#336: GPJA Palestine Forum + Water Privatisation Mtg

GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND
NEWSLETTER No. 336, June 29, 2010

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Website: https://gpjanz.wordpress.com/
Contact details:
Forums – John Minto, Work: (09) 845 2132, Home 09 846 3173 jbminto
Newsletter Editor & Website – Mike Treen 0295254744 mike
Donations can be sent to GPJA, P O Box 7175, Wellesley St, Auckland.

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GPJA FORUM THIS MONTH

Two Monday forums this month. The water privatisation forum is in the normal first Monday of the month timeslot for GPJA Forums so we are holding ours on the second Monday.

Monday, July 5, 7.30pm, Freemans Bay Community Centre, 52 Hepburn St Ponsonby
PUBLIC MEETING: Stop Privatisation! No corporate control over our water. Investigate United Water’s 7 NZ contracts. (Refreshments / networking 9.30 – 10pm) All welcome – bring friends. http://www.stopprivatisation.org.nz

Monday 12 July (note the change to second Monday in July) Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, 7.30pm.
GPJA Monthly Forum: “Organising Solidarity with the People of Palestine”. Speakers: Mike Treen: GPJA spokesperson and long-time activist supporting the Palestinian struggle. Tuma Hazou: Palestinian refugee whose family fled Jerusalem after El Nakba (the catastrophe) in 1948 established the Jewish state of Israel in Palestine. A speaker from Students for Justice in Palestine. After last month’s brutal, cowardly attack on the humanitarian flotilla bringing aid to Gaza the meeting will look at ways we can extend support and solidarity to the people of Gaza and the West Bank.

Solidarity with the locked out Rendezvous Hotel Auckland Workers
The housekeeping staff of the Rendezvous hotel have been locked out since Thursday 17 June. These are low paid workers. Their pay rates start at the minimum wage ($12.75/hr) and the impact of this lockout is very harsh on them and their families. The workers have not had a payrise since May 2008. Rendezvous offered them a 1.5% payrise (less than the cost of living) until March 2012. But it was conditional on withdrawing existing entitlements that they fought hard to win. For most of the workers, the payrise would be worth around 20 cents an hour, but to get the ‘payrise’ the Rendezvous wants them to give up some of their sick leave. All these loyal staff are asking for is a payrise that keeps up with the cost of living. It’s only fair. The Rendezvous workers need your support!…. you can: • Phone the Rendezvous Hotel on 0800 887 808 OR; email: gm.auckland@rendezvoushotels.com and ask them to do the right thing by these workers. • Donate food or money to the SFWU office in Auckland. • Come along to pickets in Auckland. Phone the SFWU on 0800 864 661 (0800 UNION1) for times. • You can also donate by internet transfer to: Bank a/c no 02-0264-0293900-000 Ac name: The Service And Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota Inc. Reference: Rendezvous

Hammer the Pokies
GPJA is still on the quest for 200 people willing to take part in a civil disobedience exercise whereby they register their hammers for a “hammer the pokies” protest. We have around 40 people registered so far but to be successful we need a lot more. There are over 20,000 pokie machines in local communities (non-casino pokies) which are sucking the lifeblood from low-income areas (over half the machines are in the poorest third of communities). Families coping with pokie addicts in the recession just adds to the misery of whole communities left behind by growing inequality. We’d like GPJA members to help spread the word. You can get a copy of the campaign flyer, register your hammer or for more information email johnminto or phone John at 8463173.

Wanted For Corporate Greed! Every Saturday, 1pm, JbHifi, Queen St, Auckland
Blockade and Boycott- Queen Street JB Hifi- please pass on to your networks. Friday 4 till 6pm then saturday 1 till 4pm. Support low paid workers fighting for a Living Wage. Week 8 of the Queen Street protest, and 5,000 customers have now signed the petition to boycoptt JB Hifi, until they pay the workers a 50c increase. Big Day of Action on JB Hifi this Friday and Saturday- invite your friends- appealing for everyone who can to come down. Bring drums, horns, vuvzelas, pots, pans, klaxons. its gonna be NOISY. Workers at JB Hi-Fi haven’t had a pay rise in 3 years, and now earn only 75c more than the new minimum wage. JB Hi-Fi is making record profits – up 29% this year to an estimated NZ$140 million. CEO Richard Euchtritz has dismissed the workers’ pay claim of a 50 cents per hour raise as "absurd" at the same time he has taken a NZ$1 million bonus, bringing his net pay to $4 million. The NZ workers pay claim amounts to just under $200,000 per year to the company. "Our manager told me that I would never get a pay rise if I stayed with the . There was a lot of pressure put on me to resign. Now they’ve cut down on the areas I used to sell on in our store. It’s unfair- I’m rejoining the union and striking to stand up for my rights," explained Unite member Jack Lucas.
THE STORY SO FAR-
Picket One- noisy clangers. http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=yAmj4baCj8I
Picket Two- corporate Cowboys. http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=XFtM_x5GOD4
V for Vendetta- Mall Strike! http://www.youtube. com/user/ palestinehumanri ghts#p/u/ 9/yqLSkHfwwRw
and the action that started it all off- http://www.youtube. com/user/ palestinehumanri ghts#p/u/ 17/woFniEw1FcY
now if i could only find some Vuvuzelas

