What’s on in Aotearoa/NZ (01/10/15): Friday 10am – Tamaki Housing Group March

WHAT’S ON IN AOTEAROA

Thursday, October 1, 7.15pm (8pm start), Where: The Dolphin Theatre in Onehunga, Auckland

NCW Fundraiser ."A Piece of my Heart". Cost: Tickets are $35 and include supper. This is a very good show about nurses and their experiences..Tickets will be available at Province meeting this coming Monday so please bring money to purchase or email Gillian gillian.dance1

Friday, October 2, 10am, Pamnure Roundsabout, Panmure
State Tenants to March Against Privatisation in Tāmaki. State housing tenants in Tāmaki are planning to march from Panmure roundabout to Glen Innes this Friday 2 October, 10am, in resistance to the privatisation of state housing in their communities.
2,800 state homes are being transferred to the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company in a process of privatisation of state housing. The Tāmaki Redevelopment Company was created under the Heads of Government Agreement in 2013, and is owned by the New Zealand Government (59% shares) and the Auckland Council (41% shares). While the shares are currently held publically, state tenants fear that these shares will be placed on the private market and the transferring of these homes will lead to increased eviction and displacement. The Social Housing Reform (Transaction Mandate) Bill, which is currently passing through government, gives MPs the power to sell state housing without consulting with Housing New Zealand. This could have the consequence of a lack of public knowledge of housing being sold and a removal of social obligations to house those in need. The transfer of housing in Tāmaki is sold to the affected communities as a process of revitalisation of the disinvested communities, however in the process of demolishing state housing and replacing it with mixed tenure housing, tenants are being displaced in order for highly priced private dwellings to be built. In Glen Innes, the redevelopment has already led to eviction of tenants through 90 Day notices and the demolishment of the housing stock to be replaced by predominantly private homes. In Glen Innes, newly developed housing is being sold between 600,000 and 800,000. Since the redevelopment begun, land values have increased from 400,000 to over 800,000. The government and council are selling public land and transferring state housing into the private market in order for developers to profit from areas close to the CBD and in order to diminish their responsibility in housing those in need. The Tāmaki Housing Group believe that this is a process of state-led gentrification and that the government are providing valuable land to private developers to profit from at the cost of solving the housing crisis for those it most impacts – state tenants and low-income renters. Meet at the Panmure roundabout on Friday 2 October 2015 at 10:00AM to hikoi through the affected communities of Tāmaki (Panmure, Point England and Glen Innes), where tenants are being evicted to make way for a redevelopment project which is building predominantly private housing for the wealthy

Friday, October2, 7pm,KnoxHall, cnr Bealey Ave & Victoria St.

“The Power of Song” New Zealand Tour : The Newcastle People’s Chorus was formed by delegates and friends from Newcastle Unions in 1988. The choir is formed labour movement activists. and supporters and are having a return New Zealand tour with gigs organised in Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Blackball and Christchurch. Influences on the repertoire include the traditional plus Flying Pickets, Billy Bragg, Pete Seeger.

Saturday, October 3, 2-3pm, Downtown shopping centre, Cnr Queen and Customs Streets, Auckland

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 2pm to 3pm, 4 July 2015 and every first Saturday of each month

Saturday, October 3, 7pm, Quad 2 lecture theatre, Otago University, Dunedin

Bryan Bruce child poverty talks in Auckland and Dunedin. In 2015 the Quakers have been hosting events around the country with Bryan Bruce speaking on child poverty. Bryan Bruce is the author and maker of documentaries such as Inside Child Poverty and Mind the Gap. He will discuss the growing inequality in NZ society and how it impacts on our children. Bryan Bruce will be talking in both Auckland and Dunedin over August and October.

