GPJA #382: Sat – Big Push against childhood education cuts / Tues antiwar org mtg

GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER No. 382, July 7, 2011

CALL FOR NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST WAR IN AFGHANISTAN – NZ TROOPS OUT NOW – END THE OCCUPATION
GPJA is calling this National day of action to bring NZ, US all foreign troops home from Afghanistan. 2011 will be the tenth year of war and occupation in Afghanistan. Military involvement in this war will be longer than WW1, WW2, Korea or Vietnam. It’s time to end this disaster. In Auckland there will be a march from Aotea Square – 12noon, Saturday 13 August 2011. An organising meeting for this march will be held at 7pm Tuesday 12 July at Unite Union, 6a Western Springs Rd, Kingsland.

THE BIG PUSH Saturday- 9TH JULY 11AM. This Saturday, 9 July — RAIN or SHINE (we have an alternative indoor rally venue if necessary). Bring a banner for your centre, school or kindergarten and be in to win a morning tea shout. Bring your children, friends, buggies, placards and banners and join the BIG PUSH up Queen St to show your support for quality early childhood education. Meet at Queen Elizabeth Square from 10.30am. March up Queen St at 11am, finishing with a rally, sausage sizzle and kids entertainment at Aotea Square at 11.30am. Create and bring a banner for your centre, kindergarten or school. The creators of the most dazzling, inventive and eye-catching banners will win a morning tea shout.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

PLEASE SIGN ONLINE PETITION AGAINST TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
This was originally going to close on July 4th, but it’s built up momentum, so it seemed a shame to stop it now. More and more of the disastrous implications of the TPPA are making themselves obvious. The new cutoff date (which won’t be extended again) is November 1st. So please sign it now (if you haven’t already done so). And if you’ve got a hard copy of it, please post it to New Zealand Not For Sale Campaign, Box 2258, Christchurch 8140.

We urge you to circulate and publicise the petition, online and hard copy, through your organisations and networks.
Murray Horton, Convenor, New Zealand Not For Sale Campaign, Box 2258, Christchurch 8140. nznot4sale www.nznotforsale.org
Petition:
We the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of New Zealand call upon the Government of New Zealand
• to cease negotiations on the Transpacific Partnership agreement; and
• to not sign this agreement; and
• to cease work on any other in-progress or proposed international trade and investment treaties containing clauses which limit or abrogate New Zealand’s sovereign and democratic right to make and enforce laws and regulations and provide services which differ from those of other states or transnational organisations.
Sign the petition

Friday, July 8, 8pm, Academy Theatre, Lorne St, Auckland City Library
HOPE …….is coming to Auckland…. In 2001, the boat SIEV X sank on its way to Australia. Of the 400 asylum seekers on board, Amal was one of only 7 who survived. Amal’s courageous life as a survivor in Australia is sensitively and sincerely told by acclaimed documentary maker Steve Thomas, in collaboration with Amal, in the documentary ‘HOPE’ jwakim . Or post cheques with surname, number of tickets required & contact details to: The Treasurer ~ ARFT ~ PO Box 47008 ~ Ponsonby. Tickets will be available for pick up at the door.

Monday, July 11, 7.30pm, The Peace Place 22 Emily Place, Auckland City.
Films at The Peace Place …exploring justice between races. Serafina! (1992). Director: Darrell Roodt. Running time: 117 minutes. 
Admission: by Koha / donation. SARAFINA! (1992). The film is set in South Africa under the apartheid regime. The girl Sarafina (Leleti Khumalo) feels shame that her mother (Miriam Makeba) passively accepts her role as domestic servant in a white household. The plot centres on students involved in the Soweto riots, which occurred when Afrikaans was imposed as the language to be spoken in all South African schools. When Sarafina’s inspirational teacher Mary Masombuka (Whoopi Goldberg) is imprisoned, she inspires her fellow-students to rise up in protest. Preceded by a musical of the same name, Serafina! was shot on location in Soweto and Johannesburg, with the script by Mbongeni Ngema and William Nicholson. Whoopi Goldberg was determined to be a part of this project, and bargained with the executives at Disney that if they agreed to make the film she would agree to play in the second Sister Act film, which Disney was very keen to make after the huge worldwide profits of the first. However Sarafina! was considered unsuccessful in North American box offices, since receipts, grossed only $7 million. Leleti Khumalo later played in:Cry, the Beloved Country (1995), Yesterday (2004), Hotel Rwanda (2004) and Faith’s Corner (2005).

