GPJA 448 (Part 1 of 3): WHAT’S ON – THIS WEDNESDAY, 7PM, UNITE OFFICE – SPECIAL GPJA FORUM ON POLICE VIOLENCE AND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST (10/12/12)

GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER No. 448, December 10, 2012

Wednesday, December 12, 7pm, Unite Office, 6a Western Springs Rd, Morningside, Auckland.
SPECIAL GPJA FORUM ON POLICE VIOLENCE AND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST
Dear friends, GPJA would like to invite people to a special discussion on the police violence at the recent anti-TPPA protests. We want anyone with video footage on their phones to bring it along to look at. We have some already and want as much as possible – including for use by those arrested. We also want to discuss what the police tactics mean for future protests and how we can better protect participants from unnecessary violence or arrests.

TPPA ACTION: 12 Dec Wellington. Aotearoa Is Not For Sale demonstration at Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Details to be announced (AINFS meet at Trades Hall each Wednesday at 5.30). Please share TPPA activities or good articles: Contact Stephen Parry stephenparry1985; Facebook page ItsOurFutureNZ; and website www.itsourfuture.org.nz

ONEHUNGA IMPACT THIS MON, TUES, WED (10, 11, 12 DEC) AND RALLY THIS TUES 12-2PM
AUCKLAND ACTION AGAINST POVERTY IMPACT: We just wanted to send a brief reminder that our Impact event is this coming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (10, 11, 12 December) from 9am to 4.30pm each day outside of Work and Income Onehunga, 201-211 Onehunga Mall. We’re going to have well over 15 advocates set up each day to work with beneficiaries and low paid workers to ensure they’re receiving their full entitlements, receive essential items like food grants, washing machines and fridges and more. This event is largely focusing on working with the Onehunga community as part of our introduction to the area, however, AAAP friends and family are also welcome to attend and see an advocate if needed. RALLY: And our Recession Buster Rally is on the Tuesday the 11th, from 12pm to 2pm across the road from Onehunga Work and Income. We’d love to see as many of you as possible there. We’ll have political speakers talking about their party’s welfare policy including: John Minto (Mana), Jan Logie (Greens) and Jacinda Ardern (Labour). AAAP will also speak, and there’ll be a sausage sizzle and kids face painting. Fantastic. We look forward to seeing you then. Sarah (and Chris, Sue and Karen) for AAAP

