Global Peace And Justice Auckland Newsletter #24

Website http://www.gpja.pl.net/ Contact details: Forums ­ John Minto, (09) 8463173 mailto:jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor ­ Mike Treen 0212547440 / 3763780 mailto:miket@pl.net Web page ­ Geraldine Peters (09) 3570655 mailto:bern@ihug.co.nz Donations can be sent to GPJA, 84 Paice Ave, Sandringham, Auckland. All communication regarding the GPJA mailing list (email or snail) should be addressed to mailto:gpjamailinglist@xtra.co.nz

Dear friends,

While the US tries to force a new resolution through the UN Security Council the antiwar movement continues to mobilise worldwide. In the words of the pro-war New York Times ³there may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States and world public opinion.²

In Auckland GPJA has endorsed the International Women¹s Day march on March 8 (assembling 12 noon Aotea Square) as the most important next date for mobilising antiwar opinion. The IWD committee has made opposition to the war a central theme of the day. More unions are getting involved in NZ and internationally and the Nurses Union has asked all its organisers to promote membership involvement on March 8. Overseas unions are taking direct action in Italy and Britain to stop the transport of troops and material for the war. GPJA is canvassing groups around the country to make March 22 a national day of action against the war.

To get involved in organising against the war come along to the regular monthly GPJA forum this Monday, March 3, 7.30pm at the Trades Hall. We also have a guest speaker from the conflict in Aceh and Jane Kelsey will update people on the campaign against Gats. (See What¹s On in Auckland for details). An antiwar video of the NZ protests was made for Triangle TV and will be rebroadcast at 8.30pm on March 3 so set you videos if you missed it first time. Scoop are also inviting people to contribute videos to Peace Movement documentary http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0302/S00132.htm

More pictures of Auckland antiwar march February 15

http://community.webshots.com/album/63772718bVKceg

10 days ago Global Peace and Justice Auckland passed on for Helen Clark the following Open Letter to the Prime Minister on the war in Iraq. We have received no response to date. Is this good enough? At a time of international crisis New Zealand can do a lot to prevent this looming catastrophe. Helen Clark can either be a clever political manipulator with her "fence sitting" on American plans to invade Iraq or she could be a principled stateswoman. Which will it be?

16 February 2003

Dear Helen Clark,

Over this weekend millions of people around the world are gathering to protest against American plans to invade Iraq.

Many New Zealanders have joined these protests against a war which the World Health Organisation predicts will, directly or indirectly, injure or kill at least 500,000 Iraqi citizens. We are deeply disappointed at your government's refusal to join the international condemnation of these war plans and instead send New Zealand naval and airforce equipment and personnel to join with the American led war machine in the Gulf.

We urge you to -

- Join the international community in condemning American war plans and work actively diplomatically and publicly to oppose them

- Withdraw the New Zealand frigate and orion aircraft from the Gulf region

- Initiate the calling together of the United Nations General Assembly in urgent session to act on this international crisis

Yours in peace and determination,

John Minto for the GPJA Committee

WHAT¹S ON IN AUCKLAND

Every Sunday - Silent Peace Vigil, from 9-15am to 9-45am, outside the Quaker Meeting House, 115 Mt Eden Rd. All welcome, for more information telephone the Friends Centre (09) 630 6834.

Wednesday 26 February, 7.30pm Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn.

Direct Anti-War Action Group (DAWA) meeting. Based in Auckland, DAWA is a United Front of various groups and individuals formed to organise direct action to stop the New Zealand government's involvement in the war on Iraq. We support the building of a broad anti-war movement in New Zealand, and think the big marches recently seen around the country were brilliant. But we think that the anti-war movement needs to take a step from symbolic actions like marches to direct action that actually stops the military machine in its tracks. All welcome. For more info and to join the discussion e group: http://groups.yahoo.com/dawa_nz

Thursday, Feb 27, 4.30pm, Unit 1, 4 Warnoch St, Grey Lynn

³Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in a NZ Constitution². Speaker: Sylvia Bell, Director of Research, Human Rights Commission. Contact: A. Ravlich, 025 212 6432, or 376 7164.

