#342: KIA ORA GAZA

GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND
NEWSLETTER No. 342, August 9, 2010

KIA ORA GAZA – KIWI AID TO GAZA
Father & son with Kiwi Team to Gaza – 9 Aug – by Grant MorganCo-organiser of Kia Ora Gaza. A father and son will be among the six-person Kiwi Team heading for Gaza next month with an international aid convoy. Roger Fowler, a 61-year-old Aucklander who holds the Queen’s Service Medal for community service, is the Team Captain. His 25-year-old son Hone, of Ngapuhi, Ngati Porou and Pakeha heritage, has also been selected for the humanitarian mission to Gaza. The Kiwi Team, under the banner of Kia Ora Gaza, will join a land convoy leaving London on 18 September. The London expedition will merge with two other land convoys, from Casablanca in Morocco and Doha in the Gulf, in a 500-vehicle convoy through Egypt into Gaza’s Rafah crossing. Simultaneously, a sea flotilla carrying aid will approach the shoreline of Gaza. Thousands of volunteers from all continents will be involved in the world’s largest non-governmental aid mission. The four other members of the Kiwi Team are: Chris van Ryn, Vice Captain, a photo-journalist and campaigner for human rights with Amnesty International; Julie Webb-Pullman, who delivered aid to poor children in the Pacific and served as a human rights observer in Latin America; Pat O’Dea, a longtime trade union and social justice campaigner affectionately nicknamed “Protestrnational.* Chris van Ryn, Vice Captain, a photo-journalist and campaigner for human rights with Amnesty InteMousa Taher, who has a Palestinian father and converted to Islam in 2006. Detailed biographies of Kiwi Team members can be found elsewhere on this site. So can the official song of Kia Ora Gaza, and the video based on our song. http://kiaoragaza.net/

Gaza’s 1.5 million people are imprisoned by the state of Israel in a giant concentration camp. The Israeli military enforces a blockade of essential supplies. There is terrible suffering, especially among the children. The citizens of Gaza face collective punishment, which is illegal under international law. On 31 May 2010, a Gaza aid flotilla was hijacked on the open sea 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 off from London by sea and land. We want to see Kiwi volunteers and aid go with them. Kia Ora Gaza is raising funds to make this possible. Please give your support. Write a cheque for ‘Kia Ora Gaza’ and post to:• Kia Ora Gaza, PO Box 59-007, Auckland. Or make a payment directly into our bank account:• Kia Ora Gaza, 03-0211-0447718-000, Westpac Bank, Onehunga branch. Encourage your family and friends to make a personal donation. Appeal to • organisations you are involved with to make an institutional donation. All funds raised by Kia Ora Gaza will be audited by a professional who is independent of our bank trustees. Email: grantmorgan Website: http://kiaoragaza.net/

FAIRNESS AT WORK RALLIES ON 21ST AUGUST
The Council of Trade Unions has announced that it will be holding Fairness at Work rallies on 21st August in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. CTU President Helen Kelly said: “These are just the start of what we expect to be a long campaign to promote Fairness at Work in the face of a Government which is tilting the balance in favour of employers – particularly bad employers.” Helen Kelly said that unions are not opposed to trial periods, and believe employers should have the right to dismiss workers fairly. But every wage and salary earner should have the right to appeal against unfair dismissal. For instance, if a worker raises a question after 6 weeks in a new job about a health and safety concern and then gets dismissed, shouldn’t that worker have the right to appeal against that dismissal? It is also vitally important that wage and salary earners have access to union advice and support in the workplace. Helen Kelly said that it is entirely voluntary to join a union and 380,000 workers have chosen to do so. But the Government now wants to restrict access for members to talk to their union representative and to make it difficult for workers to discuss joining the union. As for sick leave, under current law, the employer can ask for proof of illness within three calendar days – including for one day’s absence – if they have reasonable grounds to suspect the sick leave is not genuine. They need to inform the employee as soon as possible, and they must agree to meet the employee’s reasonable expenses in getting this proof. Why is there any need to change this? In addition to rallies in several cities, unions will be holding meetings in regional centres. For further information contact: Fraser Pettigrew, Communications and Campaigns Advisor, 04 802 3817 / 027 243 7031 / fraserp Helen Kelly, President, CTU 04 802 3812 / 021 776 741 www.union.org.nz

