#235:GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION TO BAN CLUSTER MUNITION

GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER #235, April , 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 mike@unite.org.nz; Web page - media@ndu.org.nz Donations can be sent to GPJA, P O Box 7175, Wellesley 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.

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GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION TO BAN CLUSTER MUNITIONS
Note: on Friday, 18 April, the day before the Global Day of Action to Ban Cluster Munitions (19 April), there will be protests at the Super Fund offices in Auckland and Wellington to call on the Fund to divest immediately from companies involved in cluster bomb production.

AUCKLAND: from 5pm to 6pm, outside the AMP Centre, corner Customs Street West and Albert Street, down by the Viaduct. Organised by Investment Watch, for more information contact email omarhamed123@gmail.com

WELLINGTON: from 5pm to 6pm, at the traffic lights at the intersection of Queen's Wharf, Jervois Quay and Grey Street. Organised by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Peace Movement Aotearoa, for more information contact email wilpf@xtra.co.nz

ACT NOW: NZ SUPERANNUATION FUND INVESTMENTS IN DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
This update follows the NZ Superannuation Fund's announcement earlier this month that it intends to divest from companies involved in the production of cluster munitions. It revises and expands the information provided in 'Investing in whose future? NZ Super Fund investments in cluster munitions and nuclear weapons production' [1] , the February 2008 No WARP! (Network Opposed to Weapons and Related Production) action alert and leaflet.
There are six sections in this update, providing information about:
1) The Superannuation Fund;
2) Investments in companies involved in cluster munitions production, and some comment on the recent announcement;
3) Investments in companies involved in nuclear weapons production;
4) Investments in companies involved in human rights violations;
5) What you can do about this - including details of the protests in Auckland and Wellington on Friday, 18 April; and points you could include in letters to the relevant politicians and Super Fund officials, as well as contact details for them; and
6) Where you can get more information.
This publication is available online at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nwapr08.pdf (formatted, printable version)

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ALL THE NEWS WORKERS NEED - SUBSCRIBE TO WORKERS CHARTER NEWSPAPER!
Workers Charter newspaper is an independent left-wing newspaper (Editor: John Minto) publishing news and views about workers rights and issues. Published monthly, the Workers Charter gives analysis that the mainstream media's capitalist owners do not. All this available for just $40 a year, for 10 issues posted out to your home! If you can afford to, $100 a year solidarity subscriptions help us spread the Charter to others, and are greatly appreciated, as are donations. How can you subscribe? Either: 1) Post your contact details and a cheque made out to "Workers Charter" to PO Box 56506, Dominion Rd, Auckland 1446, NZ OR 2) Pay online by transferring money to Kiwibank account 38-9004-0785934-00, with a reference (a 1 copy sbscription by Joe Bloggs becomes 1JBloggsSUB, a donation of $20 by Joe Bloggs is 20JBloggsDON), then e-mailing admin@workerscharter.org.nz to tell us your contact details.
If you have a friend or family member you think would appreciate the paper, please let us know their contact details, and we will send them a free promotional copy (no obligation). We will check first to see if they are already a subscriber. If you would like to write for or send photos to the paper, please contact: editor@workerscharter.org.nz
If you have any questions about the paper, please contact: admin@workerscharter.org.nz

