What’s On in Aotearoa/NZ from Feb 18

Wednesday, February 18, WINTEC, Room A 1.04 , 1st Floor “A” Block (Centre of Campus). Access via Gate 3, Tristram St, Hamilton City.
Bring your friends to Samah Sabawi’s fee public lecture: “Let my people live”: Samah Sabawi is Gaza Born and Melbourne based. She is an internationally renowned advocate, author, poet and playwright. She is an inspiring international speaker, a well-known researcher on Peace in the Middle East and advisor to international organisations. Ms. Sabawi has talked on topics such as ending the blockade on Gaza, anti-racism and anti-Islamophobia. She has recently returned from speaking publicly in Rome; and has also spoken in Australia, Canada and the U.S. previously. Ms. Sabawi is also a policy advisor to the Palestinian policy network Al Shabaka, and a member of the board of directors of the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations. She participated in various public forums on peace building, women in conflict areas, the Palestinian right of return, as well as various presentations for interfaith groups. Previously, she was a public advocate for Australians for Palestine, Executive Director and Media Spokesperson for the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR), and a Subject Matter Expert on the Middle East’s cultural and political landscape for the Canadian Foreign Service Institute’s Center for Intercultural Learning.

Thursday, February 19, 6pm, University of Auckland, Lecture Theatre 220, Level 2, Arts 1 Building 206, 14a Symonds Street, City.
Bring your friends to Samah Sabawi’s fee public lecture: “Let my people live”: Samah Sabawi is Gaza Born and Melbourne based. She is an internationally renowned advocate, author, poet and playwright. She is an inspiring international speaker, a well-known researcher on Peace in the Middle East and advisor to international organisations. Ms. Sabawi has talked on topics such as ending the blockade on Gaza, anti-racism and anti-Islamophobia. She has recently returned from speaking publicly in Rome; and has also spoken in Australia, Canada and the U.S. previously. Ms. Sabawi is also a policy advisor to the Palestinian policy network Al Shabaka, and a member of the board of directors of the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations. She participated in various public forums on peace building, women in conflict areas, the Palestinian right of return, as well as various presentations for interfaith groups. Previously, she was a public advocate for Australians for Palestine, Executive Director and Media Spokesperson for the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR), and a Subject Matter. You can find some of her written work here: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/profile/samah-sabawi-.html

http://electronicintifada.net/people/samah-sabawi / http://al-shabaka.org/node/168
Samah Sabawi’s 2015 NZ speaking tour is hosted by the NZ Palestine Solidarity Network. These public events will be free – donations will be welcome. Website: www.kiaoragaza.net

Thursday, February 19, 7.30pm, Rutherford Room, Alexandra Park, Auckland
Cost: unwaged $35 waged $45
Food Matters speaking tour with Prof. Gilles-Eric Séralini and Jérôme Douzelet and Dr. Vandana Shiva
Gilles-Eric Séralini and Jérôme Douzelet’s talk on “Culinary pleasures or hidden poisons?” A dialogue between a chef and a scientist, each will reveal their experiences with the health problems that chemically grown food can generate and the creation of a joyful, natural, and organic cuisine, full of flavour, colour, and texture, in harmony with biodiversity and health – in line with the sense of the word “restaurateur” as one who restores health.
Dr Vandana Shiva’s talk on “Preserving seed integrity and food sovereignty” will focus on seed preservation. Seed is the first link in the food chain and is the ultimate symbol of food security. She will discuss how new technologies developed in the green revolution and biotechnologies, devalue the cultural and traditional knowledge embodied in the seed, and erode the holistic knowledge of the seed from the community. This results in the seed knowledge, integrity and diversity becoming extinct.
For more information please go to http://foodconference.co.nz/venues-and-registration/auckland/
Cost: unwaged $35 waged $45

Friday, February 20, 1pm, The Kauri Room, Level 11, HSBC, 1 Queen Street.
Save the Pohutakawas – Auckland Transport Board Meeting. Anyone interested in saving the Pohutakawas on Great North Road is encouraged to attend this meeting. The trees have a long history and Auckland Transport may not hear any alternatives to destroying them if people do not make sure their voices are heard.

