Anglican Pacifist Fellowship Issues Calls for Peace
Calls for Peace
Two calls for peace were issued by the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship (APF) following a conference at St Hilda’s Island Bay on July 11 and 12.
The first relates to increased military spending, the second to current Israeli conflicts.
APF national secretary the Ven Indrea Alexander said international pressure has seen many governments agree to increase their military expenditure to 5% of GDP, and there are signs some New Zealand government ministers want this country to consider increasing its military budget.
Left to right: Secretary the Ven Indrea Alexander (Ashburton), Rev Dr Jonathan Hartfield (Whanganui), Nigel Mander (Upper Hutt), Bronwyn Tucker (Christchurch), chairperson Rev Dr Sue Genner (Tauranga), Wayne Tucker (Christchurch). The banner was made by the late Megan Hartfield (Whanganui).
The Anglican Pacifist Fellowship disagrees and has issued the following statement to government:
We write as members of The Anglican Pacifist Fellowship who believe that Jesus’ command to ‘love our enemies’ is best obeyed when non-violent action rather than warfare is used to settle all disputes, however intractable they may seem.
We, the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, object in the strongest terms to any potential increase in New Zealand’s military spending for the following reasons:
1. Increasing New Zealand’s military budget will not bring peace or justice to Ukraine, Palestine, or any other sites of violence and war.
2. Money spent on the NZ military is at the expense of other budgets including education, health and social welfare, and diverts resources from initiatives to address the growing poverty and inequity in our society, and the increasing damage caused by climate change.
3. Increasing militarism only benefits the makers, traders and investors in weapons and weapons systems.
4. Each violent death brings pain and grief to the deceased person’s family, friends and community, suffering which is carried for a lifetime and can cause intergenerational damage.
5. The development and use of weapons has an enormously detrimental effect on the environment in a time of environmental crisis.
We urge you to honour the war dead by seeking an end to war through:
1. Establishing New Zealand as an international leader in diplomacy and reconciliation services for the Pacific and beyond.
2. Resourcing peace and conflict studies at school and tertiary level.
3. Prioritising humanitarian support, including more support for refugees.
4. Honouring the New Zealand peace traditions of tangata whenua, conscientious objectors and many others, including during civic ceremonies.
In response to the ongoing desperate situation in Gaza, and the volatility of Israel’s relationship with its neighbours in the Middle East, the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship sent the following short statement to the Government of Israel through its New Zealand Embassy.
We, gathered members of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, request the government of Israel to heed the advice of the wisest King of Israel, “If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat, and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink (Proverbs 25:21).”
The Anglican Pacifist Fellowship exists internationally to promote peace and offer a Christian Pacifist perspective to the Anglican Church and the wider community.
