GPJA Newsletter #38 - Independence From The USA Day July 4

Global Peace And Justice Auckland Newsletter #38

Website http://www.gpja.pl.net/ Contact details: Forums - John Minto, (09) 8463173 mailto:jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor - Mike Treen 0212547440 / 3616989 mailto:miket@pl.net Web page - Geraldine Peters (09) 3570655 mailto:bern@ihug.co.nz Donations can be sent to GPJA, Private Bag 68905, Newton, Auckland. All communication regarding the GPJA mailing list (email or snail) should be addressed to mailto:gpjamailinglist@xtra.co.nz

Dear friends,

The government's decision to send troops to Iraq and Afghanistan makes the planned July 4 protests an important opportunity to make our opposition to these colonial wars of occupation clear. The theme of the protests is Independence from the USA - End the occupation - US, UK & NZ Troops OUT NOW

The protest will assemble outside the US consulate on Customs St from 5.30-6.30 and will be followed by a march up Queen Street to the British Consulate and MacDonald's. Download a Poster for the July 4 protest from the GPJA home page http://gpja.pl.net/

This Monday evening there is a special Indymedia evening as part of GPJA's media month and next Monday will be our regular GPJA forum which will focus on Education and the denial of equal opportunity’ which had a great line-up of speakers. (See What's On in Auckland’ below for details).

Protests are also planned in the US on July 4 outside a function where Bush will be speaking. See Stop US wars at home and abroad http://www.justiceinjuly.org/

GPJA SPEAKERS BUREAU

We are hoping to develop a speaker's bureau of people who can speak on the various issues raised by the peace and justice movement to schools community groups etc. If you want to volunteer or suggest someone contact mailto:miket@pl.net

MESSAGES

Ngawha - 200 consecutive days of passive resistance http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0306/S00139.htm

ECCO (Education and Culture Community Centre) is a project to help build interest in the development of a community space in the Auckland CBD. It is to be based upon the values of cooperation, autonomy, education, informed participation, self-empowerment, creativity, openness and mutual aid recognising the need of a climate to allow groups to network to help construct viable alternatives while fighting for social and environmental justice. You are invited to: 1 smaller organisational meeting (June 22nd) and 4 open Meetings (June 29th, July 6th, 13th, 20th) at 9/210 Symonds Court, Symonds Street, Auckland (Behind the French Cafe) at 12:00. You can join the email list here: http://www.enzyme.org.nz/mailman/listinfo/ecco or visit the temporary website: http://www.enzyme.org.nz/phpwiki/index.php/ECCO

July 11-13th - "RECLAIMING PUBLIC EDUCATION" - a national conference organised by QPEC - the Quality Public Education Coalition. To be held in Palmerston North. Key presenters include - Professor Michael Apple - from the US, renowned international authority on the politics of education. Professor Jane Kelsey - on GATS and other threats to public education. Laila Harre - former MP and Leader of the Alliance on the role of politics in bringing about change in education Professor Helen May - on how new policies can foster quality early childhood education for all children. For all those interested in the future of public education this could be the most important educational conference of the decade. More details and registration forms are available at http://www.qpec.org.nz

Now available - the nomination criteria and nomination form for the 2003 Roger Award for the Worst Transnational Corporation operating in Aotearoa/New Zealand; you can get yours on-line at http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/publications/Roger/Rogernomination.pdf or from Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa, email mailto:cafca@chch.planet.org.nz The deadline for nominations for the 2003 Roger Award is 31 October 2003.

Dear friends, the situation has changed somewhat at The Peace Foundation. Our landlord has decided to increase our rent substantially. We, thus, have two options that we are looking at, which you may be able to assist us with, or know of someone who may be interested: 1) Sub-lease rooms at our premises at 29 Princes Street 750 sq ft (3 rooms) 2) Find other premises in the 'city fringe' 1500 sq ft (approx). We welcome any expressions of interest, or possible alternative premises. With kind regards, Wendy John. mailto:peace@fps.pl.net

WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Wednesday, June 25, 7.30pm, Avondale Community Centre, 99 Rosebank Rd, Avondale People power time! Meeting for people to sign on as a Metrowater boycotter - if you want to sign on, please bring your last 4 Metrowater bills (i.e.: what you pay for one year) and your last rates bill with you; these documents are needed to complete the 'letter of dispute' that will then be filled out to be sent to Metrowater. Bring along everyone you know who wants to join the boycott, you don't have to be only from Avondale. Water is a basic human right under international human rights law - it should be affordable and no one should be arbitrarily deprived of it. Organised by the Water Pressure Group (Auckland), for more info contact Penny Bright tel (09) 846 9825 or email mailto:pennybright@xtra.co.nz