APPLICATIONS FOR 2013 PEACE SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
White Poppies for Peace. 10 December 2012. Applications for White Poppy Peace Scholarships for research during the 2013 academic year opened today, Human Rights Day, on the sixty-fourth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The Peace Scholarships comprise at least two grants that are awarded each year to assist students at any tertiary education institution in Aotearoa New Zealand with research into the impacts of militarism, militarisation and warfare; alternatives to militarism, militarisation and warfare; or collective non-violent responses to state violence. Information about how to apply for and support the Peace Scholarships is included below.
The Peace Scholarships open on Human Rights Day each year to draw attention to the link between militarism and human rights. While the link between armed conflict and gross violations of human rights is obvious, the link between militarism and human rights is perhaps less well known. The United Nations was established in 1945 to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person, and for member states to live together in peace with one another as good neighbours. [1] As one way to progress these worthy goals, the UDHR was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948 in recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. [2]
Yet sixty-seven years after the UN was established, the vision of the UN Charter and the UDHR has not yet been fully realised, in part because of the dominance of the ideology of militarism – “the policy of maintaining a military organisation in aggressive preparedness for war” [3] – which has a negative impact on the enjoyment of economic, civil, cultural, political and social rights around the world.
One way this can be readily illustrated is by looking at the prioritisation of military expenditure over social spending. Last year global military expenditure was more than $1,738 billion (US$), an average of more than $4.7 billion a day. By way of contrast, on average, 24,000 children under the age of five die every day from mainly preventable causes – lack of access to adequate food, clean water and basic medicines. That is one of the prices paid, the collateral damage that is seldom talked about, for maintaining armed forces in a state of combat readiness around the world.
Among the other harmful effects of militarism is the acceptance of the belief that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflict, an acceptance that seldom occurs in other aspects of daily life, and the way this actively prevents the exploration of other ways of resolving conflict. Militarism is what keeps the global cycle of violence going round and round in a downwards spiral.
The purpose of the Peace Scholarships is to increase understanding of the role of New Zealand governments (past and present) in the global cycle of violence; of the impacts of militarism, militarisation and warfare here and overseas; and of alternative ways of resolving conflict.
About the Peace Scholarships
The Peace Scholarships comprise at least two grants that are awarded each year to assist with research into: the impacts of militarism, militarisation and warfare; alternatives to militarism, militarisation and warfare; or collective non-violent responses to state violence. The Peace Scholarships are for students at any tertiary education institution in Aotearoa New Zealand. Each grant is a minimum of $1,000 – one is for a Maori or Moriori student, with the other/s open to any student with New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency. The Peace Scholarships are entirely funded by donations, including those collected during the White Poppies for Peace Annual Appeal (17 to 24 April). The number and amount of the grants awarded annually is determined by the amount raised during each year.
How to apply for a Peace Scholarship
Guidelines for applicants are available at peacescholarship The deadline for applications for Peace Scholarships to assist with research in the 2013 academic year is Friday, 1 March 2013.
How you can support the Peace Scholarships
There are two ways you can support the Peace Scholarships – by making a donation, or by helping to collect donations for white poppies, an international symbol of remembrance for all the casualties of war and of peace. Your generosity will help to promote peace by directly supporting research into militarism, militarisation and warfare. To make a donation by cheque, please use the form at peacescholarship and we will provide the details for you. A tax credit receipt is sent for all donations.
To support the Peace Scholarships by collecting donations for white poppies: if you can assist with the White Poppies for Peace Annual Appeal, 17 to 24 April, please fill in and return the form at whitepoppies if you would like to have white poppies available at a peace event at any time during the year, please email whitepoppies with your request.
References: [1] Charter of the United Nations, Preamble; [2] Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Preamble; [3] Collins English Dictionary, William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd, 1986, 2nd edition

DEMAND EQUAL PAY – PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT NOW
Please circulate this to all your networks and ask them to make a call to action to show support for ‘Demanding Equal Pay’ by going to http://demandequalpay.org.nz to pledge support to show the NZ government there is public support for adopting a new legislative framework to create transparency and openness around gender pay issues within the workplace in New Zealand.
The YWCA want to give this a really BIG push this week so really appreciate your help here.

WHAT’S ON IN AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND

Tuesday, December 11, 12noon to 2pm, across the street from the Onehunga Work and Income.
Auckland Action Against Poverty Recession Buster Rally. More info at www.aaap.org.nz

Tuesday, December 11, 5pm, The Peace Palace, 22 Emily Place, Auckland City
NGO FORUMS: ABOLISHING NUCLEAR WEAPONS: From nuclear-weapons free Aotearoa New Zealand to a nuclear-weapons free world. Come along to the NGO Forum in Wellington or Auckland (see details below) for a report on the Australian Red Cross conference ‘Towards Eliminating Nuclear Weapons’, and an update and discussion on: · the Red Cross ‘Make Nuclear Weapons the target’ campaign; · the government conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons that will be hosted by Norway next year; · the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (iCAN), the Norwegian government’s civil society partner for the conference, and iCAN Aotearoa New Zealand; and · the New Zealand government’s position on a global ban on nuclear weapons, and what we can do about it. Presenter: Edwina Hughes, Coordinator, Peace Movement Aotearoa. Organised by iCAN Aotearoa New Zealand, please RSVP by email to icanz or at https://www.facebook.com/events/354906011271266/ The A4 poster for the NGO Forums is available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/ican-anz,forums.pdf

Wednesday, December 12, 2-4pm, Mangere Budget Advisory Service, 59B Mahunga Drive (next to KUMFS Shoes), Mangere Bridge, Auckland
An open meeting will be held for all organisations involved in the Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand.