WHAT’S ON IN AUCKLAND

Tuesday, August 10, 5.30pm, Room 260-206, Owen G Glenn Building, 12 Grafton Rd, University of Auckland Business School
Reshaping the NZ economy – What will fix NZ’s econpomy? Seminar with Dr Rick Boven, Director of the NZ Institurte; Selwyn Pellet, productive Economy Council. Sponsor NZ Fabian Society http://www.fabians.org.nz What Will Fix New Zealand’s Economy? Our first seminar in the Resilient Economy Series identified a number of key factors hampering New Zealand’s real economy. These included the need for a more stable currency, encouragement of more investment in our productive enterprises and the negative impact of the current implementation of monetary policy. We now look to some of the options for addressing these problems. This next event sees Selwyn Pellett, a forthright commentator from other Fabian seminars, discuss with Rick Boven from the New Zealand Institute exactly what we need to do to build a truly Resilient New Zealand Economy. The New Zealand Institute is an independent think-tank with its own project focussed on improving New Zealand’s competitive strength. These issues are important for our future, so please come and join the debate. A Wellington seminar will be held on August 23rd. You can register on our web site. If you know of others who would be interested, please take advantage of the ‘Tell a Friend’ feature on the registration page.

Tuesday, August 10, 6pm-8pm, Trades Hall 147 Great Nth Rd, Auckland
Study: 1991 the General Strike that Wasn’t – Hosted by the Workers Party. In 1991 the then National government passed the Employment Contracts Act, which severely attacked workers’ rights in NZ. Large protest marches against the law were held around the country and many unions voted to call a general strike. However, the Council of Trade Unions refused to support the call and blocked any attempts to organise a general strike. It is important for us to learn from the mistakes of the campaign against the Employment Contracts Act if we are to successfully defeat National’s new anti-worker laws. Reading: Peter Harris (CTU) “The ‘General Strike’ of 1991″ and critical notes by Don Franks (WP), Tony Boraman: “The Myth of Passivity”. For reading materials, please email wpnz@clear.net.nz

Monday, August 16, 5.30pm, The Claire Inn Irish Pub, 274-278 Dominion Road, Valley Road Shops
John Langdon’s Dramatic First E-Book THE ONE WEEK REVOLUTION (It makes James Bond look like a pussy) To be launched. Special Guest Launchers: Phil Twyford Labour MP, Glenda Fryer Auckland City Councillor Who will read extracts from “THE ONE WEEK REVOLUTION.” SPECIAL DISCOUNT: CD with e-book available for $10 at the night of Monday 16th of August 2010; or buy online at: www.intellia.co.nz/jlangdon.html Bar purchases possible (John is a pensioner)

Tuesday, August 17, 6pm, Auckland Medical School, Park Road, Grafton (In the students study room behind Cafe 85 on the ground floor)
CHILD POVERTY IN NEW ZEALAND • Are you 18 – 35 years old? • Do you want to learn more about child poverty in New Zealand? Child Poverty Action Group Aotearoa NZ is holding an evening to share information and for younger people to meet up and discuss issues. What: 6pm– Pizzas and drinks; 6.30- 7.30– Presentations; 7.30-9pm– Drinks and discussion. Enquiries: Julie Timmins admin 09 3039260. Kind Regards, Julie Timmins, http://www.cpag.org.nz

Saturday, August 21, QE2 Square, Downtown
Work Rights rally and march

Saturday, August 21, 7pm, Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 RichmondRd
Green Party Quiz Night. $60 per Team of 6. Call Ron 09 3761243

Wednesday, September 1, 8pm, St Kevins Arcade, K road
David Rovics returns to Auckland on Sept 1st 2010. Come check him out, along with special guests, at the Wine Cellar. Tickets on the door for $20. David Rovics grew up in a family of classical musicians in Wilton, Connecticut, and became a fan of populist regimes early on. By the early 90’s he was a full-time busker 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/