Monday, July 11, 8.15pm, Paramount Cinema, Wellington
UNIONAID FUNDRAISER – “What happens in the world’s largest trash city will transform you”. UnionAID has been successful in obtaining another excellent Oscar nominated film as a UnionAID fundraiser. Winner of nine audience awards at festivals the world over, including the 2010 Sundance film festival, “Waste Land” is a truly inspiring and moving film about celebrated New York artist Vik Muniz’s work with Rio garbage pickers on an ambitious art project in his native Brazil. Tickets $20 available from insidejob5 All proceeds to UnionAID projects – see www.unionaid.org.nz and join us on Facebook

Tuesday, July 12, “Sandwiches” Bar, Wellington
LABOUR HISTORY PROJECT A G M & ILLUSTRATED TALK – Wellington Artist Bob Kerr. Cash bar – refreshments also provided. Bob will illustrate his talk “Putting Visuals to History” with examples from his book “After the War” and from exhibitions on Archibald Baxter, Rua Kanana and others, and relate anecdotes on ‘historians I have known.” Further info from LHP chairperson, Mark Derby [04-973-8900] chair

Wednesday, July 20. 7.30pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont Street, Ponsonby, Auckland
Warm greetings reminding you of the upcoming Pacific Women’s Watch (NZ) Annual General Meeting. There is plenty of parking space behind the Centre. Our speaker at the AGM is PWW(NZ) Patron, Dr Marilyn Waring, Professor of Public Policy at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), speaking on Being RAMSI Gender and Governance Coordinator – challenges and celebrations. PWW(NZ) also calls for nominations to the Board for the coming year. The programme is stimulating and action focused. We look forward to your attendance on 20 July. Please make the AGM very widely known. Pacific Women’s Watch (NZ) www.pacificwomenswatch.org.nz Working for Gender Justice

Friday, July 22, 6pm, 2nd Floor, James Smith Building, cnr Cuba & Manners St, Wellington.
Message from the Cuban Embassy: Please joins us to celebrate “el 26 de Julio” with us. Film Screening from 6:30 PM. We’ll make a toast to commemorate such an important date to the Cuban people. E-mail: secretaria

Thursday, July 28, 7pm, WT1004 (AUT Tower Building, 2 Rutland St, 10th floor seminar room, next door to the new Pacific Media Centre office)
Papua New Guinea’s Tok Pisin language newspaper Wantok, founded in 1969, is one of the publishing icons of the South Pacific. Drawing on interviews with Fr Francis Mihalic and Bishop Leo Arkfeld made in the early 1990s, a manuscript history of the early days of the Wantok, written by Mihalic, and material drawn from the archives in the Society of the Divine Word’s mother house in Mt Hagen, Dr Philip Cass seeks to present a picture of a man who was at once a priest, a publisher, a propagandist, a linguist, a lecturer and often a cause of bewilderment to the very bishops whose work he was supposed to be doing. Dr Cass is head of postgraduate studies in the School of Communication Studies at Unitec. He is also a research associate of the Pacific Media Centre.

Friday, July 29, 5.30pm, WF8 lounge, level 8, AUT University Business school, 42 Wakefield St, Auckland city.
BOOK LAUNCH – “UNIONS IN COMMON CAUSE”: Guest speaker: Carol Beaumont, Labour List MP & former secretary NZCTU. RSVP to nzwalmi before Friday 17 July for catering purposes. Published by Steele Roberts, Unions in Common Cause is the first detailed study of the history of the New Zealand Federation of Labour (1937-88). Based on a conference held in 2007, this books includes chapters by four leading labour historians (Erik Olssen, Peter Franks, Melanie Nolan & Ray Markey), contributions by past and present union activists, biographical & statistical information. The book is richly illustrated. The book will be on sale at the launch at a special price of $20 cash only. From the foreword by Margaret Wilson: ‘Without a strong trade union movement New Zealand will never achieve the economic prosperity that will benefit us all. It is the trade union movement that provides the balance between the economic and social conditions that enable us to move forward as a society based on fairness and equality for all citizens.’