Saturday, March 1, 2-3pm, Aotea Square, Queen St, Auckland City

Palestine/Israel Rally for Peace, supporting peace and justice based on Removal of Israeli Occupation, Right of Return for Refugees, Sharing Jerusalem and Cessation of Jewish only Settlements in occupied Palestine. Contact David Wakim tel (09) 5200201

Saturday, March 1, 3pm-late, Noho, 3km (south) from Kaikohe, on the main road heading north to Cape Reinga. It is just before the turnoff to the Ngawha pools, next to the Kaikohe golf course.

³Celebrate and support the Noho Rangimarie peaceful occupation ­ Stop the Prison²

Bring: musical instruments, firewood, water, koha, poems, flags, torch, tent, songs, acts. Powhiri 3pm. Hangi 6pm. Details contact Tia or Billy on site, or ring Kataraina 09 405 2366 for hangi order. No drugs, no alcohol, no violence, no prison.

A background leaflet can be downloaded from:

http://gpja.pl.net/sub/Education/Ngawha/NgawhaFlyer1.html

http://gpja.pl.net/sub/Education/Ngawha/NgawhaFlyer2.html

Sunday, March 2, 12 noon, Whenuapai Village

Direct Action Against The War: Stop the Orion! No NZ govt support for the war on Iraq. Join us there, or if you need transport go to: 147 Great North Rd @ 11am. Phone Jean 268-4364 after 6pm or email mailto:davebrownz@yahoo.com Checkout our website

http://www.yahoogroups.com/dawa_nz

Sunday, March 2, All Day, Potters Park, Balmoral

Annual migrant and refugee festival

Sunday, March 2, 6.30pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby

Guest Speaker from Aceh, Nurdin Abdul Rahman. A human rights campaigner and former political prisoner released in 1998 after spending a total of 10 years in Suharto¹s jails. He is an international expert on the rehabilitation of torture victims and a teacher of English. A shared meal to follow. Contact Indonesian Human Rights Campaign, Box 68-419, Auckland. Email mailto:maire@clear.net.nz Ph 815 9000

Monday, March 3, 11am to 1pm in Room 707, Level 7, 58 Symonds St.

³Aceh Overview² Organised by the New Zealand Asia Institute, for more info

contact Pradeep Kanthan 373-7599 x83723 (please register to reserve a place).

Monday, March 3, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn

GPJA FORUM: Organising against the war, the situation in Aceh with Nurdin Abdul Rahman, and the campaign against Gats with Jane Kelsey. Forum starts with guest speaker from Aceh at 7.30pm sharp, be on time.

Monday, March 3, 7.30pm, St David¹s Church Centre, 70 Khyber Pass Rd, Grafton. ŒTowards an Action Plan for NZ Women', public meeting. All welcome

to have an input into developing an Action Plan for NZ Women. Organised by

Pacific Women¹s Watch.

Monday, March 3, 8.30pm, Triangle TV

"Plan B: Peace" - A 25 minute documentary about the peace weekend (Feb 15, 16) produced by Aotearoa Indymedia - in collaboration with PlaNET TV will screen on Triangle TV (UHF41). The documentary is a collaborative effort - made by twelve people with scant resources, more or less sharing a desire to see grassroots media grow in this place and around the world. Our turnaround was about one and a half to two weeks from initiating interviews to locking off the edit. And, with the exception of bridging finance for the edit process, there was little extraneous institutional or financial support. The documentary will also screen on Community Television Stations in Hamilton, Dunedin and - we hope - Christchurch. One desire is to raise enough money to purchase an editing system for community media/

community group use. If anybody has ideas of how we could achieve this sooner, rather than later, we'd love some help or advice. For further information about the Aotearoa Indymedia Network: www.indymedia.org.nz http://www.indymedia.org.nz/ To join the Indymedia Auckland email loop: http://lists.indymedia.org/listinfo/imc-auckland If you have any questions, you can subscribe and then send your query to:

mailto:imc-auckland@lists.indymedia.org

Tuesday, March 4, 9.30am-6pm, Fickling Centre, cnr Mt Eden and Mt Albert Rds.