Thursday, December 13, 6pm to 7.30pm, The University of Auckland Business School, Case Room 1, Level 0 Owen G Glenn Building, 12 Grafton Road Auckland
Roger Fowler from Kia Ora Gaza speaks. In November 2012, Roger Fowler was sent to Gaza and Cairo on behalf of Kia Ora Gaza’s website to investigate progress towards opening the besieged Palestinian enclave to the world in the wake of Egypt’s democracy revolution. He also delivered grants and aid to community organisations in Gaza and reported on Israel’s military blitz from inside the enclave. In this presentatiom, Roger will speak of his experiences. He will be joined by fellow KOG convoyers from the June convoy, Tali Williams and Hone Fowler.

Thursday, December 13, 7.30pm, Unite Union, 6a Western Springs Rd, Kingsland
What do we mean by Socialist Revolution? Auckland meeting https://www.facebook.com/events/376039152485335/ Nico, a founding member of Socialist Aotearoa, presents our final forum of 2012, especially for new members and supporters, who are interested in exploring what SA means by Revolution. What will a socialist revolution look like? Why do we think the working class is the key force to ending capitalism? Will the Revolution be violent? These and many more questions will be answered, and afterwards, we will celebrate the end of a busy and hectic year, looking back at the many battles fought, both here and internationally. All welcome. www.socialistaotearoa.org

Friday, December 14, Wellington
Fabian Society Seminar: Brian Easton – Light-handed regulation in the Building Industry and Better Policy. In Wellington on December 14th, as a fourth example on light-handed regulation, Brian will add the failings of the building industry (such as leaky buildings and the lack of resilience to earthquakes) to the earlier examples of failures of health and safety, financial supervision and the electricity industry. But he will go on to suggest what can be done? What policy framework might a social democratic government introduce to reduce the deaths, the human heartbreak, the economic waste, and the exploitation of consumers which light-handed regulation has created. You can register here. Earlier presentations in this series are available .

Saturday, December 15, 3pm, Trades Hall Building, 147-151 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland
REFUGEE COUNCIL OF NEW ZEALAND ANNUAL GATHERING INVITATION

December 27 to January 18, NZ-Cuba
XXX SOUTHERN CROSS BRIGADE TO CUBA: Receive warm greetings from Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples (ICAP), that every year receives, with great satisfaction, all friends that spontaneously decide to join us in the Southern Cross Brigade of voluntary work and solidarity with Cuba. Main objectives of the brigade are to provide a great deal of knowledge about Cuban reality so that the visitors could understand it as well as to work voluntarily in the agricultural fields in order to help in the development and productivity of the country. The program of the brigade includes visits to historical, cultural and social places. Participants will receive lectures on national and international topics and will also interact with representatives of Cuban organizations and people in general. Each brigade member, at the moment of the arrival, is committed to follow the program and schedule, and also to have a proper behaviour, discipline and social interaction not only in CIJAM but also all over the country. For further communication: Phone numbers (53 7) 838-24 30 / 8335372 / 830-1220 / 834-4544 ext. 15 and Emails: asia.norte , director.dao and amiventas We would be pleased to have you in the XXX Southern Cross Brigade, a beautiful project that ICAP and Australia/New Zealand – Cuba Friendship Societies have proudly maintained since 1983, which has allow to show Cuban reality to more than one thousand people who have taken part in previous brigades as well as to receive their support and deep solidarity. This year program and brigade has a special aim and it is to commemorate 55 anniversary of the triumph of Cuban revolution on January 1st, 2013 and also to celebrate with every participant coming the 30 anniversary of the Southern Cross Brigade visit to Cuba. This is a formal invitation to join the brigade in order to strengthen brotherhood between our peoples. Sincerely yours, Asia and Pacific Division, Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples NZ Participants: Email gael.d for the full programme and any other questions.

