------------ #236: CONGRATULATIONS TO PLOUGHSHARES ACTIVISTS ON DEFLATION OF WAIHOPAI DOME ------------

GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER #236, April 30, 2008

Website [http://www.gpja.org.nz/]

Kia ora koutou,

CONGRATULATIONS TO PLOUGHSHARES ACTIVISTS ON DEFLATION OF WAIHOPAI DOME

Global Peace and Justice Auckland congratulates the activists from the Ploughshares group who entered and deflated one of the domes at Waihopai spybase near Blenheim early this morning. The photo of the deflated dome is a powerful symbol of resistance to New Zealand's role in supporting the so-called war on terror being waged by the US.

The two domes at Waihopai (one now deflated) cover satellite tracking dishes.

These dishes are focused on communications satellites above the Pacific equator and monitor cell-phone, fax and email communications of New Zealanders and other Pacific countries. They are part of an international network of similar bases operated on behalf of the US National Intelligence Service.

Waihopai is New Zealand greatest support for these US imperial policies which include the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Waihopai spies on New Zealanders on behalf of the US war machine. It's role was highlighted in the Nicky Hagar's 1996 book Secret Power. The ploughshares action this morning is a fine example of courage and effective anti-war action.

STATEMENT OF THE WAIHOPAI ANZAC PLOUGHSHARES

They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation; and there shall be no more training for war. Isaiah 2/4

[http://ploughshares.org.nz/]

Protest targets spy base

[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=49&objectid=10488872]

Arrests after spybase attack

[http://www.stuff.co.nz/4503358a10.html]

FORWARD

Kindly forward this newsletter to your friends and encourage them to join this mailing list [at] [http://www.gpja.org.nz/]

SERVICE FOR VICTIM OF GOVERNMENT REPRESSION IN SRI LANKA

On 20th April 2008 Rev. Father M X Karunaratnam, the chairman of the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR), was killed in a claymore mine attack carried out by the Sri Lanka Army. Rev. Father Karunartnam was the foremost human rights activist in the Vanni region of Northern Sri Lanka. Furthermore NESoHR was the only body in Vanni specifically dedicated to highlighting the human rights violations of the Tamil people. NESoHR was launched in July 2004 as part of the Norwegian-facilitated 2002 Peace Process to strengthen the human rights protection mechanisms in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka. A memorial for Rev.

Father M X Karunaratnam will be held at Elim Church.

Date : 3 May 2008

Time : 5.30 PM

Venue : 159 Botany Road, Botany Downs, Howick.

You are welcome to attend this service. Thanks and Regards. George Arulanantham, Coordinator, Consortium of Tamil Associations in New Zealand [The Unified Voice of New Zealand Tamils]

MAYDAY

Michael A. Lebowitz: The capitalist workday, the socialist workday By Michael A. Lebowitz - As May Day approaches, there are four things that are worth remembering:

[http://links.org.au/node/374]

MAHER MUGHRABI, PALESTINIAN WRITER AND JOURNALIST NOW WORKING IN MELBOURNE AT THE AGE AND A MEMBER OF THE PALESTINIAN DIASPORA

Monday May 12th 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn.

GPJA MONTHLY FORUM - THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE - "Facing the Forests: What peace and justice mean, 60 years on".

Wednesday May 14th 6-7.30pm, Lecture Theatre 029 Clock Tower Building, 22 Princes Street, University of Auckland NZ INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - "State of Siege: Problems and Prospects for Palestinians and Israelis".

MAHER MUGHRABI is a Scottish-Palestinian journalist and writer with more than 12 years' experience on newsdesks in Britain (including The Independent, The Scotsman and The Daily Mail), the Middle East (Khaleej Times) and Australia who currently works as Foreign Desk News Editor for The Age in Melbourne.

His work as a current affairs writer for The Age has dealt with Western perceptions of Islam, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war in Iraq, including an exclusive interview with the son of one of the two Iraqi men who were kidnapped with Australia's Douglas Wood and later murdered. He has also written on politics in India, Pakistan and Britain.