Saturday, July 30, 10am – 12.30pm, Auckland Trades Hall Auditorium, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn
SEMINAR: WHAT’S LEFT? RETROSPECT & PROSPECT FOR THE NEW ZEALAND LABOUR MOVEMENT. Speakers: Erik Olssen, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Otago, & author of numerous publications in labour history; Peter Franks, author of numerous publications in labour history, & labour activist; Margaret Wilson, Professor of Law & Public Policy, Waikato University, formerly Speaker of Parliament, Minister for Labour & other portfolios, & president of the Labour Party. The New Zealand labour movement has been a progressive force in the industrial and political spheres since the 1840s, when the first trade society appeared and the 8 hour day was established in Dunedin. By the early 20th century New Zealand was seen internationally as a ‘social laboratory’, not least because of its industrial relations legislation, strong unions and entry of ‘workingmen’s representatives’ into national parliament. The first Labour government of 1935 introduced extensive social reforms that laid a foundation for one of the most egalitarian societies in the world. Labour has since held office for 35 out of 65 years, and until the 1990s New Zealand unions had one of the highest membership densities in the world. However, since the 1980s Labour governments have been influenced by neo-liberal policies for privatisation and market deregulation, and trade unions’ membership has declined dramatically. New Zealand is no longer an egalitarian society. These changes have occurred throughout the world. Industrially and politically, labour movements in the developed countries are weaker than they have been for almost a century, and ideologically they have struggled to develop alternatives for market liberalism as traditional concepts of state socialism have been substantially discredited. How does history help us to understand this situation and to answer the following questions? What is the future for the labour movement? What strategies and policies might the labour movement develop to arrest its decline? Will Labour remain confined to ‘market liberalism lite’, or can it generate a new social vision? Join us to discuss these questions & listen to the views of our speakers. Refreshments provided. Entry Fee: $10 members, $20 non members, $5 unwaged. RSVP: by 28 July to Gay Simpkin, pgsimpkin

Saturday, August 6, 2pm, QEII Square, Customs Street and Queen St intersection, Outside Downtown Shopping Centre, Auckland
Rally for Justice and Peace in PALESTINE www.palestine.org.nz On the First Saturday of Every Month. Come support JUSTICE and PEACE based on:

1. Ending 44 years of Israeli Occupation of the West Bank & Gaza Strip (including East Jerusalem); 2. Ensuring the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees; 3. Sharing Jerusalem; 4. Vacating all settlement colonies in Israeli occupied Palestine; 5. Dismantling Israel’s annexation / apartheid wall in occupied Palestine.

Friday, August 26, 9am to 5pm, in Decima Glenn, Level 3, The University of Auckland Business School, 12 Grafton Rd, Auckland
ACC Forum: Co-hosted by The University of Auckland Retirement Policy and Research Centre and the ACC Group, the ACC Futures Coalition, and AUT’s Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research . “The future of ACC – Is New Zealand in danger of losing both what is best about the ACC scheme, and our place as a world leader in accident compensation? What can be done.” Auckland University is presenting a one-day symposium on the National Government’s proposed changes to ACC. Speakers include representatives from the NZCTU, employers, ACC claimant advocates, political parties, economists, academics, unions and Government consultants. Registration required $30 (includes lunch). Contact Tressy Menezes: t.menezes Closing date for registration and payment: Wednesday 24 August 2011.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Paranoia is in bloom,
The PR, transmissions will resume
They’ll try to, push drugs that keep us all dumbed down
And hope that, we will never see the truth around
(So come on)
Another promise, another seed
Another, packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed
And all the, green belts wrapped around our minds
And endless, red tape to keep the truth confined
Uprising by Muse http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article28495.htm

"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come!" – Victor Hugo

"We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace, business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob." Franklin Delano Roosevelt also known by his initials, FDR – 32nd President of the United States (1933-1945)

BEST ON THE WEB

NEW ZEALAND
Prof’s Letter Cautions Ministerial Group On Welfare Reform

Editorial: ACC’s image still tarnished despite review http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10736357

What Taliban hotel attack says about NZ military involvement http://blog.greens.org.nz/2011/06/30/what-taliban-hotel-attack-says-about-nz-military-involvement/

