#259: Wed 12 noon: Rally for living Wages @ McD's QSt
GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER #259, November 4, 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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All out! Rally for Living wages for McDonald’s workers!
Meet: 12noon, Wednesday 5th November @ Queen St McDonald’s, Queen St, City
Bust the Pay Gap rally for higher pay
All of the McDonald’s restaurant owners and bosses will be meeting on Wednesday November 5th in Auckland to decide whether they will give union members pay rises and secure hours.
Currently many of the bosses, especially those from stores that have had strikes, are saying they will vote for the company to give the union members pay rises. But some bosses haven’t got the message yet that McDonald’s workers need fair pay and decent working conditions.
This Wednesday is our best chance to secure the same pay and conditions for McDonald’s workers that we did at Restaurant Brands.
Unite Union is asking all of its members and supporters to attend a protest rally outside Greenlane McDonald’s this Wednesday to let the company know that “we’re not loving it” on minimum wage with no guaranteed hours.
So if you aren’t working come down to the rally and if you are working then get in touch with your organiser to help organise a strike at your store that day.
We will be burning a straw Ronald McDonald as it is Guy Fawkes! And we’ll be asking Mark Hawthorne, McD’s Managing Director to walk the walk after he said that $12 an hour was a living wage. Come on Mark, you try live on minimum wage!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ~ Action alert ~
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/decl0908.pdf
TREATY APPLICATION IN COMMUNITY GROUPS. Treaty Resource Centre Kotare Trust, Learning by doing.
Kotare Trust and the Treaty Resource Centre are pleased to announce an innovative course supporting community groups wanting to apply the Treaty of Waitangi in their own organisations. It will be offered in Auckland, based on a
model of Treaty application being developed by the Treaty Resource Centre. The purpose of the course is not only to promote understanding of Treaty application but also to develop a community of practitioners who can support
each other. Because the emphasis is on learning by doing participants will need to be in organisations that want to take action to extend their Treaty engagement. Specifically, participants will be expected to undertake tasks between each of the course sessions. Learning depends on reflection on practice. While it is recognised that
organisations may not be able to undertake application strategies in all four areas during the year, it is expected that they will attempt some of them.
COURSE STRUCTURE
The course is structured as follows (actual dates negotiated to suit participants):
Day 1 (early December 2008): reviewing basics about Treaty of Waitangi, introducing a model for applying it in organisations: tasks – simple, organisation self-audit, prioritising organisation’s equity issues
Day 2 (mid-February 2009): approaches to addressing equity issues: tasks – action on equity, prioritising organisational issues in relation to ‘knowing self’
Day 3 (2-3 months later): approaches to organisational self-awareness: tasks – action on self-awareness, prioritising organisation’s issues for ’working with other’
Day 4 (2-3 months later): approaches to ‘working with other’: tasks – action on ‘working with other, prioritising organisation’s issues for developing Treaty relationships
Day 5 (2-3 months later): approaches to developing Treaty relationships: tasks – action on developing Treaty relationships; overall reflection
Day 6 (2-3 months later): reflection on the work, the model, the programme, how to support each other in the future
REQUIREMENTS
Thanks to funding support from the ASB Trust, there will be no fees for this course, but each organisation involved will be expected to: • have already made a commitment to applying the Treaty • make a commitment to trying some strategies over the year between the first and last sessions of the course • release 2-3 people to attend all the sessions and support them to undertake some tasks in the organisation (summarised above); these people may be in governance, management, staff and/or member roles, paid and/or unpaid
CONTACT
If your organisation might be interested, please contact Christine Herzog asap; email is easiest (coordinator@trc.org.nz), also phone (09 274 4270)
WHAT’S ON IN AUCKLAND
Wednesday, November 5, 7.30pm, Aotea Chapel, Methodist Central Mission, Queen St (Opposite Town Hall)
PUBLIC FORUM ON GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: Sen. Bob Brown; Jeanette Fitzsimons (with commentary from Prof Tim Hazledene and Donna Wynd). Chair: John Minto. The Green Party has organised this event to inform the political debate on what will undoubtedly impact on the New Zealand economy and individuals. We hope people will be informed and have a forum which will deepen their understanding of the Global Crisis and possible solutions.
Friday, November 7, 5pm, outside Britomart then Marching to the Australian Consulate
FREE LEX WOTTON NOW "SOLIDARITY IN AUCKLAND" - AUSTRALIAN Aboriginal activist Sam Watson has called for major rallies in cities across Australia in response to Palm Island Aboriginal man Lex Wotton being found guilty on October 24 of “rioting with destruction”. This is an Auckland action called in solidarity.
