75th Anniversary of Australians on Peacekeeping Operations.

Last week our Vice Chairperson, Ian Lindgren, attended the first senior planning meeting on the 75th Anniversary of Australians on Peacekeeping Operations.  Check out the website page here where initiatives from our state representatives are also listed.

DVA has carriage of the 75th Anniversary Commemoration on 14 September 2022 and planning is very advanced.  The meeting demonstrated sound cooperation between DVA, APPVA, AFP, Defence Ceremonial, the Australian War Memorial and DFAT.

We will be working with the DVA Communications Team to promote all the activities leading up to Australian Peacekeeper Day on 14 September 2022 and the key events and activities to be aware of are as follows:

DVA Planned Events

• Planning is underway for 500 attendees
• A commemorative coin is being produced by the Royal Australian Mint.
• Department of Veterans' Affairs Anzac Day Schools' Awards

This year’s Department of Veterans' Affairs Anzac Day Schools' Awards are a national competition recognising the work of students, teachers and schools to engage with veterans and honour a significant anniversary or other aspect of Australia's wartime history.

This year’s theme is 'Engaging with veterans: Stories of peacekeeping' and aligns with the 75th anniversary of Australian involvement in peacekeeping and peacemaking operations, which will be commemorated on 14 September 2022.

With the focus on Australian veterans and their involvement in peacekeeping and peacemaking, students could uncover personal stories and take part in commemorative activities to gain a deeper understanding of their service and sacrifice.

DVA has asked all participants for volunteers to be interviewed for two minute segments to be run prior to the ABC news throughout the year.

APPVA Planned Events

• 29 May 2022. International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
• 27/28 August 2022.  Corporate Challenge Mount Ainslie.  To be confirmed.
• 3 September 2022.  Commemorative Dinner
• 12 September 2022. Corporate Golf Day Federal Golf Club Red Hill
• 14 September 2022. Australian Peacekeeper Day
• 29 September 2022.  National Police Remembrance Day. To be confirmed.

Other APPVA Planned Activities

• Interview with senior East Timorese female Police Officer
• 75 years of peacekeeping and peacemaking photographic collection.
• 75th Anniversary Plaques
• 75th Anniversary Figurine
• 75th Anniversary postage stamp or envelope

We are hoping for other regional activties, and encourage everyone to consider attending the commemoration on 14 September 2022, and if you can't attend, then please think about a locate commemoration.

More detail will follow shortly oneach event and activity.