Global Peace And Justice Auckland Newsletter #77, December 5, 2004

Website http://www.gpja.pl.net/ Contact details: Forums - John Minto, (09) 846 3173, jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor - Mike Treen 027 525 47440 / 3616989 miket@pl.net Web page - bobo@enzyme.org.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 gpja@xtra.co.nz

Dear friends,

Thanks to the hundreds who participated in the rally to free Ahmed Zaoui on Saturday. See article: Hundreds mark Zaoui anniversary and call for his freedom http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00045.htm

There are a number of events/meetings on this week not all of which were in the last newsletter so I thought it important to bring out an updated list for you. On Tuesday Zaoui's lawyer Deborah Manning will be speaking about his case. Human rights in the Pacific is discussed Thursday and Friday and Saturday have eye-witness accounts from Palestine. Sunday is the "Antidote" Indymedia film evening. See details below.

If you're thinking about Xmas presents consider picking up a copy of the Zaoui book ($15) or a great "Peace Not War" CD produced in the UK ($20). Both available from Mike Treen, Unite Office, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn. Email me at mike@unite.org.nz

WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Tuesday, December 7, 6.45pm, Mosque, Vermont St, Ponsonby "JUSTICE FOR AHMED ZAOUI" public meeting with Zaoui lawyer Deborah Manning, Amnesty International and others speaking.

Thursday, December 9, 7.30pm, Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby An open invitation from the Human Rights Network to an Auckland Forum to mark Human Rights Day. HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE PACIFIC : PROBLEMS, PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS. Speakers : Senator Abacca Anjain-Maddison from the Marshall Islands, Sarah Garap from Meri Kirap, Papua New Guinea, Virisila Buadromo from Fiji Women's Rights Movement, Ben Kinah from Osi Tanata, Bougainville, Robert Newson, kaumatua for the Human Rights Commission. Enquiries ; Joan Macdonald ph 360 8001 joanmac@pl.net

Friday, December 10, 5.30pm, Trades hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn "Think and Drink": Guest speaker VIVIENNE PORZSOLT, from JEWS AGAINST THE OCCUPATION, will give an eye witness report (with slides) on a international human rights march of women in Palestine/Israel earlier this year.

Saturday, December 11, 7.30pm, The Meeting House , 113 Mt Eden Rd Come and see and hear for yourself. Christina has been working in Hebron, Palestine with the same Christian Peacemaker Team as Susan Rhodes, and she is now on her way home (Dunedin ) for her break. Please circulate this invitation. You can view photos at http://www.cpt.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=hebron

Sunday, December 12, 7pm, The Classic Cinema, 321 Queen St Auckland Indymedia presents.......THE ANTIDOTE #10. An evening of alternative political docos + the Annual Auckland Indymedia Xmas Party .Entry $5. This month's Antidote #10 features a varied line up of documentaries on topics relating to human rights to celebrate Human Rights Day (December 10th). The programme includes documentaries on child slavery and the sexual exploitation of young Burmese girls in Thailand and the resettlement of refugees in Auckland. Also on the programme there are two short documentaries: the first takes a satirical look at the alleged 'casing video' shot by Ahmed Zauoi while the second pokes fun at the recent Auckland mayoral race. The screening will be followed by the annual Indymedia Xmas party with snacks and music provided. The Antidote is a regular forum for the exposure of alternative political filmmaking and media art. This is the tenth screening presented by Auckland Indymedia. For more information contact auckland@indymedia.org

Tuesday, December 14, 11am, New Lynn WINZ office, 5-9 Brown Drive, New Lynn CHRISTMAS PROTEST AGAINST BENEFIT CUTS - UNITE -Waitemata is calling for all interested groups and individuals to support a campaign to Save the Special Benefit, which will be reduced for many people in 2006, following legislation in the the 2004 Budget .

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS PICKET. If you are lucky ,Father Christmas may be there, but dont expect to get what you asked for.... anyone interested in doing some theatre for the occasion, please contact janet at janetbogle@hotmail.com and leave your phone number.

