GPJA: Tues: Hear Septer Manufandu from West Papua
GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER #241, June 2, 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.
To access the newsletter online go to: http://gpja.org.nz/ This will allow people to link directly through articles until we fix the problem with the newsletter format.
Kindly forward this newsletter to your friends and encourage them to join this mailing list @ http://www.gpja.org.nz/
Kia ora koutou,
GPJA won’t be having a forum this month but are urging people to attend the following forum Tuesday night.
SEPTER MANUFANDU FROM WEST PAPUA
Your chance to hear a prominent community leader, human rights defender and advocate for the preservation of West Papua's Paradise forests. Septer Manufandu is: Executive Secretary of Foker: the NGO Cooperation Forum in West Papua (covering 64 NGOs); (Foker advocates for cultural and human rights, and development strategies that empower the people); Former Director of Yalhimo (a community development agency committed to land rights and environmental sustainability; A member of the Biak tribe; A forestry graduate from Cenderawasih University Jayapura;
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Tuesday 3 June Auckland: 7-30 pm St Columba Centre 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby, Contact Maire Leadbeater 09-815-9000 or 0274-436-957
Wednesday June 4 Whangarei : Details to follow - Contact Tim Howard: 09 434-6633
Globally, tropical deforestation accounts for approximately 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and Indonesia is the world's third largest emitter largely due to deforestation. The pristine rainforests of West Papua are losing out to the palm oil industry and the powerful illegal logging barons. New Zealand is complict in this devastation because we continue to permit the import into New Zealand of West Papua's illegally logged kwila ( also known as merbau) a species on track to extinction if current extraction continues. Contact Maire Leadbeater 09-815-9000 or 0274-436-957 for further information: Kevin Mcbride paxnz@xtra.co.nz or Maire Leadbeater maire@clear.net.nz
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, "A fight is going on inside me...It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, pride and superiority. The other wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside of you and every other person too."
They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?" The old Cherokee simply replied..."The one I feed."
"I hate it when they say, 'He gave his life for his country.' Nobody gives their life for anything. We steal the lives of these kids. We take it away from them. They don't die for the honor and glory of their country. We kill them." - Admiral Gene LaRocque.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE CONFERENCE 2008 - 8th - 11th JUNE 2008
'Te Tatau Pounamu ¬ The Greenstone Door: Traditional knowledge and gateways to balanced relationships'.
The Conference focuses on traditional indigenous concepts, values, ideals, models and strategies for sustaining balanced and healthy relationships within and across families, communities, nations, nation-states, local, regional and global borders, territories and environments. The Conference will provide opportunities to discuss indigenous strategies for sustaining relationships between collectives and over generations, for resolving conflict, for peace-making, reconciliation and restorative justice. There will also be opportunities to share what has been learned from diverse contexts around the world about how indigenous models, values, concepts and processes have been incorporated into state or government initiatives and with what impact for indigenous peoples. The international conference with associated community workshops and satellite meetings enables us to bring together in dialogue a wide range of participants, perspectives, voices, frameworks and models for understanding indigenous frameworks.
Website: www.indigenous-peace-conference-2008.ac.nz
Contact email: indigenous-conference@auckland.ac.nz
“BASES OF EMPIRE – THE GLOBAL SPREAD OF US MILITARY AND SPY BASES” with international guest Cora Fabros
Touring NZ July 2008. Recent events have propelled the Waihopai spybase into the spotlight. It is a US spybase in all but name and NZ’s most important contribution to all US wars. Cora Fabros, from the Philippines, is a veteran activist with the anti-bases, anti-nuclear and peace movement. She is the Asia/Pacific Coordinator of the International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases. The US is on a global war footing and the Asia/Pacific region is of immense strategic significance. This is the region that Cora will be speaking about. In Japan (particularly Okinawa) and South Korea the huge US presence covers the full range from nuclear warfighting bases to conventional combat bases to a whole variety of spybases. Despite having been kicked out of the Philippines in the early 90s, the US military is back. Guam, a US territory, has been turned into a major nuclear warfighting base. Australia has given the US permission to build its first new spybase in 40 years. NZ hosts a US military transport base (at Christchurch Airport); and two “New Zealand” spybases, at Tangimoana and Waihopai. NZ’s role as a small, but vital, US satellite must be exposed, and the covert links ended. Cora’s tour provides the regional context for how we aid and abet the US military and intelligence empire.