Matt McCarten (NZH): Time for Douglas to take a good hard look http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10735951

Matthew Dearnaley (NZH): Govt undermining city rail plans – Lee http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10736350

Alastair Reith (Spark): Greenpeace loses battle for charity status http://workersparty.org.nz/2011/06/29/greenpeace-loses-battle-for-charity-status/

‘Dob in a beneficiary’ campaign feared http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5222122/Dob-in-a-beneficiary-campaign-feared

Rebel schools http://thestandard.org.nz/rebel-schools/

Harvard professor opposes ‘three strikes’ law http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/5226020/Harvard-professor-opposes-three-strikes-law

Time to move beyond grievance in Treaty relationship, Tribunal says http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00017/time-to-move-beyond-grievance-in-treaty-relationship.htm

Bold bid for common path for Crown, Maori http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10736518

Release of the WAI 262 report | Morgan Godfery | Maui Street Blog http://news.tangatawhenua.com/archives/12642

Maori guardianship ‘should be protected’ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10735583

Maori pupils’ needs ‘not met by system’ http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5238839/Maori-pupils-needs-not-met-by-system

Action alert from iCAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) Aotearoa New Zealand http://www.icanw.org.nz

Hundreds of schools bullied into nominal compliance on National Standards http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1107/S00002/schools-bullied-into-compliance-on-national-standards.htm

Sue Bradford (Pundit): Happy Feet vs Feet on Street http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/happy-feet-vs-feet-on-street

Suffrage memorial to stay http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10736576

SIS given stronger powers http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10736510

Goff calls for SAS Afghanistan exit strategy http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5231008/Goff-calls-for-SAS-Afghanistan-exit-strategy

Government only interested in ‘tick-the-box’ compliance on National Standards http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1107/S00025/govt-only-interested-in-tick-the-box-standards-compliance.htm

EARTHQUAKE

NZEI: Full funding for Christchurch schools and centres must extend into next year http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1107/S00022/funding-for-chch-schools-and-centres-must-extend-into-2012.htm

MANA PARTY

From Hibernia to Aotearoa- thoughts on the Maori and Irish struggles – Commentary- Joe Carolan, Socialist Aotearoa http://socialistaotearoa.blogspot.com/2011/06/from-hibernia-to-aotearoa-thoughts-on_843.html

Gordon Campbell (Wellington): Delicate balance after by-election http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/opinion/5207600/Delicate-balance-after-by-election

Mana and Maori Party try to put aside differences http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/mana-and-maori-party-try-put-aside-differences-4289961

NZ WORK RIGHTS

Union to picket Chinese wagons http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/167732/union-picket-chinese-wagons

Fight to Save KiwiRail Jobs Goes Countrywide: BOP Workers Vote to Picket Arrival of Foreign Built Wagons between rail union and KiwiRail break down http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00047/fight-to-save-kiwirail-jobs-goes-countrywide.htm

32 men jump ship amid claims of ill-treatment http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5222836/32-men-jump-ship-amid-claims-of-ill-treatment

Media gag imposed on KiwiRail staff http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/167244/media-gag-imposed-kiwirail-staff

No secrets: bill to reveal pay gap http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10735891

PSA supports HRC’s moves on pay equity http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00035/psa-supports-hrcs-moves-on-pay-equity.htm

Greens: Time for Govt to show leadership on equal pay http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1107/S00023/time-for-govt-to-show-leadership-on-equal-pay.htm

Human Rights Commission has launched a new equality framework to help progress equal employment opportunities in New Zealand. http://www.neon.org.nz/trackingequalityatwork/

NZEI: Proposed pay equality legislation will help shame the government into action http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00038/pay-equality-legislation-will-help-shame-the-government.htm

Public service also needs to admit gender pay gap and take lead on closing it http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00014/public-service-also-needs-to-admit-gender-pay-gap.htm

Govt proud of gender pay gap in NZ http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1107/S00058/govt-proud-of-gender-pay-gap-in-nz.htm

From today KiwiSaver will cost you more and save you less http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00013/from-today-kiwisaver-will-cost-you-more-and-save-you-less.htm

Safe Rates for truck drivers needed for safe roads http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00069/safe-rates-for-truck-drivers-needed-for-safe-roads.htm