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/772/39826
Free Lex Wotton Now on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32952863226
Saturday, November 15, 6.30pm, Ponsonby Community Centre
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: Are you interested in freedom? It's a gift that must be shared. It's collaborative, reciprocal and mutual. Protecting the right to freely express ideas without fear of attack, arrest, or other persecution, has been at the heart of International PEN's work since it was formed in 1921. The sharing of ideas through music, poetry and personal stories builds bridges of understanding between peoples. These bridges cross political, geographical, ethnic, cultural, religious and other divides. The US and 'P-4' (NZ, Chile, Singapore and Brunei) are to begin negotiating a free trade agreement. The US strongly advocates the interests of its own entertainment industry in these deals. This will have serious implications for writers and publishers, libraries, TV and radio, film-makers, museums, booksellers. Come and hear Jane Kelsey spell out the implications for NZ's culture sector. Enjoy an Indian Tabla player, Chinese vocalists, Latino Sounds, ten poets, political speakers and personal stories woven together by MC Nicola Legat. You are invited to join the members of the NZ Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) for an exciting evening of Music, Poetry & Politics. The programme will be preceeded by a free screening of An Individual Mind, a 90 min documentary by Rex Bloomfield. Refreshments available from 6.30pm. Commemorate Courage Day, 15th November at the Ponsonby Community Centre. Kind regards, Sue Gee, Organiser, tel 09 8363 099
Saturday, November 22, 9.00 am - 1.00 pm, Somervell Church Centre, 497 Remuera Rd, (corner Greenlane and Remuera Roads)
Pacific Women’s Watch [NZ]invites you to a Conference. Honouring the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Promoting Peace and Justice in NZ; Overcoming Discrimination in Media, Health/Education, Community Violence. Keynote Speaker: Rosslyn Noonan, Chief Human Rights Commissioner
Other speakers: Judi Clements, CE Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand; Jane Drumm, Executive Director of Preventing Violence in the Home; Ruth Thomas, School of Communications, Auckland University of Technology
Morning tea will be provided; car parking is available – ALL WELCOME # Registration by 14 November would be appreciated – $20 – Please write cheque to PWW[NZ] & post to P.O. Box 99464, Newmarket, Auckland 1149. [There is some discretionary funding for unwaged]Inquiries: Jane 538 3727 or Christine 278 4373, mobile 0274 394 395 or Shakti 634 5426, 636 8514. 25 November is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and White Ribbon Day.
Wednesday, November 26, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn
HEAR AFRIDAL DARMI, HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER FROM Aceh Director LBH Aceh (LBH- Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation). Mr Darmi is a graduate from Syah Kuala University, Banda Aceh and Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago. He is an expert on post-conflict reintegration, and community peace-building. He has played a leading role in major peace projects involving local government and local and international NGOs. Mr Darmi was appointed a team leader of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Indonesia Human Rights Committee, PO Box 68-419, Auckland maire@clear.net.nz
Saturday, November 29, 9.30am-4.30pm, Engineering School, 20 Symonds Street
GOING GREEN 2008 - GREEN “HOW TO’S” FOR EVERYDAY LIVING: Going Green is a day of free interactive seminars by leading environmental experts for green conscious but slightly confused consumers. This event has been organised by The University of Auckland. This free public event is designed to educate and promote green living practises and provide environmental insights for the way we work, play and live. Topics covered include ‘How to Buy Green’ and ‘How to Renovate Green’ through to ‘How to Travel Green’ and ‘How to Have a Green Funeral’. For more information and to register visit Going Green also have 28 exhibition spaces (2 sizes) for businesses to purchase. These spaces are available for ‘green conscious’ businesses who want to reach a cross section of green minded consumers. If you are interested in exhibiting please visit out website and/or contact :
Carlee Atkin Ph: (09) 3737599 ext: 89539 Email: conference-sec@auckland.ac.nz
Saturday, DECEMBER 6, 2pm, QEII Square, Customs Street and Queen St intersection, Downtown Shopping Centre
RALLY FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE IN PALESTINE On the First Saturday of Every Month. Come support JUSTICE and PEACE based on: 1. End 41 years of Israeli Occupation of the West Bank & Gaza Strip (including East Jerusalem) ;
2. Right of Return for Palestinian Refugees. 3. Share Jerusalem. 4. Vacate all settlement colonies in Israeli occupied Palestine. 5. Stop Israel's annexation / apartheid wall in occupied Palestine www.palestine.org.nz
Saturday, December 6, 9am-5pm, Unitec, Mt Albert
UNVEILING THE VEIL/MUSLIM HEADSCARF: A 1-DAY WORKSHOP. Muslim Expert to conduct 1-day workshop on Muslim Hijab/Headscarf in December. A 1-DAY Workshop has been organised for all those seeking clarity on the ever-confusing and controversial issue of the Muslim headscarf. All those, Muslim and non-Muslim, who would like to understand the philosophy and practice of the hijab/headscarf are invited to come along with their questions, concerns or perspectives - there will be time set aside for questions and answers throughout the workshop.
