What does it take to build peace in Australia and the world today? This is a question that has occupied the minds of a group of peace practitioners and activists in the network “Raising Peace”. Concerned with a seemingly unstoppable acceptance of war and the downplaying of peace in public discourse, over the last few years Raising Peace has heard from dozens of people who work on peace from the political to the personal arenas.

Through this, we have learned that a society truly built on peace is achievable, but also that it takes work. At the social level it requires that we prioritise collaboration over conflict. For the individual, it requires that we work at looking for non-violent alternatives and even refine our vocabulary. And at the political level, it requires significant changes to our collective understanding of how Australia understands its place in the world.

We think that, for the most part, our politicians are a long way from a peace-oriented understanding. So, Raising Peace has developed a number of questions to put to candidates ahead of the coming federal election. While domestic issues, particularly the cost of living, will likely predominate, Raising Peace is asking candidates to consider how Australia can best foster peace.

This we believe is important especially in the current world context with its polarisations and emphasis on military approaches to security. The questions are pertinent at this time in which confrontation instead of dialogue is often the way of engagement, rather than seeking positive relationships and understanding.

Raising Peace will be sending these questions to candidates and encouraging its supporters to contact their local candidates using them.

Election 2025: 7 questions on peace 

In a time of conflict and growing militarism, Raising Peace is asking you as candidates the following questions, which we believe embody some of the most pressing challenges in fostering a peaceful Australia.

1. How do we build cohesive and cooperative communities in Australia when divisiveness and conflict are being created and exacerbated?

An atmosphere of fear is being created in Australia, often by “othering” particular countries or peoples, be they China, Israel or Palestine. Confrontational responses will not make Australia safer. We need to work towards our security, well-being and social cohesion together, restoring our commitment to a diverse, inclusive society, valuing the views of people from outside Australia’s Western, Anglophone perspective.

2. AUKUS and US military bases make Australia an outpost of the US military. Is it wise for Australia to set itself as a nuclear target in the event of a US-China war?

Even the Wall Street Journal sees how the current trajectory of AUKUS and US bases make Australia subservient to US interests. A variety of diplomatic, more modest and strategically sound options have been proposed by many respected military and strategic thinkers.

3. Should Australia support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons?

A full-scale war between the US and China, or the US and Russia, is likely to end with nuclear annihilation. All countries with nuclear weapons have them on hair-trigger alert and the risks are higher than ever. The Australian Government announced in 2023 that it “is considering the TPNW systematically and methodically".

4. Who should be responsible for the decision to send Australian military personnel to overseas wars? Parliament or the prime minister?

Currently, the prime minister can commit Australian troops to war without parliamentary debate. This means that Australians have no say on the decision to go to war. It leads to a lack of clarity on objectives and exit conditions, endangering Australian military personnel and civilians in conflict zones.

5. Do you think that Australia needs to invest more in soft power diplomacy?

Between 1995-96 and 2021-22, funding for diplomacy halved. Funding for international aid declined similarly, while defence spending rose by 8%. This has direct implications for Australia’s capacity to negotiate, mediate & promote peace.

6. What roles should First Nations people have in Australia’s diplomatic, development and defence relationships?

First Nations people have served in Australia’s military since federation. Their lands have been devastated by nuclear weapons tests and face the prospect of being used to store nuclear waste. They are used for military exercises. First Nations people have valuable insights and experience to offer in considering the environmental impacts of war and in negotiating relations with other nations, especially those from the Global South.

7. Do you think that arms manufacturers should be allowed to sponsor and produce educational materials for primary, secondary and tertiary students?

Arms manufacturers produce a range of materials and sponsor educational events for students of all ages. Their aim is to normalise militarism in Australian educational institutions and society. It draws talented students away from more valuable areas of study and work.