Global Peace And Justice Auckland Newsletter #37, June 12, 2003

Website http://www.gpja.pl.net/ Contact details: Forums - John Minto, (09) 8463173 mailto:jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor - Mike Treen 0212547440 / 3616989 mailto:miket@pl.net Web page - Geraldine Peters (09) 3570655 mailto:bern@ihug.co.nz Donations can be sent to GPJA, Private Bag 68905, Newton, Auckland. All communication regarding the GPJA mailing list (email or snail) should be addressed to mailto:gpjamailinglist@xtra.co.nz

Dear friends,

The decision by the New Zealand government to join the occupation of Iraq has been condemned by GPJA and others but warmly welcomed by the United States. The government claim that this is separate from the US/UK occupation is belied by the fact that the NZ troops will be operating under British command from the occupied city of Basra. There have been continual protests in Basra against their occupation and the people there are not going to distinguish between British and NZ forces as they fight for their freedom. (See "Basra protest against British presence" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2972308.stm and "No to British rule over Basra", "We can rule ourselves" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2954096.stm)

We are having a SPECIAL GPJA FORUM with Bill Rosenberg speaking about media ownership and control in NZ this Tuesday, 7.30pm at the Trades Hall. There will be a GPJA ORGANISING MEETING at 6.30pm just before the forum. If you are interested in the SOCIAL FORUM AOTEAROA conference planned for November this year come along to a briefing by Pat Hanley from the Wellington-based organising committee this Monday, 5.30pm, Unite Office in the Trades Hall. (See "What's On in Auckland" below for details).

MESSAGES

RED AND GREEN #1: Just out is the first issue of Red and Green: the Journal of Left Alternatives. Contents of issue 1 include: "The Iraqi War of Liberation" by Jill Ovens and Mike Treen; "NZ's Secret Military Links" by Nicky Hagar; "The WTO, War and Globalisation: Forever" by Aziz Chaudrey; "Serving Whose Interests" by Jane Kelsey; "NZ to Join Iraqi Occupation" by Mike Treen; "Labour and the War on Iraq" by Keith Locke; "History Lessons for an Historian" by John Minto; "The Road to Wigan Pier revisited" by Quentin Findlay; "Fear Loathing and Distrust: Frames for War" by David Cooke; "Fences and Windows" by Naomi Klein; "Come September" by Arundhati Roy; plus interviews and reviews by Cathy Casey, Len Richards, Geraldene Peters and Bernard Gadd. This 160-page book is available for just $10. Subs are $40 for 4 issues. Available from the Unite Office, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd or write to Private Bag, 68905, Newton. Add $3 for postage if ordering single issues by mail.

A 45-minute presentation for secondary students and community groups, CRISIS IN IRAQ: CHALLENGE TO DEMOCRACY looks at the facts before, during and after the war on Iraq. What precedents have been set and how might we be affected? What is the status of the UN and international law? How has the mainstream media aided the pro-war camp, what kind of news are we receiving and how is this impacting world opinion? Has the RULE OF LAW been replaced by the RULE OF FORCE? I am an ex-secondary schoolteacher trying to get information out to a more general audience to counter the biased mainstream media's US-centric, corporate perspective. For more information please contact Jeff Memler mailto:jpld@paradise.net.nz

NGAWHA PRISON

Tena Koe. On Sat 31st there was a big hui and hangi at the occupation. It was a day of reconciliation, those that had already been trespassed/arrested were given assurance they could return for the day, and there were maybe more than 100 people. It was good to have the kids all running around again and there was another hui planned for Wed 4th, the actual one year anniversary of last year's arrests. Unfortunately, one individual merely visiting the noho acted that morning to set a broken-down truck on the noho site on fire. It was at 5am, without informing anyone, while the others slept.

This is the sort of thing that Corrections is waiting to jump on, and John Hamilton issued a 24hour notice of eviction following this, calling it a breach of health & safety. Anyway, I think the lawyers acting on behalf of the noho directed by Annette Sykes have been managing damage control to stop the eviction & further arrests. Strategies are being discussed to continue the occupation long-term (for 2 years if necessary), and to re-invigorate the local support. The local community initially had a petition (one of 3), which got about a thousand signatures within a few days opposing the prison. Unfortunately a copy was not taken and it got "lost" when passed on to Corrections.