DUNEDIN Tuesday July 8, 7.30 p.m, Alexander MacMillan Room, Dunedin Community House, 283 Moray Place Kay Murray, (03) 4542057, 021 1672843, email: ksimmondsmurray@xtra.co.nz
CHRISTCHURCH Wednesday 9, 7.30 p.m., Oxford Terrace Baptist Church Hall, cnr Madras St & Oxford Terrace. Murray Horton (03) 3663988, 0274 307742 email: cafca@chch.planet.org.nz
BLENHEIM Thursday 10, 7.30 p.m., Wesley Centre, 3 Henry Street. Steffan Browning 021 725655, email: sjb@steffan.co.nz
WELLINGTON Monday 14, 5.30 p.m., St Johns in the City, Main Hall, cnr Willis & Dixon Sts. Sam Huggard (04) 8033054, 021 1810508 email: samhuggard@yahoo.co.nz
PALMERSTON NORTH Tuesday 15, 7 p.m. PSA House, 1st Floor, 43 King St. Dion Martin (06) 3569658 w, 021 776029 w; email: dion.martin@ndu.org.nz
AUCKLAND Wednesday 16, 7.30 p.m, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn & Thursday 17, 5-6.30 p.m., WT0032, AUT Tower Building, 2 Rutland Street. Del Abcede, (09) 3787543, 021 02376917; email darobie@hotmail.com
DONATIONS ARE NEEDED to help with tour costs. Please make cheques payable to ABC, Box 2258, Christchurch.
Anti-Bases Campaign, Box 2258, Christchurch, New Zealand. cafca@chch.planet.org.nz
www.converge.org.nz/abc
VENEZUELA SOLIDARITY GROUP UNDERWAY
Buenos dias everyone, A quick review from our last meeting on Tuesday 13 May at Auckland Latin American Community Art Centre (ALACAC): Nelson Davila send his solidarity to VAMOS and says if there is anything we need, he's just an email away. Group decided to go with the name VAMOS-Venezuela Aotearoa Movement Of Solidarity, which also means 'Let's go!' in Spanish. The Auckland branch will be called VAMOS Auckland. AVSN(Australian Venezuela Solidarity Network) are sending a BRIGADE TO VENEZUELA from November 20-30 2008. This will coincide with the regional elections in Venezuela. The May brigade met with union officials, Ministers of the Chavez government, visited health centre, met with Cuban doctors, places where the missiones are evolving, meet with student activists at universities and visited factories as well as Bolivar's house. You will need to budget $5000, this includes airfares, accommodation, food, personal expenses, and the registration fee which includes transport, guides and translators If you are interested in attending, please let me know or visit http://www.venezuelasolidarity.org
A national website is in the process of being made. The address is http://www.vamosnz.blogspot.com , we hope for it to be up and running in a weeks time, if its not, please be patient. If people want to have articles /photos / information added, please send to juliavioleta@gmail.com If people can volunteer to help from different cities please let Julia know. Julia will put the word out in the next national newsletter for a National Organiser, we need a volunteer/volunteers to coordinate the nationwide committees. Film Screening of Now The People Have Awoken. We have the film. Suggestions to have two film screenings in a months time. Will book ALACAC for one night and Auckland University (Can anybody hep with that?). Date TBA. Delegate responsibilities to VAMOS Auckland enthusiasts at next meeting. NEXT ORGANISING MEETING: TUESDAY 27TH MAY 7:30PM - 8:30PM, Auckland Latin American Community Art Centre, 37 Selwyn Street, Onehunga. Hasta luego! Julie Espinoza. Email vamosauckland@gmail.com
VENEZUELA DOCUMENTARY MADE BY KIWIS
The VenezuelaDoc website is now up and running. It contains information about the film Now The People Have Awoken, screening at the Human Rights Film Festivals around the country, as well as extra information about the Bolivarian revolution transforming Venezuelan society. The website is another useful resource for countering the biased reporting of the US-led corporate media. The address is http://www.venezueladoc.com/
INVITATION TO VISIT UNITYBLOGNZ.COM