Level of assaults on public sector staff unacceptable, says PSA http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1107/S00200/level-of-assaults-on-public-sector-staff-unacceptable.htm

NZ ECONOMY

TV3: Unions bare teeth to National’s asset sell-down http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/politics/52859.html

Infrastructure blueprint ‘step to privatisation’ http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5231853/Infrastructure-blueprint-step-to-privatisation

Wellington Forum on the TPP shows public concern http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00080/wellington-forum-on-the-tpp-shows-public-concern.htm

Capital Gains Tax – the Time has Come http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1107/S00073/capital-gains-tax-the-time-has-come.htm

Gordon Campbell – On the capital gains tax debate

Selwyn Manning & Will Pollard On Labour’s Capital Gains Tax

CULTURAL DISSENT

A detailed discussion with Owen Jones about his book, ‘Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class’. Here he focuses on the roots of the ‘chav’ phenomenon and the structural economic and political forces that lie behind it: http://www.newleftproject.org/index.php/site/article_comments/from_salt_of_the_earth_to_scum_on_the_streets

FEATURES

Left debates Libya: Imperialist nature of war is now clearer By Michael Karadjis http://links.org.au/node/2383

Video: The Return of Socialism – “One does not need to be a socialist to understand that socialism has been a part of this country’s journey from the start.”—John Nichols http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=4839

Half Of World’s Refugees Are Running From U.S. Wars: Nearly one half of the world’s refugees are from Afghanistan and Iraq, 3.05 million and 1.68 million, respectively. But neither the United States nor much of the developed world bears the burden of the 10.55 million refugees. Instead, Pakistan, Iran, and Syria serve as the top host countries. http://bit.ly/rhTgBT

LAND, LABOUR AND THE ENVIROMENT

State of the Climate: Hotter than ever, and getting hotter faster than ever http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=4832

Carbon Markets Are Not Cooling the Planet http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56192

Canada’s environmental crime, and Brazil’s example: Bill McKibben: “Exploiting the tar sands is a crime, pure and simple—and, given the stakes, it is one of the most staggering the world has ever seen.” http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=4819

The Future of Nuclear: Fukushima Spews, Los Alamos Burns, Vermont Rages & We Almost Lost Nebraska’ http://tinyurl.com/6jft7pc

Ecuador: First successful case enforcing rights of nature http://www.theecosocialist.com/1/post/2011/07/first-successful-case-enforcing-rights-of-nature-in-ecuador.html

A letter to Saral Sarkar on population, wilderness, and ecosocialism http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=4892

Confessions of a nuclear power safety expert – “I soon came to the conclusion that neither international cooperation nor technological advancements would guarantee human societies to build and safely run nuclear reactors” http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=4853

Who gets the big U.S. farm subsidies? Not farmers – 60% of U.S. farmers get no aid, while government programs subsidize the wealthiest agri-businesses and absentee land owners http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=4847

WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS

Greece Should Default – David Harvey: Greece should call Europe’s bluff http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=6983

Joseph E Stiglitz: Inequality – Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1% – Americans have been watching protests against oppressive regimes that concentrate massive wealth in the hands of an elite few. Yet in our own democracy, 1 percent of the people take nearly a quarter of the nation’s income—an inequality even the wealthy will come to regret. http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105?printable=true

Corporate Cash Con By PAUL KRUGMAN http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/04/opinion/04krugman.html?_r=1

AUSTRALIA

How not to build the movement against climate change http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=4807

Australians in Gaza flotilla fear limited consular help http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/30/3258024.htm

20 years on, black kids still fill jails parliamentary committee finds http://tinyurl.com/3ot5hy2

EGYPT

Left debates the Arab Spring, democracy and imperialism http://links.org.au/node/2387

The Egyptian revolution: phase two http://links.org.au/node/2384

GREECE

– A stray dog in Athens called Loukanikos takes part in every protest. He barks heartily at the police. He’s now a national hero.

