Media Alert - Advance Notice - National peace conference opens Friday in Adelaide

Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN)

Media Alert – Advance Notice

Monday 20 July 2026                                                 

National peace conference opens Friday in Adelaide

Hundreds of Australians – nurses, teachers, veterans, unionists, health professionals, First Nations leaders, scientists, artists and community campaigners – will travel from across the country to Adelaide for the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) Conference, running 24th – 26th July.

Under the banner "Time to Break Free from the USA", attendees will spend three days working together on a shared task: charting an independent and peaceful course for Australia, and building a national movement to get there, running concurrently to the Australian Labor Party Conference. Formally, the conference opens with a public meeting on Friday evening headlined by US journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin. Speakers throughout the conference include:

• Major (Ret) Cameron Leckie – former Australian Army, on AUKUS and Force Posture Agreement

• Sue Haseldine – Kokatha elder from Ceduna; advocate for environmental protection

• Senator David Shoebridge – Australian Greens spokesperson for foreign affairs and defence

• Emma Shortis – author of Our Exceptional Friend: Australia's Fatal Alliance with the US

• Richard Tanter – Nautilus Institute; expert researcher on US military bases in Australia
• Peter Cronau – investigative journalist and co-founder of Declassified Australia

IPAN Chairperson Annette Brownlie said the breadth of the gathering reflected how widely concern about Australia's direction now runs, including among young people. In a deliberate effort to bring the next generation into the movement, IPAN has sourced funding to bring young activists Ethan Floyd and Nathalie Farah to the conference, with Ethan Floyd sharing his firsthand experience aboard the Palestine flotilla and Nathalie Farah speaking to being a key organiser of the convergence on Pine Gap the preceding week.

"Our security and prosperity lie in the region we live in – in strong, respectful relationships with our Pacific neighbours built to last for generations, not in helping Washington cling to global supremacy.

“Our priorities are climate action, equity and no war. Every dollar sunk into AUKUS and hosting US forces is a dollar not spent on what actually makes Australians secure – climate resilience, housing, health and education.

“This conference, along with the Pine Gap convergence and Abby Martin's national speaking tour, will build momentum for a change of direction. It is truly time to break free from the USA."

Abby Martin and other conference speakers are available for media comment.

ENDS

Media Liaison: Phil Davey 0414 867 188