Mughrabi has also lectured at Melbourne, Monash and La Trobe universities on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to the Melbourne Writers' Festival on the history of Zionism and to public audiences around Australia on Middle Eastern affairs and issues of Muslims and migration. In 2007 he was a guest speaker at Palestine Uncut, a film festival to mark 40 years of occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and in April 2008 he was a special guest at the Sydney Arab Film Festival's session on Palestinian films

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"Secure supplies of energy are essential to our prosperity and security. The concentration of 65 percent of the world's known oil reserves in the Persian Gulf means we must continue to ensure reliable access to competitively priced oil and a prompt, adequate response to any major oil supply disruption.": from 'National Security Strategy of the United States', White House publication, March 1990

"We do not have any defence treaties with Kuwait, and there are no special defence or security commitments to Kuwait.": Margaret Tutweiller, US State Department spokeswoman, 24th July 1990, nine days before Iraq's invasion of Kuwait

"President Bush is an intelligent man. He is not going to declare an economic war against Iraq. [...] I admire your extraordinary efforts to rebuild your country. I know you need funds. We understand that, and our opinion is that you should have the opportunity to rebuild your country. But we have no opinion on Arab-Arab conflicts like your border disagreement with Kuwait." : April Glaspie, US Ambassador to Iraq, in conversation with Saddam Hussein, US State Department transcripts, 25th July 1990, eight days before the invasion

House Foreign Affairs Committee: July 31st 1990, two days before the invasion.

CAIRMAN LEE HAMILTON: "Do we have a commitment to our friends in the Gulf in the event that they are engaged in oil or territorial disputes with their neighbours?"

KELLY: (assistant Secretary of State) "As I said, Mr. Chairman, we have no defence treaty relationships with any of the countries. We have historically avoided taking a position on border disputes or on internal OPEC deliberations, but we certainly, as have all administrations, resoundingly called for the peaceful settlement of disputes and differences in the area."

HAMILTON: "If Iraq, for example, charged across the border into Kuwait, for whatever reason, what would be our position with regard to the use of US forces?"

KELLY: "That, Mr. Chairman, is a hypothetical or a contingency, the kind of which I can't get into. Suffice it to say, we would be extremely concerned, but I can not get into the realm of 'what if...' answers."

HAMILTON: "In that circumstance, is it correct to say, however, that we do not have a treaty commitment which would obligate us to engage US forces?"

KELLY: "That is correct." - Question and answer session between US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs John Kelly and Representative Lee Hamilton, July 31st 1990, two days before the invasion. This exchange was broadcast on the BBC World Service and heard in Iraq.

[http://www.wanniski.com/showarticle.asp?articleid=3182]

"Obviously, I didn't think, and nobody else did, that the Iraqis were going to take ALL of Kuwait.": April Glaspie, interview with The New York Times, seven weeks after the invasion

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL 2008

Wellington 8 - 16 May, Paramount Theatre; Auckland 15 - 23 May, Rialto Newmarket; Christchurch 22 - 30 May Regent on Worcester; Dunedin 29 May - 6 June, Rialto Dunedin

Ten Feature films and seven short films addressing current issues in Human Rights. The Human Rights Film Festival provides a safe space to explore and debate national and international human rights issues. To assist this, we have organised after each screening a discussion forum examining issues raised by the ?lms. Audience members are encouraged to listen to and join in the discussion. Visit the website for a full schedule of the Festival. For more information, visit

[http://www.humanrightsfilmfest.net.nz/the-films/]

LOCAL PEACE GRANTS 2008: QUAKER PEACE & SERVICE AOTEAROA -NEW ZEALAND, The Religious Society of Friends - Te Hahi Tuhauwiri. The next closing date for Local Peace Grant applications is 30 April 2008 - applications that have not arrived by then will be accepted so long as the envelope is post marked 30 April at the latest. Notification of decisions will be done within four weeks of the closing date. • Applications are invited for grants up to $500 to assist with non-violent local peace work anywhere within Aotearoa-New Zealand; • Applicants need not be Quakers; • Preference is given to work which is innovative in content or starting up.

