The Workshops

1. Swords into ploughshares – Campaigning against the arms trade, including autonomous weapons and biological weapons

Facilitator: Mark Zirnsak

2. Non-Violent Strategies versus Armed Conflict – How do we assess the alternatives?

Facilitator: - Mark Zirnsak

3. Move the Money Campaign – Increasing funding for peacebuilding

Facilitator: Heather Clarke, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

4. Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel – Practical non-violent involvement in conflict zones

Facilitators: John Wardlaw (who recently returned from a placement in the West Bank) and Rev Sandy Boyce, Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Churches

5. Peacebuilding in Myanmar

Facilitator: Myanmar Campaign Network

6. Solidarity with peacebuilders in Palestine and Israel

Facilitator: Friends of Standing Together Melbourne

7. Correcting the historical injustice of the colonial conquest of Australia

Facilitator: Tim Molineux, Synod Social Justice Officer

8. Addressing family, domestic and sexual violence

Facilitator: Mark Zirnsak

9. Settings relationships right: practicing peace in congregations

Facilitator: Rev Michael Wood, author of "Practicing Peace: Theology, Contemplation, and Action"

10. What does peace-building look like in real communities today? The experience of UnitingWorld’s partner in Maluku, Indonesia

Facilitator: Antony McMullen, Church Engagement Manager at UnitingWorld

11. Peace-building in the Philippines

12. From Story to Strategy: What Can Australians Do for Inclusive Israeli-Palestinian Peace?

Facilitators: Dr Nida Shoughry and Dr Tsameret Levy-Daphny

13. Peacebuilding from a Palestinian Perspective

Facilitators: John Na'em Snobar, Director of Advocacy for Palestinian Christians in Australia

Dietary Requirements

All catering will be vegetarian to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the catering.

If you have a special dietary requirement please let us know here.

Contact the host of 2026 JIM Convention

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