Thursday, June 26, 7pm, Room 039, Clocktower Building, 22 Princes St. 'TOGETHER AGAINST TORTURE', a seminar to discuss: what international law is in place protecting people from torture and how effective has the 1987 UN Convention against Torture been? How does New Zealand fare in the international scene? Is it supporting regimes and governments that covertly or overtly torture their citizens? How has the 'war against terrorism' impacted on people's rights and freedoms? Refugees, who have experienced torture, will tell their stories and a representative from AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL will discuss the role of their organisation in the global fight against torture, one of the least reported, yet most serious, human rights violations. The seminar convener is HEVAL HYLAN, a refugee from Iraq who is qualified as a lawyer both in Baghdad and in New Zealand, and who works closely with the refugee community and liases regularly with the government. Organised by the Centre for Continuing Education at The University of Auckland in recognition of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Free entry. For more info contact Jo Davies, Programme Coordinator, Community Education, Centre for Continuing Education, tel (09) 373 7599 x88693 or email mailto:je.davies@auckland.ac.nz

Friday, June 27 to Sunday June 29, Awataha Marae, North Shore. ECO Annual Conference 2003, with the theme 'Getting Results!' - a great opportunity for people from New Zealand's environment and conservation groups to gather to share ideas, discuss key environmental issues, learn valuable skills and be energised and inspired. The programme is available on-line at http://www.eco.org.nz/prog2003.asp and includes a mix of dynamic speakers and interactive workshops covering marine protection, environmental education, the workings of the media, multi-cultural environmental perspectives and having fun; there will be an Auckland flavour, including a local tour with an environmental twist. Fully catered with delicious food (we care about our food!) at the welcoming Awataha Marae on the North Shore, within easy bus and car access of Auckland's centre, you are welcome to stay at the marae during the conference. For more info or to get your registration pack, contact Ginnaya Turner, ECO Conference Coordinator, tel (09) 630 6317, fax (09) 630 7121, or email mailto:registrations@eco.org.nz

Saturday, June 28, 3pm, Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall, 13 May Rd, Mt Roskill. Forum: PEACE IN SRI LANKA - a follow-up of the Symposium 'Land, Language and Culture of Tamils in Sri Lanka' held 17 February 2002. Asia 2000 New Zealand award winning media official TAREK BAZLEY of Radio New Zealand has visited Sri Lanka and will report on the ongoing peace process. Organised by the FEDERATION OF TAMIL ASSOCIATIONS OF NEW ZEALAND, for more info contact email mailto:george_nzts@hotmail.com

Monday, June 30, 7pm, Alleluya Café and Bar, St Kevin's Arcade, 183 Karangahape Rd. Indymedia Auckland presents..INDYMEDIA FILM FUNDRAISER SCREENING As part of GPJA News Media Month $5 waged/$3 unwaged FEATURING: CULTURE JAM: Hijacking Commercial Culture, Globalisation and the Media, CELL ART Anti-Ads. CULTURE JAM: Hijacking Commercial Culture - 57 minutes. This doco delivers a fascinating rap on the 20th Century movement called "Culture Jamming" - taking a look at a new breed of revolutionary that stands poised along our information highways waging war on logos and symbols: Culture Jammers. These pranksters and subversive artists are on a mission to artfully reclaim our mental environment by causing a bit of brand damage to corporate mindshare. Stopping over in San Francisco, NY and Toronto, we catch the jamming in action with likes of the Billboard Liberation Front, Disney arch-enemy Reverend Billy from the Church of Stop Shopping Culture, cultural commentators, a billboard advertiser and a constitutional lawyer. CULTURE JAM asks: Is Culture Jamming civil disobedience? Senseless vandalism? The only form of self-defence left? (As screened at the International Film Festival in Auckland 2002). http://www.culturejamthefilm.com/index.html GLOBALISATION AND THE MEDIA - 21 mins. Globalisation and the Media explores how the media is involved in shaping public opinion during the 'War on Terrorism' and Globalisation. It offers a wide range of viewpoints from broadcasters, journalists, computer hackers, media activists, and news editors. Travelling across the USA, Nigeria, Britain and Italy, it reports on the violent suppression of the alternative media. Discover how new technology, such as the internet and camcorders, is challenging the role of the traditional news gatherer. Made by UK alternative media network, Undercurrents http://www.undercurrents.org/index.htm CELL ART Anti-Ads Locally produced by Auckland artists, these adbuster style commentaries are a piss take on transnational companies in New Zealand, starting with Tranzrail (winner of this year¹s Roger Awards). These Disadvertisments are funny stuff. This will be the second screening of 2003 presented by the Auckland crew from the Aotearoa Independent Media Centre http://www.indymedia.org.nz One of our aims is to provide a regular public forum for political documentaries and media art ignored by the mainstream media. Queries Ph. (9) 631-5810 or email: mailto:auckland@indymedia.org Imc-auckland mailing list: mailto:Imc-auckland@lists.indymedia.org Subscribe at http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-auckland

