What is OPTU? Operation Peace through Unity

OPTU provides a global networking service to more than 45 countries through the 'Many to Many' quarterly newsletter – and now through this website. Also initiates and involves itself in a variety of projects and campaigns.

In 1980 OPTU launched the UK World Disarmament Campaign in Australia on UN Day and in NZ in January 1981; it took the campaign to the Philippines, China, India and Japan in 1982. OPTU attended the Second Special Session on Disarmament in New York and subsequently worked with the UN Disarmament Campaign.

OPTU has maintained direct links with the UN Organisation, attending NGO conferences in New York or Geneva whenever possible. It regularly receives from the UN material on disarmament and peace-related issues. Through Gita Brooke, OPTU is a member of the UNANZ National Council.

OPTU is especially concerned with peace/environment education among young people and has, since 1986 (International Year of Peace) been involved in the Peace Child Musical. Patrons of the Rainbow Theatre, Wanganui, NZ, which staged Peace Child and took it to Parliament House, Wellington, in a shortened version; later performed in the UK.

OPTU sponsored and fund-raised to send 4 young people to the International Peace Child Musical in 1990 in UK, and a young girl to the Children's Summit meeting in Hearts Bend, Vermont, USA.

In 1989 OPTU launched a global grassroots campaign aimed at establishing Antarctica as a World Peace Park, this being taken up and promoted by students in schools and universities, including the University of Peace, Costa Rica.

OPTU organised a Children's Hearing in the Wanganui District Council,chaired by the local mayor, with a panel of government officials, UN/UNICEF/MAORI representatives and the Commissioner for Children. Subsequently it sponsored and arranged for a Maori girl to participate in the Global Children's Hearing at the Brazil Rio Earth Summit in 1992.

Like many NGOs, OPTU has a special concern for protection of the environment and for human rights abuse. Since 1989 it has been actively working to raise public awareness on these issues. In 1991 the founders visited Sarawak with a view to bringing their concerns regarding the plight of the Penans and excessive deforestation directly to the attention of the Sarawak Government.

1993, a member of the OPTU Youth Forum brought 21,000 signatures to Japan from the students of NZ (3,000 from other countries) in support of the French proposal for an Antarctic Whale Sanctuary and handed them to the chairman of the International Whaling Commission at their Kyoto Meeting.

In April 1994 OPTU was involved in organising a Model United Nations General Assembly (MUNGA), involving about 16 secondary schools in the Wanganui District of New Zealand.

In 1994 Gita became Patron of the Aotearoa/NZ Guild of Artists Trust (Pacific link with UNESCO, Arts and Culture).

In 1995 Gita became convener of the Wanganui UN50 celebrations involving local art galleries, museum and library and including performances of the musical The African Madonna and the study in secondary schools of Agenda 21, culminating in two-day up-river excursion.

March/April 1995 sponsored a lecture tour throughout NZ by Swedish businessman Rolf Osterberg, author of Corporate Renaissance – business as an adventure in human development.

In 1996 Gita introduced the concept of a NZ Forum for UN Renewal to UNANZ. It was adopted and formally established in March 1997 in the Legislative Council Chambers of Parliament.

The Forum was officially represented by OPTU trustee Dame Laurie Salas at the UN DPI/NGO conference in New York, in September, 1997.

In September 1996 OPTU formed a Wanganui Branch of UNANZ and sponsored a representative to attend "Dialogue of Culture", a conference at Taganrog, Rostov region, Russia.

Many to Many a quarterly publication issued by Operation Peace through Unity Anthony Brooke and Gita Brooke, co-founders Te Rangi, 4 Allison Street, Wanganui 5001, New Zealand phone/fax: +64-6-345-5714 ~ e-mail: larrym@clear.net.nz OPTU is an accredited NGO in association with the UN Dept of Public Information

Many to Many under the aegis of Operation Peace Through Unity is a communicating link between 'we, the peoples' of all nations, races, creeds and ideologies offering in the spirit of the preamble of the United Nations Charter an instrument for the furthering of better relationships based on deepening mutual understanding and the aspiration to promote unity and cooperation beyond all differences.