WHAT’S ON IN AUCKLAND

Saturday, June 26, 7pm, Polish Club, 1 McDonald Street , Morningside (corner of Ethel St )
An invitation to: The Great City Vision Celebrity Debate – a City Vision Fundraiser. Moot : "The more things change, the more they remain the same". MC: Mike Lee. Meet the City Vision candidates for the upcoming election and enjoy a fun evening with our celebrity speakers. If you can’t make it, buy some tickets anyway and give them away to friends or just make a donation (you can do it straight into the City Vision bank account – see below). 7pm for drinks and nibbles. The debate will start at 7.30pm. Affirmative team: • Cr Richard Northey, • Bob Tizard, CNZM, • Dr Joce Jesson. Negative team: • Metiria Turei, MP, • Jacinda Ardern, MP, • Darren Hughes, MP. Cost is $25 per person which includes delicious nibbles throughout the evening ($10 unwaged). There will be a fundraising cash bar selling wine, beer and soft drinks. You can pay on the night or you can purchase your tickets online: NAME: City Vision ACCOUNT NUMBER: 38 9007 0461177 00 (Kiwibank). Please include areference to "celebrity debate" tickets. Any questions? Please feel free tocontact: Cathy Casey cmcasey0274 744 231 09 845 1952 or Bruce Kilmister bruce@bodypositive.org.nz 021 633373, 09 376 8656

Thursday, July 1, 6.30pm, Functions Room, Student Union Quad(underneath Shadows Bar), University of Auckland (cnr of Princes Street andAlfred Street)
Public Meeting: The case for MMP – At the 2011 general election New Zealanderswill be asked to decide if MMP should be retained. Attend this public meetingand learn more about the successes of MMP and how you can help to retain it forour shared future. Dr Sandra Grey of the Campaign for MMP ( http://www.campaignformmp.org.nz/about/ourspokesperson) will be presenting the case for MMP in this informative session. As anacademic, her research has focused on the participation of groups in a healthydemocracy. This is an important event for anyone who cares about representativedemocracy and the ability of groups and individuals to contribute within thissystem. If you require directions or more information, then please contact:Patrick Rooney, Contact person for the Campaign for MMP (Auckland) votemmp.auckland@gmail.com

Friday, July 2, 10am, Please gather in Tnenuirangi (meetinghouse), at Waipapa Marae, The University of Auckland
Professor Arturo Arias, The University of Texas at Austin speaks on "Indigenismand Indigeneity: Contemporary Maya History and Culture". Professor Arias wasnominated with three co-writers for an Academy Award for Best Original Scriptfor the film El Norte, (1986) about Mayan immigrants to the US.

Monday, July 5, 7.30pm, Freemans Bay CommunityCentre, 52 Hepburn St Ponsonby
PUBLIC MEETING: Stop Privatisation! No corporate control over ourwater. Investigate United Water’s 7 NZ contracts. (Refreshments / networking9.30 – 10pm) All welcome – bring friends. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Penny BrightWater Pressure Group Spokesperson; Tony Holman North Shore City Councillor;Alan McCulloch Grey Power Auckland Regional Director; Phil Twyford LabourAuckland Issues Spokesperson; Winston Peters Leader of NZ First. INVITEDSPEAKERS: Rodney Hide Minister for Local Government; Mark Ford AucklandTransition Agency Executive Chair; Green Party speaker; National Party speaker;Maori Party speaker.
www.stopprivatisation.org.nz

Wednesday, July 7, 7.30pm, Fickling Centre, 546 Mt Albert Rd, ThreeKings
AUCKLAND PUBLIC MEETING: Kia Ora Gaza-KIWI AID TO GAZA – On 31 May 2010, a Gazaaid flotilla was hijacked on the open sea by Israel’s military. Ninecivilian aid workers were shot to death. To break the siege of Gaza, on 12thSeptember mass aid convoys will set off from London by sea and land. We want tosee Kiwi volunteers and aid go with them. Kia Ora Gaza is raising funds to makethis possible. Please give your support. Write a cheque for ‘Kia OraGaza’ and post to: Kia Ora Gaza, PO Box 59-007, Auckland. Email: grantmorgan@paradise.net.nz

Wednesday, July 7, 7-9pm, 19Newton Road (back of ECONZ building at Urban), Auckland
FILM FUNDRAISER: Hello lovely friends – So this is a fundraising event for ahome for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds in Peru…these kids are so cool,I spent 3 weeks with them last year in October and they are amazing. However,the home is poor and to keep doing their work they need support! We’ll bescreening Motorcycle Diaries, a movie about Che Guevara before he was famous.It is a rad movie. (AND IT"LL BE ON A PROJECTOR which makes it for evencooler). Hopefully you will have finished exams by this time and can come hangout and have a good time. There will be baking and hot drinks available fordonation (if you feel like bringing baking to support, many thanks if this isyou ). $5. We’ll start the movie at 7.30. Bring cushions and pillows if you sodesire comfort but are too peace loving to fight it out over the couches.

