Global Peace And Justice Auckland Newsletter #95, JUNE 23, 2005

PARASITES ON POVERTY CAMPAIGN - Drive the moneylenders and pokie machines out of our community. http://pop.org.nz/ This campaign had a successful launch at the last GPJA forum. Check out the website and the most recent press releases. For more info contact John Minto (see above) The ten most wanted MP's:

http://pop.org.nz/the_10_most_guilty_mp_s?PHPSESSID=486c8f3e0262f10356eac4 3a fcf320e2 Judith Tizard - Labour's Marie Antoinette:

http://pop.org.nz/judith_tizard_-_labour_s_marie_antoinette?PHPSESSID=486c 8f 3e0262f10356eac43afcf320e2

POLICE REPRESSION in Auckland continues - Three anti-war activists were convicted and another acquitted yesterday, on charges relating to a protest against the war in Iraq. http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/35770/index.php

"EAST TIMOR FIVE YEARS ON"

Two important Meetings with Avelino da Silva, General Secretary, Socialist Party of Timor (PST); Member, State Advisory Commission to East Timor President. Sunday July 3, 2 pm St Benedicts Church Crypt, I St Benedicts St, Newton. Monday July 4 Global Peace and Justice Aotearoa Forum "Focus on the Pacific": Joint Forum with author David Robie who will address Media Freedom in the Pacific, 7-30 Monday 4 July, Trades Hall 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn. Avelino da Silva joined FRETILIN as a youth activist. During the 80s and 90s, he helped found progressive East Timorese youth groups in East Timor and Indonesia.

He helped build an underground resistance in Java in the 1990s and was hunted by the Suharto regime, eventually seeking sanctuary for almost two years in the Austrian Embassy. He was the first general secretary of the PST when it was founded in the mid-1990s. in the recent local elections PST made significant gains. Avelino will offer his perspective on political developments and the current situation in Timor Leste: what are the prospects of bringing to account the criminals responsible for crimes against humanity in Timor? What about the oil deal with Australia? Development and reconstruction -what is happening at the grassroots? Indonesia Human Rights Committee and Global Peace and Justice Auckland. For more info contact maire@clear.net.nz

WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Sunday, June 26, 11pm, TV1 SCREENING OF A German made documentary on DEPLETED URANIUM.

Wednesday, June 29, 3-5pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn The Working Womens Resource Centre would like to invite you to come and hear SUE KEDGLEY speak on the FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS BILL. “The tension of trying to juggle paid work and family responsibilities is taking a huge toll on families today. This Bill seeks to reduce the stress by allowing employees to seek more flexible hours that better suit the needs of their families.” Questions and discussion to follow. Facilitator: Nadine Rae. Nibbles provided. Cash bar. Everybody welcome. Any questions contact Buzz Worley Ph 027 245 2906

Wednesday, June 29, Academy Cinema, Auckland City FILM: BATTLE OF ALGIERS, Guest speakers: Ahmed Zaoui and Deborah Manning Tickets: $20 or $15 for students. Algerian sweets will be served. This haunting, cinematic recreation of part of the struggle of Algerians for independence from French rule is the finest film about revolution in film history.

For many viewers, the film appears to be a true documentary so convincing are the street scenes and the unfamiliarity of the faces, many of which are extraordinarily memorable. Funds raised from this screening will support Mr Zaoui's family and other expenses associated with the campaign for his full freedom. For tickets please email battlealgiers@gmail.com with details of how many tickets you require and whether you would prefer to post a cheque or pick the tickets up in person from Newton.

Thursday, June 30, 7.30pm, Maclaurin Chapel Hall, Princess Street, University of Auckland Prof Kevin Clements of the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies will be speaking on 'Educating for Peace'. Discussion will be exploring the development of a peace and conflict studies institute for New Zealand, and will be chaired by Sir Douglas Graham.

July 1-5, St Benedicts Church Crypt, St Benedicts St FROM JADE ERIKSEN DIRECTOR OF...Yatra (Winner Hot new thing and Best Ensemble Fringe Festival 2004,Chapman Tripp nominee) Stamping Grounds (Best Fringe show 2005)..comes a new work MIGRANT NATION Stories of our migrant past: we were strangers once Inspired by the case of Ahmed Zaoui, this is a theatrical exploration of New Zealand as a nation made up of a rich tapestry of cultures and backgrounds. By recalling the diverse human stories of migration to New Zealand we discover that from the beginning New Zealand has a history of being a land of refuge and welcome to those in need.(Also Wellington June 24-27, Tararua Tramping Club, 4 Moncrieff St). Tickets: $10/$15/$20. For more information or bookings contact migrantnation@gmail.com ...BOOK NOW ...