Monday 6 September, 6.30-9pm, Rm 039, Clocktower bldg, 22 PrincesSt
Reflections on the Holocaust , a seminar presented by Continuing Education atThe University of Auckland. This symposium will consider the Holocaust or Shoahfrom Christian, Jewish and Muslim perspectives. Speakers: Douglas Pratt, PaulMorris, Zain Ali. Full details: http://www.cce.auckland.ac.nz or ph: 0800 864266

Friday, September 10 at the University of Auckland
Forum: Rethinking welfare for the 21st century: Beyond the terms of reference.Retirement Policy and Research Centre, the Department of Sociology, Universityof Auckland, and Child Poverty Action Group. The terms of reference for the government-appointed Welfare Working Group were narrow. Researchers from Australia will join with their New Zealand colleagues in moving beyond theserestrictions in debating welfare in order to seek answers to the question:where to go from here? The aim is to explore workable social and economic solutions to welfare issues, rather than to simply ‘make workpay’.

September 29-30, Telstra Clear Pacific Events Centre, Manukau City
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 to Change’, 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, public theologian, 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. Dave Andrews, Coordinator for training with the Community InitiativesResource Association, and educator-atlarge for TEAR Australia. Dave, his wife Ange, and their family, have lived and worked in intentional communities with marginalised groups of people in Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India andNepal for more than 30 years.

Thursday, November 4, 9am-5pm, Conference Room 1 – Copthorne Hotel, Auckland 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 to change

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

OCTOBER 15TH SOLIDARITY.INFO NEWSLETTER NO. FIFTEEN – 2ND AUGUST 2010
we send out irregular updates on the campaign to support the people arrested inthe state terror raids in Aotearoa (New Zealand) on 15th October 2007. Although charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act were never laid, 18 people arestill facing charges under the Arms Act and 5 are charged with being members of an organised criminal group. At the moment, the starting date for the trial is 8th August 2011. DROP THE CHARGES!
UPCOMING EVENTS
1. 7th August – Documentary on Maori Television about October 15 2. 23rd August- a week-long hearing in the Auckland High Court 3. 15th October – three yearssince the raids
2. 23rd August – a week-long hearing in the Auckland High Court A week-longhearing in the Auckland High Court should determine where and when the trialwill take place. The defendants do not have to attend, but the hearing is opento the public.
3. 15th October – three years since the raids Events are planned for the thirdanniversary of the raids. We will keep you up to date with what’s happeningcloser to the time.
http://october15thsolidarity.info/

CAMP FOR CLIMATE ACTION AOTEAROA NATIONAL GATHERING – WELLPARKCOLLEGE OF NATURAL THERAPIES, 6 FRANCIS STREET, AUCKLAND, SEPTEMBER 4 &5
Camp for Climate Action Aotearoa is having a national Gathering in Auckland.The aim of the Gathering is to map out a coherent and collectively formulated direction for CCAA, and YOU are invited. Get together with your local climate camp group now as we are creating a bunch of proposals for Climate Camp whichwill be brought to the gathering and collectively addressed. Dont be shy! All are welcome to attend!

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“Most people think great God will come from the sky/ take away everything and make everybody feel high/ But if you know what life is worth,you will look for yours on earth/ so now we see the light, we stand up for ourrights.” Bob Marley – Get Up Stand Up Live In Dortmund, Germany

BEST ONTHE WEB

NEW ZEALAND

GPJA: Bring New Zealand troops home http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1008/S00029/bring-new-zealand-troops-home.htm

Our youth sent to die for politics, not freedom by Matt McCarten http://www.nzherald.co.nz/matt-mccarten/news/article.cfm?a_id=284&objectid=10664388

Minto; Tragedy for New Zealand and Afghanistan http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/blogs/frontline/3998324/Tragedy-for-New-Zealand-and-Afghanistan

Gordon Campbell on welfare bashing, and driving up a dead end in Afghanistanhttp://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1008/S00051/gordon-campbell-on-welfare-bashing-afghanistan.htm

Price too costly to fight in America’s unwinnable war By FINLAY MACDONALD http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/opinion/4002034/Price-too-costly-to-fight-in-Americas-unwinnable-war

