MEDICAL ASSOCIATION FOR PREVENTION OF WAR ANNUAL REPORT 2007–08 MEDICAL ASSOCIATION FOR PREVENTION OF WAR (AUSTRALIA) MANAGEMENT AND STAFF 2007–08 NATIONAL COUncIL: EXecUTIVE OFFIceRS ICAN MANAGemenT COmmITTee PRESIDENT Associate Professor Tilman Ruff (Chair) Dr Sue Wareham OAM, MBBS Professor Joseph Camilleri Dr Jenny Grounds VICE-PRESIDENTS Ms Dimity Hawkins Dr Jason Garrood MBBS, D Obst, RCOP, FACRRM Professor John Langmore Dr Peter Karamoskos MBBS, FRANZCR Dr Ruth Mitchell Associate Professor Tilman Ruff MBBS (Hons), FRACP Mr Dave Sweeney Dr Bill Williams MBBS Dr Sue Wareham OAM Professor Peter Underwood MD Mr Tim Wright SECRETARY Ms Nancy Atkin Dr Carole Wigg MBBS Mr Adam Dempsey TREASURER Ms Jessica Morrison Dr Jenny Grounds MBBS, Dip RANZCOG AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL COUNCILLOR FOR IPPNW STAFF Dr Bill Williams MBBS Ms Nancy Atkin: MAPW Executive Officer Ms Jessica Morrison: ICAN Director NATIONAL COUncIL: BRAncH COORDINATORS Ms Vera Phipps: MAPW Administrative Officer (to May 2008) AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Dr Rosie Yuille (until August 2007) BSc, MBBS CONSULTANTS NEW SOUTH WALES Ms Dimity Hawkins: NPT booklet; ICAN funding project; MAPW Dr Anne Noonan MBBS, MD, MA website project Dr Robert Marr MBBS, MPH, FAFPHA Mr Nic Maclellan: ICAN Media Officer, 2007 elections Ms Lynnette Saville RN, OHN, MAppSc Professor John Langmore: ICAN Political Advisor NORTHERN TERRITORY Mr Adam Dempsey: ICAN website Dr Rosalie Schultz MBBS, MPH, FAFPHM QUEENSLAND Dr Daniele Viliunas MBBS, FRANZCO, Dip Psychother MAPW GOVERNANCE SOUTH AUSTRALIA MAPW is governed by the National Council, which is made Dr Jason Garrood MBBS, D Obst, RCOP, FACRRM up of the Coordinator of each state and territory Branch; TASMANIA together with the President, Secretary, Vice-Presidents, and Dr Jenni Bond MB; ChB; DO; FRACO; FRCOphth Treasurer who are elected by the Council. VICTORIA The Council meets yearly face-to-face; and bimonthly by Associate Professor Lou Irving MBBS, FRACP, FCCP teleconference. Between meeting, issues are canvassed WESTERN AUSTRALIA by email, and a Steering Committee meets monthly by Professor Peter Underwood MD teleconference with the Executive Officer. Constitutional changes currently under consideration would IPPNW OFFIce-beARERS bring the two National Student Representatives onto the Council. MAPW is incorporated in Victoria. REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Dr Daniele Viliunas (to March 2008) The Constitution is available at www.mapw.org.au Dr Ruth Mitchell BA, BSc, BMBS (from March 2008) INTERNATIONAL STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE PHOTOGRAPHS Dr Ruth Mitchell (to March 2008) Front cover: Launching Securing our Survival in Federal Parliament; Bill Williams addresses meeting in Septèmes, France; Tilman Ruff, Cr Jenny Farrer and Tim Wright at the UN NPT PrepCom. NATIONAL STUDenT RepRESenTATIVES Page 4-5: Hiroshima Day, Melbourne; Daniele Viliunas; NSW members at Kirribilli House pre-election rally; Jason Garrood clowns for peace; Our Ms Sarah Gardiner World In Crisis course with MAPW scholarship-holders. Ms Angela Wilson Page 6-7: Hiroshima Day students’ art; medical students perform ’ Target X’; Nuclear white elephant pre-election; John Andrews and EO Nancy Atkin with ICAN sign; Jessica Morrison holds Securing our Survival. MAPW PATRON Page 8-9: Sue Wareham and Australian delegates accept prize for our Sir William Refshauge FRCOG, FRACS, FRACP,. FRACMA, FRACOG display, Delhi IPPNW Congress; student with banner at candlelight Peace March which closed the Delhi student conference; Australian and New Zealand students in Delhi; regional students at their conference in AFFILIATION Adelaide, 2007. International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Back cover: Hiroshima Day 2007; student art work from WA competition. (IPPNW): Nobel Peace Prize winner 1985 Thanks to our photographers, including Eric Li for Canberra pictures. PRESIDENT’S REPORT DR SUE WAREHAM It’s been an extremely busy year for MAPW, and one with The growing involvement of unusually clear results for us. student members over the past The most significant of these was the commitment of the year is important for our future ALP before the election, to “drive the international agenda” success. Thanks to Angela Wilson for a Nuclear Weapons Convention, with then foreign affairs and Sarah Gardiner for their spokesperson Robert McClelland drawing heavily from material tremendous efforts as student provided by MAPW through the International Campaign to representatives, especially Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). with getting MAPW firmly on the agenda leading up to the This was followed this year by Mr Rudd’s very pleasing Australian medical students’ announcement of a Non-Proliferation and Disarmament 2007 Global Health