FREE RADICAL WEBSITE HOST ENZYME CALLS FOR DONATIONS, VOLUNTEERS OR PROJECT COORDINATOR
Dear Enzyme users and supporters, Enzyme, the free hosting and free url project for progressive and radical groups in Aotearoa New Zealand, needs your help. After more than five years running the project I am no longer able to pay the server costs. I am also physically unable to properly support the project on my own as I have recently moved to Titirangi where I only have dial-up internet access. My work commitments also meant I was unable to deal with a recent server problem quickly enough when enzyme was (dos'd) attacked constantly and email spam was clogging the sites arteries. I am not only calling for donations, but volunteers and/or a project coordinator who could give the project a new direction and energy. In five years, Enzyme has hosted over 200 websites, continues to host over 40, has donated 78 urls, crashed 5 times and changed server four times. Running the site costs around $800 a year for the hosting and several hundred more for urls each year. Since 2003 the project has cost over $7000. I am eternally grateful for the help given me by volunteers over the years when I've needed time away from the computer.
But the real blow came last year when Solid Energy cost the project a further $2,000 in legal fees when I refused to remove the Save Happy Valley Coalition's mock Solid Energy Environmental Report from their website.
In 2005, I called for donations when I was last in financial trouble. Over $1,000 was raised and it enabled me to get through a financially tough period and back on my feet and supporting the project again. If you're an Enzyme user, don't jump ship yet. I can keep the project running and have the option to slightly downgrade some little used services which will halve the cost of the server. But I still believe there is a lot that can be done with the project and only with new energy from others. It never quite became what I had intended (an online activist web-hub) and it has had a few hiccups over the years, but I think Enzyme has played an important role for those not wanting commercial, advertising-ridden or data-mining Gmail-type hosting and email.
Ok I wanna help, what can I do?
Donations: All donations can be made to: ASB BANK, MR S A OOSTERMAN
12-3061-0238825-000 (You may only need two 0's) Reference ENZYME. The money will only be used for Enzyme. In the likely event that the site is shut down it will be given to another free hosting project.
I want to get involved: Please contact me at: media@ndu.org.nz or call me on +64 9 622 8433 or +64 21 922 551 (between 9am and 6pm, we are out of cellphone range)
Yours, Simon Oosterman, Enzyme Project Co-Ordinator
MICHAEL HOUSTOUN TO PLAY BEETHOVEN'S ' MOONLIGHT ' SONATA AT THE 14TH MANAWATU MAYDAY CONCERT Dion Martin, coordinator of the 14th annual Manawatu Mayday Concert, to be held at the Regent on Broadway, Palmerston North, at 7.30pm on Saturday 3 May, is, "thrilled to announce that one of New Zealand's greatest pianists, Michael Houstoun, has agreed to play Beethoven's ' Moonlight ' sonata , all 16 minutes, 47 seconds"."Michael Houstoun is highly regarded for his performances of Beethoven's music, and what better composer from the world of classical music to feature in a concert that celebrates ' International Workers Day ' than Ludwig van Beethoven? He was one of music's great revolutionaries, believing passionately in freedom from political and social oppression, and in the brotherhood of Man". For more information contact Dion Martin 021 776 029 or 06 3569658 or dion.martin@ndu.org.nz
INVITATION TO VENEZUELA EDUCATION STUDY TOUR
A Collaborative Exchange and Study Tour for Academics, Teachers & Students February 2009
Dear Friends and Colleagues, We would like to invite you to participate in the first Education Exchange and Study Tour of Venezuela. A number of educators here in Australia and internationally have become increasingly interested in the radical education reform currently taking place in Venezuela. The reconstruction of public education has been positioned as a driving force for the wider process of social change manifest in Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution.
It is clear that the changes are providing access to education for many Venezuelans previously excluded from the system, as well as new models of provision and new curricula based on the ideals of a “Bolivarian socialism for the 21st Century.” The early outcomes of this nationwide radical reform of education are certainly inspiring! This educational exchange aims to deepen participants' understanding of these processes in all their complexity, including the successes, the challenges and the relationship between education and the broader process of social change.
This exchange provides a unique opportunity to join educators and students from around the globe, in an investigative and collaborative tour aimed at learning more about Venezuela's revolution in education. The issues and themes of access, equity, school and university community partnerships and education for social change are at the core of our own work and experiences with education, providing a strong basis for the sharing of practice and perspectives. It is also hoped that the exchange can lead to the development of collaboration, new links and projects with institutions, community organisations and unions working in the education sector in Venezuela.
The study tour will take place in January 2009 and will involve a range of meetings (seminars) and visits with educational groups, institutions, and community organisations. The details of the week are to worked out in conjunction with colleagues from the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, and local schools and community organizations in Caracas.
Initial details:
Preliminary dates: January 6 - 14, 2009
Estimated costs: International Airfare ($3500)
Registration fee: $300/$150 concession
Estimated internal travel costs: $150
Estimated accommodation costs: $250
Food is cheap and participants will also have to budget for spending money.
The Study Tour Organising Committee will assist with advice on airfares and accommodation.
The Study Tour is hosted by Dr Tom Griffiths, University of Newcastle, Australia, and Jo Williams, Victoria University, Australia in collaboration with the Bolivarian University of Venezuela. It is supported by Centre for Latin American Solidarity and Studies (CLASS) and the Australian Venezuela Solidarity Network (AVSN), please contact us if you would like to register the support of another organization.
For further details, to contribute ideas and/or to register your interest please contact the organising committee:
Tom Griffiths
Tom.Griffiths [at] newcastle [dot] edu [dot] au
Jo Williams
Jo.Williams [at] vu [dot] edu [dot] au
Roberto Jorquera
roberto [at] latinamericasolidarity [dot] org
Jorge Jorquera
Jorge.Jorquera [at] rmit [dot] edu [dot] au