Saturday, October 3, 2-5pm, St James Church Hall, Church Road, Mangere Bridge, Auckland
Folk the Quota – Folk music gig to raise money for refugees. $15 per adult or $30 for families. Tickets available from Nicola 0210358513. Compère: Noel Armstrong. Performers: Jean Reid, Bev and Al Young, Paul Brown. Sound: Ian Bartlett. Guest speaker: Abann Yor from Auckland Refugee Community Coalition (ARCC) http://arcc.org.nz/ Refreshments, raffle etc available on the day – please give generously – all proceeds to ARCC

October 5-10
HAIKU FOR THE HIDDEN HOMELESS
Auckland’s Housing Call to Action group has chosen to highlight the plight of “the hidden homeless” during Spotlight on Housing week from 5 – 10 October 2015 by launching a poetry competition this week.
Spotlight on Housing 2015 Poetry Competition
Write a HAIKU poem based on the Spotlight on Housing 2015 theme “The hidden homeless” and illustrate it with an image.
To enter: Post both the image and the poem onto the Housing Call to Action Facebook page facebook.com/housingcalltoaction
Tag it using the hashtag #thehiddenhomeless and email it with your age and contact details to hiddenhomelessnz
Note: The image must be in JPG format and be less than 500kb file size.
Haiku (俳句 high-koo) are short poems (3 lines long) that use sensory language to capture a feeling or image. They are often inspired by an element of nature, a moment of beauty or a poignant experience. The first and last lines of the poem must have 5 syllables and the middle line must have 7 syllables. Haiku poetry was originally developed by Japanese poets, and the form was adapted to English and other languages by poets in other countries.
Advice on how to write a Haiku poem can be found here: http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem
Categories:
Age 10 and under – 1st prize: $50 Paper Plus voucher
Age 11-16 – 1st prize: $50 Paper Plus voucher
Age 17 up and adult – 1st prize: Dinner for 2 at Tony’s Henderson ($70 voucher for 2x $35 3-course special)
Supreme Prize (1 winner will be judged across all categories) – 2 night’s accommodation in an Auckland Council Regional Park Bach.
The supreme prize has been kindly provided by Auckland Council Regional Parks who care for the wonderful Auckland Regional Parks environment that we all enjoy. These unique holiday baches are available all year around to book at affordable holiday prices – check out the website http://regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/bookable-sites/Bach
The competition opens on Monday 21 September and runs until midnight Saturday 10 October 2015 and the judge will be published poet, writer, teacher and retired Family Court Judge John Adams.
The winner will be notified by email. No correspondence will be entered into. All entries remain the property of The Housing Call to Action and may be used for promotional purposes.
Spotlight on Housing week comprises a series of events, activities and competitions with the aim of raising the profile of housing and homelessness as important issues for New Zealand society. Events and activities for Spotlight on Housing week can be found on the Facebook page www.facebook.com/housingcalltoaction and start from 21 September. These include story gathering displays in public libraries around West Auckland where people can anonymously share information about the situation in which they are living and what housing means for them.
The hidden homeless are those people living in cars, in garages, sleep-outs, couch surfing or in overcrowded homes, often with several families sharing a dwelling. Recent census data suggest there could be up to 20,000 people living in these conditions currently in Auckland.
Contact: Lee Hickey, Convenor Housing Call to Action. Ph 0273 438546