Invest in jobs and wages, not beneficiary bashing http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1008/S00142/invest-in-jobs-and-wages-not-beneficiary-bashing.htm

Stop the war, end the occupation, troops out now! http://socialistaotearoa.blogspot.com/2010/08/stop-war-end-occupation-troops-out-now.html

Six-person Kiwi Team to join Gaza aid convoy http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1008/S00020/six-person-kiwi-team-to-join-gaza-aid-convoy.htm

TEU: Education can’t be funded on employment outcomes http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1008/S00011/education-cant-be-funded-on-employment-outcomes.htm

NZEI: New Approach To Student Achievement Makes Mockery Of NationalStandards http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/new-approach-student-achievement-makes-mockery-national-standards/5/57265

Govt Shamefully Allows Gender Pay Gap to Widen http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1008/S00030/govt-shamefully-allows-gender-pay-gap-to-widen.htm

The Government Giveth And The Government Taketh Away With Early ChildhoodEducation http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/government-giveth-and-government-taketh-away-early-childhood-education/5/57765

Chch line engineers rally outside Orion http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/chch-line-engineers-rally-outside-orion-3687180

DHB head resignation a symptom of poor funding http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1008/S00030/dhb-head-resignation-a-symptom-of-poor-funding.htm

Harawira smartens up his act http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10662429

Global Unionism At Work: Fisher & Paykel Union Formed In Thailand http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/global-unionism-work-fisher-amp-paykel-union-formed-thailand/5/58016

Police beating ‘unjustified’ – IPCA http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3998181/Police-beating-unjustified-IPCA

NZ WORK RIGHTS

Dean Parker: Wage slaves denied right to relaxation http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10660542

Difficult but right pitch could change unions’ image By CHRIS TROTTER – ThePress http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/columnists/chris-trotter/3983821/Difficult-but-right-pitch-could-change-unions-image

Chris Trotter: Songs Of Our Fathers http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2010/07/songs-of-our-fathers.html

NDU: Feltex: what about the workers? http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1008/S00066/feltex-what-about-the-workers.htm

Same-day doctor’s appointments a nonsense http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1008/S00018/same-day-doctors-appointments-a-nonsense.htm

No respect for workers in rest breaks Bill http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1008/S00047/no-respect-for-workers-in-rest-breaks-bill.htm

NZ ECONOMY

Unemployment rises to 6.8% http://www.thestandard.org.nz/unemployment-rises-to-6-8/

Jobs highlight faltering recovery By Brian Fallow http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10663916

Government complacency failing the unemployed http://union.org.nz/news/2010/government-complacency-failing-the-unemployed-5810

Cautious optimism in wage levels – CTU http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1008/S00023/cautious-optimism-in-wage-levels-ctu.htm

NDU: Unemployment Positively Impacted By Union Wage Settlements – Govt MustDo More http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/ndu-unemployment-positively-impacted-union-wage-settlements-govt-must-do-more/5/57704

Falling prices may force dairy giant to cut payout http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10663665

Fran O’Sullivan: White gold rush turns deep shade of red http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10580326

Chicken Broth For An Ailing Economy – An interview with NZIER chiefeconomist Shamubeel Eaqub, about how to nurture this frail economy through itsconvalescence by Gordon Campbell http://werewolf.co.nz/2010/07/chicken-broth-for-an-ailing-economy/

FEATURES

Latin America & Twenty-First Century Socialism: Inventing to AvoidMistakes by Marta Harnecker http://monthlyreview.org/100701harneckerIntro.php

Married to the Clinton Mob By Robert Scheer – Out of respect for privacy,even concerning famous people, I wasn’t going to write about the marriageof Chelsea Clinton to a Goldman Sachs alum and budding hedge-fund hustler withthe resources to buy a $4 million loft so soon after graduating from Stanford.Hopefully Marc Mezvinsky won’t follow in the footsteps of his financierfather, “Fast-Talkin’ Eddie,” as they called him back inIowa, a former Democratic House member who just completed a five-year federalsentence for dozens of fraud felonies. http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/married_to_the_clinton_mob_20100803/

Hiroshima – war crime or not? http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/mehdi-hasan/2010/08/hiroshima-war-japanese

Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Political Legacy to the United States http://www.zcommunications.org/hiroshima-and-nagasaki-the-political-legacy-to-the-united-states-by-herbert-p-bix

WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS

LBO: Jonesing for a slump – Having successfully avoided depression through amassive, largely coordinated, stimulus program, the world bourgeoisie now looksready to reverse it—some because they think it a success, and othersbecause they think it was a failure. This is a very dangerous business. http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Jonesing.html

Banking on hunger: Goldman Sachs and the rest of Wall Street gambled onfood. Their bets paid off big time–at the cost of igniting a food crisis thatpushed hundreds of millions into the ranks of the hungry. Alan Maass, author ofThe Case for Socialism, looks at their crimes. http://socialistworker.org/2010/08/05/banking-on-hunger

Market greed or a planned economy for human need? http://links.org.au/node/1816

Wealth, poverty and compassion – The rich are different from you and me -They are more selfish http://www.economist.com/node/16690659

Economists Tell the Masses: "It Could Have Been Worse" By Dean Baker http://www.truth-out.org/economists-tell-masses-it-could-have-been-worse61935

Economic Recovery for the Few By Rick Wolff – Capitalism produces "recovery"for those who need it least while offering austerity for nearly everyone else.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26073.htm

The Structural Crisis of Capitalism by Prabhat Patnaik http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/patnaik030810.html

Capital goes on the offensive by Jan Malewski – Austerity! As the capitalistcrisis has rebounded in the form of a crisis of sovereign debt, which isspreading from Greece towards the other countries of the European Union, thegovernments of the hard core of this Union have decided to impose everywhere anausterity policy without precedent. http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1902

Crazy Economists Are Still Defending The Wall Street Bailout As TheRecession Gets Worse by Dean Baker http://tinyurl.com/26xx5q3

FOOD, FARMING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Global agribusiness: two decades of plunder http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=693

A Looming Oxygen Crisis And Its Impact On World’s Oceans By CarlZimmer http://www.countercurrents.org/zimmer060810.htm

REVIEWS

Television: Thomas Jane on ‘Hung,’ Symbol of the Recession http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/arts/television/06hung.html

Grassroots Rising: The Story of Evo Morales by Ron Jacobs http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/08/grassroots-rising-the-story-of-evo-morales/

A Handbook for Defenders of Free Speech on Palestine – Book Review bySuzanne Weiss. Anti-Semitism Real and Imagined: Responses to the CanadianParliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism. by Michael Keefer. CanadianCharger, Waterloo Ontario, 2010. 286 pages http://www.socialistvoice.ca/?p=1284

It Wasn’t a War – Kate Perkins interviews Norman Finkelstein, August2010 – The Israel critic and Holocaust heir on the “Gaza massacre,”the Goldstone Report, the public turn against Israeli policy, and thedifference between “of” and “in.” http://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/1933/finkelstein_8_1_10/

AFGHANISTAN

Why We’re Bound to Fail in Afghanistan: What Happened When I Spent 2 Weeksat a U.S. Military Base http://tinyurl.com/2fkt9m9

Angry Afghan Mob torches US embassy vehicles after deadly crash in Kabul http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2010/07/30/mob-torches-us-embassy-vehicles-after-deadly-crash.html

Afghans protest civilian deaths, American presence and NATO bombardments http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2010/08/01/afghans-protest-civilian-deaths-american-presence-and-nato-bombardments.html

AUSTRALIA

Leaders overlook Aboriginal issues http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10664287

CUBA

Blind justice or just blind stupidity? One of the Cuban Five, GerardoHernandez, has been thrown in the hole and prevented from having proper accessto his attorneys – as well as necessary medical attention. Compare this to theRussian agents waltzed off to Vienna… http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1008/S00015/blind-justice-or-just-blind-stupidity.htm

Fidel Castro leads ceremony unveiling his new book http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j3TUJzlWbv6NbJsWfClOH8uK60wgD9HBNJUO0

CHILE

Mapuche and Solidarity organizations from Europe and North America http://www.mapuche-nation.org/english/html/news/pr-89.htm

CHINA

State-Owned Bidders Fuel China’s Land Boom http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/business/global/02chinareal.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