WHAT’S ON IN AUCKLAND

- Saturday, 19 April 8pm. Maidment Theatre, 8 Alfred St, Auckland CBD
THE HOLLOW MEN - HIGHLY-ACCLAIMED NEW ZEALAND PLAY The Hollow Men comes to Auckland in April for a strictly limited season. Based on Nicky Hager’s controversial book and adapted by Dean Parker, The Hollow Men is at Maidment Theatre, Auckland for ten performances only. The Hollow Men examines the months of Don Brash’s leadership of the National Party leading up to the 2005 election and is a riveting piece of new documentary theatre, a genre which is currently proving to be a phenomenon overseas. The play had its world premiere in Wellington in September last year and among many nominations won a Chapman Tripp Theatre Award for set design. Featuring iconic New Zealand actor Stephen Papps as Don Brash, together with Michael Keir Morrissey, Lyndee-Jane Rutherford, Adam Gardiner, Sam Snedden and Arthur Meek, The Hollow Men seeks to both challenge and entertain in this relevant and topical play. “Exciting, funny and totally absorbing” – Dominion Post. In The Hollow Men, the cast plays a variety of political movers and shakers; many of whom still walk the corridors of parliament and have influence behind the scenes today. Director Jonathon Hendry says The Hollow Men follows an international trend for stories about real events to be played out on the stage. “Shakespeare had great popular hits examining political events on stage with plays such as Julius Caesar and Richard the Third and in recent years, a new form of documentary theatre is selling out theatres on Broadway, at Britain’s National Theatre and at smaller fringe venues everywhere. “Renowned British playwright David Hare (whose play Stuff Happens dramatised events leading up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003) says that ‘theatre using real people has become a fabulously rich and varied strand which, for many years, has been pumping red cells into the dramatic bloodstream’, and the hottest piece of theatre on the international circuit at the moment is the National Theatre of Scotland’s Black Watch, based on real events in Iraq. “We’ve been performing Dean Parker’s highly entertaining adaptation of Nicky Hager’s book to packed houses. It’s fantastic to be able to bring it to Auckland”. Designed by Brian King, Jen Lal, Judith Crozier and Andrew McMillan, The Hollow Men plays at Maidment Theatre, Auckland for a strictly limited season from 10-19 April. Book by phoning 09 308 2383 or online at www.maidment.auckland.ac.nz “Fast and funny theatre” - NZ Herald. “The most impressive new work” – Best of 2007, Harry Ricketts, NZ Listener