Monday, October 5, 8am, 8 Ratanui St, Henderson

Friday October 9, 6pm to 8am Saturday, October 10, Waitakere
The Salvation Army 14 Hours Homeless Event in Waitakere. Donate at http://www.14hourshomeless.org.nz/ Over the past year we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of rough sleepers in West Auckland coming to The Salvation Army and other agencies for help. Alarmingly, many of these are young people and they are just a fraction of the wider homeless community who are living in sub-standard accommodation in cabins, cars, garages and shared homes due to our rising living costs. By supporting our Waitakere 14 Hours Homeless event as a participant or a sponsor you are helping make a positive difference to our homeless problem. All funds raised from our Waitakere event will be used to provide practical support for our rough sleepers through the purchase of 20 outdoor lockers, back packs and sleeping bags. Lockers are tremendously valuable for rough sleepers by providing a safe, secure place for them to store their belongings during the day. The homeless people we meet on a daily basis tell us stories of getting beaten up for their belongings which is why its so important to have somewhere safe and accessible to store their clothing, bedding and other items. Located onsite at The Salvation Army in Waitakere, rough sleepers can also easily access other emergency and social welfare support while dropping off or collecting their possessions. They are also free to have showers, do washing and have coffee at our Community Ministries. Freeing themselves up from the constant challenge of protecting and carrying their belongings will be greatly valued by our homeless community. The cost of the lockers, backpacks and sleeping bags is just less than $10,000. For $195 you can sponsor the cost of one locker for someone in need and make a real difference in their life. Thanks for your support. https://www.facebook.com/housingcalltoaction

Saturday, October 10, 10am-12noon, Garden Room. Grey Lynn Community Centre 510 Richmond Road, Auckland

Auckland Refugee Council Inc. AGM Discussion: ASYLUM SEEKERS; Human Rights Obligations Domestically & Internationally. Speakers: Dame Susan Devoy, Race Relations Commissioner
Amanda Brydon, Advocacy & Government Relations Manager – Amnesty International. For catering purposes, would you please be so kind and RSVP at the following address: arci.refugee

Sunday, October 11, 4.30pm, St. Heliers Community Centre, 100 St. Heliers Bay Road, Auckland
Peace Unveiled’ Film Showing for Amnesty International. Cost – $10 suggested donation. Bookings essential. When the U.S. troop surge was announced in 2009, women in Afghanistan knew that the ground was being laid for peace talks with the Taliban. Three Afghani women immediately began to organize to assure that their hard-earned rights do not get traded away in the deal. Post-film discussion will be led by Dr. Thomas Gregory, lecturer in politics and international relations at Auckland University, and specializing in Afghanistan affairs. This is the third in a planned five-part film series called Women, War and Peace, dealing with women’s activism in wartorn countries. The last two showings will be on November 1st and November 8th. Contact: Richard or Jeanette at rebgjfm or phone 09-521-2050

October 12-17
National speaking tour

Tuesday, October 13, 12 noon, Civic Square
State House Action Network hikoi to parliament.

Wednesday, October 14, 6pm, Maidment Theatre, 8 Alfred Street, The University of Auckland. Doors open at 5.45pm, lecture starts at 6pm. The Maidment Bar will open from 5pm

Rod Oram – “Follow the money” – the future of business journalism.
The feeble state of business journalism in New Zealand and around the world is but a subset of journalism’s general decline. To try to survive financially, many media organisations are increasingly blurring the distinction between journalism and advertising, devaluing both in the process. Yet, there has never been a more important time for business journalism. Profound change is sweeping through business and economics and the societies they help shape. Journalists should be trying to explain what’s happening – the good and the ill – for the benefit of participants and public alike.

Friday, October 16, 1.30-3pm, Carisbrook Primary School Hall, 217 South Rd, Caversham (Come in the main archway gates and veer left to the hall)

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) would like to warmly invite you to attend a Dunedin CPAG talk on: Healthy and affordable housing: local and national issues. This community event is for anyone with an interest in housing and poverty. Come along and learn about the links between poverty, housing, health and fuel, and hear about solutions. Featuring – the beautiful artwork of the children of Carisbrook School on the theme of: ‘What makes a good house?’
Speakers: Fatima McKague – PhD candidate, Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago – "Voices of the fuel poor: the cold truth – Understanding energy hardship in New Zealand"; Nicola Liebergreen
– Assistant Research Fellow, University of Otago – "Out in the cold"; Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull – the Cosy Homes Project. This event is linked with CPAG’s 2015 August campaign, Healthy and Affordable Homes – calling on the government urgently to improve quality of and access to rental accommodation for families. The campaign received a groundswell of public support and strong media coverage.

