#224: EMERGENCY PROTEST SAT AGAINST ISRAELI SIEGE OF GAZA
GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER #224, February 8, 2008
Website http://www.gpja.org.nz/ Contact details: Forums – John Minto, Work: (09) 845 2132, Home 09 846 3173 jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor – Mike Treen 0295254744 / 09 845 4027 mike@unite.org.nz; Web page - media@ndu.org.nz Donations can be sent to GPJA, P O Box 7175, Welesley St, Auckland. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter visit http://www.gpja.org.nz/ or click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.
Hello,
EMERGENCY PROTEST AGAINST ISRAEL’S SIEGE OF GAZA
Sat, Feb 9, 12 noon, Aotea Sq
The people of Palestine are being punished for defending their human rights and their right to political representation. 1.5 million Palestinians are being subjected to indiscriminate bombing raids and are deprived of not only their human rights but basic necessities for survival courtesy of Israel's blockade.
Under international law, this is considered a war crime. Israel should be held accountable for its callous acts. Come along and show your support for the people of Palestine and condemn Israel's war crimes!
FORWARD
Kindly forward this newsletter to your friends and encourage them to join this mailing list @
http://www.gpja.org.nz/
SPECIAL GPJA FORUM
7.30pm, Tuesday February 19, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn
Overseas guest speaker – Prof Hans Koechler, an internationally recognised authority on global security issues speaks on "The 'Global War on Terror': Contradictions of an Imperial Strategy". Meeting chaired by Prof Jane Kelsey, Auckland University Law School.
CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANISING MEETINGS: Civil Rights Defence Committee, 6pm, Tuesday Feb 26, 6a Western Springs Rd, Morningside, Auckland. Discuss the upcoming trials.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." - Albert Einstein
WHAT’S ON IN NEW ZEALAND
Monday, February 11, 6pm, Elam Lecture Theatre – Free entry
Easy Listening: Talks in Art and Culture is a collaborative project by ARTSPACE, Elam School of Fine Arts and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. You are invited to an EASY LISTENING TALK BY JAYCE SALLOUM VANCOUVER-BASED INTERNATIONAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Jayce Salloum is a media artist and cultural activist who has worked in installation, photography, new media and video since 1975. His residency at the Govett-Brewster sees a continuation of his ongoing project untitled 1999-2008, a multichannel video installation addressing social and political realities. His work engages with issues of globalism, imperialism and the notion of borders, documenting the lives and opinions of displaced peoples, activists and victims in places such as Lebanon and the former Yugoslavia. During his
residency, Salloum will develop new work exploring similar issues within a New Zealand context.
Salloum has exhibited in a wide range of international venues from small storefronts to institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Centre Pompidou, Paris and the 15th Biennale of Sydney. This exhibition, everything and nothing and other works from the ongoing project ‘untitled’, and recent fragments/works, will be exhibited at the Govett-Brewster from 8 March to 25 May 2008.
Thursday, February 14, 7-9pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby
MOBILISING FOR CHANGE: James Whelan and Pru Gell of The Change Agency (Brisbane) will be in the Auckland area the week of February 13 – 20 and would like to meet activists interested in talking about mobilising for change. WHY: share ideas about our work; consider a 2-day workshop in April in Auckland. If you would like to meet them but can’t come at that time, please contact us, and we will try to arrange something else: coordinator@awea.org.nz, Christine at 274 4220. More info about their work at www.thechangeagency.org
Friday Feb 15 to Sun Feb 17, Kotare near Wellsford
STORY TELLING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE SUMMER SCHOOL co-hosted by Auckland WEA and Kotare Trust; Feb 15 - 17 at Kotare, near Wellsford. Ruth Greenaway will lead a number of sessions - Ruth is a specialist in story telling for social justice Christine Herzog willl lead on the ethics of story telling Rod Prosser will share some "documentary as story" ideas. "The Change Agency" from Australia will lead some sessions on group story telling and sharing powerful stories Sue Berman and Ruth Greenaway will lead on oral history John Darroch and others will offer a session on "controlling the stories" - "the Terror Raids" There will also be sessions on "elements of a good story", "which stories are effective", "narrative thearpy and more" Contact Christine Herzog, coordinator@awea.org.nz , 09 274 4270, for further information and registration forms.
