ABOUT US
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Our team
On this page you can find out about our current team.
Our past teams
On this page you can get to know our past teams.
Our mission and vision
On this page you can learn about our mission and vision.
What you can do
Become a member of architects for peace
Invite discussion about cities, peace and development. Organise forums, events and discussions
Lobby our professional and educational institutions to promote sustainable development that takes into account, environmental issues, wealth disparity and social inequity
Spread / paste information on pinboards, newsletters
Become informed on the consequences of unlawful occupations and wars, its human, urban and environmental devastation
Promote the work of arch-peace among your peers
Place a link to arch-peace at other relevant organisation websites
Publish with us updates and news on latest events in your field, country or region
Assist arch-peace by becoming involved in the coordination of activities
Follow your interest in urban development and run them with us!
architectsforpeace is a humanitarian, not for profit incorporated professional organisation, under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 Section 7. Architects for Peace (arch-peace) aims to provide an alternative forum for debating political, environmental and social issues in the professional urban context.
All activities produced by Architects for Peace, including website, pro bono, seminars and annual conference, are organised, implemented, created and maintained by volunteers.
Architects for Peace is an NGO with Special Consultative Status (category II) with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and a member of ARC•PEACE International (Architects Designers Planners for Social Responsibility). Architects for Peace works in a collaborative partnership with RMIT Public Art.
Architects for Peace website pages are periodically archived by the National Library of Australia at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.arc-62043
As well as need, there is much progress being done in poorer nations, which does not receive sufficient attention and that remain unknown to our colleagues in richer nations.
One of Architects for Peace most important aims is to facilitate dialogue among professionals from all regions of the world, inclusive but not centred in Europe and the Anglo-USA cohort. Architects for Peace focus is on works involving or benefiting the larger public and done by local urban professionals. Consistent with these aims, a priority of Architects for Peace pro bono service is to assist and work collaboratively in enabling local colleagues to carry out their own projects.
Architects for Peace membership gives you the opportunity to join this international community of professional collaboration, by sharing and learning from each other. Each member, who adheres to arch-peace’s principles, can represent arch-peace in her/his region. You also have access to our newsletter, activities and the opportunity to work – in your professional area – for the noble cause of equitable urban development and peace.
Statement of purpose
Architects for Peace is an independent multidisciplinary forum of planners, architects, urban designers, landscape architects, engineers, environmentalists and artists working in the public domain, seeking sustainable urban development based on social justice, solidarity, respect and peace.
The name ‘Architects for Peace’ involves all aspects of city design. In this sense, we use ‘architects’ as a term common to all our areas of urban expertise with peace as our goal.
Architects for Peace was established in the weeks preceding the bombing and occupation of Iraq in 2003. Our aim was to prevent Australian involvement on this war. Today we have members from all over the world.
Architects for Peace is a member of ARC•PEACE International Architects Designers Planners for Social Responsibility, NGO in consultative status (category II) with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The purpose of ARC•PEACE is to be the global network of architects, design and planners committed to building in a socially responsible way a peaceful, just and an environmentally sustainable future.
We believe that
- There are no clean wars, no positive outcomes from the destruction of lives, communities, cities, the environment and infrastructure
- Urban professionals and citizens are the builders of cities, heritage and history. Together we create, enhance and protect the built and the natural environment, ours and that of other nations
- As a professional group we can contribute and add to peace efforts, exercising the social responsibility of our professional role
- Peace will not be achieved while industrially advanced nations continue to exploit other nations for their natural and human resources. Rather, the resulting poverty and resentment will continually lead us into war
- Governments should have a crucial role in preserving, developing and representing the interest of citizens in the development of their cities. Thus, governments have a critical role in managing the social, economic and environmental aspects of urban development. This role cannot be left to corporations
- Urban development agendas have to question the way in which industrially developed nations, such as Australia, plan their cities – as this is critically unsustainable
Our actions
- Contribute to the peaceful resolution of conflicts affecting nations, cities and the environment
- Contribute and initiate discussion around urban, planning, architectural and environmental issues affecting our cities, people and the environment
- Condemn and denounce the promotion of war
- Denounce the involvement of urban professionals in the creation of structures of repression, conflict and silence
- Expose and promote the discussion of political agendas which impinge on people’s rights to their countries, cities, public spaces, land and their environment
- Support ethical processes of reconstruction following natural or man-made disasters and denounce unethical practices or unscrupulous profiteering
- Support the engagement of local colleagues in their own process of reconstruction
- Encourage a process of cooperation and exchange between colleagues from different nations and disciplines
- Advocate the importance of the role of educational institutions in promoting social responsibility in our professions
- Discourage our educational institutions from participating in research and development work which is connected with the production of weapons
- Promote respect, dialogue and friendship between cities, villages and nations
and more…
did we know each other before Architects for Peace?
Most of us did not and many, including most of the members above, have never met. However, a common cause has brought us together in a constructive and collaborative friendship, most professional and business-unlike.
will we plan for activities and a bit of fun? for sure! You would be most welcome if you could join us and take care of organising social activities, books and films reviews, discussions and fund raising activities.
what you should not find here – and if you do please alert us!
unaffordable membership fees, exorbitant prices for seminars/conferences, compromised verbatim, commercially driven publicity in the form of serious talks, meaningless and pointless discourses, ego/hero architects, or exclusive clubs.
and on specific topics? We would also like to have arch-peace members in charge of topics such as globalisation and its y, we need all the help we can get to organise the next forum/workshop.
Would you like to join Architects for Peace? please fill the “membership form“.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us by email: here
The meaning of our logo
Arch-peace logo is a visual representation of the concept of construction in order to achieve peace. It incorporates the well-known symbol of the dove, representing peace, and structural construction lines, reminiscent of architectural drawings or blueprints. The use of the dove is an obvious representation of the aims of the organisation, the drawn lines are representative of a common element within many of the members’ professions.
Lime green is a calming colour and reflects a natural theme, relating to the organisations interest in both the natural and built environment. The bright colour reflects the optimistic nature of the organisation, both within the organisation and the public sphere.
(Edited logo rationale, by logo designer Jenni Drayton, – University of Newcastle (FORE), winner of the arch-peace logo competition. To view other entries click on logo)
Visit FORE: here
University’s press release: here
Address:
Brunswick East
Victoria Australia
email: arch-peace
www.architectsforpeace.org
ABN 16 710 601 401
“All lands in their diversity are one, and all men are neighbors and brothers”, Al-Zubaydi, preceptor of al-Hakam II (X century)
“Todas las tierras en su diversidad son una, y todos los hombres son vecinos y hermanos”, Al-Zubaydi, preceptor de al-Hakam II (siglo X)
“كل الأراضي في تنوعها واحدة ، وكل الناس جيران وإخوة” الزبيدي أمير الحكم الثاني (القرن العاشر).