For more information about the campaign please check out the the admin / 09 302 5260

Friday, October 16, 6-8pm, Algie Lecture Theatre, University of Auckland Law School, Building 801, 9 Eden Crescent, Auckland

In the eye of the storm: Disaster Politics and Climate Change in the Philippines. Public meeting hosted by Auckland Philippines Solidarity with Dr Efleda Bautista of People Surge. Her visit provides an opportunity to hear directly from someone at the forefront of struggle for climate justice and against disaster capitalism.
In November 2013 Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms in recorded history, crashed into the Philippines killing more than 6300 people and displacing millions. Typhoon survivors formed an alliance called ‘People Surge’ to protest government neglect and demand pro-people rehabilitation. People Surge calls for land rights for the poor as key in solving mass poverty and consequent people’s vulnerability to disasters and effects of climate change. For more information please contact Cameron Walker cameronw87 Ph.0212949254
http://aps-nz.org/2015/09/02/speaking-tour-this-october-in-the-eye-of-the-storm-disaster-politics-and-climate-change-in-the-philippines/

Wednesday, October 21, 6pm, St. John’s in the city, Community Hall, Willis st, Wellington

"Open Arms not Fire Arms". A public meeting on the Weapons Industry and the Refugee Crisis. https://www.facebook.com/events/772486332873985/ Peace Action Wellington warmly invites you to our public meeting at St. John’s Community Hall on Wednesday the 21st of October at 6pm. In a world where countries and companies seek to profit from war it should be no surprise that there is a tide of refugees fleeing war torn countries such as Syria. While the government makes minor increases in our refugee quota, it continues to support bombing campaigns and occupations in the Middle East which only make the problem worse. On November 17th and 18th Wellington city plays its own part in the cycle of endless war by hosting 2015’s annual Weapons Conference, in which companies get a chance to network and promote themselves as legitimate industries rather than the war profiteers that they are. What has happened about the conference in the past? What is happening about the upcoming conference? How big is the weapons industry in Aotearoa? What can we do about it? Come along and share kai and conversation on these important topics.

Sunday, November 1, 9am to 4.30pm, Wellington Museum, Queens Wharf, Wellington
People’s History 2015 Symposium – Education in Aotearoa New Zealand – for freedom or conformity? Sunday 1 November 2015,
Inspired by the centennial of the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), we invite you to a one-day People’s History symposium about education in Aotearoa, past and present. Entry by koha (includes light refreshments and lunch). Bookings required. Register through ATLOutreach with Symposium in the subject line. ‘There is no such thing as a neutral education process. Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate the integration of generations into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes the ‘practice of freedom’, the means by which men and women deal critically with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.’ —Richard Shaull, drawing on Paulo Freire.
Stimulated by this quotation speakers will explore some of the many ways that New Zealanders have been educated. Speakers include: Pat Bolster marking the centenary of the WEA; Conal McCarthy and Jim Traue on museums and early Mechanics’ institutes; Cybele Locke, Rachelle Hautapu, Bronwyn Wood and Meegan Hall on formal education from early childhood to tertiary; The Song Snatchers on the Music to Schools broadcasts; Claire-Louise McCurdy, Graeme Whimp and Ross Teppett on workers’ education; and, discussing the media, Jan Rivers, Jeremy Rose and ‘White Man Behind A Desk’. There will also be a ‘History on Speed’ interactive session, and at the end of the symposium Paul Diamond will wrap up the day’s discussions.
A full programme can be found on the Labour History Project website