Public Outrage over Austerity Plan http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56318

IRELAND

Trevor Hogan: My last-minute jitters as I board ship to Gaza http://www.herald.ie/opinion/trevor-hogan-my-lastminute-jitters-as-i-board-ship-to-gaza-2802679.html

LIBYA

Ignore Gadhafi arrest order, African Union urges members http://azstarnet.com/news/world/article_348fdce2-7fb9-521b-9ccc-004edd57b85a.html#ixzz1R5dZrlsZ

What’s really at stake in Libya By Pepe Escobar http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MF30Ak02.html

Bishop in Libya proves unlikely source of international controversy – The Catholic figure has criticized the NATO campaign, calling it immoral and ineffective. ‘Kadafi is a Bedouin: You can’t change his mind by bombing him,’ the bishop says. Bishop in Libya proves unlikely source of international controversy

The Catholic figure has criticized the NATO campaign, calling it immoral and ineffective. ‘Kadafi is a Bedouin: You can’t change his mind by bombing him,’ the bishop says. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-bishop-20110703,0,287540.story

World politics and the revolution in Libya – It’s time for new thinking for Libya, or the post-revolution country may find

itself as a neo-colony. http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/07/201173113123144759.html

JAPAN

A first turning point in the crisis by Pierre Rousset http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article2202

MALAYSIA

Socialists abused in custody; Philippine socialist detained; More arrests http://links.org.au/node/2385

NEPAL

Nepal’s crossroads: Kasama on debates in the Maoist party http://links.org.au/node/2390

PACIFIC

Police Shut down FWRM birthday retreat http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/2011-07-01/fiji-police-shut-down-fwrm-birthday-planning-retreat

Indonesian Workers Strike at Freeport Mine http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&Date=20110704&ID=13856611

PAKISTAN

Pakistan orders US out of drone base – US told to stop drone attacks from Shamsi, in western Pakistan, and leave airbase http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/30/pakistan-orders-us-out-drone-base

PALESTINE

Gaza Flotilla 2 – Al Jazeera English http://english.aljazeera.net/Indepth/spotlight/gazaflotilla2/

The Battle Over the Gaza Flotilla http://www.thenation.com/article/161787/battle-over-gaza-flotilla

What the Media Missed on Itamar – Murdering Babies is "Permissible" When They’re Palestinian http://www.counterpunch.org/weir03172011.html

‘The Audacity Of Hope’ waits to sail for Gaza – The ‘Palestinians’ transition to non-violent protests’ deeply concerns the Israeli government and its US backers by Mark Weisbrot http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/06/201163017129356947.html

BDS explained – DID YOU KNOW? http://vimeo.com/23609042

SOMALIA

US extends drone strikes to Somalia – First drone strike in Somalia reported to have wounded senior al-Shabab militants http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/30/us-drone-strikes-somalia

SOUTH AFRICA

Two warriors die, alongside the right to water http://links.org.au/node/2388

SYRIA

Syria’s Assad faces dilemma in Hama: Diplomats say how Assad deals with Hama could determine the direction of Syria’s unrest, at least for the im mediate future. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/analysis-syrias-assad-faces-dilemma-hama-170622196.html

THAILAND

Thailand’s election: A slap in the face for the military, Democrat Party and royalist elites http://links.org.au/node/2389

UK

UK public sector strikes over pensions http://english.aljazeera.net/video/europe/2011/06/201163092012758854.html

USA

Inmate hunger strike expands to more California prisons http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0706-hunger-strike-20110706,0,3504424.story

Support the Pelican Bay Hunger Strike!

A Victory in Las Vegas: Teamster Reformers Win Ballot Status for Sandy Pope http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/early030711.html

Learning how to be a union activist – Amid efforts to limit the power of unions nationwide, labor activists try to galvanize members and recruit new blood by holding one-day Troublemakers School sessions that are part pep rally, part instruction. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-labor-school-20110706,0,6920305.story

VENEZUELA

Thousands march in show of support for Chavez http://azstarnet.com/news/world/article_b225f461-592e-581f-a80d-6bf0cd6026e6.html#ixzz1R5eIbcD2

Chomsky says The Guardian is "dishonest" and "deceptive": Noam Chomsky on Venezuela – the transcript – The Guardian publishes a transcript of its interview with Noam Chomsky about Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, and the Afiuni affair. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/04/noam-chomsky-venezuela

YEMEN

Yemenis vehemently oppose US-Saudi plan: The Secretary General of the Yemen Democratic Party, has said that the ideal of the Yemeni revolution is to make major change in the ruling regime, while declaring the vehement opposition of the Yemeni people and revolutionaries with the US-Saudi plan to transfer power to the Yemeni vice-president, Mansour Haadi. http://www.abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=251421