Friday, 1st July, 12.00 noon, Study Centre Staff Lounge at Massey University, Albany Prof Kevin Clements will be holding a public lecture on 'Initiatives for the prevention of war'. Friday, July 1, 5pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland The Working Womens Resource Centre is hosting a memorial EVENING TO CELEBRATE SONJA DAVIES LIFE. You are cordially invited to share in this celebration The formal speeches will start at 5.30 pm. We will have guest speakers and an open floor opportunity for others wishing to speak. Cash bar open from 5.00pm. Any questions contact Ros Hiini Ph 021 299 2921.

Sunday, July 3, 5.00pm onwards, Union Fish Company Building, 118 Quay St GREEN PARTY ART AUCTION -- The Auckland Green Party is delighted to announce its forthcoming Great Green Art Auction to help raise funds for this year's election. We have an superb line up of over 50 exceptional artists, including Brent Wong, Dean Buchanan, Luc Tutugoro, Michael Smither, Jacqueline Fahey, John Pule, Jim Viveaere, Judy Darragh, Stanley Palmer and many more established and emerging painters, photographers, sculptors and multi-media artists. An on-line catalogue can be found at www.thegreatartauction.org.nz Mark Sunday 3rd July on your calendar for this special event. Tickets are limited to and will be available mid-June $25 includes complimentary drink, food and music. For more information, phone Kim on 376-4143 or email: artauction@greens.org.nz Monday, July 4, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn

GPJA FORUM - "FOCUS ON THE PACIFIC":

Two speakers with outstanding qualifications to speak about Pacific Issues - David Robie - Author of "Mekim Nius" about the threat to democracy from corporate controlled Pacific media and Avelino da Silva, General Secretary of the Socialist Party of Timor Dr DAVID ROBIE, who has taught Pacific journalists for a decade at the University of Papua New Guinea and the University of the South Pacific, will talk about the media and politics in the South Pacific. He was threatened with expulsion from Fiji in 1998.

His book on the media, Mekim Nius: South Pacific Media, Politics and Education was recently published. He also has a special memorial edition of his book Eyes of Fire being published soon to mark the 20th anniversary of the Rainbow Warrior bombing on July 10. David is now an associate professor at Auckland University of Technology's School of Communication Studies. David's address will focus on "Coups, politics and the Pacific media - behind the self-censorship barrier" What was the role of the Fiji media during the Speight coup in Fiji? And what role is it playing now as tension rises over Fiji's controversial Reconciliation and Unity Bill aimed at freeing the coup perpetrators? Why are there calls for an investigation into the alleged assassination of a prominent local editor in Tahiti?

Do training and aid agencies help provide a genuinely independent media in a region dominated by three media Megacorporations -Murdoch in Fiji and Papua New Guinea, Ribunan Hijau in Papua New Guinea and the Dassault-Hersant-Socpresse group in New Caledonia and Tahiti, which has been described as a "menace to the press and democracy"?

AVELINO DA SILVA - General Secretary, Socialist Party of Timor (PST); Member, State Advisory Commission to East Timor President Avelino da Silva joined FRETILIN as a youth activist. During the 80s and 90s, he help found progressive East Timorese youth groups in East Timor and Indonesia. He helped build an underground resistance in Java in the 1990s and was hunted by the Suharto regime, eventually seeking sanctuary for almost two years in the Austrian Embassy. He was the first general secretary of the PST when it was founded in the mid-1990s.

MESSAGES

TRIBUTES TO OWEN WILKES can be read at http://www.apc.org.nz/pma/owentr.htm#past Owen began his career as a peace researcher and campaigner in his home town, Christchurch, in the 1960s. The book he edited and wrote in the 1970s, 'Protest', records the campaigns against the US military bases in the South Island, and explains just how the bases were linked into US military and espionage capabilities (some of them are still there, and still linked).