It could be a one-off occasion (constructing a mobile peace stall; printing / advertising; inter-faith peace conference; peace / green fair; non-violence training day) or for a longer project (eg. restorative justice; a new organisation); • Grants are decided twice a year. Application form from, and enquiries to: Local Peace Grants, QPSANZ, Friends (Quaker) Meeting House, 72 Cresswell Avenue, Christchurch 8061 or email [qpsanz[at]quaker.org.nz] Or download the form from the Quaker Peace & Service web page at [http://www.quaker.org.nz/groups/qpsanz]

BASES OF EMPIRE THE GLOBAL SPREAD OF US MILITARY & SPY BASES - CORA FABROS TOURING NZ July 7 - 18 Cora Fabros, from the Philippines, has been a high profile activist, domestically and internationally, for more than 30 years with the anti-bases, anti-nuclear and peace movement. She has been to New Zealand before, as a guest of the Anti-Bases Campaign. Cora will be touring New Zealand as the Asia/Pacific Coordinator of the International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases.

The US has been on a global war footing since 2001 and sees the Asia/Pacific region, NZ's backyard, as being of immense strategic significance. This is the region that Cora will be speaking about. In countries such as Japan (particularly Okinawa) and South Korea the huge US presence there covers the full range from nuclear warfighting bases to conventional combat bases to a whole variety of spybases. Despite having been kicked out of the Philippines by the world's most successful anti-bases campaign in the early 1990s, the US military is now permanently entrenched back in that country, which it has designated "The Second Front In The War On Terror". Guam, which is a US territory in the Pacific, has been turned into a major US nuclear warfighting base in recent years. Australia hosts a variety of US bases and has given the US permission to build its first new spybase there in 40 years. And, of course, New Zealand hosts one medium level US military transport base (at Christchurch Airport) which is a cog in the chain of regional US bases; and two "New Zealand" spybases, at Tangimoana and Waihopai. The latter is NZ's single most important contribution to all US wars.

2008 is election year in both NZ and the US (this only happens every 12 years). The Anti-Bases Campaign believes that it is vital that NZ's continuing role as a small but very important satellite of the US military and intelligence empire be thoroughly ex-posed and that voters demand that the Government finish the job begun when this country became nuclear free and out of ANZUS in the 1980s. Cora Fabros' tour is vital in providing an international context for how we aid and abet that empire. US bases and the struggle against them are a huge issue for many of our neighbours.

For local date and venue details contact: Dunedin - Kay Murray (03) 4542057, 021 1672843, email: [ksimmondsmurray[at]xtra.co.nz]

Christchurch
Murray Horton (03) 3663988, email: [cafca[at]chch.planet.org.nz]

Blenheim - Steffan Browning 021 725655, email: [sjb[at]steffan.co.nz]

Wellington - Sam Huggard (04) 8033054, 021 1810508 email: [samhuggard[at]yahoo.co.nz]

Palmerston North - Dion Martin (06) 3569658 w, 021 776029 w; email: [dion.martin[at]ndu.org.nz]

Auckland - Del Abcede (09) 3787543, 021 02376019; email [darobie[at]hotmail.com]

Donations are needed to help with our costs. Our budget is $5,000. Please make cheques payable to ABC, Box 2258, Christchurch. [cafca[at]chch.planet.org.nz] www.converge.org.nz/abc [http://www.converge.org.nz/abc]

ALL THE NEWS WORKERS NEED - SUBSCRIBE TO WORKERS CHARTER NEWSPAPER! Workers Charter newspaper is an independent left-wing newspaper (Editor: John Minto) publishing news and views about workers rights and issues. Published monthly, the Workers Charter gives analysis that the mainstream media's capitalist owners do not. All this available for just $40 a year, for 10 issues posted out to your home! If you can afford to, $100 a year solidarity subscriptions help us spread the Charter to others, and are greatly appreciated, as are donations. How can you subscribe? Either: 1) Post your contact details and a cheque made out to "Workers Charter" to PO Box 56506, Dominion Rd, Auckland 1446, NZ OR 2) Pay online by transferring money to Kiwibank account 38-9004-0785934-00, with a reference (a 1 copy sbscription by Joe Bloggs becomes 1JBloggsSUB, a donation of $20 by Joe Bloggs is 20JBloggsDON), then e-mailing [admin[at]workerscharter.org.nz] to tell us your contact details.