Greetings, The challenge for the broad left in Aotearoa is to build a credible mass-based alternative to corporate control of this country. This is a goal that UNITYblogNZ.com - a political blogsite hosted by Socialist Worker - is committed to. Building a grassroots movement that's vibrant, confident and smart requires the free exchange of ideas. Therefore we invite individuals and organisations in Aotearoa to consider UNITYblog a resource of the broad left. We feature regular postings on important events, issues and debates, drawing from a range of sources both internationally and locally. To get a taste of the content on UNITYblog, below are a selection of links to recent postings. UNITYblog is a forum for healthy debate between activists. If you wish to contribute an article (short or long) in the interests of broad left unity please email to editor@unityblognz.com And please make comments on posts. We have an open ID policy for comments, but moderated to exclude personal, sectarian or idiotic content.
I hope you will be a regular visitor and contributor. In solidarity, Vaughan Gunson, Editor of UNITYblog, editor@unityblognz.com 021 0415 082
BASTION POINT BLOG
Whina Te Whiu has created a great blog website for people to leave their comments about their memories of Bastion Point, wherever you were at that time. click on the link and have a look. I think you need a gmail account to contribute but thats pretty easy to set up . I just followed the directions and it seemed easy to me, so if I can do it, its not that hard! If you can take a few minutes to add your thoughts it will provide a great record and resource for those who cannot be with us on May 25.
http://bastionpoint.blogspot.com/
BASTION POINT EXHIBITION MAY 19-30, LEVEL 2, CENTRAL CITY LIBRARY, LORNE ST, CITY
Auckland City Libraries and Ngati Whatua have joined forces to bring together the Bastion Point Exhibition: 30 years on…..a history of the eviction and reoccuppation at Takaparawhau. This is an exhibition using photographic images, media commentary of the time and emphemera (posters). A programme can be viewed on the library website: http://www.aucklandcitylibraries.com/exploreyourcommunity/events/bastion
CAFCA NOW HAVE A BLOG
Material is regularly posted there by CAFCA, the Anti-Bases Campaign and kindred groups. Join the discussion!
Murray Horton, Secretary/Organiser, CAFCA, Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa, Box 2258, Christchurch, New Zealand. The address is www.watchblogaotearoa.blogspot.com
cafca@chch.planet.org.nz / www.cafca.org.nz
FOREIGN CONTROL WATCHDOG 117 APRIL 2008
http://www.converge.org.nz/watchdog/17/index17.htm
INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE “50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRIUMPH OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION”
Dear Friends: Next year the Cuban Revolution will arrive to its 50th anniversary: 50 years of solidarity and friendship between Cuba and the peoples of the world. From October 5th through 19th this year, our Institute will welcome the “50th Anniversary of the Revolution” International Brigade and friends coming from all over the world will enjoy this unique opportunity to celebrate this important date in Cuba. The program prepared for this celebration includes visits to places of historical, cultural, educational and social interest. Lectures, with updating information, will give you an accurate picture of the Cuban reality. Venues for visits and tours included in the program will be Havana City, Santa Clara, Granma and Santiago de Cuba provinces. Part of your stay comprises 8 nights at the “Julio Antonio Mella” International Camp (CIJAM), located in Caimito Municipality, 45 km from Havana City, where you are going to be offered comfortable conditions to satisfy the needs of collective life. Six other nights in the Sierra Maestra Hotel will also be part of your stay. The full cost of the stay is 370 CUC (Cuban Convertible Pesos), which will cover for your accommodation in eight- person rooms at CIJAM; three meals a day; in and out airport transfers; and transportation to all the activities you are going to be part of during the 15 days of the Program. Optional visits are not included in the package’s price. The cost for an additional night stay in CIJAM is 10.00 CUC. Stay periods of less than 7 days will not be allowed. By attending the Brigade, a member is committed to comply with the Program and to keep a proper behavior, discipline and living together standards. The consumption of drugs or any other hallucinogenic substances is totally illegal and penalized by the prevailing legislations in our country. We are looking forward to hosting you!!!!