Multicultural Auckland ­ seminar and celebration. Speakers to include Lianne Dalziel, Minister of Immigration and Joris De Bres, Race Relations Commissioner. Organised by the Auckland District Council of Social Services (ADCOSS). Contact Richard Northey Ph 634 1494 for registration details.

Saturday, March 8, 12 noon, Aotea Square

WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD UNITE AGAINST THE WAR.

March 8th is International Women's Day. All around the world on this day

women are organising demonstrations against the war and sanctions on Iraq.

More than a decade of sanctions has killed an estimated 1.7 million Iraqis. A new invasion will bring more death and devastation. International Women's

Day is an occasion to protest against wars of aggression which serve the

interests of big corporations but cause untold suffering to ordinary people.

It is a day to protest against injustice and inequality. In New Zealand

women are still denied pay equity -women's average wages are just 80 per cent of men's. Pay equity is long overdue! Sole parents, most of whom are women, receive inadequate support and the DPB is well below a living income. The benefit cuts of 1991 caused great hardship and need to be reversed, now. Women and men: take a

stand against the war; take a stand for equality and liberation!

Contact: mailto:iwd_auckland@yahoo.co.nz

Poster: http://www.antiimperialist.org.nz/IWD_stuff/IWD_poster.pdf

Leaflet: http://www.antiimperialist.org.nz/IWD_stuff/small_leaflets.pdf

http://www.antiimperialist.org.nz/IWD_stuff/IWD%202003%20leaflet.doc

Tuesday & Wednesday, March 18/19, Crown Plaza, Auckland

GE Free Coalition to picket a ³Commercialising Bioltechnology² conference. Contact Karyn 3584105 or 025417209 or Steve Abel at Greenpeace 6306317 ext 308

SPEND FOR PEACE CAMPAIGN

A new group in Aotearoa/New Zealand are organising a campaign to boycott U.S. brands. It is called Spend for Peace. Our website (still being finalised, but mainly complete) is www.spendforpeace.co.nz < http://www.spendforpeace.co.nz > If we can get the same sort of commitment to a boycott that last weekend's marches showed, then the war-mongers and bullies will have to take notice. The website lists major U.S. brands and will include easy-to-download images and text so that people everywhere can make up their own materials. And if you would like to join us, great! Just let us know by email or the webpage. Contact section - Ruth Jackson, Auckland mailto:rajackson60@hotmail.com

APPEAL FOR HELP FROM WEAPONS INSPECTION TEAM

On Feb 2nd - 23 people were arrested as a part of the 'New Zealand Citizen Weapon Inspection Team' action at the US embassy. Peace activists were making a theatrical 'inspection' of the US embassy, saying they wanted to ensure the US was not keeping any of its weapons of mass destruction on the premises. A group of activists were arrested when they moved towards the embassy fence after claiming they needed to enter the compound to check for weapons. "Police demonstrated a complete inability to deal with symbolic, non-violent protest in a professional manner," said a member of the Weapons Inspection Arrestees Legal Support Group. "Wrestling people to the ground before dragging them away was unnecessary and provocative. The police showed an astonishing ability to turn a quite light-hearted protest into a confrontation." If you can help with the legal fund or were a witness to these events please see the details below. Make cheques out to "Wellington Peace & Environment Trust" and mark them for "Embassy defence fund". Send them to: Embassy defence fund, PO Box 6387, Wellington. Or you can deposit money directly into Wellington Peace & Environment Trust, Account number 0510 0754945 ­01, Westpac Trust Cuba St branch.

If you witnessed any arrests or police misconduct please write down what you saw (including names or descriptions of victims and badge numbers of cops) If you have photos, videotape etc PLEASE bring them into the Wellington Peace & Environment Centre, top floor Trades Hall, 126 Vivian St, Wellington. Which is open weekday afternoons from 1pm to 7pm. Our phone number is 04 385 6728 or you can email mailto:mark@tradeshall.org.nz or post details to

New Zealand Citizen Weapon Inspection Team, PO Box 6387, Wellington.