If you have a friend or family member you think would appreciate the paper, please let us know their contact details, and we will send them a free promotional copy (no obligation). We will check first to see if they are already a subscriber. If you would like to write for or send photos to the paper, please contact: [editor[at]workerscharter.org.nz]

If you have any questions about the paper, please contact: [admin[at]workerscharter.org.nz]

FREE RADICAL WEBSITE HOST ENZYME CALLS FOR DONATIONS, VOLUNTEERS OR PROJECT COORDINATOR Dear Enzyme users and supporters, Enzyme, the free hosting and free url project for progressive and radical groups in Aotearoa New Zealand, needs your help.

After more than five years running the project I am no longer able to pay the server costs. I am also physically unable to properly support the project on my own as I have recently moved to Titirangi where I only have dial-up internet access. My work commitments also meant I was unable to deal with a recent server problem quickly enough when enzyme was (dos'd) attacked constantly and email spam was clogging the sites arteries. I am not only calling for donations, but volunteers and/or a project coordinator who could give the project a new direction and energy. In five years, Enzyme has hosted over 200 websites, continues to host over 40, has donated 78 urls, crashed 5 times and changed server four times. Running the site costs around $800 a year for the hosting and several hundred more for urls each year. Since 2003 the project has cost over $7000. I am eternally grateful for the help given me by volunteers over the years when I've needed time away from the computer.

But the real blow came last year when Solid Energy cost the project a further $2,000 in legal fees when I refused to remove the Save Happy Valley Coalition's mock Solid Energy Environmental Report from their website.

In 2005, I called for donations when I was last in financial trouble. Over $1,000 was raised and it enabled me to get through a financially tough period and back on my feet and supporting the project again. If you're an Enzyme user, don't jump ship yet. I can keep the project running and have the option to slightly downgrade some little used services which will halve the cost of the server. But I still believe there is a lot that can be done with the project and only with new energy from others. It never quite became what I had intended (an online activist web-hub) and it has had a few hiccups over the years, but I think Enzyme has played an important role for those not wanting commercial, advertising-ridden or data-mining Gmail-type hosting and email.

Ok I wanna help, what can I do? Donations: All donations can be made to: ASB BANK, MR S A OOSTERMAN 12-3061-0238825-000 (You may only need two 0's) Reference ENZYME. The money will only be used for Enzyme. In the likely event that the site is shut down it will be given to another free hosting project.

I want to get involved: Please contact me at: [media[at]ndu.org.nz] or call me on +64 9 622 8433 or +64 21 922 551 (between 9am and 6pm, we are out of cellphone range) Yours, Simon Oosterman, Enzyme Project Co-Ordinator MICHAEL HOUSTOUN TO PLAY BEETHOVEN'S ' MOONLIGHT ' SONATA AT THE 14TH MANAWATU MAYDAY CONCERT Dion Martin, coordinator of the 14th annual Manawatu Mayday Concert, to be held at the Regent on Broadway, Palmerston North, at 7.30pm on Saturday 3 May, is, "thrilled to announce that one of New Zealand's greatest pianists, Michael Houstoun, has agreed to play Beethoven's ' Moonlight ' sonata , all 16 minutes, 47 seconds"."Michael Houstoun is highly regarded for his performances of Beethoven's music, and what better composer from the world of classical music to feature in a concert that celebrates ' International Workers Day ' than Ludwig van Beethoven? He was one of music's great revolutionaries, believing passionately in freedom from political and social oppression, and in the brotherhood of Man". For more information contact Dion Martin 021 776 029 or 06 3569658 or [dion.martin[at]ndu.org.nz]

INVITATION TO VENEZUELA EDUCATION STUDY TOUR A Collaborative Exchange and Study Tour for Academics, Teachers & Students February 2009 Dear Friends and Colleagues, We would like to invite you to participate in the first Education Exchange and Study Tour of Venezuela. A number of educators here in Australia and internationally have become increasingly interested in the radical education reform currently taking place in Venezuela. The reconstruction of public education has been positioned as a driving force for the wider process of social change manifest in Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution.

