John Pilger is an Australian journalist, documentary film maker and peace activist. He began his film career in British television in 1970, starting with the ITV current affairs series 'World in Action'. His first documentary, 'The Quiet Mutiny', is credited with disclosing to a worldwide audience the internal disintegration of the US army in Vietnam. Four decades on, he is still making challenging films for ITV and cinema. His films have won Academy Awards in Britain and the United States. His latest film, The Coming War on China, has been highly acclaimed. In 2001 he was awarded the prestigious Sophie Prize for 30 years of exposing injustice and promoting human rights. In 2009 he was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize.
He will be joined this evening by Denis Halliday, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq from 1 September 1997 until 1998. In 2003 Halliday was presented with the Gandhi International Peace Award in recognition of his work drawing attention to the plight of Iraqis.