Although he did most of his professional research at the peace research institutes in Oslo and Stockholm, earning an international reputation for his expertise, the campaign nearest to his heart, and the one he worked hardest for while at home, was a nuclear-free and independent Pacific. This was mostly what he worked on when he returned to New Zealand to work for Peace Movement Aotearoa in 1983. The 1986 article below by David Robie gives a snapshot account of the NZ peace movement and what it had achieved in this campaign by the mid 1980s.

But since then there has been little improvement. Although nuclear testing in the Pacific has stopped, the awful effects still linger, and nuclear waste and nuclear weapons are still crossing the ocean of peace. Nor has the US military presence in the region, in land bases, on the water and in the air, decreased. On the contrary, the US is currently engaged in global military repositioning, which has its bases, warships and planes in the East and South being strengthened, not dismantled. Nine of the US's 14 nuclear equipped submarines are now stationed on the Pacific coast of the US, for example.

The US navy plans to resume Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile flight-testing in the Pacific in 2005, when the Pacific Missile Range is scheduled to resume operations. (The last SLBM test-launch in the Pacific was in July 1993.) Read more about this below. Owen did a lot - but there is still a lot to do before the Pacific by name is pacific by nature. The anti-bases campaign would be a good place to start - see details below. CHALLENGING GOLIATH, David Robie, New Internationalist, Issue 163, September 1986 http://www.newint.org/issue163/goliath.htm

David Robie's Eyes of Fire is republished To mark the twentieth anniversary of the sinking of the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior by French secret agents, David Robie has republished his work EYES OF FIRE: THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE RAINBOW WARRIOr.

This revised new edition includes a postscript by Robie that brings us up to date with some of the many players from this remarkable story and a preface by former Greenpeace Pacific coordinator Bunny McDiarmid. On 10 July 1985, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour.

The environmental ship had arrived in New Zealand to prepare for an anti-nuclear protest voyage to Moruroa Atoll in French Polynesia. Portuguese-born photographer Fernando Pereira died in the sabotage outrage that shook the world. The bombed ship was 'buried' off Matauri Bay in 1987 to form an ecological reef and a new Rainbow Warrior was commissioned.

A decade later, under mounting Pacific pressure, France abandoned its unpopular nuclear tests. This book is the tale of the last voyage of the bombed ship to the Marshall Islands and the impact of nuclear testing on Rongelap Atoll and in French Polynesia. The book also deals with militarisation of the Pacific and independence movements.

Copies can be ordered through bookshops from South Pacific Books, or online at the website http://www.southpacificbooks.co.nz/ This is a note to inform you of MAKE POVERTY HISTORY progress. A number of organisations have volunteered to put time into the Interim Steering (ISC) committee - Caritas, Christian World Service, Council of Trade Unions, Development Resource Centre, Family Planning Association, Oxfam NZ, UNICEF, United Nations Association New Zealand, and World Vision. The ISC has had two meetings with another scheduled this week.

The website is up and running. You are able to access the membership form to register your organisation as a member of the MakePovertyHistory coalition on the website: www.makepovertyhistory.org.nz At present we are working towards organising events around the first international moment for action – a mobilisation planned for 1 July 2005. We will let you know soon about ideas and plans. Please send an E-mail to members@makepovertyhistory.org.nz if you have any questions.

NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL PREPARATORY COMMITTEE, 16TH WORLD FESTIVAL OF YOUTH & STUDENTS nzwfys@yahoo.com.au Phone Annalucia at 03 3773834 or 0274 222764 I am writing to you about the World Festival of Youth and Students in the hope that your organisation might be interested in participating in or supporting this important event.

From August 7 to 15 of this year thousands of young people from around the world will gather in Caracas, Venezuela, under the slogan, "For Peace and Solidarity, We Struggle against Imperialism and War!” Organised by the World Federation of Democratic Youth, the festival is an opportunity to link up with and learn about struggles for national liberation, women's equality, union and peasant rights, and against imperialist war. More information is available on the web at http://www.festivalmundial2005.org.ve Among the highlights of the eight days is an anti-imperialist tribunal that will provide a platform for delegates to build solidarity with the struggles they are involved in. In New Zealand a group of young people got together in March and formed a National Preparatory Committee to build participation in the festival.

The group appointed me as its coordinator. In addition to speaking to individuals and groups, we are working with supporters of the festival in Australia to help publicise it more widely in Asia and the Pacific. The New Zealand National Preparatory Committee would like to encourage you to consider sending a representative to the festival.