Asia-Pacific Division, Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, Email: dasia@icap.cu Tlf: (53-7) 838 2430
INVITATION TO VENEZUELA EDUCATION STUDY TOUR
A Collaborative Exchange and Study Tour for Academics, Teachers & Students January 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 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
Tuesday, June 3, 7.30pm, Saint Columba Centre 40 Vermont St Ponsonby
West Papua: IHRC and Pax Christi host Septer Manufandu. Your chance to hear a prominent community leader, human rights defender and advocate for the preservation of West Papua's Paradise forests. Septer Manufandu is:
Director of Yalhimo (a community development agency committed to land rights and environmental sustainability)
Executive Secretary of Foker: the NGO Cooperation Forum in West Papua (covering 64 NGOs). Foker advocates for cultural and human rights, and development strategies that empower the people. Major logging conglomerates continue to push the deforestation agenda because they want more land to establish palm oil plantations. Greenpeace estimates that Indonesia had the fastest pace of deforestation in the world between 2000 and 2005, equivalent to 300 soccer pitches of forest destroyed every hour. New Zealand is complict in this devastation because we continue to permit the import into New Zealand of West Papua's illegally logged kwila ( also known as merbau) a species on track to extinction if current extraction continues. For further information: Kevin Mcbride paxnz@xtra.co.nz or Maire Leadbeater maire@clear.net.nz
Thursday, June 12, 11am-1pm, Takapuna War Memorial Hall, 1-7 The Strand, Takapuna, North Shore, Auckland
Shakti Comunity Council Inc.is holding our 13th AGM. On behalf of Shakti, I am extending this invitation to you and your colleagues to attend this event and be informed about Shakti's progress made in the last financial year as well as our future plans for the coming years. Would greatly appreciate your presence at our AGM. With warm regards
Shila Nair, National Coordinator, Shakti Community Council Inc & Member Organisations, Phone: 09 6345426 / 021 02240595
Sunday 29 June. 2.30pm at St Columba Centre, Vermont St, Ponsonby
Human Rights and the Olympics. Speakers:- Simon Reeves, Jeremy Pope, Carole Curtis and we will try to get Louisa Wall as an eminent sportsperson. Human Rights Foundation asked to provide a chairperson. HRN Forum.
JULY GPJA FORUM: HEAR CORA FABROS SPEAK, WEDNESDAY JULY 16, 7.30PM, 147 GREAT NORTH RD, GREY LYNN
“BASES OF EMPIRE – THE GLOBAL SPREAD OF US MILITARY AND SPY BASES” with international guest Cora Fabros
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Hon Tariana Turia - Viet Nam apology
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http://www.trc.org.nz/resources/media.htm
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Matt McCarten: Politics masquerades as research as you'd expect in election year
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Inquiry into Taser-related deaths before decision
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Hone Harawira: Young Offenders Bill
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John Minto: New Zealand should take up the cause of the Palestinians
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John Minto: There is no shortage of food, the problem is the price
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ENVIRONMENT
Billions wasted on UN climate programme - Energy firms routinely abusing carbon offset fund, US studies claim
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/26/climatechange.greenpol...
