Global Day of Action on Military Spending, 17 April 2012

Peace Movement Aotearoa

16 April 2012

Last year global military expenditure was more than $1,630 billion (US), on average more than $4.5 billion a day. By way of contrast, an average of more than 24,000 children under the age of five die every day from mainly preventable causes - lack of access to adequate food, clean water and basic medicines. This is one of the prices paid, the collateral damage that is seldom talked about, for maintaining armed forces in a state of combat readiness around the world.

This message is to invite you to take part in the second Global Day of Action on Military Spending, 17 April , there are three sections below:

1) Come along to a Global Day of Action event - one in Tauranga on 16 April, two in Wellington on 17 April, and one in Auckland on 17 April.
2) Getting involved in the Global Day of Action, and
3) Background information.

This message is available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams12.htm

1) Come along to a Global Day of Action event

There are four events this year: one in Tauranga, two in Wellington and one in Auckland:

* Tauranga, Monday, 16 April - Global Day of Action supporters will be outside Cafe Bravo, in Red Square (corner Willow Street and Spring Street), from 11am until 2pm with Global Day of Action leaflets and posters, and white poppies for anyone who would like to make a donation to the White Poppy Peace Scholarships. RSVP on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/271358749618081

* Wellington, Tuesday, 17 April - Leafletting for the Global Day of Action, join us from 12.30pm to 1.30pm at Midland Park (corner Johnston Street and Lambton Quay). If you can help, or for more information, please contact Peace Movement Aotearoa, pma@xtra.co.nz RSVP on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/369179103125867

* Wellington, Tuesday, 17 April - Public forum on government spending priorities, join us for a discussion on: * Children’s health and wellbeing, speaker Dr Anne Else, Child Poverty Action Group * Overseas development assistance, speaker Tara D’Sousa, International Programmes Manager, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand * Military expenditure, speaker Edwina Hughes, Peace Movement Aotearoa. From 5.30pm to 7pm, light refreshments at 5.15pm, First floor conference room, St Andrew’s on the Terrace, 30 The Terrace (entry via the pathway on the north side of the church). For more information, contact Peace Movement Aotearoa, pma@xtra.co.nz RSVP on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/361823690522947 An A4 poster for this event is attached and available online at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams12forum.pdf

* Auckland, Tuesday, 17 April - Leafletting for the Global Day of Action, join us from 4.30pm to 5.30pm at Britomart (on the western, Downtown side near the Quay Street corner). Organised by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Pax Christi, if you can help, or for more information, please email wilpf@xtra.co.nz RSVP on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/148736941922646

2) Getting involved in the Global Day of Action

Peace, social justice and human rights groups around the world are involved in the Global Day of Action and we will be joining together on 17 April to focus public, political, and media attention on the costs of military expenditure and the need for different spending priorities.

There are many ways that can get involved in the Global Day of Action, and here are some:

Add your organisation to the list of supporters: if you would like your organisation listed as a supporter of the Global Day of Action and of the urgent need to change spending priorities away from funding armed forces towards meeting human needs, please send your details to email pma@xtra.co.nz with 'Global Day of Action' in the subject line and we will add you to the list of supporting organisations at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams12s.htm

Supporting organisations for the 2012 Global Day of Action are: Amnesty International, Tauranga Moana; Anglican Pacifist Fellowship; Pax Christi Aotearoa New Zealand; Peace Movement Aotearoa; Social Justice Council, Anglican Diocese of Auckland; United Nations Association Aotearoa New Zealand, Northern Region Branch; Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Aotearoa; and the Yearly Meeting of Aotearoa New Zealand Religious Society of Friends, Te Haahi Tuuhauwiri (Quakers).

Supporting individuals: you can add your name as an individual supporter of the Global Day of Action by RSVP'ing to the event listing on the Peace Movement Aotearoa Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/events/342424252461836

Resources: the A4 ‘Time for action on military spending’ poster and the ‘Time for action on military spending’ leaflet - which includes global and national military spending figures, some information about militarism and militarisation, and some questions about why NZ has armed forces - are available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams12.htm The poster and leaflet will be updated with the 2011 global military spending figures at midday on Tuesday, 17 April. Global resources are available on the international site at http://demilitarize.org/category/fact-sheets

Help distribute the advertising flyer: a flyer (which can be printed as A4, then cut to A5) is available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams12flyer.pdf - your help to distribute the flyer through your networks would be appreciated.

3) Background information

The Global Day of Action was started by the International Peace Bureau, based in Geneva, and the Institute for Policy Studies, based in Washington DC, in 2011. The April date is chosen to coincide with the release of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's latest figures on world military expenditures.

Peace Movement Aotearoa has been the national contact in Aotearoa New Zealand for the Global Day of Action since its inception and is part of the Global Day of Action International Steering Committee.

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