Saturday, February 21, 6.30pm, Cnr Crummer and Ponsonby Rds, Auckland
PRIDE PARADE

Saturday, February 21, 11am, Bhakti Conference Centre, 11 Pleasant View Road, Panmure, Auckland
National Hui on Housing: The National government has declared war on state and rental housing tenants. Tamaki Housing Group is organising a national conference to plan action to stop the National government privatising state houses and demand state housing be extended to meet the needs of all our families. The Conference is on from 11am on Saturday February 21 at the Bhakti Conference Centre, 11 Pleasant View Road, Panmure, Auckland. (There is no cost to register but people will have to meet their own travel costs to the hui. We will provide billets for people travelling from outside Auckland who need them). The government plans to sell up to 20,000 state houses to developers with profit priorities and community housing groups who will not be able sustain the stock and who are already overwhelmed by the number of those in desperate circumstances. A 2013 study using 2006 Statistics NZ data concluded that homelessness (defined by Statistics NZ) is close to 1 in 120 New Zealanders and between 12,900–21,100 dwellings would be needed. Homelessness has increased by 9% between 2001 and 2006. The government is privatising some of the stock and transferring other stock to charities, a transfer that has failed in other countries. Reviewable tenancies have meant that tenants are evicted from their communities and forced into the private rental market, a move that raises demand, reduces supply and increases already soaring rent. Families are living in overcrowded housing while the Government has dropped their ‘Rightsize’ policy which would have built extra rooms on homes. Tenants have been bullied and harassed by Housing New Zealand to force them to move from their homes for private development to take place.

The changes came about with the adoption of the Housing Shareholders Advisory Group report in 2010.[3] The board was appointed by the National Government ministers of Housing and Finance and consisted of property developers with vested interests. For example Alan Jackson chaired the board and was also the Director of Fletcher Buildings and the Chair of the Housing NZ board in Wellington. Martin Udale was also on the board and the ex-CEO of McConnell Property, now the Director of the Tamaki Redevelopment Company. The report recommended the Government focus on high-needs, a recommendation that resulted in an announcement last year to review all tenants. The report also recommended the Government transfer its responsibilities to third party groups, as well as a need to change expectations of the historical ‘house for life’ policy that gave Housing NZ tenants security and aided the strength and unity of communities.

The Tamaki Housing Group was formed in late 2011 after 156 households got notice of pending eviction without warning. The group has protested evictions and the removal of houses from Glen Innes over the last three years. The initial plans by government and Auckland Council were for these evictions to be concluded quickly in order to sell land that is rapidly increasing in value and the group has been successful in keeping a number of families and the elderly in their homes to now. The group has been successful in bringing the privatisation of state housing to national attention.

Objectives:
– A moratorium on the current sales of state house stock
– Repeal the 2013 Social Housing reforms, including Housing NZ functions to be returned as before, not dealt with by Work and Income (WINZ)
– A review on tenancy rights and a Charter of inalienable rights for tenants
– Amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, particularly an obligation of the landlord to have a reason to issue 90-day notices that is stronger than the tenant’s rights to secure tenure
– Tenure protection for the elderly, the sick and the disabled

State and rental tenants need to unite in a fight back. Please help us to spread the word about this very important national meeting.
https://www.facebook.com/events/784690034926446/

Wednesday February 25 to Friday, February 27, 12.30pm and 5.30pm daily, 122 Elstree Ave, Glen Innes
Mad Ave presents The River Talks! Art & Science combine powers to bring transformative and much needed attention to the dilapidated Omaru River in Glen Innes Auckland. First presented in 2013 The River Talks has enjoyed success as a powerful community led project. Now we are expanding our reach by being part of the 2015 Auckland Fringe Festival. So come and join the movement! Acclaimed performers, painters, researchers and ecologists will celebrate, mourn and bring Mana back to one of NZ’s most neglected and polluted waterways. This is a FREE EVENT. Contact madavestudios for bookings.

Thursday, February 26, 7-9pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Auckland
Human Rights Reality in Gaza: The experiences of Mr Shamikh Badra, Member of Central Committee, Palestinian People’s Party; Postgraduate student, University of Sydney.