Monday, July 12, 7.30pm, (note the change to second Monday in July)Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn
GPJA Monthly Forum: “Organising Solidarity with the People ofPalestine”. Speakers: Mike Treen: GPJA spokesperson and long-timeactivist supporting the Palestinian struggle. Tuma Hazou: Palestinian refugeewhose family fled Jerusalem after El Nakba (the catastrophe) in 1948established the Jewish state of Israel in Palestine. A speaker from Studentsfor Justice in Palestine. After last month’s brutal, cowardly attack onthe humanitarian flotilla bringing aid to Gaza the meeting will look at ways wecan extend support and solidarity to the people of Gaza and the West Bank.

Monday, July 26, 7pm, St Columba Centre, 40 VermontSt Ponsonby, Auckland.
CPAG AGM: Child poverty and current politics: Looking ahead with Sue Bradford– Guest Speaker. 7:00 pm AGM business. 7:45 pm guest speaker. Plenty ofparking is available on site. For further information contact Julie Timmins,CPAG Administrator admin or(09) 303-9260.

Tuesday, August 10, 5.30pm, University of Auckland BusinessSchool
Reshaping the NZ economy – What will fix NZ’s econpomy? Seminar with Dr RickBoven, Director of the NZ Institurte; Selwyn Pellet, CEO. Sponsor NZ FabianSociety http://www.fabians.org.nz

Wednesday, September 1, 8pm, St Kevins Arcade, K road
David Rovics returns to Auckland on Sept 1st 2010. Come check him out, alongwith special guests, at the Wine Cellar. Tickets on the door for $20. DavidRovics grew up in a family of classical musicians in Wilton, Connecticut, andbecame a fan of populist regimes early on. By the early 90’s he was a full-timebusker in the Boston subways and by the mid-90’s he was traveling the world asa professional flat-picking rabble-rouser. These days David lives with hisfamily in Portland, Oregon and tours regularly on four continents, playing foraudiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union hallsand protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who’s who ofthe left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on DemocracyNow!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly onCounterPunch, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web havebeen downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he’s really good.He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolutionirresistible. http://www.davidrovics.com/

September 29-30, Telstra Clear Pacific Events Centre, ManukauCity
JUST ACTION CONFERENCE: Just Action is for all those with a heart for TheSalvation Army’s mission to fight suffering in all its forms, to speakout and act against injustice, and to be a force for justice, faith and mercyin the world. Here’s some information to bring you up-to-date on plansfor next year’s Just Action Conference, ‘The Power toChange’, which is being held as part of Mission 2010, a combined congressof The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory. Full Conferencedetails and registration information will be available next year. For moreinformation, contact Major Ian Kilgour, The Salvation Army Social Policy andParliamentary Unit. p: (09) 261 0883 or e: ian_kilgour@nzf.salvationarmy.orgPlan to join us and explore how the Gospel can bring international, national,community and neighbourhood change. Plan to join us and explore how the Gospelcan bring international, national, community and neighbourhood change.SPEAKERS: Jim Wallis is a best-selling author, publictheologian, speaker, preacher and international commentator on religion andpublic life, faith and politics. He is President and Chief Executive Officer ofSojourners, where he is editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine. DaveAndrews, Coordinator for training with the Community InitiativesResource Association, and educator-atlarge for TEAR Australia. Dave, his wifeAnge, and their family, have lived and worked in intentional communities withmarginalised groups of people in Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India andNepal for more than 30 years.

Thursday, November 4, 9am-5pm, Conference Room 1 – Copthorne HotelAuckland City 196 – 200 Quay Street
Globalisation and Labour in the Pacific: Re-evaluating the 1890 Maritime Strike9.00-5.30pm, Thursday 4 November 2010 SYMPOSIUM INVITATION Organised by theAuckland Labour History Group and the Labour History Project In associationwith the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History and NZWALMI. Paperswill be presented on the 1890 strike, its broader political and historicalimpact, the nature of Pacific Rim connections in the labour market and betweenlabour organisations, lessons for contemporary labour relations in the maritimeindustry in the Pacific, and the impact of globalisation generally in PacificRim labour relations. Attendance: All welcome. Fee: $40 includes lunch andrefreshments. All registrations to Ann Williamson at nzwalmi@aut.ac.nz Information subject tochange