Conference. Commission. MAPW can never claim to be the only voice for Apart from all that campaign nuclear disarmament in Australia of course, but I believe we activity, there have been can claim to be one of the strongest, most persistent and most important organisational and effective. funding advances, such as the setting up of the MAPW Peace ICAN owes much to the enormous efforts of Tilman Ruff, as its Fund, a trust fund that will enable us to receive tax-deductible Australian chair, in ensuring this issue stays before government donations much more easily. We have built a new website, as a priority. Thanks also to Bill Williams in helping build the thanks to Chris Miller, Moritz Kuett, Galen White, Cecily Gilbert, campaign globally, Jenny Grounds as Treasurer and the rest Angela Wilson, Dimity Hawkins, and many others. of the ICAN Committee. Jessica Morrison, as ICAN Director in Branch activity remains very important to MAPW’s visibility. The Australia, deserves particular thanks. WA Branch excelled with their art exhibition, that provided an The other “nuclear” success last year was the virtual dropping unprecedented boost to our finances! of the push for nuclear power in Australia. This was the result of My biggest thank you is to our wonderful Executive Officer effective campaigning by a number of groups, including MAPW, Nancy Atkin who has enabled all the above to happen with working in coalitions with Australia’s main environmental efficiency, thoroughness and dedication, and with whom it is a organisations such as the Australian Conservation Foundation, great pleasure (and fun) to work. Thanks Nancy. the Wilderness Society, and Friends of the Earth. MAPW’s professional standing in the community brings MAPW has played a significant role also in exposing the dangers particular opportunities that are not necessarily available of the arms trade, specifically the arms fair APDSE, which was to others. Added to that is the dedication and commitment due to open in Adelaide on Remembrance Day this year. that drives each of us to do what we do. Even our “inactive” We have continued active membership of IPPNW. There was a members are enormously important to the organisation, for large contingent of Australians at the Delhi Congress in March, their financial and moral support, and for spreading the word to and I want to mention the particular contributions of Tilman families, friends and colleagues. Ruff, Bill Williams, Daniele Viliunas, Ruth Mitchell (now deputy For those reasons, while MAPW by its very nature will always be chair of the IPPNW Board); and all the students who attended a relatively small organisation, I believe it will continue to have the Congress. an impact disproportionate to its size. SECRETARY’S REPORT DR CAROLE WIgg I have enjoyed the year and am very glad to have politicians, and represented MAPW at Palm Sunday been able to be part of such a dedicated and rallies and Hiroshima Day commemorations, as well stimulating group of people. Working alongside as speaking, with ICAN’s Professor John Langmore, Nancy Atkin has been a great pleasure. at the World Matters festival in Eltham. My regular governance responsibilities include This year’s highlights included Melbourne’s attending and minuting our regular National inaugural alternative ANZAC Day service and the Council meetings; the Executive Officer Steering national tour by indigenous activists from Guam, Committee; monthly PLUs, and planning for our raising the issues of the huge and expanding US National Council yearly meeting. military base on their island. I believe my most important contribution is in I hope that these activities keep MAPW in the attending MAPW activities, holding the banner public eye and demonstrate that we are an active literally and symbolically. group of people concerned about peace and I have accompanied Nancy and ICAN’s Jessica nuclear weapons which others with a desire to Morrison to meetings with local mayors, improve the state of the world might join. These reports are summaries based on officials’ full reports to MAPW National Council, August 2008 MAPW ANNUAL REPORT 2007–08, PAGE BRANCH PROFILES, 2007–08 MAPW BRANCHES AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL NEW SOUTH WALES MAPW has active branches in every TERRITORY Co-coordinators Dr Anne Noonan, Ms Australian state and territory. Branch Coordinator (until August 2007) Lynette Saville and Dr Robert Marr activities reflect local concerns, Dr Rosie Yuille NSW Branch members are active on responding to issues ranging from ACT members have a special role Indigenous issues; West Papua; regional conflict; and veterans’ health issues, as nuclear waste dumps in the Northern because Canberra is Australia’s well as on the nuclear chain. During the Territory, to military exercises in national capital. Members have year, the branch has hosted visiting