Christine Herzog, Coordinator, Treaty Resource Centre, (09) 274-4270 (ph & fax). An initiative of the Auckland WEA, Box 78-338, Tamaki Makaurau 1245
Saturday, February 16, 10.30am-12noon, Friend’s Meeting House 113 Mt Eden Road, Auckland
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) will be holding a meeting with a delegation from the Women’s Democratic Club of Japan who are visiting New Zealand. For information contact Joan Macdonald ph 360 8001, email joanmac@pl.net or Megan Hutching ph 373 4434, email meganhutching@hotmail.com
Monday, 18 to Friday, 22 February (registration deadline is Friday, 18 January) - Wellington CONFERENCE ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS, with approximately 350 participants expected from more than 100 governments, as well as around 100 civil society experts in the removal of cluster munitions, assistance to victims, and advocacy. Information for NGOs is available at http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/the-conference If you wish to register for the conference, the registration form is at http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/nzcmc_wlgr... - please note that participants from NGOs in Aotearoa need to register as soon as possible, the absolute deadline is 18 January. There will be public meetings in Auckland and Wellington (and possibly other cities) around the time of the conference; registration is not required for those events. Information about what you can, wherever you are, to support the conference reaching its goals will be available at http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/take-action/ in January; the government's web site for the conference is at http://www.mfat.govt.nz/clustermunitionswellington/index.php
7.30pm, Tuesday February 19, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn
SPECIAL GPJA FORUM: Overseas guest speaker – Prof Hans Koechler, an internationally recognised authority on global security issues speaks on "The 'Global War on Terror': Contradictions of an Imperial Strategy". Meeting chaired by Prof Jane Kelsey, Auckland University Law School.
Tuesday 19 February, 2008 6pm -8pm at the Aotea Chapel, 370 Queen Street, Auckland Central
Cluster Munitions – Public Meeting. Two of the delegates who will be attending the Conference on Cluster Munitions in Wellington in February will be speaking in Auckland on the banning of cluster munitions and divestment. The speakers are:
- Miriam Struyk from the Netherlands who is a policy advisor on human security and disarmament for IKV Pax Christi which is working in partnership with local NGOs in more than 25 conflict affected countries. She helped produce a Dutch documentary ‘The Clusterbomb Feeling’ that revealed how Dutch pension funds were being invested in the production of antipersonnel mines and cluster munitions. Following a public outcry, the biggest pension funds changed their policies to divest from cluster munitions and landmine manufacturers.
- Stan Brabant, Handicap International Belgium, who heads their policy unit, where he has worked since 1994 on mine clearance and mine risk education programmes in countries such as Afghanistan and Cambodia. He serves on the leadership of both the Cluster Munitions Coalition and the International Coalition to Ban Landmines. He has been instrumental in securing Belgium’s domestic cluster munition ban and has overseen the publication of several important reports on the impact of cluster munitions.
What these speakers have to say is very relevant to the New Zealand Government’s position with regard to cluster munitions. On the one hand they are part of a group of countries which is endeavouring to achieve an international treaty to ban the manufacture and use of cluster munitions and on the other hand is doing nothing about the Superannuation Fund investment in the manufacture of these weapons. This meeting is being arranged by WILPF Aotearoa, Pax Christi and the Peace Foundation. Contact Joan Macdonald. Ph 360 8001 email joanmac@pl.net Kevin McBride Ph 377 5541 email kevinm@cda.org.nz Marion Hancock Ph 373 2379 email peace@fps.pl.net
Thursday February 21, 7.30am - 9am, Auckland Museum Events Centre, Atrium Entrance, Auckland Domain, Parnell.
Oxfam Breakfast – Is peace more than the absence of conflict? Oxfam is offering a unique opportunity to hear from two inspiring women, who have dedicated their lives to building lasting peace. Jody Williams won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for her work to secure the international ban on landmines. She chairs the Nobel Women's Initiative and advocates on a range of human security issues. Eileen Kolma leads Oxfam's work to tackle the root causes of tribal conflict and gun violence in Papua New Guinea and build stronger and safer communities. Join Oxfam for this inspiring breakfast event.