It is clear that the changes are providing access to education for many Venezuelans previously excluded from the system, as well as new models of provision and new curricula based on the ideals of a "Bolivarian socialism for the 21st Century." The early outcomes of this nationwide radical reform of education are certainly inspiring! This educational exchange aims to deepen participants' understanding of these processes in all their complexity, including the successes, the challenges and the relationship between education and the broader process of social change.

This exchange provides a unique opportunity to join educators and students from around the globe, in an investigative and collaborative tour aimed at learning more about Venezuela's revolution in education. The issues and themes of access, equity, school and university community partnerships and education for social change are at the core of our own work and experiences with education, providing a strong basis for the sharing of practice and perspectives. It is also hoped that the exchange can lead to the development of collaboration, new links and projects with institutions, community organisations and unions working in the education sector in Venezuela.

The study tour will take place in January 2009 and will involve a range of meetings (seminars) and visits with educational groups, institutions, and community organisations. The details of the week are to worked out in conjunction with colleagues from the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, and local schools and community organizations in Caracas.

Initial details: Preliminary dates: January 6 - 14, 2009 Estimated costs: International Airfare ($3500) Registration fee: $300/$150 concession Estimated internal travel costs: $150 Estimated accommodation costs: $250 Food is cheap and participants will also have to budget for spending money.

The Study Tour Organising Committee will assist with advice on airfares and accommodation.

The Study Tour is hosted by Dr Tom Griffiths, University of Newcastle, Australia, and Jo Williams, Victoria University, Australia in collaboration with the Bolivarian University of Venezuela. It is supported by Centre for Latin American Solidarity and Studies (CLASS) and the Australian Venezuela Solidarity Network (AVSN), please contact us if you would like to register the support of another organization.

For further details, to contribute ideas and/or to register your interest please contact the organising committee: Tom Griffiths Tom.Griffiths [at] newcastle [dot] edu [dot] au Jo Williams Jo.Williams [at] vu [dot] edu [dot] au Roberto Jorquera roberto [at] latinamericasolidarity [dot] org Jorge Jorquera Jorge.Jorquera [at] rmit [dot] edu [dot] au

WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Monday, April 28, 7.30pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St Ponsonby, Auckland.

Left Behind: How social and income inequalities damage New Zealand children.

Editors Susan St John & Donna Wynd Special guest speaker: Tapu Misa Plenty of parking round the back. For further information contact Rachel Somerfield, CPAG NZ Administrator [admin[at]cpag.org.nz]

or (09) 303-9260.

Wednesday, April 30, Time: 7.30pm, Blockhouse Bay Boat Club (3BC), Blockhouse Bay Reserve, Seaward end of Endeavour Street, Blockhouse Bay.

Green MP Metiria Turei is speaking at a public meeting in Auckland on Wednesday the 30th of April, and wishes to invite anyone who is interested to come along.

The topic of the talk is the environment of our native eels. It is also a wonderful opportunity for those who are interested in conservation, environment more generally; to meet Metiria and learn more about her work on key issues in Aotearoa. Lots to get involved in! The local contact person is: Lisa Er 021 777 473

Thursday, May 1, 5pm, Britomart (Corner of Customs and Queen Streets), MAY DAY - INTERNATIONAL WORKERS SOLIDARITY DAY 5:00pm Rally [at] Britomart - open microphone; 5:30pm March up to Queen Street to Aotea Square to hear keynote speakers. Organised by the NZCTU Auckland May Day Committee.

Monday 12th May: GPJA MONTHLY FORUM - THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn. 7.30pm Maher Mughrabi, Palestinian writer and journalist now working in Melbourne at The Age and a member of the Palestinian Diaspora. This meeting comes just two days before the anniversary of al Nakba - the anniversary of the proclaiming of the state of Israel in Tel Aviv.