For more info see: New Zealand Citizen Weapon Inspection Team http://geocities.com/citizeninspection/

http://www.indymedia.org.nz

FROM THE PEACE FOUNDATION

1. ³The Great Deception² (40 minute video) 2002 Made by Vision TV (Canada) this video features journalist, Barrie Zwicker and six of his commentaries focussing on the events of September 11 2001. He poses many of the questions that remain unanswered, and usually unasked, by the mainstream media about this pivotal event. Such as why, when both the Department of Defence and the Federal Aviation Authority require the airforce to 'scramble' planes to intercept hijacked aircraft, this did not happen on S11 and why there were so many 'puts' on the US stock exchange for American and United airlines i.e. bets that their shares would go down, just prior to S11. A fascinating look at an event that is already being seen as a 'hinge of history'. Copies are obtainable for hire or purchase from The Peace Foundation. To buy - $56-25 inc. GST plus P&P. To hire (one week) $10 inc GST plus P&P. Ph. (09) 373 2379 Fax (09) 379 2668 mailto:peace@fps.pl.net

P. O. Box 4110, Auckland. (29, Princes Street). http://www.peace.net.nz/

2. Abolition 2000 Auckland has produced some brightly coloured postcards to make it easy to send a message to Prime Minister Helen Clark and Foreign Affairs Minister, Phil Goff. The message they carry appears below. Copies of the card are available from The Peace Foundation, suggested donation of 5c per card. Ph. (09) 373 2379 Fax (09) 379 2668 email peace@fps.pl.net P. O. Box 4110, Auckland. (29, Princes Street). www.peace.net.nz < http://www.peace.net.nz/

³I strongly oppose military action against Iraq. It is pre-emptive, illegal, and inhumane and could well lead to the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. I say emphatically NO, to any New Zealand involvement in military action in any form whatsoever and YES to the government and its ambassadors taking all possible action internationally to achieve a peaceful, legal solution to the Iraq crisis.²

QUOTES

>From an editorial in the pro-war New York Times acknowledging the importance of the mass antiwar movement:

"The fracturing of the Western alliance over Iraq and the huge antiwar demonstrations around the world this weekend are reminders that there may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States and world public opinion.

"In his campaign to disarm Iraq, by war if necessary, President Bush appears to be eyeball to eyeball with a tenacious new adversary: millions of people who flooded

the streets of New York and dozens of other world cities to say they are against war based on the evidence at hand." (New York Times, Monday, February 17, A1, "A New Power in the Streets")

NEW ZEALAND ­ ACTION ALERT ON GATS

Beware the G A T S ... Join the next battle against globalisation!

Back in 1994 the National Government signed onto an international agreement that aims to lock open all New Zealand's services ­ including education, health, broadcasting, tourism, waste management, postal services and more - to foreign companies. No one, including Parliament, had any say in how far the Government committed our services to those rules. The Agreement is known as the General Agreement on Trade in Services or GATS and it is run by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva.

Now the Labour Government is involved in new negotiations to bring more of our services under those rules. These began in 2000. On 31 March 2003 the Government is required to tell other WTO members in Geneva what new services NZ is prepared to 'offer'. Yet few people know this Agreement exists, let alone that these new talks are happening and what their effect could be.

ARENA has produced a 140 page report on the GATS. The report, titled ³Serving Whose Interests?² has been written by Jane Kelsey and copies have been sent to all MPs. Visit your local MP and demand they support the following "What can we do" list.

What can we do about the GATS?

There are already signs of disagreement within the Government. It's time that people's voices were heard, with demands that the Government:

- Abandons the 31 March deadline and stops its work on the GATS negotiations

- Examines and reports in detail on the implications of the existing GATS agreement for current and future policy and regulation, what it would mean if extended to other NZ services, and what the more extensive GATS rules being proposed in Geneva would mean.

- Commissions an independent Treaty Impact Analysis of what the current GATS rules and proposed new commitments could mean for Maori and te Tiriti

- Opens the debate about who should control NZ's services, based on what principles and priorities, and how NZ governments can reclaim control of these decisions from the WTO.

- Shows leadership by promoting an alternative economic model for world trade that put the rights and needs of people and poorer countries before those of transnational corporations.

What can you do?