The human cost of cheap electronics http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10664292

COLOMBIA

Colombia and Venezuela Rattle Their Sabres – Uribe’s Parting Shot http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/399.php#continue

Colombian Mass Grave Of More Than 2000 May Be Civilian Trade Unionists, NotMilitary Casualties http://tinyurl.com/23fka6z

GREECE

Greece: Same Tragedy, Different Scripts BY Walden Bello, Senior analyst,"Focus on the Global South" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/walden-bello/greece-same-tragedy-diffe_b_646401.html

HAITI

Canada’s Failed Aid To Haiti http://www.canadahaitiaction.ca/content/canadas-failed-aid-haiti

HONDURAS

INDIA

Kashmir: Through History By Naveed Qazi http://www.countercurrents.org/qazi020810.htm

IRAQ

How Many Iraqis Did We ‘Liberate’ From Life on Earth? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/how-many-iraqis-did-we-li_b_673683.html

End of Iraq Combat Operations or Beginning of Downsized, RebrandedOccupation Relying Heavily on Private Military Contractors? http://www.democracynow.org/2010/8/3/end_of_iraq_combat_operations_or

The US Isn’t Leaving Iraq, It’s Rebranding the Occupation By Seumas Milne -Obama says withdrawal is on schedule, but renaming or outsourcing combat troopswon’t give Iraqis back their country. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26092.htm

KOREA

Grappling with Cold War History: Korea’s Embattled Truth andReconciliation Commission Gavan McCormack and KimDong-Choon http://japanfocus.org/-G__McCormack___D_C__Kim/3056

MALAYSIA

Widening Income Inequality: A Challenge To Malaysia By Dr. Chandra Muzaffarhttp://www.countercurrents.org/muzaffar080810.htm

PACIFIC

Another Approach Needed In Dealing With Fiji http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/another-approach-needed-in-dealing-fiji-3685577

West Papua: an issue whose time has come By Maire Leadbeater http://indonesiahumanrights.org.nz/2010/08/08/west-papua-an-issue-whose-time-has-come/

PALESTINE

Boycott supporters threatened: Israel Takes Another Step Away from Democracyhttp://palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1501

A state afraid of its past – The role of the security establishment andintelligence services is to protect the state in the present, not to hide thepast. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/a-state-afraid-of-its-past-1.304711

South Africa’s lessons for Gaza – Haidar Eid, The Electronic Intifada http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11437.shtml

International solidarity under attack by Mike Marquse http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11444.shtml

Hamas "morality" campaign restricts civil liberties in Gaza Mel Frykberg http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11443.shtml

Throughout Israel, Palestinians are being suffocated http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/08/israel-palestinian-palestine

PHILIPPINES

Turn words into action, P-Noy urged http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view/20100805-285174/Turn-words-into-action-P-Noy-urged

THAILAND

Thailand: placing the crisis in perspective BY Pierre Rousset http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1903

UK

Tony Blair Must Be Prosecuted By John Pilger – Blair conspired in andexecuted an unprovoked war of aggression against a defenseless country, whichthe Nuremberg judges in 1946 described as the "paramount war crime." This hascaused, according to scholarly studies, the deaths of more than a millionpeople, a figure that exceeds the Fordham University estimate of deaths in theRwandan genocide. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26090.htm

Ambition without principles: The "New Labour" leaders who ran Britain formore than a decade didn’t have two principles to rub together, concludes Irishjournalist and socialist Eamonn McCann. http://socialistworker.org/2010/08/04/ambition-without-principles

USA

The American dream is a nightmare of foreclosures – Las Vegas – knownbest for its gambling haunts – now has a new reputation. It’sAmerica’s No.1 city for foreclosures, with more people losing their homeshere than elsewhere in the country. http://www.aworldtowin.net/blog/american-dream-is-nightmare.html

The crisis of middle-class America http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/1a8a5cb2-9ab2-11df-87e6-00144feab49a.html

Rough justice in America: Too many laws, too many prisoners – Never in thecivilised world have so many been locked up for so little http://www.economist.com/node/16636027?story_id=16636027