ANNOUNCEMENTS

KIA ORA GAZA – KIWI AID TO GAZA
Gaza’s 1.5 million people are imprisoned by the state of Israel in agiant concentration camp. The Israeli military enforces a blockade of essentialsupplies. There is terrible suffering, especially among the children. Thecitizens of Gaza face collective punishment, which is illegal underinternational law. On 31 May 2010, a Gaza aid flotilla was hijacked on the opensea by Israel’s military. Nine civilian aid workers were shot to death.To break the siege of Gaza, on 12th September mass aid convoys will set offfrom London by sea and land. We want to see Kiwi volunteers and aid go withthem. Kia Ora Gaza is raising funds to make this possible. Please give yoursupport. Write a cheque for ‘Kia Ora Gaza’ and post to:• KiaOra Gaza, PO Box 59-007, Auckland. Or make a payment directly into our bankaccount:• Kia Ora Gaza, 03-0211-0447718-000, Westpac Bank, Onehungabranch. Encourage your family and friends to make a personal donation. Appealto • organisations you are involved with to make an institutionaldonation. All funds raised by Kia Ora Gaza will be audited by a professionalwho is independent of our bank trustees. Email: grantmorgan@paradise.net.nz

BE MORE THAN JUST A TOURIST! JOIN THE SOUTHERN CROSS BRIGADE TOCUBA: DEC 27, 2010 TO JAN 20, 2011
Join the 28th Southern Cross Brigade and support Cuba in the mostdirect manner by working alongside Cubans, visiting unions, schools, hospitals,cultural sites, performances & urban agriculture projects, learning thesalsa, meeting Cubans, fraternising with other international guests and havingfree time in Havana. You will experience at first hand the cultural, politicaland social conditions in socialist Cuba. This year’s program will giveparticipants an opportunity to join in the celebration of ICAPs (Cuba Institutefor Friendship With The Peoples Of The World) 50th anniversary & theongoing success of the Cuban Revolution. Find out more at http://www.cubasolidarity.org.nz; registerat wkcultur (037324010) or Ina at inashina@clearnet.net.nz ((093031755). Cost: $1100 (after July 31st, $1200) – excluding airfare, taxes andhealth insurance.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN CAMP FOR CLIMATE ACTION 2010?
Hello Climate Campers, Over the next few weeks, folks all around the countrywill be meeting up to discuss an exciting proposal for a 2010 Climate CampGathering. If you would like to get involved; please get in touch by sending anemail to your closest contact point…
Auckland: auckland.climatecampnz@lists.coactivate.org
Wellington: wellington.climatecampnz@lists.coactivate.org
Christchurch: christchurch.climatecampnz@lists.coactivate.org
Dunedin: dunedin.climatecampnz@lists.coactivate.org
Taranaki: taranaki.climatecampnz@lists.coactivate.org
Whangarei: whangarei.climatecampnz@lists.coactivate.org

THE ROGER AWARD – NOMINATIONS OPEN
The Roger Award For The Worst Transnational Corporation operating in NewZealand has run annually since 1997. There are no prizes for guessing whom itis named after. It is organised by CAFCA and GATT Watchdog, bothChristchurch-based groups. New The winner(s) of the 2009 Roger Award wereannounced at a Wellington event on Thursday 11 March 2010. The winner of theRoger Award was the bank ANZ. "ANZ has succeeded in winning the 2009 RogerAward because the ING funds fiasco is simply and plainly ‘pure greedcapitalism’ at its worst" said the Judges’ Statement. Auckland CityCouncil and its officials won the Accomplice Award for “helping tocontract out Auckland’s waste management to Transpacific and thereforeacting as a template for future transference of public assets into privatehands”. A background to the Roger Award was given at the event by MurrayHorton, CAFCA secretary/organiser. The judges for 2009 were: Paul Corliss, fromChristchurch, a life member of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union; ChristineDann, from Banks Peninsula, a writer and researcher; Bryan Gould, from Bay ofPlenty, a former Waikato University Vice-Chancellor; Joce Jesson, a SeniorLecturer in Critical Studies in Education, University of Auckland and anactivist in various community organisations; and Wayne Hope, AssociateProfessor, Communications Studies, Auckland University of Technology. They weregiven a shortlist of finalists. For the record, the nomination form, whichincludes criteria and details of how to make a nomination, is available here inWord(54 KB) or PDFformat (164KB). Criteria are also below. The judges have awarded prizes forrunners up, continuity and collaborators over the years. The Award hasattracted considerable interest since its inception (even from the corporatemedia), and has had a succession of distinguished and completely voluntaryjudges. The events to announce the winners have become highly memorable intheir own right.
http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/publications/Roger/index.html

DAVID ROVICK TOUR OF NZ: AUG 20 – SEPT 1
Friday, August 20th, Canterbury University, Christchurch
Saturday, August 21st, Sammy’s, Dunedin.
Sunday, August 22nd, 8 pm, Venue Dux de Lux, Christchurch
Thursday, August 26th, Riverside Community and Cultural Centre, Motueka
Saturday, August 28th, Newtown Community Centre, Wellington. Don Franks will bedoing an opening set
Tuesday, August 31st, Biddy Mulligans Irish Bar, Victoria Street, Hamilton
Wednesday, September 1st, The Wine Cellar, Auckland