Friday, November 6 & Saturday, November 7

War Remembrance and Reconciliation
Below are the details of two ‘War Remembrance and Reconciliation’ events in November – the 2015 Dorothy Brown Memorial Lecture, ‘The Supreme Sacrifice? New Zealand Chaplains and Churches and the Construction of Death in the First World War’, and the War Remembrance and Reconciliation Study Day. Please forward on through your networks, thank you.
Links: Anglican Pacifist Fellowship, http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/ Dorothy Brown Memorial Lecture – On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/888429057915940 – A4 poster at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/apf6nov15.pdf – Register at http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/whats-on/remembrance-and-commemoration/war-remembrance-and-reconciliation/dorothy-brown-memorial-lecture Study Day – On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/383327835210077 – A4 poster at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/apf7nov15.pdf – Book athttp://www.aucklandmuseum.com/whats-on/remembrance-and-commemoration/war-remembrance-and-reconciliation/study-day
1) War Remembrance and Reconciliation Part 1: Dorothy Brown* Memorial Lecture 2015
Friday, 6 November 2015, at 7.30 pm in the Auckland War Memorial Museum Auditorium, Auckland Domain
The Supreme Sacrifice? New Zealand Chaplains and Churches and the Construction of Death in the First World War
Reverend Dr Allan Davidson
During the First World War New Zealand confronted death on an unprecedented scale. For chaplains at Gallipoli and on the Western Front, dealing with death, burials, and writing letters to grieving family in New Zealand was a regular part of their duties. Churches and their ministers in New Zealand, with their well developed theology and rituals around death, during the war were faced with dealing with personal and public grief without either the soldiers’ bodies or traditional funeral rites. This lecture will examine how war rhetoric, the pastoral concerns of chaplains in Europe and ministers in New Zealand, along with societal pressure, helped shape the language, theology and practices around death during war and the legacy they left.
Reverend Dr Allan Davidson ONZM is a Presbyterian Minister, historian, lecturer in Church History, St John’s Theological College, for 27 years, and author of many books including ‘Christianity in Aotearoa: A History of Church and Society in New Zealand’ and 72 academic papers.
The Dorothy Brown* Memorial Lecture is arranged by the Aotearoa New Zealand Peace and Conflict Studies Centre Trust, and supported by the Auckland War Memorial Museum. No entry charge but for catering purposes, please book before 2nd November at http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/whats-on/remembrance-and-commemoration/war-remembrance-and-reconciliation The A4 poster for the lecture is at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/apf6nov15.pdf and the Facebook event is at https://www.facebook.com/events/888429057915940
2) War Remembrance and Reconciliation Part 2: Study Day
Saturday, 7 November 2015, from 9am to 5pm in the Auckland War Memorial Museum Auditorium, Auckland Domain
The War Remembrance and Reconciliation Study Day focuses on three wars: Musket Wars, New Zealand Wars and the First World War, all of which are remembered on the Museum site. It introduces to the act of war remembrance the search for reconciliation. Is acknowledgment of failures in the past a part of this reconciliation? Is it compatible with respect for those who died? Presenters:

* Remembering the dead and reconciling the past in the present for preparation towards the future, from a Maori cultural paradigm, Margaret Kawharu, MNZM, and Bernard Makoare, Ngati Whatua
* Peacemaking in the Musket Wars – the impact of the Christian Gospel, Keith Newman, author of ‘Bible & Treaty’, ‘Beyond Betrayal’ and ‘Ratana the Prophet’
* Gate Pa and Gallipoli. How do we Remember and Reconcile? Reverend John Hebenton, Vicar of St George’s Gate Pa, and Dr Cliff Simons, church warden and military historian
* The other side of the Gallipoli story, Negat Kavvas, formerly Turkish Consul-General in New Zealand
* Did New Zealand war memorials encourage war? Jock Phillips, ONZM, historian, author and encyclopedist
* War, Remembrance and the Pacifist Alternative, Professor Richard Jackson, Deputy Director of the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at Otago University
* How can reconciliation with the history of Parihaka contribute to a national conversation of peace and remembrance? Tonga Karena, Ph.D student from the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, Otago University.
Arranged by NZ Christian Network, Aotearoa New Zealand Peace and Conflict Studies Centre Trust, Pax Christi, Anglican Pacifist Fellowship and Auckland Labour History Group, and supported by the Auckland War Memorial Museum. For catering purposes please book online before 2nd November – $30 (concession $20) + $3 booking fee – at http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/whats-on/remembrance-and-commemoration/war-remembrance-and-reconciliation/study-day or at the museum (no booking fee), lunch and teas provided. The A4 poster for the study day is athttp://www.converge.org.nz/pma/apf/apf7nov15.pdf and the Facebook event is at https://www.facebook.com/events/383327835210077
* Dorothy Brown was a woman with a vision for the establishment in New Zealand of a Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. In association with fellow Anglican pacifists she formed the Aotearoa New Zealand Peace and Conflict Centre Trust in 2005. In partnership with the Rekohu Moriori Trust and with the assistance of many groups and individuals of goodwill, the Trust was able to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Otago University to endow a chair of Peace and Conflict Studies and to initiate a National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. The Trust has continued to support the Centre which now has six full time staff. Dorothy died in 2011.