The World Food Crisis by Harry Magdoff
http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/17742
Social change to stop climate change
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/752/38894
Case Against Climate Change Discredited By Study By Steve Connor
http://www.countercurrents.org/connor290508.htm
OIL PROFITEERING
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http://www.countercurrents.org/nader300508.htm
What To Do About The Price Of Oil By Robert Weissman - Current pricing arrangements are generating profit gushers for the large, integrated oil companies — ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco and the like. While the price of oil is going up, these companies’ drilling expenses are not. Oil can trade at $40 a barrel, $90 a barrel, or $130 a barrel. It still costs ExxonMobil and the rest of Big Oil only about $20 to get a barrel of oil out of the ground
http://www.countercurrents.org/weissman300508.htm
REVIEW
Peter Hallward. Damming the Flood: Haiti, Aristide and the Politics of Containment Verso Press. 2008 - Reviewed by Roger Annis
http://www.socialistvoice.ca/?p=297
AFGHANISTAN
Counterinsurgency or colonialism? In practice, I found, it looks and sounds a lot more like old-fashioned colonialism. In the tents of Naray, I had the distinct feeling that I had strolled into Uttar Pradesh at some point after 1858, in the early days of the British Raj.
http://tinyurl.com/6gpn2s
AUSTRALIA
Stats reveal poverty, not abuse
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/752/38877
Afghanistan — an unjust war: Despite the April 27 death of Lance Corporal Jason Marks, the fifth Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion, and subsequent allegations of the mistreatment of Afghan prisoners of war by Australian troops, the there are no plans to withdraw any of the 1000 Australian troops from Afghanistan.
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/752/38879
BOLIVIA
Indigenous Demands Overshadowed by Autonomy Movement
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Analysis: Morales gives foreigns ultimatum
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Local Indigenous Leaders Beaten and Publicly Humiliated
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COLUMBIA
Homage to Manuel Marulanda by James Petras
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Interpol's Report Confirms that the Supposed FARC Computers Were Manipulated
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CUBA
Cuba: A Half-Century of Distorted News and Counting . . .
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The Immortal Ideas of Marti - Reflections by Comrade Fidel
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Cuban sting shows US diplomat handing over cash to dissidents: Cuba has accused Washington of illegally funding opposition groups on the island after conducting an elaborate sting on a dissident who met a US diplomat.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/24/cuba.usa
Cuba and the ’independent journalists’
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/752/38871
The Politics of Unequal Exchange - The Buying of "Democracy" Agents in Cuba. Under US law (Logan Act) "Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."
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EGYPT
Video: Living on the breadlineIn the first of our week-long series on the world food crisis, Shehani Fernando travelled to Cairo, where she met the Said family, struggling to get by following the recent increases in food and fuel prices
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2008/may/27/cairo.food
EL SALVADOR
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IRAQ
Tony Benn: A Million or More Dead: The destruction of Iraq continues; its people killed amidst bombings and atrocities, a million or more dead, many more than two million driven from their homes, the social and economic infrastructure shattered. In Afghanistan the US military is spending $65,000 a minute and there are four times as many air strikes than in Iraq.
http://tinyurl.com/388fhw
IRELAND
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MEXICO
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PERU
Indigenous Organisations Aim for the Presidency
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SINGAPORE
‘Guest workers’ or modern slavery?
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SOUTH AFRICA
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USA
After Bobby Kennedy By John Pilger - Bobby Kennedy's campaign is the model for Barack Obama's current bid to be the Democratic nominee for the White House. Both offer a false hope that they can bring peace and racial harmony to all Americans.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20015.htm
"Turmoil in U.S. Credit Markets: Examining Proposals to Mitigate Foreclosures and Restore Liquidity to the Mortgage Markets" - Testimony of Dean Baker Co-Director, Center for Economic and Policy Research Before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
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VENEZUELA
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