AFGHAN WAR FOR CHRISTCHURCH STAGE JULY 16—AUG 14.
329BC, Alexander the Great conquers Bagram, crossroads of Asia.
1839, the British army takes Kabul.
1970, a kiwi hippie gets stoned on quality hash beneath the Hindu Kush.
1980, the Socialist Action League organises a meeting in the Wellington TradesHall to explain Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.
2010, a New Zealand army unit sets out on a mission to the Chagai hills,southern Afghanistan….
All of this in “The Perfumed Garden,” a New Zealand play aboutAfghanistan, opening at The Forge / The Court in Christchurch, July16—Aug 14. http://www.courttheatre.org.nz/index.cfm/0,26,231,html?previewid=241

JOIN THE 2010 NATIONAL ELECTIONS BRIGADE TO VENEZUELA SEPTEMBER 17 -28, 2010
The Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network’s brigades to Venezuela are aonce-in-a-lifetime experience – the opportunity to see first-hand an unfoldingrevolution that is not only radically transforming the lives of Venezuelans,but challenging the greed, exploitation and destructiveness of globalcapitalism by showing that a better world is possible. A special feature of theSeptember 2010 brigade will be observing Venezuela’s vigorous democracyin action. The brigade will coincide with Venezuela’s next NationalAssembly elections, on September 26th, enabling brigadistas to observe the lastweek of campaigning – including the traditionally huge election ralliesheld on the weekend before – and polling day itself. As well as observingthe national elections, brigade participants will experience Venezuela’sparticipatory democracy at work, with visits to communal councils and communes.They will also visit worker-run factories and cooperatives; free, high-qualitypublic health and education services; Indigenous-run sustainable developmentprograms; and community controlled media stations. During the 10 days,brigadistas will have the opportunity to speak to a wide range of grassrootsorganisations, community activists, trade unions and government representativesabout the radical changes being implemented by the Venezuelan people. The 2010national elections brigade is the 11th solidarity tour to Venezuela organisedby the AVSN. Reports and photos from previous AVSN brigades are posted athttp://www.venezuelasolidarity.org. We are also happy to put you in touch withpeople who have participated in AVSN brigades, if you would like to find outmore.
Brigade registration and costs
The deadline for registering for the 2010 National Elections brigadeis July 1, 2010. To express interest in participating and obtain a registrationform, please contact brigades@venezuelasolidarity.orgParticipants will need to book their own international airfares, but the AVSNcan help with advice. Accommodation, transport and English-Spanish translationwithin Venezuela will be organised for all brigade participants. You will needto budget for a total cost of approximately $4000. This will cover:international return airfares and taxes (approximately $2500 from Sydney);accommodation (twin-share basis); transport and basic food while you are inVenezuela; and the brigade registration fee ($500 for workers, $300 forstudents or pensioners). For more information, email brigades@venezuelasolidarity.orgor phone Lisa Macdonald +61 413 031 108, Jim McIlroy +61 423 741 734 or RobertoJorquera +61 425 182 994.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"HOPE has two children.The first is ANGER at the way things are. The secondis COURAGE to DO SOMETHING about it." – St. Augustine

"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Troubleno one about his religion. Respect others in their views and demand that theyrespect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in yourlife. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare anoble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give aword or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, ifin a lonely place. Show respect to all people, but grovel to none. When yourise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for yourstrength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see noreason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing,for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. Whenyour time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear ofdeath, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more timeto live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, anddie like a hero going home." by: Tecumseh -(1768-1813) ShawneeChief

BEST ONTHE WEB

NEW ZEALAND

Future proofing the welfare system – Sue Bradford – Welfare WorkingGroup Forum http://ips.ac.nz/WelfareWorkingGroup/Downloads/Sue-Bradford-Future-proofing-the-welfare-system.pdf

A web site has been developed called Welfare Watch as “a place forprogressives to monitor and discuss the activities and ideas of the WelfareWorking Group”. See http://welfarewatch.org.nz/

Locked out Rendezvous Hotel workers – bed making challenge

New Zealand could learn a lot from Cuba http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/columnists/john-minto/3837598/New-Zealand-could-learn-a-lot-from-Cuba

Gordon Campbell: On Our Costly And Futile Efforts In Afghanistan Routinely,we are told that the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) inAfghanistan’s Bamiyan province has been doing a great job, which is whythe Listening Project report released earlier this month is so interesting,because the project team asked Bamiyan residents themselves for comment… http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2010/06/21/gordon-campbell-our-costly-efforts-in-afganistan

FYI: John Key at Zionist celebration http://www.doingzionism.org.il/about_us/activity.asp?id=454

Save the Auckland Suffrage Memorial http://www.youtube.com/pavingparadise

Taxpayers Face $1.1 Billion Kyoto Liability http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1006/S00231.htm

Maori youth urged not to give DNA samples http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1006/S00322.htm

Time to act responsibly on nukes http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/perspective/3833473/Time-to-act-responsibly-on-nukes