Victory For An Excluded And Invisible Workforce – Domestic Workers In NewYork Win Historic Victory! by Bill Fletcher http://www.zcommunications.org/victory-for-an-excluded-and-invisible-workforce-by-bill-fletcher

How Democrats Helped Fire Up the Crazy Right While Demoralizing the Left -Many of the President’s successes have been large enough to fuel opposition,but not big enough to strengthen his support. http://tinyurl.com/28jtl9z

VENEZUELA

Venezuela Provides More than One Million Free Eye Operations to LatinAmericans http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5543

Chvez Pushes the Limits: Radicalization and Discontent in Venezuelahttp://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5547

OLDER ANNOUNCEMENTS

HAMMER THE POKIES
GPJA is still on the quest for 200 people willing to take part in a civildisobedience exercise whereby they register their hammers for a “hammerthe pokies” protest. We have around 40 people registered so far but to besuccessful we need a lot more. There are over 20,000 pokie machines in localcommunities (non-casino pokies) which are sucking the lifeblood from low-incomeareas (over half the machines are in the poorest third of communities).Families coping with pokie addicts in the recession just adds to the misery ofwhole communities left behind by growing inequality. We’d like GPJAmembers to help spread the word. You can get a copy of the campaign flyer,register your hammer or for more information email johnminto@orcon.net.nz or phone Johnat 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.Saturday 1 till 4pm. Support low paid workers fighting for a Living Wage. Week8 of the Queen Street protest, and 5,000 customers have now signed the petitionto boycoptt JB Hifi, until they pay the workers a 50c increase. Big Day ofAction on JB Hifi this Friday and Saturday- invite your friends- appealing foreveryone who can to come down. Bring drums, horns, vuvzelas, pots, pans,klaxons. its gonna be NOISY. Workers at JB Hi-Fi h Jack Lucas.

JUSTICE AND LIBERATION: THE ROAD TO PEACE – FILIPINO PROGRESSIVELEADERS TO TOUR NZ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
Luis Jalandoni is the International Representative of the National DemocraticFront of the Philippines (NDF), a post that he has held since 1977, and since1994 he has been the Chairperson of the NDF’s Negotiating Panel for peacetalks with the Government of the Philippines. We are appealing for funds. PSNAwill underwrite the tour, but we definitely need financial help because we arehosting two people. The amount needed is $10,000. The two international faresfrom Europe is the biggest cost, at $6,000. We will keep their domestic traveland accommodation costs as cheap as possible.
Luis Jalandoni and Coni Ledesma’s tour presents a unique opportunity tohear firsthand about a four decades long war, and accompanying peace process,in our own backyard that is almost totally unknown to New Zealanders. Pleasehelp make this exciting tour possible. Please make cheques to PSNA, Box 2450,Christchurch, with a note saying that it is for the Jalandoni tour. Or, we willsupply our bank account details upon request.
ITINERARY
Tuesday October 26 – Christchurch: Public Meeting – 7.30 p.m. KnoxPresbyterian Church Lounge, 28 Bealey Avenue. Contact: Murray Horton, 0274307742 cafca@chch.planet.org.nz
Wednesday October 27 – Blenheim: Contact: Steffan Browning, 021 725655 greeny25@xtra.co.nz
Thursday October 28 & Friday 29 – Wellington: Public Meeting –7.30 p.m. Thursday 28, St John’s Hall, corner Willis & Dixon Streets.Contact: Rod Prosser 021 0744992 communitymedia@paradise.net.nz
Monday November 1 – Palmerston North: Public Meeting – 7.30 p.m.,1st Floor, PSA House, 49 King Street. Contact: Dion Martin (06) 3569658 (w),021 776029 Dion.Martin@ndu.org.nz
Tuesday November 2 & Wednesday 3 – New Plymouth: Public Meeting– 6.30 p.m. Wednesday 3rd, Govett Brewster Art Gallery, 42 Queen Street.Contact: Fiona Clark (06) 7547014; fionaclark@clear.net.nz
Thursday November 4 – Hamilton: Public Meeting – 7.30 p.m., WaikatoTrade Union Centre, 34 Harwood Street. Contact: Bob Anderson, (07) 8297882, 021776023; ban
Friday November 5 to Friday November 12: Auckland & Whangarei. AucklandContact: Dennis Maga (09) 8276059, 022 6073918 dennis.maga@xtra.co.nz. WhangareiContact: Tim Howard 027 3089216 the-farm@ihug.co.nz