The occupation with its kaupapa of Noho Rangimarie needs the support of other communities, to stop the desecration of wahi tapu/urupa land, and unite against the building of this future for us all, and for our children. The invitation to visit is extended to everyone opposing the prison construction, and for those who wish to give koha support there is a bank account at Westpac Trust (savings) - Noho Rangimarie 03/0334/0200328-25. This is different from the account that was opened at the end of last year, which has now been closed. Contact for the noho chairman Thomas Dalton is 021 2337961, or the acting secretary Kataraina Wihongi at the email above (cc) and also 09 4052366 or 021 0351799. I am happy to be contacted at any time for further information. Thank you for your concern. Arohanui, Karyn Amoore 09 3584105, 025 417209

ENZYME:Invitation to help develop an electronic community space and collaborative information commons. Enzyme is inviting interested individuals or groups to help in the development of this new project. Enzyme will be an: electronic community space for collaboration, interaction and networking between existing groups and concerned individuals for the discussion and creation of an open content information commons, resource site, projects incubator and open content/copyleft/free and open source advocate for community groups. If you want to be part of this exciting new project go to: http://www.enzyme.org.nz

PALESTINE: We have the world largest variety of Palestine solidarity items - visit us at: http://www.sambartrading.com

WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Monday, June 16, 5.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn SOCIAL FORUM AOTEAROA. Briefing by Pat Hanley convenor of the Social Forum organising committee in Wellington. Come along and get involved. Contact Mike Treen (see above) for more info.

Monday, June 16, 5.45-7pm, Staff Room, Centre for Language, 2nd Floor, A Block, Auckland College of Education, Epsom (entrance via Gate 3, 74 Epsom Ave.

HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK meeting. For more info email mailto:manager@nsa.org.nz

Monday, June 16, 7.30pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby. ACEH THE NEW EAST TIMOR?’ The political background, the human rights crisis and how NZ can help. Speakers include: Margaret Taylor, Amnesty International; Keith Locke, Foreign Affairs spokesperson for the Green Party. Plus a video of the Aceh peoples struggle. Organised by Pax Christi and the Indonesia Human Rights Committee. For more info email mailto:paxnz@xtra.co.nz or mailto:maire@clear.net.nz

Monday, June 16, 7.30pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby. HOW POVERTY IS AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’. Professor Innes Asher, head of the department of paediatrics at Auckland University and specialist respiratory medicine at Starship Hospital, speaks at the CHILD POVERTY ACTION GROUP AGM. The business of the meeting will be prior to the presentation, supper will follow. For more info contact Janet McAllister, ph 3635503 or email mailto:janetm_work@yahoo.com

Tuesday, June 17, 6.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Newton. GPJA ORGANISING COMMITTEE. All welcome.

Tuesday, June 17, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Newton. SPECIAL GPJA FORUM with BILL ROSENBERG, researcher and writer on foreign investment, trade and New Zealand's economic relationship with the world, speaking on "WHO OWNS NEW ZEALAND'S NEWS MEDIA. CAN WE AFFORD TO LET THEM OWN OUR NEWS?" Bill Rosenberg researches and writes CAFCA and other organisations. His articles have been published in newspapers, magazines and books in New Zealand and overseas. He has a broad knowledge of overseas investment in New Zealand, writing a monthly commentary on the decisions of the Overseas Investment Commission.

Wednesday, June 18, 12noon-1pm, WT1406, School of Communication Studies Arts Faculty Building, cnr Rutland & Wakefield Sts, Auckland University of Technology. BILL ROSENBERG speaking on same topic above.

Wednesday, June 18, 6pm, Stone Lecture Theatre, School of Law, Auckland University, 9 Eden Cres. WHEN CANNONS ROAR DOES THE LAW STAY SILENT’. International law and the use of armed force at the beginning of the 21st century, with SIR KENNETH KEITH, President of the NZ Institute of International Affairs and judge of the NZ Court of Appeal. Fore more info ph 3737599 x87035.

Wednesday, June 18, 7.30pm, Ferndale House, 830 New North Rd, Mt Albert. THE JOURNEY TO PRISON: WHO GOES AND WHY’. Movement for Alternatives to Prison annual Allan Nixon Lecture with guest speaker CELIA LASHLIE. For more info contact Jean Stewart ph 8460226

Saturday, June 21, 12 noon, Friends Meeting House, 113 Mt Eden Rd. WINTER SOLSTICE LUNCH with WOMENS INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM. Good food, entertainment, and speakers. For more info contact Joan Macdonald ph 3608001 or email mailto:joanmac@pl.net

Thursday, June 26, 7pm, Room 039, Clocktower Building, 22 Princes St. 'TOGETHER AGAINST TORTURE', a seminar to discuss: what international law is in place protecting people from torture and how effective has the 1987 UN Convention against Torture been? How does New Zealand fare in the international scene? Is it supporting regimes and governments that covertly or overtly torture their citizens? How has the 'war against terrorism' impacted on people's rights and freedoms? Refugees, who have experienced torture, will tell their stories and a representative from AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL will discuss the role of their organisation in the global fight against torture, one of the least reported, yet most serious, human rights violations. The seminar convener is HEVAL HYLAN, a refugee from Iraq who is qualified as a lawyer both in Baghdad and in New Zealand, and who works closely with the refugee community and liases regularly with the government. Organised by the Centre for Continuing Education at The University of Auckland in recognition of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Free entry. For more info contact Jo Davies, Programme Coordinator, Community Education, Centre for Continuing Education, tel (09) 373 7599 x88693 or email mailto:je.davies@auckland.ac.nz