Thursday, April 17, 7-30pm, The Peace Centre, 22 Emily Place, Auckland City (close to Britomart)
Film Evening for your diary: Three important short films about the impact of logging on indigenous communities in West Papua. These unique films were made by the communities themselves with some support from Church and environmental organisations. When you have seen these films you will want to support the IHRC campaign against the import into New Zealand of kwila from West Papua!
1."The tears of Mother Mooi" - documents the negative impacts of of logging on the indigenous Mooi people in Sorong West Papua. The film shows how the local people use the forest - their mother- for their essential resources. The film gives voice to their long struggle against the conglomerates and deforestation.
2. "Gaharu - Blessing or disaster " - impact of the harvesting of gahuru trees on a community
3. "Destiny my land" - impact of defrestation on communities in Bituni Bay- inlcuding an alternative model of community logging. Explains why resistance is so difficult in a militarised environment.
Excerpts from the film "Echoes from Indonesia's Forests: Stories from Papua" made by EIA and Telepak will also be shown - EIA and Telepak exposed the West Papua illegal logging scandal in 2005 and tracked the logs through Malaysia and China and on to the luxury flooring markets in Europe. An evening not to be missed. For further information _ maire@clear.net.nz

10 am, Friday April 18 to 3 pm, Sunday April 20, Whai Ora Marae, Otara, Manukau City
Treaty Educators Professional Development Conference to be held in Tâmaki Makaurau, 18 - 20 April 2008. The purposes of this conference are •To support Treaty educators to improve the quality of their practice •To enhance development of a Treaty educator community of practice •To encourage more involvement in ACE Treaty provision. For more information and to register see the attached document or visit www.treatyeducators.org.nz

Friday, April 18, from 5pm to 6pm, outside the AMP Centre, corner Customs Street West and Albert Street, down by the Viaduct. protests at the Super Fund offices in Auckland and Wellington to call on the Fund to divest immediately from companies involved in cluster bomb production. Organised by Investment Watch, for more information contact email omarhamed123@gmail.com

Monday, April 28, 7.30pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St Ponsonby, Auckland.
Left Behind: How social and income inequalities damage New Zealand children. Editors Susan St John & Donna Wynd
Special guest speaker: Tapu Misa Plenty of parking round the back. For further information contact Rachel Somerfield, CPAG NZ Administrator admin@cpag.org.nz or (09) 303-9260.

Thursday, May 1, 5pm, Britomart (Corner of Customs and Queen Streets),
MAY DAY - INTERNATIONAL WORKERS SOLIDARITY DAY
5:00pm Rally @ Britomart - open microphone; 5:30pm March up to Queen Street to Aotea Square to hear keynote speakers. Organised by the NZCTU Auckland May Day Committee.
Monday 12th May: GPJA MONTHLY FORUM – THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn. 7.30pm Maher Mughrabi, Palestinian writer and journalist now working in Melbourne at The Age and a member of the Palestinian Diaspora. This meeting comes just two days before the anniversary of al Nakba – the anniversary of the proclaiming of the state of Israel in Tel Aviv.

Monday, May 12, 5:00pm - 6:30pm, at the University of Auckland in Clock Tower Room TO39, Princes Street
Keith Locke will be giving a PowerPoint presentation on the ‘Geopolitics of Oil’. The talk looks at the problems in the world through the lens of oil politics - past and present. Learn why wars are often fought over oil, and why even the countries that have oil are often burdened by authoritarian government and social inequality. Keith explains how Peak Oil will increase contention for this scarce resource, but is optimistic that we can achieve a more peaceful and equitable world, using more sustainable energy and less beholden to oil interests.
More info, contact: greensoncampus@greens.org.nz

BEST ON THE WEB

NEW ZEALAND
Taxpayers should not be funding private education
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0804/S00222.htm

WORLD
Erosion of Support for Free Market System: Global Poll
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00165.htm

