Margaret Pestorius is a long-term peace activist who lives on the Land of the Walubara Yidindji – Gimuy. She started as a forest activist using nonviolence with the legendary Melbourne Rainforest Action Group which ran a campaign to reduce the use of Malaysian rainforest timbers which entered Australia through the port of Melbourne.

From involvement in the 90s supporting local members of the Gulf Peace Team, attending Aidex91 and working on the Benalla Women’s Peace Camp, Margaret has developed and maintained many relationships in Australia and overseas. In 2016, she was a member of the Pine Gap Pilgrims, a group that entered the Pine Gap prohibited area to pray and play music.

With her husband Bryan Law (Rocky Tiger Ploughshares) and friends, she set up Cairns Peace by Peace, a group which used strategic nonviolence to stop visits of US warships to her home town of Gimuy [Cairns].

As a practising social worker she has a strong interest in empowerment, capacity building and ethical, reflective, and participatory governance. In recent years she has helped formed Australian Nonviolence Projects, Wage Peace and Beyond War to assist the peace movement meet objectives.