We can provide more information for anybody who is interested, including details of cost and advice on travel. If it is not possible for your organisation to assign a delegate, donations to assist others to participate would also be welcome. If you have questions about these or other matters relating to the festival, please feel free to contact me (details above).

The New Zealand University Students Association (NZUSA) has agreed to receive and forward donations. Please make cheques payable to NZUSA, marking them clearly for the World Festival of Youth and Students, and post them to PO Box 10-191, Wellington. Yours sincerely, Annalucia Vermunt, Coordinator, National Preparatory Committee

THE FIRST GLOBAL ANTI-US BASE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED - JANUARY 2005 At the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre in January 2005, activists against foreign military bases gathered to launch a new and co-ordinated campaign against such bases (all of which are now operated by the US or co-operate with the US military command). Here is some more information on the new campaign, and the full report can be read at http://www.tni.org/acts/wsf5bases.pdf

''The United States maintains a military presence in 150 countries and territories around the world. In some cases, such a presence could be joint military exercises, training, or combat involving a few hundred troops. In others, it could be permanent military bases housing thousands of US military personnel. According to the US Department of Defense, there are at least 725 US military bases and installations scattered around the world, with estimates including 'unofficial' bases, especially throughout the Middle East, putting the number closer to 1,000. In addition to this are the NATO military bases which house US, along with other European troops.

Following the end of the Cold War and in the aftermath of 9-11, new bases have been built or planned in various countries, notably in Iraq as well as in Central Asia, in Africa, in Southeast Asia, and in Latin America among others. Other countries, such as Russia and France, also maintain a military presence outside their countries, although far smaller than the US. This global network of military installations and facilities is a crucial means by which the United States, along with its allies, seeks to achieve its economic, political and geo-strategic objectives at the expense of the sovereignty and welfare of people around the world.

The US military is the coercive arm of the corporate-led globalisation agenda being driven forward by the US. TOWARDS AN INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST FOREIGN MILITARY PRESENCE The 'war against terror' and the invasion of Iraq have added urgency to forming an international network. In an international anti-war meeting in Jakarta in May 2003, just a few weeks after the start of the invasion of Iraq, a global campaign against military bases was proposed as a priority action of the global anti-war and justice and solidarity movements. Since then, this campaign has been building. A mailing list (nousbases@lists.riseup.net) devoted to discussions on foreign bases has been created. Details on this developing global anti-bases campaign can be found at http://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/documents/BasesFlyerformatted.pdf, and a little at the site http://www.nobases.net/ which is still being constructed.

FILM FESTIVAL Auckland July 8-24: There are some excellent local and international political documentaries in the Film Fest this year. Putting a plug in for "The Kaipara Affair", not just because I was lucky enough to work on it, but because it's premises are those of a truly radical, activist documentary and you won't see this version on television. Also of note: "Mana- Beyond Belief" "Sedition" from Russell Campbell and Vanguard crew. "Banana in a Nutshell" from talented Chinese New Zealand director Roseanne Liang "The New Oceania" - about Albert Wendt "The Zoo" - about a Palestinian zookeeper negotiating 'the wall' in Qalqiliya, Palestine "The Take" - Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis on a factory occupation in Argentina "Sisters In Law" - Kim Longinotto "The future of food" on GE and agribusiness taking over agriculture And a whole lot more. Enjoy! Geraldene http://www.nzff.telecom.co.nz/region_home.asp?RegionID=2&EventID=9

PEACE RESEARCHER ONLINE http://www.converge.org.nz/abc/prcont30.html It's taken quite a while but we've finally got the March 2005 issue (number 30) of our newsletter Peace Researcher online. One point to note, in relation to the article, "SIS Up To Its Old Tricks".