CTU: Reduction in New Zealand’s vulnerability due to Reserve Bankregulations http://union.org.nz/news/2010/reduction-in-new-zealand%E2%80%99s-vulnerability-due-to-reserve-bank-regulations-23610

CTU: Recovery progress slow and uneven http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1006/S00247.htm

CTU: Need To Think Bigger On Community Max Scheme http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/need-think-bigger-community-max-scheme/5/53173

Government privatising ACC by stealth http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1006/S00242.htm

Top NZ spy: ‘trust us’ – Story – National – 3 News http://www.3news.co.nz/Top-NZ-spy-trust-us/tabid/423/articleID/161624/Default.aspx

CPI spike to erode wages amid brighter economic outlook: economists http://business.scoop.co.nz/2010/06/22/cpi-spike-to-erode-wages-as-economy-grows/

National Standards: Auckland Primary Principals’ Association http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1006/S00094.htm

Big Oil: Rigging the Game – Do we have the will – or ability –to deal with the oil multinationals? by Gordon Campbell http://werewolf.co.nz/2010/06/big-oil-rigging-the-game/

From Begging Bowl to Petri Dish – The gauntlet that scientists in NewZealand have to run, in order to get funding for their work by Cushla McKinneyhttp://werewolf.co.nz/2010/06/from-begging-bowl-to-petri-dish/

Is Kalyx suitable to run Auckland prisons? http://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/kalyx-suitable-run-auckland-prisons

Labour must take an Aussie lesson and harden up http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10654676

Police ‘used sob-story trap’ http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/3863441/Police-used-sob-story-trap

Westpac workers seek to inflation-proof their pay http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1006/S00798.htm

Vigil marks one year since Honduras Coup http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1006/S00281.htm

Defending our kids’ education: it’s a matter of principals By JOHN MINTO http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/columnists/john-minto/3863764/Defending-our-kids-education-its-a-matter-of-principals

Smoking bans and crime: post hoc ergo propter hoc http://pundit.co.nz/content/smoking-bans-and-crime-post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc

Commission: Let ANZ result be a warning http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/3858574/Commission-Let-ANZ-result-be-a-warning

NZ optimism on war ‘unrealistic’ http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/3859206/NZ-optimism-on-war-unrealistic

Poll shows strong divisions on mission against Taliban http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/news/3858611/Poll-shows-strong-divisions-on-mission-against-Taliban

Nuclear-free status under scrutiny http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10654417

Principals boycott training on national standards plan http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10654502

Recovery continues, but it’s slow http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10654175

Winners and losers in ETS wealth shift http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10653897

Police face new claims of intimidation over DNA http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10653990

Sawmill workers want family cover http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10653921

Tapu Misa: It’s just not fair – why equality matters http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10595635&pnum=0

Joris de Bres: Refugees still face a long journey after arrival http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10653483

Dean Scanlen: Billions wasted on roads while rail is run off the tracks http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10653480

Early childhood centres hit by funding cuts http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1006/S00090.htm

ACC ‘efficiency’ plan called privatisation http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10654221

Government’s miracle cure comes with a hidden cost http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10654152

Too many Pasifika students falling though cracks, says report http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10653751

Child poverty rate in NZ too high, Govt told http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10650823

FEATURES

Competing Ideologies: G20 v US Social Forum By Stephen Lendman http://www.countercurrents.org/lendman280610.htm

The Whistleblower http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/transcript/id/600572/n/The-Whistleblower

Famine Imperils The Lives Of Millions In West Africa By Javier Sethness http://www.countercurrents.org/sethness240610.htm

Will the US ever get Latin America? For Washington’s foreign policy elite,changes in Latin America are viewed through the narrow lens of a cold warmentality http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jun/26/us-latin-america

WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS

How to impress the bond markets – Instead of beating up on retirees bycutting social security, we can reduce deficits by standing up to powerfulinterest groups

Contradictions of the recovery – One phase of the crisis may be over, butthere is more economic trouble ahead, says Joel Geier http://www.isreview.org/issues/71/rep-economy.shtml

Rescue package a boon for the rich By Elizabeth Zimmermann – The rich aregetting richer worldwide despite the worst financial crisis after the GreatDepression of the 1930s, according to a recent study issued by BostonConsulting Group. http://tinyurl.com/2bc52xk

Taxing the Wall Street Casino – In the United States and many countriesaround the world, there is growing momentum behind proposals to place a verysmall tax on trades of stock, currency, derivatives, and other financialassets. http://www.ips-dc.org/reports/taxing_the_wall_street_casino

EU Today, US Tomorrow – Europe’s Fiscal Dystopia: the "New Austerity" Roadhttp://www.counterpunch.org/hudson06252010.html

FOOD, FARMING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

When Companies Place Profit Before People – Australian TV Report – 60Minutes BP Oil Spill Video. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25835.htm

Tomgram: Michael Klare, The Coming Era of Energy Disasters http://tinyurl.com/22wrvj3