Save the date: Hikoi for homes – 28th November
On Saturday 28th November CPAG will join with grassroots housing and other organisations to hold a Hikoi from Glen Innes to to Britomart as a protest against the terrible housing situation the most vulnerable New Zealanders are facing right now. More details on the Hikoi will be coming soon.

Monday, November 30, to Tuesday, December 1
We’re going through an age of disruption. Everything we considered “normal” for the last 100 years is going through some kind of disruption. From media and journalism, to tertiary education, to the future of jobs as we know it. As progressives, we have a choice, to continue to defend a status quo that isn’t working or challenge ourselves and inspire people with bold new ideas for the future.
Disruptive Discussions are going to be a major theme at Step it Up 2015. Here’s a taster of what and who to expect when you grab your ticket.
On education: Young people today are taking on more and more debt for something that has diminishing value. And they know it. But what are the alternatives to our current Tertiary education system? Luckily we have the brilliant Michelle Dickinson (aka Nanogirl), Rory McCourt (from NZUSA) and Joshua Vial from Enspiral Academy with some challenging ideas.

On the news media: The structural problems with mainstream media and journalism go a lot deeper than just the axing of Campbell Live and Dirty Politics. The industry is going to massive disruption and nobody’s quite sure what the future will look like. But everyone has a piece of the puzzle, so we’re having a special side event called Journathon, that will bring together senior journalists and influences in the industry with our most creative tech entrepreneurs. And the good news is that you get the option of free entry with your Step it Up 2015 ticket.

On the economy: The neoliberal experiment has failed, spectacularly so in the Global Financial Crisis of 2007, and yet it’s core ideas still go unchallenged by the media and political elites. To challenge this bias we need more than grassroots activism, we need our own ideas for a progressive economy. Luckily we have a growing list of forward thinkers like Shamubeel Eaqub, and journalists Max Rashbrooke and Catriona MacLennan to spark that conversation. Watch this space for even more interesting speakers.
Register for Step it Up 2015 now, and join the discussion on the future of progressive ideas for society. (We have a September Special on ticket prices, so get in quick).

To complement these bold ideas, we’ve also got some of the Aotearoa’s best organisers and campaigners who know a thing or two about winning campaigns. Like Amiria Puia-Taylor and Torranice Campel from Otahuhu-Mangere Youth Group, and Qiane Matata-Sipu, Roger Fowler and Jasmine Kovach from the #SaveOurUniqueLandscape (SOUL) campaign. Or if digital is more your thing, we’ve got Shawn Moodie from NZ Human Rights Commission, and Leroy Beckett and Rosalee Jenkin fromGeneration Zero. Plus many many more. Thanks for all that you do, and hope to see you at Step it Up 2015!

January 22-24, 2016
Come To Waihopai Spy Base Protest,

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Roger Award For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating In Aotearoa/New Zealand in 2015
Here is the link to the 2015 Roger Award online nomination form
http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/roger-award-2015-form.html You can also download the hard copy nomination form from there.