Since the hard copy version was published, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security has ruled that the Sunday Star Times was the victim of a hoax when it published a 2004 series of articles alleging systematic Security Intelligence Service spying on a range of Maori organisations. Annual membership of the Anti-Bases Campaign is $20 (or $NZ25 for Australia and $NZ30 for the rest of the world). Members receive each issue of PR. Make payments to ABC (our postal address is below). Murray Horton, Editor, Peace Researcher, Anti-Bases Campaign, Box 2258, Christchurch, New Zealand. cafca@chch.planet.org.nz - www.converge.org.nz Tangimoana:

The "Forgotten" Spybase Ahmed Zaoui: New Zealand’s Very Own Political Prisoner by David Small SIS Up To Its Old Tricks by Murray Horton Mossad Spies Imprisoned In New Zealand: Our Passports Valued For Use By Israeli Covert Killers by Murray Horton Only Empathy Will Clear The Fog Of Iraq by Joe Hendren Mercenaries: A Peculiarly British Disease by Murray Horton Okinawa: It Is Not Only In Iraq That US Military Occupation Faces Massive Resistance by Bob Leonard Dubya Steals Two In A Row - Well Done America by Bob Leonard Book & Film Reviews by Jeremy Agar "I Almost Forgot About The Moon: The Disinformation Campaign Against Ahmed Zaoui", Selwyn Manning, Yasmine Ryan and Katie Small "Global Intelligence: The World's Secret Services Today", Paul Todd & Jonathan Bloch "Fahrenheit 9/11" A Film By Michael Moore "Control Room" A Film By Jehane Noujaim Organiser's Report by Murray Horton Fuck Ronald Reagan by Bill Weinberg Reagan And Marcos: The Gruesome Twosome Why Are NZ Military Exercises Simulating Iraq? by Murray Horton

AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF HOW TO USE THE NET - Every once in a while you see a trade union do something really original and innovative on the Internet. I saw one of these this morning. If you go to http://www.ueinternational.org/shop/ you'll see what I mean. A union in the United States wants to show its members and the general public what globalization really means. Instead of just writing an article about it, or showing graphs and charts, they've created a terrific interactive online tool that shows the differences in buying power between two people working the same jobs in the US and in Mexico. We learned, for example, that if you're a nurse in the US, you'd have to work 25 hours to pay rent for your home, but in Mexico -- 159 hours. One of the nicest features is that the site gives a human face to these issues as well.

SPEND SUMMER IN CUBA - Registrations are open for the 23rd Southern Cross Brigade to Cuba.Members of the Brigade, which is made up of Australians and New Zealanders, spend approximately four weeks in Cuba, leaving after Christmas.The Brigade stays in the Julio Mella International Camp and usually the time there coincides with visits by Brigades from the Nordic countries and South America, which gives an excellent opportunity for dialogue.

The programme is varied and includes social occasions, dance lessons, cultural events, talks by community groups e.g. the Women's Federation, visits to schools, hospitals and trade unions, as well as free time in Havana, at resorts and national parks. A homestay is always a highlight. Some voluntary work is included in the programme, usually work in the orange orchards. Brigade members with a special interest in an area can usually be provided for. The trip is suitable for people of any age group - an 85 year old has coped well and there is usually a wide age range present. While some knowledge of Spanish is useful, an interpreter is always on hand.

As an initial introduction to Cuban society and Cuban people the Brigade is an excellent opportunity to quickly gain insight into this unique country and its culture, especially of course its music, as part of a community of friendship. The all up cost is $5000, including airfare, spending money and all accommodation and meals. Members of the Brigade often stay longer in Cuba as private travellers or move onto other venues in the region. A video record of last summer's Brigade experience is available. For further enquiries and registration contact Paul Maunder at wkcultur@ihug.co.nz ph 03 732 4010.

BEST ON THE WEB

NEW ZEALAND SAS deployment breaches defence policy on human rights - 2 June 2005 This alert relates to yesterday's announcement of another deployment of NZ SAS combat troops to Afghanistan. The troops left from Whenuapai air base today - on two US C-17 Globemaster military planes sent to pick them up.

There are four sections below: about the deployment; the Defence Policy Framework, human rights abuses and how this deployment breaches the Framework; contact details for government politicians and for 'Letters to the Editor' of nationally distributed print media. http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/sas020605.htm SAS commitment to US Afghan war will tarnish NZ http://www.greens.org.nz/searchdocs/PR8737.html Allegations See 200 Iraqis Attend Public Meeting http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00058.htm QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION COALITION Accuses Govt Of Manufacturing Wananga Crisis - The Minister of Education's threat issued on Monday to sack the Board of Te Wananga O Aotearoa is part of a crisis manufactured by the government rather than created by the Wananga. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0506/S00060.htm