WAIHOPAI SPYBASE PROTEST JANUARY 21-23, 2011
The Waihopai spybase was subjected to unprecedented public attention by theMarch 2010 trial and acquittal of the three Ploughshares peace activists whopenetrated its high security in 2008 and deflated one of the two domesconcealing its satellite dishes from the NZ public. The Anti-Bases Campaign washappy to support this non-violent direct action anti-war activity, from startto finish. The public face of New Zealand’s role as an American ally isthe NZ military presence in Afghanistan. But New Zealand’s mostsignificant contribution to that, and other American wars, including the one inIraq, is the Waihopai electronic intelligence gathering base, located in theWaihopai Valley, near Blenheim. It is controlled by the US, with New Zealand(including Parliament and the Prime Minister) having little or no idea whatgoes on there, let alone any control. Join us for the weekend of anti-warprotest at this spybase. Come prepared for roughing it and camping out. Weprovide the food (we cater for vegetarians but vegans will have to bring theirown). Bring sleeping bag, groundsheet, a tent, torch, water bottle, eatingutensils, clothing for all weather, and $40 (or $20 unwaged) to cover costs. Noopen fires. How to find our camp at Whites Bay: turn off SH1 at Tuamarina (9kmnorth of Blenheim or 20 km south of Picton) and drive to Rarangi on the coast.Follow the steep Port Underwood Road over the hilltop before descending to theWhites Bay turnoff. There is a DoC public camp at the bay with basicfacilities. ABC has to pay a fixed charge per head. This will be the firstWaihopai spybase protest since the Domebusters’ acquittal on all chargesarising from their courageous citizens’ deflation action. Waihopai doesnot operate in the interests of New Zealanders or our neighbours. Basically itis a foreign spybase on NZ soil and directly involves us in America’swars.
CLOSE THE WAIHOPAI SPYBASE NOW! Organised by the Anti-Bases Campaign, P.O. Box2258, Christchurch. E-mail cafca@chch.planet.org.nz http://www.converge.org.nz/abc Make allcheques to ABC..

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.nzWebsite: http://kiaoragaza.net/

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;register at wkcultur(03 7324010) or Ina at inashina@clearnet.net.nz ((093031755). Cost: $1100 (after July 31st, $1200) – excluding airfare, taxes andhealth insurance.

THE ROGER AWARD – NOMINATIONS OPEN
Nominations for the 2010 Roger Award are now open. The nomination form withdetails of the criteria and how to make a nomination is available in in Word(54 KB) or PDFformat (164KB). Nominations close on 31 October 2010. Send your nominationsto: The Roger Award, Box 2258, Christchurch, or CAFCA [cafca@chch.planet.org.nz] Fulldetails of the Roger Award, including all the past winners and theJudges’ Reports on them can be read at http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/publications/Roger/index.htmlThe judges for 2010 are: Paul Corliss, from Christchurch, anorganiser with the Tertiary Education Union and a life member of the Rail andMaritime Transport Union; Christine Dann, from BanksPeninsula, a writer and researcher; Sue Bradford, fromAuckland, a community activist and former Green MP; JoceJesson, a Senior Lecturer in Critical Studies in Education, Universityof Auckland, and a community activist; and Wayne Hope,Associate Professor, Communications Studies, Auckland University of Technology.They will be given a shortlist of finalists. The winner(s) will be announced atan Auckland event in April 2011.

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
Wednesday, August 25th, The Brigand, Takaka
Thursday, August 26th, Riverside Community and Cultural Centre, Motueka
Saturday, August 28th, Newtown Community Centre, Wellington. Don Franks will bedoing an opening set
Sunday, August 29th, Poverty Bay Club, Gisborne
Tuesday, August 31st, Biddy Mulligans Irish Bar, Victoria Street, Hamilton
Wednesday, September 1st, The Wine Cellar, Auckland

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.