Monday, May 12, 5:00pm - 6:30pm, at the University of Auckland in Clock Tower Room TO39, Princes Street Keith Locke will be giving a PowerPoint presentation on the 'Geopolitics of Oil'. The talk looks at the problems in the world through the lens of oil politics - past and present. Learn why wars are often fought over oil, and why even the countries that have oil are often burdened by authoritarian government and social inequality. Keith explains how Peak Oil will increase contention for this scarce resource, but is optimistic that we can achieve a more peaceful and equitable world, using more sustainable energy and less beholden to oil interests.

More info, contact: [greensoncampus[at]greens.org.nz]

Monday May 12th 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn.

GPJA MONTHLY FORUM - MAHER MUGHRABI, PALESTINIAN WRITER AND JOURNALIST - THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE - "Facing the Forests: What peace and justice mean, 60 years on".

Wednesday May 14th 6-7.30pm, Lecture Theatre 029 Clock Tower Building, 22 Princes Street, University of Auckland MAHER MUGHRABI, PALESTINIAN WRITER AND JOURNALIST - NZ INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - "State of Siege: Problems and Prospects for Palestinians and Israelis".

BEST ON THE WEB

NEW ZEALAND Removal of GST on food unlikely - PM [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10506604]

Matt McCarten: Anzac Day - we're comfortable with this historic illusion http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10506413&p...

[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10506413&pnum=0]

John Minto: Durban's wharfies show way to their Govt [http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4499029a16155.html]

Helen Clark successfully kept New Zealand out of Iraq, but her policy in Afghanistan - the other front in the Bush war on terrorism - is on track to become more hazardous until the Afghan elections, at least.

http://election08.scoop.co.nz/gordon-campbell-fight-for-your-right-to-pr...

[http://election08.scoop.co.nz/gordon-campbell-fight-for-your-right-to-prt/]

John Minto: Tertiary student debt a $10b boil that must be lanced http://johnminto.org.nz/tertiary-student-debt-a-10b-boil-that-must-be-la...

[http://johnminto.org.nz/tertiary-student-debt-a-10b-boil-that-must-be-lanced/]

RAM tapping grassroots to make its point [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/print.html?path=HL0804/S00355.htm]

Scoop Full Coverage: Dunedin Factory Closure [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00276.htm]

You can hear a Radio New Internationalist programme, "Privatisation Continued", with Laila Harre, Bill Rosenberg, and South African anti-privatisation activist, Silumko Radebe from the South African Anti Privatization Forum, at [http://www.newint.org/] Click on 'Radio' on the contents bar at the top of the page.

This follows on from March's Privatisation By Stealth Conference in Christchurch, at which Laila and Bill were among the speakers. You can access some of the conference papers at http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/publications/index.ht...

[http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/publications/index.html#Privatisation]

News on Vector Limited asset sale now at [http://www.kiwisfirst.co.nz/]

Kate Green, Chief Executive of CPAG UK, gave CPAG NZ her vision this week of how to go about "that ambitious, admirable and entirely achievable goal : to end child poverty in rich countries, for every child, for good." [http://www.cpag.org.nz/resources/speeches/res1208324926.pdf]

Two incendiary NZ Listener articles on 'housing' in South Auckland are now online: Lodges of last resort by David Fisher http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3543/features/10784/lodges_of_last_resor...

[http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3543/features/10784/lodges_of_last_resort.html;jsessionid=C28AAC848DA3CED4D5A614A4525DB917]

And the follow-up article: "God-awful" homes http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3545/features/10876/god-awful_homes.html...

[http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3545/features/10876/god-awful_homes.html;jsessionid=C28AAC848DA3CED4D5A614A4525DB917]

KiwiFM: Wallace n Manning on Workers Memorial Day [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00389.htm]

John Minto: Tongariro tragedy will bring many questions to the fore http://johnminto.org.nz/tongariro-tragedy-will-bring-many-questions-to-t...

[http://johnminto.org.nz/tongariro-tragedy-will-bring-many-questions-to-the-fore/]

REVIEW Interview: Sara Paretsky - Fighting racism and injustice shaped Sara Paretsky as a crime writer. She talks to Sarah Ensor about her work, the Iraq war and the US elections.