January 18-20
COME TO WAIHOPAI SPY BASE PROTEST: JANUARY 18-20

The Kim Dotcom saga has certainly put the NZ Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) and its Waihopai spy base smack bang into the glare of the spotlight. Not coincidentally this is happening in the same year that the Government has got New Zealand back into ANZUS in all but name. NZ has hosted its first visit from a US Defense Secretary for 30 years and he offered to base US marines here. For the first time since the 1980s, American troops have trained here; NZ troops have trained in the US; and NZ warships have taken part in US-led naval exercises. How ironic that all this was happening at the same time as the country was celebrating the 25th anniversary of our nuclear free law.
The public face of New Zealand’s role as an American ally is the NZ military presence in Afghanistan. But New Zealand’s most significant contribution to the global American warfighting machine is, and has been for more than 20 years, the Waihopai electronic intelligence gathering base, located in the Waihopai Valley, near Blenheim. It is controlled by the US, with New Zealand (including Parliament and the Prime Minister) having little or no idea what goes on there, let alone any control.
First announced in 1987, Waihopai is operated by New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) in the interests of the foreign Powers grouped together in the super-secret UKUSA Agreement (which shares global electronic and signals intelligence among the intelligence agencies of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and NZ). Its satellite interception dishes intercept a huge volume of civilian telephone calls, telexes, faxes, e-mail and computer data communications. It spies on our Asia/Pacific neighbours, and forwards the material on to the major partners in the UKUSA Agreement, specifically the US National Security Agency (NSA). Its targets are international civilian communications involving New Zealanders, including the interception of international phone calls.
Post- 9/11 the GCSB and Waihopai now spy further afield, to those regions where the US is waging wars. The codename for this – Echelon – has become notorious worldwide as the vast scope of its spying has become public. New Zealand is an integral, albeit junior, part of a global spying network, a network that is ultimately accountable only to its own constituent agencies, not governments, and certainly not citizens.
Join us for the weekend of anti-war protest at this spy base. Come prepared for roughing it and camping out. We provide the food (we cater for vegetarians but vegans will have to bring their own). Bring sleeping bag, groundsheet, a tent, torch, water bottle, eating utensils, clothing for all weather, and $40 (or $20 unwaged) to cover costs. No open fires.
How to find our camp at Whites Bay: turn off SH1 at Tuamarina (9km north 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 the Whites Bay turnoff. There is a DoC public camp at the bay with basic facilities. ABC has to pay a fixed charge per head.
Waihopai does not operate in the interests of New Zealanders or our neighbours. Basically it is a foreign spy base on NZ soil and directly involves us in America’s wars. Waihopai must be closed. Email abc for further registration information.

Thursday and Friday 14 & 15 February 2013, AUT University Business School, 42 Wakefield St, Auckland City
Supported by the Occupational Health and Safety Research Group, AUT University; the NZCTU; the SFWU; the University of Auckland and the NZ Industrial Relations Foundation Trust Inc. PRECARIOUS WORK AND THE LIVING WAGE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. Two Day Symposium and Workshops. Keynote speakers include: Guy Standing, Professor of Economics, University of London; Malcolm Sargeant, Professor of Labour Law, Middlesex University; Iain Campbell, Senior Research Fellow, RMIT University; Deborah Littman, Metro Vancouver Alliance. This symposium will include in-depth discussions on the employment of vulnerable workers and the current developments around a living wage in New Zealand and around the world. We encourage participants from academia, unions, NGOs, faith communities and government agencies to attend. There is a charge of $40 per day. Attendees must register to: work.research More info: www.workresearch.aut.ac.nz/ohs www.livingwagenz.org.nz