- Write to the Prime Minister demanding a proper consultation along these lines.

- Write to and visit your MP, Mayor and others asking their response to ARENA's report.

- Ask your library to order the ARENA report or buy a copy from ARENA ($20 and $3 p&p).

- Contact your union ­ the CTU is coordinating a campaign, details will be on http://www.unions.org.nz

- Write to the papers, ring talkback, organize meetings and get the word around.

- Join the international day of action on 13 March by organizing local events.

Other action suggestions are on ARENA's web site http://www.arena.org.nz

or contact ARENA at PO Box 2450, Christchurch, tel 03 366 2803,

mailto:arena.nz@clear.net.nz You can purchase a copy of the report from ARENA, Box 2450, Christchurch ($20 plus $3 post and packing), or you can download a copy from our website.

Developing Countries Targeted in Doha Sham

³Today's massive leak of the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) negotiation documents exposes the so-called Doha Œdevelopment' round as the sham we've always said it was,² says Professor Jane Kelsey from the Action, Research

Leaked documents show poor countries targeted

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0302/S00166.htm

ARENA - Bombshell leak of documents blows GATS secrecy

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0302/S00165.htm

ANTIWAR

Military convoys face Italian antiwar blockade

http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s790894.htm

New protests planned in bid to bring Britain to a standstill

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4607311,00.html

Amnesty Online petition

http://web.amnesty.org/web/iraq-petition.nsf/act_eng

Antiwar sites on the web

http://www.guardian.co.uk/antiwar/subsection/0,12809,884056,00.html

Time Magazine Poll

http://www.time.com/time/europe/gdml/peace2003.html?cnn=yes

Which country is the greatest threat to world peace in 2003?

Date: 25/2/03 Time: 08:21

Number of votes: 554,604

North Korea: 5.8%

Iraq: 6.8%

US: 87.4%

Pope calls for fast for peace

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=518&u=/ap/20030223/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_iraq_2&printer=1 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=518&u=/ap/20030223 /ap_on_re_eu/vatican_iraq_2&printer=1

The largest coordinated antiwar protest in history

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0302/S00141.htm

West using terrorism as pretext to conquer world: Mahathir

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/dt/Qnam-iraq-rally.R_25_DFN.html

IRAQ WAR

A second resolution is not enough ­ this war is immoral and unjust, with or without UN backing, Tariq Ali

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,899880,00.html

US and Britain pound Iraqi defences in massive escalation of airstrikes

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=380766

Revealed: 17 British firms armed Saddam with his weapons

http://www.sundayherald.com/31710

Allies hushed up weapons destruction

http://www.news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=230772003

Iraqis will not be pawns in Bush and Blair's war game

An American attack on my country would bring disaster, not liberation

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,899082,00.html

Depleted uranium ­ war hazard

http://www.disasternews.net/news/news.php?articleid=1687

Run-down Iraqi hospitals struggle to treat cancers linked to Gulf War bombing

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/26/1043533954183.html

PALESTINE

As the world focuses on Iraq the bodies pile up in Gaza

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=380492

WAR WITHOUT LIMIT

US expands intervention in Columbia

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A44614-2003Feb21?language=printer

http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,901180,00.html

US role upsets many in Manila

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030222-25526330.htm

Terror and torture in the Philippines

http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2003/0302philippines.html

RESOURCES

Understanding the US-Iraq crisis

http://www.tni.org/archives/bennis/primer/contents.htm

US Plan for new nuclear arsenal

The Bush administration is planning a secret meeting in August to discuss the construction of a new generation of nuclear weapons, including "mini-nukes", "bunker-busters" and neutron bombs designed to destroy chemical or biological agents, according to a leaked Pentagon document.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,898550,00.html

ARGENTINA

How the IMF destroyed its economy

http://www.gregpalast.com/printerfriendly.cfm?artid=192

INDONESIA

Water and politics in the fall of Suharto

"The privatization of Jakarta's water is the story of powerful multinationals that deftly used the World Bank and a compliant dictatorship to grab control of a major city's waterworks."

http://www.icij.org/dtaweb/water/default.aspx?SECTION=ARTICLE&AID=9

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