Friday, December 17, 7.30pm, Spanish Dept, Arts Building, Room 716, Cnr Symonds St & Grafton Rd, Auckland University. Building #206 on the map (link follows): http://www.auckland.ac.nz/cir_visitors/index.cfm?action=display_page&page_title=campuses#city

Screening of WALLMAPU - a Documentary on the Mapuche Struggle for Land and Self-determination produced by Mapuche filmmaker, Jeannette Paillan. Jeannette will attend the showing of Wallmapu, to comment on her work and the situation of Mapuche today. Mapuche are the tangata whenua of southern Chile The Chilean state colonised their territory in the 19th century After the ending of Pinochet¹s military dictatorship and under increasing pressure from forestry companies, they took up the struggle in the 90¹s to recover their territory. Jeannette's works have been screened internationally since 1994. Wallmapu was awarded at the 2003 Human Rights Film Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Jeannette was also festival coordinator of the 2004 CLACPI Festival of Indigenous Film and Video in Santiago, Chile Jeannette will attend the showing of Wallmapu, to comment on her work and the situation of Mapuche today. Free Entry: Organised by the Centre for Latin American Studies, University of Auckland and ALAC Inc.

MESSAGES FOR SOLIDARITY

APPEAL FROM NAOMI KLEIN TO SUPPORT THE ZANON WORKERS IN PATAGONIA Dear Friends, We're writing to ask your help in defending an inspiring and courageous workers' Struggle in Argentina. The Zanon ceramic tile factory, a democratic, worker-run factory in Patagonia, is facing a serious threat of eviction, and the workers have asked us to gather international support for their struggle. To sign the petition, please click here: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/zanon/petition.html

PHILIPPINES: Can you all take one minute and put your name to this letter in protest of the massacre of 14 unionists (including two children) in the Philippines. They are sugar cane workers who worked on the hacienda of former Philippine president Cory Aquino. The site is: http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=39

Support the INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' HUNGER STRIKE at the UN November 29-December 4. Read the statement and how to send support at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/in301104.htm The Indigenous Peoples' representatives at United Nations are taking this action to draw attention to the attempts to weaken and undermine the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Please take the time to send a message of solidarity to the hunger strikers and fasters today.

Support the campaign to stop legal violence against children. A new resource - 'Repeal Section 59 of the Crimes Act' leaflets ("There is no law that permits an adult to assault another adult. There is no law that permits an adult to assault a dog or a cat. There is a law which permits an adult to assault a child in their care." ) is now available. If you can help distribute these leaflets, contact Beth Wood (email beth@unicef.org.nz ) including your name, postal address (the leaflets are only available in paper form), and saying how many leaflets you would like.

NZ IDENTITY BILL THE IDENTITY BILL IS BAD FOR NZ said Keith on 23 November 2004. The Identity (Citizenship and Travel Document) Bill, as reported back from the Government Administration Committee, will discourage skilled migrants from coming here and undermine our civil liberties.

Keith sat on the committee and submitted a joint minority report with Progressive MP Matt Robson. "Committee chair Dianne Yates is using sophistry when she argues today that we won't be disadvantaged in the competition for skilled migrants because residents here have more rights that those in Australia.

"What migrants want are citizenship and a passport. Under this Bill it is going to take five years residency in New Zealand and only two years across the Tasman. The Australian Government will be laughing at us. To add insult to injury, time spent contributing to New Zealand on business and work visas will no longer count in the qualifying period. Yates also shouldn't use September 11 to justify the Minister of Internal Affairs being given the 'national security' power to take away a citizen's passport. Even in the depths of the Cold War, New Zealanders didn't follow the American lead and take away people's passports on security grounds. Dissenters like American singer Paul Robeson lost their passports in this way. This Identity Bill is security gone mad. Surely, the present rigorous checks on prospective residents and the three years waiting time for citizenship are enough to smoke out any terrorists.” http://www.greens.org.nz/searchdocs/PR8102.html

Mike

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