Tickets: Single tickets $45 each, or $400 to book a table of 10.
Tuesday, February 26, 6pm, Unite Organising Centre, 6a Western Springs Rd, Morningside, Auckland
CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANISING MEETINGS: Discuss the upcoming trials.
~ Friday, 14 to Sunday, 16 March - 'Promoting peace through active non-violent resistance' is the theme of the 2008 National Peace Workshops - postponed earlier this year, the National Peace Workshops have now been re-scheduled and will be held at the Quaker Settlement, Whanganui, in March. The weekend will include workshops and panel discussions with Maori, Moriori, Pacific and Pakeha contributors who have experience of community and individual non-violent resistance, and/or non-violent direct action in Aotearoa and overseas; as well as workshops on campaigns of our member and other groups. More information and registration details will be available in late January at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/npw08.htm
Saturday, March 15, 8.30am-5pm, Auckland University
On 15th March, the Faculty of Law, University of Auckland will be hosting a one-day Symposium entitled "Civil Society: Using Law as a Sword". The symposium will be open to the public, but pre-registration (cost $30) is essential. The organisers of the Symposium are Treasa Dunworth and Kris Gledhill of the Law Faculty, Rt Honourable Ted Thomas, Janfrie Wakim and Deborah Manning. We are also pleased to have the support of the Human Rights Commission with this initiative. If you are interested in this event or wish to register (there is a fee of $30.00) please email Treasa Dunworth at t.dunworth@auckland.ac.nz or phone on (09) 3737599 ext 88008.
~ Ongoing - Help us ban cluster bombs, online petition: "I support the global call to ban cluster bombs", you can add your name at http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/take-action/petition/
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CANCELLED: TOUR FOR NOTED US CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER LEONARD WEINGLASS. Because of upcoming court activity in the US for the Cuban 5 this tour has been cancelled.
FLY THE FLAG: COMPETITION, LETTERS AND DONATIONS
February 2008, Kia ora, this message is about this year's fly the tino rangatiratanga flag campaign. There are three main sections below: the Te Ata Tino Toa media release announcing this year's 'Fly that Flag' competition, and an update with details of the 'fly the flag' convoy that will cross the Auckland Harbour bridge on Waitangi Day; details of how you can make a donation to help with Te Ata Tino Toa's costs; and links to the letters from Te Ata Tino Toa, Annette King, and Transit NZ re flying the flag on Auckland Harbour bridge, and contact details for the Minister and Transit.
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/trflag08.htm
CUBAN DOCUMENTARY HITS TOWN BEFORE GOING GLOBAL
New Zealand-Cuba documentary ¿La Verdad? opens in Auckland Academy Theatre this week 21 February, before heading offshore to the United States and then Cuba. The film, by Wellington journalist Helen Smyth, tells the story of Cuban oligarch Néstor Baguer. Smyth’s family met Baguer when travelling in Cuba in 2000. He befriended the family and nominated himself their Cuban Grandfather. Baguer told Smyth he was the leader of the dissident journalist movement in Cuba. In 2003 Smyth learned he was in fact a Cuban spy who set up the movement to trap would-be dissident writers. Baguer gave key evidence at summary Cuban trials that led to long imprisonments for more than 30 writers. She returned to Cuba with husband and co-director Tim Rose to film Baguer’s story and reasons.
¿La Verdad? premiered at last year’s New Zealand International Film Festival. It is now being released cinematically in New Zealand just prior to the world debut at the presitgious international film festival, Cinequest. Smyth also plans to then travel to Cuba to present the film there. “The story is about Cuba and the United States, with New Zealand taking the part of distant and curious observer,” Smyth said. “I’m nervous of both the United States and Cuban reactions, but especially the latter.
It is a highly political story and I’ve tried to tell it with empathy and honesty, as well as recognition of my outsider status.”