WAR ON FREEDOM
US May Not Release Guantanamo Prisoners Even If Found Innocent of Charges Against Them
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00188.htm
Book Review: The Three Trillion Dollar War – The True Costs of the Iraq Conflict By Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes
http://www.countercurrents.org/miles150408.htm
Semantics Can't Mask Bush's Chicanery By Robert Fisk - Now he's gone a stage further. After announcing victory in Iraq in 2003 and "mission accomplished" and telling us how this enormous achievement would lead the 21st century into a "shining age of human liberty", George Bush told us this week that "thanks to the surge, we've renewed and revived the prospect of success".
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19726.htm

ENVIRONMENT
Jim Hansen, The Big Ice Melt And The Mainstream Media - Thousands of mainstream media articles and commentaries on TV, in newspapers and magazines, inform about climate change Scenario A, but there has been minimal, almost nonexistent mainstream coverage of Scenario B even though its main proponents - James Hansen and his NASA climate science team - have released several papers explaining this nonlinear vision of climate change focusing upon the unpredicted rapid melting of the polar ice caps
http://www.countercurrents.org/henderson150408.htm
Capitalism at stake in climate crisis By Walden Bello
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/JD11Dj03.html

GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS
LET THEM EAT ETHANOL: For the 3 billion people who survive on less than $2 a day, the upward spiral in global food prices has meant a struggle for the right to eat.
http://www.socialistworker.org/2008-1/669/669_03_Ethanol.shtml
Scientists: Food Production Must Benefit The Poor
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00160.htm
Why Food Costs Are Climbing - For the first time in decades, the spectre of widespread hunger for millions looms as food prices explode. Two words not in common currency in recent years — famine and starvation — are now being raised as distinct possibilities in the poorest, food-importing countries. Unlike past food crises, solved largely by throwing aid at hungry stomachs and boosting agricultural productivity, this one won't go away quickly, experts say. Prices are soaring and stand every chance of staying high because this crisis is different
http://www.countercurrents.org/reguly150408.htm
Castro and Chávez Attack US Backing For Biofuels - Leaders say diverting crops for fuel starves poor. Cuba and Venezuela have launched an offensive against biofuels, warning that the US-backed rush towards ethanol will worsen global hunger and poverty.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19730.htm
More Than Three Billion People Condemned To Death From Hunger And Thirst By Fidel Castro - THAT is not an exaggerated figure, but rather a cautious one. I have meditated a lot on that in the wake of President Bush's meeting with U.S. automobile manufacturers.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19729.htm

CHINA
The Tibetan and Uighur struggles for justice
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/746/38568

KOSOVA
Kosova: For an independent bi-national federation
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/746/38615

RUSSIA
Video: With Boris Kagarlitsky, Institute For Globalization and Social Movements, Moscow.
Boris Kagarlitsky on the left and labour in Russia under Putin - Since the collapse of the old Soviet Union in the 1990s and the end of the politically bankrupt regime of Boris Yeltsin in 2000, Vladimir Putin has consolidated power in Russia. He has ruled over an economy growing at about 7% per year, and, in Kagarlitsky's view, establishing Russia as an 'empire of the periphery'. The left and workers have faced enormous challenges in the new (and not so new) Russia in the face of massive economic restructuring and major political obstacles. This discussion will address how the left, workers and unions are attempting to re-group and respond to these challenges.
http://links.org.au/node/333

SOUTH AFRICA
JOHN PILGER - Honouring The 'Unbreakable Promise': Almost fourteen years after South Africa's first democratic elections and the fall of racial apartheid, John Pilger describes, in an address at Rhodes University, the dream and reality of the new South Africa and the responsibility of its new elite.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19706.htm

USA
Longshoremen to close ports on West Coast to protest war
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/09/ED8L101F5U.D...

VENEZUELA
Massive Show Of Support For Venezuelan President Chavez On Coup Anniversary
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3356
Chavez emboldens workers with takeover precedent
http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN1145688120080411?rpc=401&=...