Saturday, June 28, 3pm, Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall, 13 May Rd, Mt Roskill. Forum: PEACE IN SRI LANKA - a follow-up of the Symposium 'Land, Language and Culture of Tamils in Sri Lanka' held 17 February 2002. Asia 2000 New Zealand award winning media official TAREK BAZLEY of Radio New Zealand has visited Sri Lanka and will report on the ongoing peace process. Organised by the FEDERATION OF TAMIL ASSOCIATIONS OF NEW ZEALAND, for more info contact email mailto:george_nzts@hotmail.com

Monday, June 30, 7pm, Alleluya, St Kevin's Arcade, Karangahape Rd. MEDIA SCREENINGS: Culture Jam, Jill Sharpe; Globalisation and the Media, Undercurrents; and CELL anti-ads, Cell Art. Organised by AOTEAROA INDYMEDIA (Auckland), for more info contact email mailto:bern@ihug.co.nz

Friday, July 4, 5.30pm, US Consulate, Customs Street, Downtown Auckland INDEPENDENCE FROM THE USA’. A protest against the US occupation of Iraq to mark Independence Day in the US.

BEST FROM THE WEB The Progressive response: An alternative news source from the US that specialises in preparing background material criticising US foreign policy. Published as a regular email newsletter. http://www.fpif.org/progresp/volume7/v7n17.html

WMD AND LIES, LIES, LIES Disarming Iraq, UN report by Hans Blix http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0306/S00131.htm Iraq: How Bush, Blair and Howard lied about WMD http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0306/S00076.htm Straw, Powell had serious doubts over their Iraqi weapons claims Secret transcript revealed http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,967548,00.html No weapons in Iraq? We'll find them in Iran http://www.sundayherald.com/34271 http://www.sundayherald.com/34272 Revealed: How Blair used discredited WMD 'evidence' UK intelligence chiefs warned claim that Iraq could activate banned weapons in 45 minutes came from unreliable defector http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=411301 The lies that led us into war ...Glen Rangwala shows how the UK and the US manipulated UN reports - and conjured an anthrax dump from thin air http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=411300

PILGER, FISK, ROY AND PENN The Day of the Jackals, by Arundhati Roy http://www.alternet.org/print.html?StoryID=16051 Robert Fisk: Bloodshed, fear and a deadly ambush http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=3737 Robert Fisk: Censorship of the press in Iraq http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=3758 John Pilger: WMD will be on Blair's political headstone http://pilger.carlton.com/print/132979 Sean Penn: Actor pours scorn on Bush and Iraq conflict http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Guardian/0,4029,967739,00.html

THE LOOTING OF IRAQ Privatising Iraq http://inthesetimes.com/comments.php?id=205_0_2_0_C Bechtel: Profiting from Destruction: Why the Corporate Invasion of Iraq Must be Stopped By CorpWatch, Global Exchange, Public Citizen http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=6975

RESISTANCE GROWS US Soldiers face growing resistance http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A37082-2003Jun9?language=printer The troops are afraid to go out at night http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=3706

THE LEGACY OF WAR Revealed: the cluster bombs that litter Iraq http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,968161,00.html Dumb bombs used to topple Hussein http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/02/1054406130502.html Behind the victory, a power struggle that drains life from a weary people The untold stories of how no electricity means no water, which means disease http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,965942,00.html

THE WAR ON DEMOCRACY Now dissent is immoral’ http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,968375,00.html Civilians, rights activists targeted in terror war http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0306/S00022.htm

REGIME CHANGE THEN AND NOW The last time the US changed Iran's regime http://www.counterpunch.org/faruqui05282003.html Wolfowitz admits Gulf war planned days after September 11 http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0306/S00005.htm

PALESTINE A Cage for Palestinians: A 1,000 km fence pre-empts the road map http://www.iht.com/ihtsearch.php?id=97522&owner=(IHT)&date=20030528124325

THE US NUCLEAR BUILDUP AND GLOBAL MILITARY REACH Bush's nuclear policy: illogical, ineffective and dangerous http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/nuclear_weapons/page.cfm?pageID=1106 The ever-growing US military footprint http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF10Ak01.html

LATIN AMERICA Latin America could become a new Vietnam http://in.news.yahoo.com/030518/43/24f11.html Collision in Venezuela http://www.newleftreview.net/NLR25505.shtml

BIOTECH BULLIES Bush's biotech bullies vs the World, by Aziz Choudry http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0306/S00002.htm

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