OLDER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO OIL DRILLING IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND PETITION
Aotearoa New Zealand is still a beautiful country. I disagree with those who use & abuse the environment, meaning pollution, oil drilling and mining. Think about it, think about the consequences. What will happen if there was too much pollution in our foreshore and seabed? What will happen if there was an oil spill in our harbour, killing all our seafood, our last resource? What will happen if there was another mining disaster in our beautiful country? Seeing this happen to our earth mother is not worth it. But our people will never sit and watch this happen to our environment, because we are the true protectors of the land, we are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/no-oil-drilling-in-new-zealand/

ME RONGO 2011 PEACE CONGRESS INFORMATION, REGISTRATION AND INVITATION 7 TO 21 NOVEMBER 2011, REKOHU (CHATHAM ISLANDS)
This message is to let you know that information about the Me Rongo 2011 Peace Congress – ‘Peace, Sustainability and Respect for the Sacred’ – the registration form and draft programme are now available. Below is the welcome message from the Congress hosts, an outline of the purpose and vision of the Congress, and an invitation for peace to groups to present workshops at it. The document with more information, the registration details, draft programme and contact details for the organisers, is available as a pdf file at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/merongo01.pdf and as a Word document at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/merongo01.doc This message is available online at http://www.facebook.com/notes/peace-movement-aotearoa/me-rongo-2011-peace-congress-information-registration-and-invitation/195449993835711

THE 2011 ELECTION: A CRITICAL GUIDE
The 2011 Election: a critical guide is currently being printed. If you click on the link below, you will see the book on our publisher’s website. Also, there is a link to a sample interview, with Professor Jim Flynn on privatisation. We tried to cover a wide range of topics, and here is a summary of who was interviewed: Dr Bryce Edwards (Otago University) The Main Political Parties & MMP; Dr Sean Phelan (Massey University) The Media; Professor Klaus Bosselmann (Auckland University) The Environment; David Do (New Zealand University Students’ Association) Student Loans; Professor Jim Flynn (Otago University) Privatisation; Professor Paul Roth (Otago University) Employment Law; Mike Treen (UNITE union) Unionism; Dr Brian Roper (Otago University) Taxation; Ali Nissenbaum (Wellington Activists) Anarchism; Andrew Tait (Dunedin Activist) Marxism; Sue Bradford (Auckland Activist & former Green MP) Feminism & Unemployment. While it is important to keep in mind that the interviewees have different opinions from each other, three themes emerged: 1) A critique of neo-liberalism; 2) De-politicisation (nearly a quarter of the population did not vote in the 2008 Election); 3) Internationalism (nearly half of the interviewees are originally from overseas: Germany, Ireland, Israel, South Africa and the United States). Please also keep in mind that we are not endorsing any political party. The interviewees disagree with each other on many points. We believe that the interviewees voted in at least five different ways in 2008. We are planning to send all interviewees a free copy of the book, to show our appreciation.

Thank you for your help, R Wright http://aptitute.co.nz/site/products http://aptitute.co.nz/The_2011_Election-a_critical_guide_sample_chapter.pdf

AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS SOCIAL CHANGE TO STOP CLIMATE CHANGE SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 3
The event, which is sponsored by the Office of Environmental Programs at Melbourne University and organised by Green Left Weekly and the Socialist Alliance, will run from Friday, September 30 to Monday, October 3 at Melbourne University. The discussions at this conference will be enriched by the participation of one of the world’s foremost radical ecologists, John Bellamy Foster. A well-known economist from the United States, Foster is also an editor of Monthly Review and the author of The Ecological Rift (with Brett Clark and Richard York) The Ecological Revolution, The Great Financial Crisis (with Fred Magdoff) and Marx’s Ecology. Also leading the conference discussions will be Canadian ecosocialist writer and activist Ian Angus. Angus co-founded the Ecosocialist International Network and is the editor of Climateandcapitalism.com. He is the author of the forthcoming book Too Many People? Population, Immigration, and the Environmental Crisis (with Simon Butler) and has also authored Food Crisis: World Hunger, Agribusiness and the Food Sovereignty Alternative and edited The Global Fight for Climate Justice. http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/47144