Please visit the RMDT EVENTS page for more information, and to register now - places are limited. COST: $30 (waged) $20 unwaged. (Further details upon registration). REGISTER: now at www.rmdt.org.nz
Sunday, December 7, 1.30-5pm, Unitec, Mt Albert
INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM CO-OPERATION PLANNING
Co-operation between followers of the world's two largest faiths - Christianity and Islam - has always been held obvious importance for the world. Christians and Muslims, through their largely similar moral and ethical values, are able to pull together an enormous variety of diverse peoples under a single umbrella. It is hoped that such an umbrella unites as many people in New Zealand for projects that benefit our wonderful country, and the world.
An initial stragic planning session held earlier this year by the Council of Christians & Muslims and Rasheed Trust set the original foundation for local practical cooperation. This was attended and facilitated by reknowned workers and academics in the area. A planning session following on from that is now intended to identify and plan towards projects that will benefit our city and country. REGISTER: now at www.rmdt.org.nz
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.” - Gore Vidal:
BEST ON THE WEB
WAR OF TERROR
Will Obama end Bush's `war on terror'?
http://links.org.au/node/720
No charges but US may never release Guantánamo Chinese: Seventeen Chinese prisoners who have been held for nearly seven years in Guantánamo Bay will be informed on Monday that they could spend the rest of their lives behind bars, even though they face no charges and have been told by a judge they should be freed.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/01/guantanamo-china
Robert Fisk: Scandal of six held in Guantanamo even after Bush plot claim is dropped: The White House may intend to save itself further embarrassment by ending the torment of six more apparently innocent young men.
http://tinyurl.com/5pm2pe
WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS
One in five homeowners with mortgages under water: Nearly one in five U.S. mortgage borrowers owe more to lenders than their homes are worth, and the rate may soon approach one in four as housing prices fall and the economy weakens, a report on Friday shows.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE49S3Q520081031
U.S Gap Between Rich and Poor Widening! Now that the U.S.A. has discovered that only Mexico and Turkey had poverty rates higher than the 30-country study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, what if anything will be done to help the U.S. poor obtain health care?
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21129.htm
Wall Street Bonus Madness: Wall St. has created such an "obscene" standard of compensation that the big shots really believe "it's hard to live on just a half million dollars a year." This does not appear to be much of an exaggeration. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported securities-industry employees averaged $400,000 a year in salary alone last year."
http://www.counterpunch.org/heller10302008.html
WORLD ENVIRONMENT
The Truth About Rising Seas By John James
http://www.countercurrents.org/james311008.htm
BOLIVIA
US intervention exposed
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/773/39852
Unprecedented alliance defeats right-wing assault (now with audio)
http://links.org.au/node/710
ECUADOR
Ecuador 'Clear' Signs of CIA Infiltration: An Ecuadorean presidential commission has concluded that U.S. intelligence services infiltrated the Andean nation's military and police and supported a cross-border incursion by Colombian troops that killed a top rebel commander.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21127.htm
PAKISTAN
US airstrikes kill 27 Pakistan civilians: A pair of missile strikes hours apart killed at least 27 civilians Friday at Afghanistan-Pakistan border, only days after Pakistan stressed that America must halt using Predator drones.
http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=260432&n=27
PALESTINE
Avraham Burg: Israel's New Prophet: Avraham Burg was a pillar of the Israeli establishment but his new book is causing a sensation. It argues that his country is an "abused child" which has become a "violent parent". And his solutions are radical.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21133.htm
UN envoy slams Israel's Palestinian house demolition: The UN special envoy to the Middle East on Saturday expressed alarm at Israel's resumption of Palestinian house demolition in the occupied West Bank, warning it undermined peace efforts.
http://tinyurl.com/6bpu8d
Execution Of 47 In Kafr Qassem Commemorated By Jonathan Cook
http://www.countercurrents.org/cook301008A.htm
VENEZUELA
‘Our votes are for Chavez and the revolution’
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/773/39856
WEST PAPUA
Between October 15-17, 2008 thousands of West Papuans held rallies for self-determination in several parts of this Melanesian nation that has been occupied by Indonesia since 1962. More (including pics):
http://www.asia-pacific-action.org/node/206