THIS WEEK once again, in the lead up to the centenary of the Gallipoli landing, a dedicated group of Canberrans will mark the date with a solemn peace vigil aimed at countering “a continuing preference for war to solve international conflicts”.

The four-year collaboration between Johanna McBride, musical co-ordinator of A Chorus of Women and master lantern-maker Graeme Dunstan and their friends aims to highlight the obvious fact that government funding of military commemorations does nothing to diminish the tendency towards war.

There are, the vigil aims to demonstrate, other ways of commemorating the war dead that seek and find the common ground of lament, which promote peace and which “build and bond ethos.”

“What has evolved from our four years of rehearsing is a songbook of beautiful songs, some beautiful public place spectacle, some artful community rituals, all bundled in a series of connected but independent events,” the organisers say.

The program for Anzac Eve and Anzac Day 2015:

Friday April 24, from 5.30 pm on top of Mt Ainslie, meeting at the top of the mountain at sunset to light peace lanterns, and perform welcome to country, there will be poetry and community singing, with “Spirit Songs for Anzac Eve” led by A Chorus of Women and a smoking ceremony at the entrance to the mountain path.

Friday April 24, 6.15 pm departing from top of Mt Ainslie, walkers begin their lantern-lit procession down the mountain track. The walk is shared as a meditative walk and the metaphor is of each of us carrying a light down into the darkness of grief, only for the sure footed. Candle-lit lanterns provided. At the end of the path, walkers will pause in Remembrance Park for community singing before proceeding into the Australian War Memorial precinct.

April 24, about 7.15 pm Forecourt, Australian War Memorial, the lantern procession will join with other participants in the Australian War Memorial Forecourt about the Peace Fire for the main ceremony of the Vigil.

April 24, approximately 8.30 pm, the Night Vigil around the Peace Fire begins outside West Block at the Lake end of Anzac Parade for a campfire with stories, poetry, singing and conversation all through the night. Warming soup will be offered, and also after the Anzac Dawn Service next morning. Remember to BYO mug, rug and chair.

April 25 from 11 am, The “Lest We Forget the Frontier Wars” Anzac Day March assembles outside West Block, Anzac Parade. An Aboriginal-led march, it joins on the end of the Anzac Day March and parades up Anzac Parade to the War Memorial singing songs and bearing flags, banners and placards naming the battles and massacres of Australia’s frontier wars. “We have been so badly let down by 20^th century Australian historians in not telling the Australian public the truth about frontier violence in the 19^th century,” says Cairns historian Dr Timothy Bottoms, here to speak at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy each morning in the week leading up to Anzac Day.

Donations to this project may be made by direct deposit: Account name: Graeme Dunstan; BSB: 728-728; Account Number: 22289702