Friday, February 27, 11am, Wave Room, Sir Paul Reeves Building, AUT University, 55 Wellesley Street.
Prof Guy Standing on Labour Markets: In conjunction with Proffessor Ian Shirely and Briefing Papers at AUT, we are pleased to invite you to hear Prof. Guy Shirely, author of ‘A Precariat Character: from Denizens to Citizens.’ He will discuss his labour market studies, including the concept of precarious work.For all information and to register go to www.fabians.org.nz and it is under ‘Fabian Events’

Wednesday, March 4, 5.30pm, Connolly Hall, Wellington
Fabian Society discussion of the TPPA

Thursday, March 5, 6.30pm, OGGB Lecture Theatre 260-098, Auckland University
Fabian Society discussion of the TPPA

Thursday, March 5, 7pm, Lecture Theatre, OGGB 4. Owen Glen Building, University of Auckland
Hot Air Movie Documentary Screening: Ever wondered why we in New Zealand have such a terrible emissions trading scheme that our greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and rise — while meanwhile, taxpayers are actually subsidising our big emitters to continue pumping carbon into the atmosphere? What went so wrong? Who is responsible? Followed by a discussion chaired by Jeanette Fitzsimons, former co-leader of the Green Party, who was herself involved in the events revealed in the film. For more information see aucklandcoalaction.org/news-events/. (PLEASE NOTE: the web link has been corrected. Apologies for the error)

Friday, March 6, 7.30pm, Community of St Luke Church, 130 Remuera Road, Auckland
Documentary Screening – There Once was an Island: Te Henua e Nnoho(2010). Cost: $20, or $15 for students with ID and gold card holders. Guest Speaker: Producer Lyn Collie. The devasting impact of climate change on the closely related population of Takuu, a Polynesian Island community in the Melanesian Pacific, is told throught he lives of three inhabitants who face the life changing decision of whether to stay or to go. Lyn will introduce the screening and be available for discussion afterwards.

Saturday, March 7, 1pm, Myers Park, Auckland
March against the TPPA: It is now urgent. This is the end game – negotitions are almost finished. This may be the last chance to stop the give away of our democratic rights under the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Say no to sweeping new rights to multinational corporations, including the right to challenge government laws and sue for compensation if they effect their profits. Details at www.facebook.com/events/611229895643877/ Bring as many supporters as you can.

Saturday, March 7, 2pm to 3pm, and every first Saturday of each month, Downtown Shopping Centre, Cnr Queen and Customs Streets
Rally for Palestine: Add your presence and make a difference at the only regular public display of support for Palestine in Auckland! Monthly Rally at Downtown Shopping Centre, Cnr Queen and Customs Streets. The Palestine Human Rights Campaign Aotearoa/New Zealand (PHRC) works to raise public awareness of the Palestinian people’s struggle to resist Israeli military occupation and Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Join the Palestine Human Rights (PHRC) Campaign Auckland. www.palestine.org.nz

April 17-19, St Andrew’s on The Terrace
Remembering war / ending war: challenging militarism and building peace: National Peace Workshops, 17 – 19 April 2015
We are pleased to let you know that the date and venue of the 2015 National Peace Workshops has been now been confirmed – the Peace Workshops will be from Friday, 17 April, to Sunday, 19 April 2015, hosted by St Andrew’s on The Terrace in Wellington. So save the date in your diary! An exciting and thought provoking programme is being developed for the Peace Workshops, which will take the form of a peace conference with a mix of speaker and presentation plenary sessions, workshops, films, performance, poetry, displays and more – an invitation to contribute to the Peace Workshops is included below.
The overall theme is remembering war / ending war: challenging militarism and building peace, reflecting the key themes of the World War One Centenary Peace Project – remembrance of all of the casualties of war and of war resisters, ending war as a response to conflict, and promoting peace.
The programme will focus mainly on Aotearoa New Zealand and include sessions on:
· militarism, nationalism and national identity, and the privileging of military ‘heroism’ and ‘sacrifice’;
· the treatment of Maori, conscientious objectors, war resisters, and women during and after World War One;
· indigenous perspectives on militarism, war and peace;
· faith perspectives on militarism, war and peace;
· women, peace and security;
· diverting military expenditure to socially useful spending;
· climate change and militarisation;
· state surveillance and counter terrorism legislation;
· NZ involvement in the ‘war on terrorism’;
· humanitarian disarmament and the elimination of weapons old and new, from nuclear weapons to ‘killer robots’, aka fully autonomous weapons systems; and more.
The Peace Workshops will also include the launch of new resources challenging militarism and promoting peace, the sign-on statement rejecting a militarised national identity, and ‘sowing peace’, a new initiative from White Poppies for Peace.
The programme for the Peace Workshops will be available in February, along with registration details. If you received this message directly from Peace Movement Aotearoa, the programme and registration details will automatically be sent to you. If this message has been forwarded to you via another e-list or group, and you would like the programme and registration details to be sent directly to you, please email pma with ‘Add to NPW list’ in the subject line of your message.