Friday July 4, 5.30pm, US Consulate, Customs St, Downtown 'Independence from the USA', protest against the US AND NZ occupation of Iraq to mark Independence Day in the US. Organised by Global Peace and Justice Auckland, for more info contact John Minto email mailto:jbminto@xtra.co.nz or Mike Treen email mailto:miket@pl.net

Monday, 7.30pm, July 7, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn GPJA FORUM: Education and the denial of equal opportunity: This forum challenges the cherished belief that equal opportunity applies for children in our education system. The forum will also point the way forward with practical policy proposals....Speaking briefly will be - Kay Hawke - Massey University - reporting on school projects to improve education outcomes for children in low income communities; David Hawke - reporting on a survey of the effect of "user pays" fees for school qualifications; Alan Johnson - reporting on a survey of the huge social and educational burden of "transience" in low income communities; Janfrie Wakim - reporting on the work of CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group) on education issues; John Minto - National Chair of QPEC (Quality Public Education Coalition)- reports of QPEC initiative to improve education standards and opportunities for all our children.

Monday, 7.30pm, August 4, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn GPJA FORUM: Turning up the heat: NZ's role in September's WTO Ministerial meeting in Cancun. Auckland Launch of ARENA's new booklet on NZ's role in current WTO negotiations.

FROM THE WEB

IRAQ/NZ

Iraq now full of profitable opportunities says NZ engineer http://www.btob.co.nz/#iraq

IRAQ - PRIVATISATION, MISSING WMDS, ARMED RESISTANCE

Overseer in Iraq vows to sell off government-owned companies http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/23/international/worldspecial/23BREM.html

US troops 'shoot civilians' http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/5401680?source=Evening%20Standard

Officials: Hundreds of Iraqis Killed By Faulty Grenades http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woclus0623,0,2922917.story?coll=ny-worldnews-headlines

The right to resist: Armed opposition to the occupation of Iraq will continue until the US and Britain withdraw http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,980363,00.html

Iraq's lethal peace http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,3604,978096,00.html

Do you wan to know who the Americans running Iraq really are? http://www.transnational.org/pressinf/2003/pf183_AmericansInIraqPart1.html

Iraqis Say U.S. Using Saddam's Baath as Scapegoat http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2954539

Iraqis curse 'silver bullet,' fear illness from radioactive contamination http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0603/22uranium.html

The dog ate my WMD http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0306/S00101.htm

Major Iraqi uprising looming in near future http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0306/S00105.htm

War may have killed 10,000 civilians, researchers say http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,976392,00.html

Powerless Iraqis rail against ignorant, air-conditioned US occupation force http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=417714

JOHN PILGER / NOAM CHOMSKY

In a cover story for the New Statesman, John Pilger reports from Afghanistan and describes the 'unfolding disaster' in that country and in Iraq, scenes of America's two 'great victories' following 9/11 http://pilger.carlton.com/print/132998

Noam Chomsky: An interview http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=19&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 The Noam Chomsky archive http://www.zmag.org/Chomsky/index.cfm

WAR AT HOME ON DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

Inmates Released from Guantánamo Tell Tales of Despair http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=68&e=5&u=/nyt/20030617/ts_nyt/inmatesreleasedfromguant225namotelltalesofdespair

Keith Locke criticises new security bill http://www.greens.org.nz/searchdocs/speech6434.html

AFGHANISTAN

NZ Airforce leaves for Operation Enduring Freedom’ http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0306/S00407.htm

Afghanistan: An Outright Humanitarian Disaster http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0306/S00094.htm

FREE TRADE, GM FOOD

Thousands protest GM food, corporate free trade’ at US Agricultural meeting http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0306/S00338.htm