Newspapers Retract ‘Climategate’ Claims, but Damage Still Done http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/06/25/newspapers-retract-climategate-claims-but-damage-still-done.html

Gulf oil spill: A Hole in the World By Naomi Klein – This Gulf coast crisisis about many things – corruption, deregulation, the addiction to fossil fuels.But underneath it all, it’s about this: our culture’s excruciatingly dangerousclaim to have such complete understanding and command over nature that we canradically manipulate and re-engineer it with minimal risk to the naturalsystems that sustain us. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25773.htm

REVIEWS

South of the Border: Review of Oliver Stone’s documentary about the LatinAmerican left, with interviews with Chavez and the rest of the gang, co-writtenby Tariq Ali and Mark Weisbrot. A terrific movie! http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/south-of-the-border/

Oliver Stone, Mark Weisbrot, Tariq Ali Respond to Attack from the New YorkTimes’ Larry Rohter http://www.cepr.net/index.php/Op-Eds-Columns/Op-Eds-Columns/stone-responds-to-ny-times-attack

The New York Times assaults Oliver Stone and the truth http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/the-new-york-times-assaults-oliver-stone-and-the-truth/

Oliver Stone: The US Has Launched Military Interventions and Political CoupsFifty-Five Times in Latin America http://tinyurl.com/2bmh4os

AFGHANISTAN

McChrystal Sideshow Masks Murderous Reality By Chris Floyd http://www.countercurrents.org/floyd230610.htm

The Runaway General – Stanley McChrystal, Obama’s top commander inAfghanistan, has seized control of the war by never taking his eye off the realenemy: The wimps in the White House http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236

What Now? Analysis by Jim Lobe http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51980

AUSTRALIA

It’s Going To Ruin Us – Australian trade unions have produced a videosatirising the bosses’ response to the laws to protect workers’ rightsthroughout history.

BRAZIL

Brazil’s Presidential Election: Opposition Tries "Republican Strategy" onForeign Policy by Mark Weisbrot http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/weisbrot190610.html

Brazil and Iran: Our Motives and the Bullying Trio by Toms Rosa Bueno http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/bueno220610.html

CANADA

British Columbia’s Fossil Fuel Superpower Ambitions http://www.socialistvoice.ca/?p=1254

British Columbia: Corporate Vandals Assault Rivers, Oceans, Forests by RogerAnnis http://www.socialistvoice.ca/?p=1256

CHINA

Labor unrest and role of unions http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article17827

CUBA

Split amongst Cuban contras, cracks in the blockade – Anti-Castro MiamiCubans show their true colours By Tim Anderson http://links.org.au/node/1749

EGYPT

Several thousand Egyptians protest police abuse http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3910726,00.html

EL SALVADOR

Mining the Resistance by Gabriel Zucker http://monthlyreview.org/100601zucker.php

Canadian Gold Company Sues El Salvador For 100 Million Dollars After aPeople’s Movement Opposes Mining Operation – Canadian mining company, PacificRim, is in court suing the government of El Salvador for 100 million dollars.It claims that by not awarding the company an exploitation permit for itsproposed gold mine, the tiny country is in breach of the Central American FreeTrade Agreement (known as CAFTA). http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25774.htm

GREECE

Greek crisis : A country between two general strikes http://www.counterfire.org/index.php/news/143-greek-crisis/5704-greek-crisis-a-country-between-two-general-strikes

Ska for life: Dub Pistols say " …. the police" in Greece http://tinyurl.com/295ry62

ICELAND

A New Global Landmark for Free Speech – The Icelandic Modern MediaInitiative will provide unparalleled protection for online journalists andwhistleblowers. http://www.onthecommons.org/new-global-landmark-free-speech

INDIA

Unorganised Sector In Globalisation Phase By T.Venkateshwarlu – Workingclass have got no single right without hundreds of struggles in history,workers particularly unorganized workers have to organize themselves and wageprolonged struggles along in participating model building. This is the only oneway to the workers of the unorganized sector to protect their rights, life andlivelihoods http://www.countercurrents.org/venkateswar240610.htm

IRAN

Attack On Iran Imminent, Warns Fidel Castro By Fidel Castro http://www.countercurrents.org/castro280610.htm

Report: US Warships Stationed Off Iranian Coast By Daniel Tencer – Asunconfirmed reports of an imminent Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilitiespick up steam in the Middle Eastern media, a US-based strategic intelligencecompany has released a chart showing US naval carriers massing near Iranianwaters. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25829.htm

The Green Movement Awaits an Invisible Hand http://www.merip.org/mero/mero062610.html

IRAQ

5 Million Iraqis Killed, Maimed, Tortured, Displaced — Think That BothersWar Boosters Like Christopher Hitchens? http://tinyurl.com/234h2pv

IRELAND

Bloody Sunday: Britain finally admits its crime http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article17819

Bloody Sunday: the ‘defining story’ of the British army inIreland http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article17818

