On June 21, 2025, the Pacific Peace Network & World BEYOND War hosted this campaign launch webinar, Call on Governments – Declare Neutrality & Prevent a U.S.-China War, a peace and solidarity campaign by the Peoples of the Pacific and Pacific Rim Nations.
Featured Speakers:
Ralph Regenvanu, Keynote Speaker
Ralph Regenvanu is a Ni-Vanuatu anthropologist, artist, and politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 2008. Born in Suva, Fiji, he grew up in Vanuatu and has studied anthropology, development and law. Before entering politics, he served as Director of the National Museum of Vanuatu and the National Cultural Council, leading efforts to safeguard indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage. In 2010, he founded the Land and Justice Party, focusing on land reform, indigenous rights, and good governance. Over the years, he has held many ministerial positions, including Lands, Justice, and Foreign Affairs. He is currently Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change. Regenvanu is widely recognized for his fearless advocacy of climate justice and an equitable transition, earning respect at home and internationally. Leading one of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, he has championed Vanuatu’s push for an International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on climate obligations and for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. His leadership ensures that Vanuatu continues to be a strong voice in global climate and environmental negotiations, reinforcing the urgent need for ambitious action to protect vulnerable small island states.
Eugene Doyle
Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. He is a member of Just Defence, a Wellington-based peace group which advocates for an independent foreign policy. He hosts the public policy platform solidarity.co.nz.
Ross Gwyther
Dr. Ross Gwyther is retired, after working as an organiser with the National Tertiary Education Union for 10 years, and an earlier career of 23 years as a research geophysicist specialising in earthquake studies at Qld University and CSIRO. He has spent his spare time involved in the peace and environment movements for many years and during the past decade in Just Peace, a peace organisation which grew out of popular concern at Australian involvement in foreign wars not connected with the defence of Australia. He is one of the Just Peace members who have established the IPAN (Independent and Peaceful Australia Network). IPAN is a national network of peace organisations aimed at building public dialogue about an independent foreign policy for Australia, and campaigning to stop the deployment of foreign troops in Australia and the current close involvement of Australian facilities in US war fighting actions.
DeeJay Janier
DeeJay Janier is Vice President of the Freedom from Debt Coalition; Head of the Campaign Working Group on Exacting Accountability for In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement; Secretary General of Unity of Women for Freedom (KAISA KA); and Head of Secretariat for the Solidarity to Oppose Wars Coalition - Philippines. DeeJay has a BA in Development Studies from the University of the Philippines-Manila.
Lisa Linda Natividad
Dr. Lisa Linda Natividad has been elected as IPB board member in October 2022. She is a Professor of Social Work at the University of Guam. Lisa is also the primary convener of the Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice and a founding member of I Hagan Famalao’an Guahan. She is an indigenous CHamoru who has championed the exposure of the human rights violations against her people and homeland Guahan, which is a military colony of the United States. She has spoken globally on the topics of demilitarization, decolonization, and the critical role women play in the creation of safe and thriving communities. Dr. Natividad has presented interventions on the halting of the massive military build-up on Guahan before the United Nations Fourth Committee, Decolonization Committee, and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She is a former member of the Guam Decolonization Commission and has spoken on these issues in Japan, the Philippines, the Untied States, Norway, Ecuador, Fiji, and other countries. Dr. Natividad joined the IPB Council in March 2021.
Koohan Paik-Mander
Koohan Paik-Mander is a pan-Pacific peace activist with intimate ties to Korea, the Mariana Islands and California. She co-authored the book The Superferry Chronicles: Hawaii's Uprising Against Commercialism, Militarism and the Desecration of the Earth with her late husband Jerry Mander and has written for many publications about environment, technology and Asia-Pacific geopolitics.
Bevan Ramsden
Bevan Ramsden is a former telecommunications engineer, technical teacher and trade unionist. He is a long-time peace activist starting as a volunteer organiser in Melbourne’s Vietnam Moratorium Campaign in 1970’s and was jailed for some of his anti-war activities. He is a strong advocate for Australia’s independence and an alternative defence policy based on non-nuclear armed neutrality. He has been a member of the coordinating committee of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network) IPAN) for a number of years and is now editor of IPAN’s monthly e-publication, Voice.
Liz Remmerswaal
Liz Remmerswaal is a grassroots activist and mother with a background in journalism and environmental politics. She is Vice President of the Board of Directors of World BEYOND War (WBW) and national coordinator of WBW Aotearoa/New Zealand. She is also co-founder of the Pacific Peace Network, a member of Peace And Disarmament Collective Aotearoa and former Vice President of the NZ Womens' International League for Peace and Freedom. In 2017 Liz won the Sonja Davies Peace Award, enabling her to study peace literacy with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in California. Liz makes a radio show called 'Peace Witness', sings in a gospel choir, learns Te Reo Maori and plants Peace Poles all around her district. Currently she is based in Sydney, Australia with her husband where they are helping take care of their beautiful one-year-old granddaughter.
Kaia "Curry" Vereide
Kaia "Curry" Vereide has lived in Gangjeong Village, Jeju Island, South Korea for nearly 10 years in solidarity with the peace movement against the Jeju Naval Base. Living in Jeju has given Kaia, a U.S. citizen, a clear sense of the urgency to oppose U.S. empire and raise awareness of its toxic impact. Listening to survivors of past wars has inspired Kaia to work to stop future wars.