¿La Verdad? opens on Thursday, 21 February and is running for a week. For more information, including a film trailer, see www.laverdadfilm.com
SAY NO TO ORPHEUS DAY FEBRUARY 9TH
Don’t insult tangata whenua. Learn about our history. What’s happening in Mangere Bridge on February 9th. The Mangere Historical Society, Mangere Community Board and the Manukau City Council have declared Feb 9th ‘Orpheus Day’.
The Orpheus was a British Naval Corvette involved in supplying weapons to the British troops based in Onehunga in 1863. Fortunately it hit the sand bar at the entrance to the Manukau Harbour and sank with the loss of 189 lives. The weapons were to be used in the invasion and confiscation of Waikato and Taranaki Maori owned land. This was in total contravention of the Treaty of Waitangi. The colonial government of the time was controlled by wealthy land speculators in Auckland who had no regard for the law, the Treaty of Waitangi or Maori. They engineered the war to illegally gain control of 12,000sq km of land that the Maori owners did not want to sell to them.
This is the political and social context that the Orpheus came sailing into on the 7th of February 1863 loaded to the gunnels with the weapons to be used to achieve part one of the land ripoff scam of the century. Why the Manukau City Council would want to commemorate the sinking of a warship from an invading army bringing weapons to assist in the alienation of what is now Manukau City needs answering. The tangata whenua whose ancestors lived through those obscene events are still acutely aware of the pain and darkness that descended on them. There was no tangata whenua involvement last year and there will be none this year. Let us not insult them with our ignorance. This event must not be given council sanction or funding. $40,000 was last year’s grant. Say NO to Orpheus Day February 9th
Len Brown the mayor of Manukau is the guest speaker and will fire the Orpheus replica cannon. Email len@lenbrown.co.nz Phone/text 021893196
FOR MORE INFO Ph Ben 0210577478 – Email bcorbett@ohs.school.nz
Waitangi Tribunal Report on Manukau claim
http://www.waitangi-tribunal.govt.nz/reports/view.asp?reportid=D6BBBFAC-...
CLIMATE CHANGE - SOCIAL CHANGE CONFERENCE, APRIL 11-13, 2008, SYDNEY
The world is teetering on the brink of unstoppable climate change. Many now recognise the need for serious change in the way we produce and use energy, our transport systems, food production, urban design and forestry practices. Yet politicians are still mouthing platitudes while allowing corporations to continue to profit from polluting our atmosphere and destroying our ecosystem. The need for social change has become an urgent part of preventing catastrophic climate change. Can the market fix the problem? What is the real record of carbon trading? How can we build a social movement capable of averting this disaster? What models and experiences can offer real solutions? To strengthen the exchange of ideas and contribute towards that urgent action Green Left Weekly is organising the Climate Change - Social Change conference from April 11-13, 2008 in Sydney.
We are pleased to have confirmed:
- John Bellamy Foster, author of Marx's Ecology: Materialism and Nature, editor of Monthly Review (http://sociology.uoregon.edu/faculty/foster.php)
- Patrick Bond, Director of the Centre for Civil Society, University of Natal, South Africa; editor of Climate Change, Carbon Trading and Civil Society www.zcommunications.org/zspace/patrickbond
- Roberto Perez, Cuban permaculturalist (featured in The Power of Community: how Cuba survived peak oil) ()
We invite your participation in making this more than just an exchange of ideas - important as that is - but a part of building up resistance to corporate-led climate change and strengthening the movement for sustainable development. To receive updates about the conference, send an email to climatechange_socialchangeconf_announce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Please forward this conference call to your networks. In solidarity, Kamala Emanuel and Pip Hinman, Climate Change - Social Change conference organisers
ANNOUNCING THE MAY DAY 2008 BRIGADE TO VENEZUELA
Registration deadline: March 30th, 2008 (including payment). The Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network’s (AVSN) next solidarity brigade to Venezuela is schedule for May 2008 and will coincide with May Day (May 1st) in Venezuela. The brigade will be a unique opportunity to see first-hand the unfolding revolution in Venezuela. If you are interested in being part of this inspiring and educational experience, please send the completed registration form to brigades@venezuelasolidarity.org
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http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00019.htm