Dear Friends

I’m forwarding an invitation from Christi convenor, Fr Claude Mostowik to the Pax Christi Australia National conference entitled Why are we Violent  to be held in Melbourne next month  from Aug 16 -18^th.  Various registration options are available see flyer below and attached.

We also welcome your responses to the pre conference input questions also copied below and attached.

The conference is not limited to Pax Christi members, everyone is welcome, non-members of Pax Christi are especially encouraged to come along and share their wisdom.

As you are well aware violence in its many forms (from domestic to systemic, from physical to structural) is ubiquitous. How have we come to this? Why? And what do we do about it?

We are going to try and grapple with these questions at our biennial National Conference in Melbourne beginning on the evening of Friday August 16th through to Sunday August 18th. We are fortunate, and indeed grateful to be able to use yet again the facilities at the Kildara Centre (rear 41 Stanhope Street Malvern).

Dr Susan Connelly, a Josephite Sister, who has closely studied these issues —especially through the writings of social thinker René Girard —will be our guest throughout the conference as we work through “what makes us violent?” The years she spent in Timor-Leste have also provided her with valuable insights into this question.

Please feel free to share this invitation with friends and networks who may be interested in this participating in this important conversation.