19 January 2001

National - What’s On

*** NATIONAL ***

~ 20 and 21 January - Waihopai Spybase protest camp - go camping with the Anti Bases Campaign in the scenic Waihopai Valley, with beautiful rural vistas marred only by the presence of the eavesdropping domes ... for more information contact ABC, Box 2258, Christchurch or cafca@chch.planet.org.nz

~ 25 to 28 January - ‘Peace making, Reconciliation and Mission’ the Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand biannual conference, to be held in Melbourne, Australia. For more info contact Chris Marshall, (09) 836 3079, c.marshall@xtra.co.nz

~ 1 to 10 February - national speaking tour by Agio Pereira, Director of ETRA, Member of East Timor's National Council, Deputy Chair of Standing Committee on Political Affairs - see under local listings, currently only Auckland on 2 Feb (more when details confirmed).

~ 6 February - Waitangi Day - celebrating/commemorating 161 years since the signing of the Treaty; for events at Waitangi over the next few weeks, see local listings under Waitangi.

~ 12 to 17 February - visit of two French naval ships to Wellington to remind us all of the French military occupation of Kanaky and Tahiti Polynesia; the Jeanne d’Arc (helicopter carrier) and Georges Leygues (anti-submarine destroyer) will deliver 800 French sailors to Wellington for ‘festive activities, a parade through the city and an official reception’ organised by Wellington City Council. Does this indicate the Wellington City Council’s support for French military activities in the Pacific ? ... and have the ‘nuclear-free’ Wellington City Council and NZ government checked out the nuclear-weapons capability of these vessels ?

~ 16 to 19 February - Summer School for Activism for Social Change - come and participate in a variety of skill and issue-based workshops. Explore your creative side using art, drama and music; investigate different ways of effecting political and social change locally, nationally and internationally, at the Kotare Education Centre, Wellsford, for more info / to register, contact Kotare Trust, Ground Floor, 26 Anzac Ave, Auckland, tel (09) 379 8345, kotare.trust@xtra.co.nz

***** LOCAL *****

*** WELLINGTON

~ Every Sunday, ‘Peace Report’ on Wellington Access Radio (783 AM), broadcast at 11-45am, brought to you by the Peace Council, funded by PADET. If you or your group wish to make a free programme to be broadcast in this slot, please contact Des Brough tel/fax (04) 388 3173.

~ SAT, 20 January - ‘Behind the News’ the monthly programme on Wellington Access Radio (783 AM), broadcast at 12-30pm, brought to you by Jim Delahunty, producer of ‘Dig’.

~ WEDS, 24 January - ‘Te Rito’ Case Note Evening - an afternoon of networking and information exchange with those working in the area of human rights and employment law, and sexual harassment prevention. HRC staff will be on hand to present the latest case notes and discuss the application of the Human Rights Act for those individual cases. We also wish to provide a forum to discuss current issues, in recognition of the important role played by NGOs in human rights compliance in New Zealand. from 4pm (4-15pm start) to 6pm, Human Rights Commission, 8th Floor, Vogel Building 8 Aitken Street, Thorndon, Wellington. Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP by 5pm, Tuesday 23rd January 2001 to Narlene Ioane, tel (04) 473 9981, fax (04) 471 6759, Narlenei@hrc.co.nz

~ February - no Wellington Peace Lunch Forum, they will begin again on the first Thursday of each month from 1 March.

~ SAT, 3 February - ‘Eating into the Future: Should food be genetically engineered?’, all day seminar, a unique opportunity to learn about genetic engineering from local and overseas experts, while they are here in Wellington to present evidence to the Royal Commission. Guest Speakers: Dr Robin Ord, Dr Judy Carman, Steven Druker, Luke Anderson, Tee Rodgers-Hayden, Gareth Bodle. From 8-45am to 5-30pm at Massey University (Wellington campus), Wallace St, Entrance B, Block 6, Level C,Lecture Theatre 200. Prices range from $5 to $30, please let the organisers know if you are attending before Saturday 27 January. Organised by the Safe Food Campaign, for more information contact Alison White tel (04) 476 8607 or Rich tel (04) 383 9503, or info@safefood.org.nz or register via the form at http://www.safefood.org.nz

~ WEDS, 7 February - wine and cheese, art exhibition relating to GE issues, meet the speakers from ‘Feeding the World in the Global Economy: GE - Remedy or Ruin?’ (see next item) from 4-30pm to 6-00pm at the Green Rooms, cnr Cambridge Tce and Courtenay Place. If you wish to attend, you must RSVP by midday 7 February to Linda tel (04) 3814640 or suekedgley@paradise.net.nz

~ WEDS, 7 February - ‘Feeding the World in the Global Economy: GE - Remedy or Ruin?’, public meeting with speakers: Dr Vandana Shiva (India, scientist & world leader in sustainable development); Dr Beatrix Tappeser (Germany, scientist expert in risk assessment of genetic engineering); Dr Arpad Pusztai (Scotland, scientist whose test results on GM potatoes were in conflict with business & state interests); Edward Goldsmith (England, founding editor of ‘The Ecologist’); meeting chaired by Dr Roderic Alley. 7-30pm to 10pm, MacLaurin Lecture Theatre 3, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Parade, for more info contact PIRM, tel 04 385 1936 or (04) 472 6219, pirmoffice@clear.net.nz

*** AUCKLAND

~ MON, 22 January - ‘Our Children: the priority for policy’ - Child Poverty Action Group Launch of the new publication, speakers include Diane Robertson, Auckland City Missioner. From 5-30pm to 7pm, 6th floor, YWCA, 103 Vincent St, City. Please RSVP to Janfrie Wakim tel (09) 520 0201,

~ MON, 22 January - Tamaki Treaty Workers meeting, 7pm at the Pt Chevalier Community House, Huia Street.

~ THURS, 25 January - ‘GE food: the facts’, public meeting with overseas speakers here for the Royal Commission of Inquiry: Steve Drucker, USA; Luke Anderson, Britain; 7pm to 9pm at Kauri Room, Wellpark College, 6 Francis St, Grey Lynn, all welcome (entrance by koha). Organised with the assistance of GE-Free NZ and Greenpeace. For more information tel (09) 630 6317.

~ TUES, 30 January - Abolition 2000 meeting, 12-30pm at the Peace Foundation office, 29 Princes St.

~ FRI, 2 February - Shared meal and meeting with Agio Pereira, Director of ETRA, Member of East Timor's National Council, Deputy Chair of Standing Committee on Political Affairs, 6pm at the Pompallier Centre New St, Ponsonby. Contact Joan Macdonald, Corso, tel (09) 360 8001, joanmac@pl.net

~ FRI, 2 February - Public meeting with Dr. Arpad Pusztai (the British scientist who spoke out on risks from GE food after testing GE potato on rats), 7-30 pm at Auckland Girls Grammar School, all welcome (entrance by koha). Organised with the assistance of GE-Free NZ and Greenpeace. For more information tel (09) 630 6317.

*** WAITANGI

~ 26 to 28 January - Wänanga at Waitangi on the Treaty and related issues, at Te Tii Marae, organised by Mike Smith. Open to all. For more info contact Hinewhare tel 021 213 2127.

~ 3 to 6 February - at Waitangi - 3 February: Powhiri for Forum and workshops, 6pm at Te Tii Marae; 4-5 February: Kaumatua Forum and workshops. Open to all, for more info contact Jan Dobson tel (09) 438 5889. Also, Rangatahi Forum - more details in next 'what’s on'.

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If you would like your events or meetings advertised, just send them to pma@xtra.co.nz and write ‘for what’s on’ in the subject heading.

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