Title: Building Cultures of Peace through Spaces for Peace: The Creation of a Peace Museum for Australia

Authors: Eva Rodriguez Riestra, Architects for Peace; Dr Wendy Lambourne, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney; Dr Liz Bowen, Soka Gakkai International Australia; Professor Frank Hutchison, former Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney; : Tim Ford AO, Director Peace and Security UNAA NSW Division; Peter Herborn, former Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies,

Abstract: The Posters for Peace Gallery in the Mackie Building at the University of Sydney provided a physical space for imagining a culture of peace with justice in the world. The Gallery supported a community of scholars and activists by providing a site of resistance to cultures of violence and a place for dialogue and education about the potential for creating cultures of peace through human rights, nonviolence and reconciliation. Following closure of the Gallery and removal of the posters from the walls of the Mackie Building, a significant locus of community and student inspiration and activism was lost. Efforts to find a new location resulted in most of the posters being rehung at SGI Australia community centre in Homebush. An opening of the gallery space there reignited a collaboration of peace scholars, local communities and young people learning about the stories behind the posters.

This panel will reflect on efforts to preserve and share the significance of the poster collection through a virtual online gallery and peace museum also including artefacts and peace trails, incorporating internal and external spaces, and applying traditional and more modern theories and practices of peace museums to create sites of memory, education, resistance and transformation.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/1Kv_w5rl6N0