Free trade by Stealth, by Aziz Choudry http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0306/S00104.htm

SPACE WAR

Revealed: US plan to “own space” http://www.sundayherald.com/34768

PALESTINE/ISRAEL

Thousands to join ISM's Freedom Summer Campaign http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0306/S00348.htm

The reek of injustice - Emma Williams says good and conscientious Israelis live in denial of what is being done to the Palestinians http://www.spectator.co.uk/article.php3?table=old§ion=current&issue=2003-05-17&id=3099

Time to get tough: If the timetable for peace in the Middle East is allowed to slip, we should consider imposing economic sanctions and suspending arms deals with Israel, says Jenny Tonge http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/comment/0,11538,983469,00.html

INTRODUCTION: WHERE DOES THE ROAD MAP LEAD? Excerpts from MoveOn Bulletin, Friday, June 20, 2003. Noah T. Winer, Editor noah.winer@moveon.org Subscribe online at: http://www.moveon.org/moveonbulletin/

In July 2000 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak broke off talks with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat at the Camp David summit hosted by U.S. President Bill Clinton. That September, Ariel Sharon, chairman of the Likud party, made a provocative visit to the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Control over this holy site for both Muslims and Jews is contested by Palestinians and Israelis. The visit implied Israeli sovereignty over all Jerusalem, the eastern portion of which is considered occupied territory by the international community. So began the second intifada, or Palestinian uprising.

As in the first intifada in the late 1980s, the demand is for an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem -- which has persisted since 1967 -- and acknowledgment of the Palestinian refugees right to return to the villages from which they were forced to leave during the 1948 war that established the State of Israel. In the 33 months since, human death has saturated the region: 816 Israelis and 2,384 Palestinians have been killed.

Early in his presidency, George W. Bush avoided substantial involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict. After September 11, 2001 a number of factors -- escalating violence in the area and Israel's attempt to link September 11th with Palestinian suicide bombings, pressure from the Israel lobby and the Christian Right, and the desire for an increasing U.S. influence in the oil-rich Middle East -- prompted Bush to take an active, personal role in promoting an agreement.

That proposed agreement is the Road Map. While the initiative has been praised for calling for an end to violence and for endorsing the formation a Palestinian state, the Road Map provides no mechanism for actually ending the violence, leaves uncertain the borders of the proposed state, and postpones determining the status of the 380,000 Israeli settlers and four million Palestinian refugees. With matters so central to the resolution of the conflict left to be decided at a future date or ignored entirely, the Road Map is still far from being a bona fide peace proposal. True and lasting peace begins with justice for all the people of the region. That the Road Map will lead in that direction is not at all evident.

ONE LINK >From the UK Guardian, a good summary of the Israel-Palestine Road Map. The one flaw is the claim that the Israeli government has accepted the Road Map; in fact, it has only conditionally accepted the Road Map, maintaining 14 reservations. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theissues/article/0,6512,679445,00.html

READ THE ROAD MAP The Road Map itself is only a few pages long with few details. Drafted under the auspices of the Quartet -- the United States, European Union, United Nations, and Russia -- the Road Map envisions three phases of negotiation, resulting in the end of the Israel-Palestine conflict and a permanent status agreement in 2005. http://www.moveon.org/r?452

CRITIQUE >From the only joint Palestinian-Israeli public policy think-tank in the world: "The Road Map is severely lacking in detail. It mentions that the sides will have to negotiate the permanent status issues such as borders, Jerusalem, settlements, refugees, etc. but makes almost no mention of these issues throughout the process in the earlier phases." http://www.ipcri.org/files/roadmapgb.html

>From the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz: "According to the facts on the ground, the [Palestinian] 'state' will apparently be comprised of three enclaves cut off from one another inside the West Bank -- in addition to the Gazan enclave, and with no guarantee the settlements inside the enclave will be dismantled. The 'separation fence' has been described as 'temporary,' but it is a wall with hefty fortifications taking up a lot of land, and it has already scarred the Tul Karm-Qalqiliyah area, the most prosperous Palestinian farmland, thus sabotaging one of the cornerstones of Palestinian economic security." http://www.moveon.org/r?456

>From The Nation: "For in failing to focus on the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, about to enter its 37th year, and on Israeli settlements, which underpin that occupation, the Road Map misses an opportunity to end this conflict. Instead, it concentrates on Palestinian violence and how to combat it -- as if it came out of nowhere, and as if, were it to be halted, the situation of occupation and settlement would be normal." http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030609&s=khalidi

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