[http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=10351]

The hidden fist that guides the market [http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/747/38621]

The last excuse for the Iraq war is founded on a myth - seeing the second world war as a pure struggle to defeat an evil dictator has led us into foreign policy traps ever since [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/apr/25/foreignpolicy.iraq]

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[http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19766.htm]

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[http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/747/38655]

Rice, death and the dollar [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/JD22Dj01.html]

How the rich starved the world - World cereal stocks are at an all-time low, food-aid programmes have run out of money and millions face starvation. Yet wealthy countries persist with plans to use grain for petrol. Plus Iain Macwhirter on how food prices are rocketing [http://www.newstatesman.com/200804170025]

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[http://www.newsweek.com/id/133279]

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[http://boliviarising.blogspot.com/2008/04/bolivia-indigenous-people-and-mestizos.html]

Land reform to free Indians from servitude in Bolivia [http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/Land-reform-to-free-Indians-from,3049]

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Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) Congratulates Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) on Historic Boycott Resolution! [http://canadiandimension.com/articles/2008/04/17/1765/]

CHINA Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the Tibetan Situation, by Some Chinese Intellectuals [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21379]

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[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/13/AR2008041302214.html]

China Says It Is Ready to Meet Dalai Lama Envoys [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/world/asia/26china.html]

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GERMANY Lafontaine wants passages from Marx included in Left Party programme http://communistwombat.blogspot.com/2008/04/lafontaine-wants-passages-fr...

[http://communistwombat.blogspot.com/2008/04/lafontaine-wants-passages-from-marx.html]

IRAN Iran's 'bomb' and dud intelligence [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JD23Ak03.html]

Oil Windfall Sparks Rights Fight in Iran [http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/pourzal250408.html]

LATIN AMERICA Losing Latin America ... All the Way to Tierra del Fuego - The Bush Legacy [http://www.counterpunch.org/ross04182008.html]

LatAm leaders in food price pact - Four Latin American leaders, meeting in Caracas, have agreed on a $100m (£50m) scheme to combat the impact of rising food prices on the region's poor. The presidents of Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela and Cuba's vice-president also agreed on joint programmes to promote the development of agriculture [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7364153.stm]

MALAYSIA Malaysia: Newly launched People's Alliance claims it is ready to topple government [http://www.links.org.au/node/359]

PALESTINE Israeli ex-soldiers expose abuse of Palestinians - In a report this week, 39 soldiers give eyewitness accounts from their patrols in and around the West Bank city of Hebron.

[http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0425/p07s03-wome.html]

FACTSHEET: The Right To Return, a Basic Right Still Denied [http://al-awdacal.org/facts.html]

"Sixty-five years ago, the courageous Jews of the Warsaw ghetto rose in defense of their people. We Gazans, living in the world's largest open-air prison, can do no less," Zahar wrote in the newspaper.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/16/AR200804...

[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/16/AR2008041602899.html]

PARAGUAY Ex-bishop, woman battling for Paraguay presidency [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iv3F9fznKU6IHVx5k4FMEq1VKvuw]

The front-runner is a former Catholic bishop, Fernando Lugo, a liberal whose base is the poor rural heartland, where he is popular for his work with landless peasants.

[http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1732452,00.html]

PHILIPPINES Armed men reported staking out Satur's house http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080421-1316...

[http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080421-131668/Armed-men-reported-staking-out-Saturs-house]

SYRIA An Act Of War - Interview By Sarah Brown - Seymour Hersh, one of the world's best known investigative journalists, has turned his attention to the mysterious and controversial bombing of a Syrian facility by Israel last year.

[http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19803.htm]

USA Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry Is Medicating a Nation [http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/82455?page=entire]

A Crying Shame - The Wages of Left Capitulation By PETER CAMEJO [http://www.counterpunch.org/camejo04262008.html]

The Pentagon Strangles Our Economy: Why the U.S. Has Gone BrokeBy Chalmers Johnson, Le Monde diplomatique [http://www.alternet.org/story/83555/]

VENEZUELA Venezuela to Launch New Anti-Poverty Mission [http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3360]

Sidor nationalisation marks 'new revolution within revolution' [http://www.links.org.au/node/363]

ENDS

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