Hi everyone,

Our first singing workshop is next week! So please be sure to share the
information about this series of workshops with your friends and
contacts so that they can join us if they want to. see you soon, Mary

The Australian Government's Department of Defence will be hosting a
Defence +
Industry Conference and Trade Exhibition at the Adelaide Convention Centre,
North Terrace, 30 June to 2 July 2009. At this conference, potential
contractors
will "maximise their business opportunities" with the Department of Defence.

In terms of government funding, Defence receives special treatment. Over the
past 14 years, there has been a 37% increase in Australian Defence
expenditure
in real terms. Defence spending has been guaranteed to increase by 3%
per annum
in real terms up to and including the Federal Government's 2017-18
budget. By
comparison, these projected increases are more than three times the budget
allocated to restore the Murray Darling River System (about $12B).

If you would like to express your opposition to this disproportionate
government
spending and to the arms trade in general, you are invited to join us in a
series of four workshops. People of all sexes, ages and singing
abilities are
welcome to come to any or all of three singing workshops and one non-violent
direct action workshop.

Singing protest workshops: 1.30-4.30pm Saturdays 9th May, 30th May and
13th June
Quaker Meeting Hall, 40A Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide

Non-violent direct action workshop: 1.30-4.30pm Saturday 27th June
Westcare Church Hall, 216 Wright St, Adelaide
Entry from Millers Court which runs alongside

We will be learning suitable songs and deciding how we can use music most
effectively as part of the wider campaign to protest this Conference in
particular and the global arms trade in general.

You are welcome to come to as many of the workshops as you can, and to
sing with
us for peace to protest the Conference in June/ July. There will be no
auditions. These FREE workshops are being organised by Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom and will be run by Mary Heath.

If you have email access, please sign up to our online mailing list so
that we
can keep you up to date with planned events, times and places. Adelaide
Peace
Singers:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adelaidepeacesingers
or email
sls4slm@...
and request an invitation to join the email list.

More information:

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom: http://www.wilpf.org.au