ITALY

Italians strike over austerity plan: Union stages action in latest string ofprotests across Europe over budget cuts. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/06/201062512227522288.html

MEXICO

Awakening in Oaxaca: Stirrings of the People’s Giant by Robert JoeStout http://monthlyreview.org/100601stout.php

PACIFIC

Selwyn & Paul On Vanuatu Moves To Support West Papua Independence http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1006/S00178.htm

Vanuatu to seek observer status for West Papua at MSG and PIF leaderssummits http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2010/06/vanuatu-to-seek-observer-status-for-west-papua-at-msg-and-pif-leaders-summits/

West Papua: Indonesia: Stop Prosecuting Peaceful Political Expression http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/06/23/indonesia-stop-prosecuting-peaceful-political-expression

PAKISTAN

The Pause that Represses: Coca-Cola Pakistan Greets New Union with DeathThreats, Abduction, Extortion and Dismissal http://cms.iuf.org/?q=node/415

PALESTINE

Rela Mazali: A Call for Livable Futures – What to do when the country I livein totally loses its compass? Totally loses its shame? What to do when theregime that collects my taxes uses them to deploy its high-tech military, armedto the teeth, against activists sailing to oppose a criminal siege? When thiscountry’s politicians authorize soldiers to shoot-to-kill into a deck-boundcrowd? And then tell me they are protecting me? What to do when the governmentsof the world are too deeply implicated to hold this regime, this countryaccountable? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rela-mazali/a-call-for-livable-future_b_625028.html

World must deny legitimacy to Israel – The world worked together to helpbring apartheid to an end, writes Kader Asmal. So why allow it to live on inIsrael/Palestine? Kader Asmal is a South African politician. Former professorof human rights at the University of the Western Cape. He is the Vice-presidentof the African Association of International Law.Chairman of the council of theUniversity of the North. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-06-25-world-must-deny-legitimacy-to-israel

Life In Gaza City

The Lethal Dove and Cartographic Perfidy http://pulsemedia.org/2010/06/19/the-lethal-dove/

Israel Makes Small Change to Gaza Blockade – Brands Lebanese Women’sAid Mission ‘Hizbullah’ http://tinyurl.com/36u3d6n

The silent expulsion: Citizens of Israel can leave the country for anylength of time, and their citizenship and all their rights are theirs inperpetuity. But when it comes to Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem,Israel applies draconian regulations whose covert intent is to bring about theexpulsion of as many Palestinians as possible from their home city. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-silent-expulsion-1.297577

Gaza factories remain paralysed despite Israel pledge to ease blockade http://tinyurl.com/35ggeuo

In their own words: Survivor testimonies from Flotilla 31 May 2010 http://tinyurl.com/27tt8dc

Marine resistance? Among the people on the Mavi Marmara was this former USmarine, Kenneth O’Keefe, who made pretty short work of a BBC mouthpiece onHardTalk just recently. http://jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com/2010/06/marine-resistance.html

Ha’aretz: Only a boycott will persuade Israel http://jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com/2010/06/haaretz-only-boycott-will-persuade.html

Essay of the week: What drives Israel? http://tinyurl.com/33t9vn2

One of UK’s largest unions votes for boycott, expelling Israeli envoy. http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=179475

SOUTH AFRICA

The True Cost of the World Cup in South Africa – Hosting the World Cup doeslittle to help the people of South Africa. http://tinyurl.com/2ek952w

THAILAND

Appeal against repression in Thailand http://links.org.au/node/1748

UK

Budget: Osborne declares war on welfare state http://counterfire.org/index.php/features/51-analysis/5718-budget-osborne-declares-war-on-welfare-state

USA

United States: Victory as protesters and union block Israeli ship unloadingat Oakland Port (+Video) http://links.org.au/node/1751

Oakland protesters prevent unloading of Israeli ship http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15340836?nclick_check=1

Chartering Disaster: Why Duncan’s Corporate-Based Schools Can’t Deliver anEducation That Matters http://tinyurl.com/2emf7ea

A critique of for-profit "education" companies from an unlikely source.."Good Afternoon. I would like to thank the Ira Sohn Foundation for thehonor ofspeaking before this audience. My name is Steven Eisman andI am the portfoliomanager of the FrontPoint Financial Services Fund.Until recently, I thoughtthat there would never again be anopportunity to be involved with an industryas socially destructiveand morally bankrupt as the subprime mortgage industry.I was wrong.The For-Profit Education Industry has proven equal to the task." http://insidehighered.com/content/download/350088/4329742/version/1/file/EismanSohnConference.doc

Mass March Opens The US Social Forum By Billy Wharton http://www.countercurrents.org/wharton230610.htm

Legacy for One Billionaire: Death, but No Taxes http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/business/09estate.html?hp

VENEZUELA

Workers’ Control and the Contradictions of the Bolivarian Process http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article17823

VIETNAM

Vietnam officials feel the heat from blackout protests http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/330350,feel-heat-blackout-protests.html

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