EVERY CHILD COUNTS ORG Slams Brash For Poverty Stance - Don Brash's remarks on child poverty yesterday are disturbing and fail to acknowledge the lasting impact of poverty on the health and educational prospects of children. On Radio New Zealand's Morning Report yesterday. Dr Brash said, 'these things go up and down' and that he 'can't promise anything in that area." Not so. We expect him to commit to ending child poverty,' said Murray Edridge, spokesperson for Every Child Counts. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0506/S00237.htm

PACIFIC David Robie To Launch New Book On Rainbow Warrior http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00256.htm Tonga: Biggest Protest Ever! http://indymedia.org.nz/feature/display/35350/index.php Time Runs Out On South Pacific HIV/AIDS Crisis http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00001.htm

AUSTRALIA

Free all the kids: Mandatory detention must go! At least 10,000 people have been through Australia's immigration detention centres since July 1999, including 3899 children. Thirteen people have died in detention. At least four asylum seekers have been killed upon being returned to their country of origin. Many more have disappeared. Indescribable human suffering has resulted from the unjustifiably brutal policy of mandatory detention.

Now, 13 years after it was introduced, it looks possible that the mandatory detention policy might start to unravel through widespread public dismay at its consequences. http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/628/628p9.htm Freed militant unionist: 'Kick Howard out' - May 27 was an important day for the union movement in Australia. It was the day that Craig Johnston was released from prison. " target="_blank"> "Crackdown" - national security" ideology and the targeting of activists, Indigenous Peoples and communities of colour post- and pre- September 11 2001, by Aziz Choudry > http://www.newint.org/issue376/crackdown.htm

ASIA Myanmar: Arrests of political activists increase http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00260.htm

WORLD ECOLOGY

Revealed: how oil giant influenced Bush - White House sought advice from Exxon on Kyoto stance http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,12374,1501646,00.html U.S. weakens plan on global warming: Bush administration officials working behind the scenes have succeeded in weakening key sections of a proposal for joint action by the eight major industrialized nations to curb global warming. http://snipurl.com/fnox

DEBT AND AID

Why Oxfam is failing Africa http://www.newstatesman.com/200505300004 Oxfam bites back http://www.newstatesman.com/nssubsfilter.php3?newTemplate=NSArticle_NS&new Di splayURN=200506060024 A truckload of nonsense - The G8 plan to save Africa comes with conditions that make it little more than an extortion racket by George Monbiot http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1505927,00.html G8's meanness over the debt http://www.cadtm.org/article.php3?id_article=1448

ARMS RACE Undermining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty—It Didn't Start With the Bush Administration http://www.fpif.org/papers/0506undermine.html

PALESTINE Israel: Failure to Probe Civilian Casualties Fuels Impunity http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/06/22/isrlpa11148.htm

LATIN AMERICA

'War on Terror' Has Indigenous People in Its Sights http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=28962 A seismic upheaval among Latin America's Indians - The crisis in Bolivia has put the continent's entire balance of power in question http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1504058,00.html Bolivia's Battle Of Wills - Many in the social movements dismiss elections as a trap; they attempt to go around the machinery of government by turning protest into what Oscar Olivera calls self-management, and they critique Evo Morales and MAS for being fixated on the presidency. But making radical demands on the old political class is insufficient. Nationalization and a reconstruction of the political order are projects so massive that they may require the left to take power, ready or not. http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050704&s=parenti BOLIVIA: The Second Gas War http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/630/630p12.htm

BOLIVIA: Movement Towards Where? http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/630/630p12b.htm

CUBA: Party Games for Terrorists http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={34C255D4-87EE-437E-A132-84BE848E2 58 B}&language=EN VENEZUELA: Chávez leads the way - In using oil wealth to help the poor, Venezuela's leader is an example to Latin America. http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1495260,00.html

IRAQ WAR

Iraq: A Rape in the Making http://gowans.blogspot.com/ Democracy Hypocrisy: Iraq In The Name Of Freedom Warning - Video contains images depicting the reality and horror of war and should only be viewed by a mature audience. Real Video - Click Here To View http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9174.htm The bright, shining lie: The Iraqis had enlisted in the new army only for the salary - US$340 per month, an enviable sum in today's ruined Iraq. But the money had come at the price of self-respect.

The new recruits had been bought off and hated themselves for it. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9164.htm Saddam interrogation screened - in silence. The question is: Why? By Robert Fisk The Iraqis - or, let us speak frankly, the Americans who tried to censor the old reprobate's previous court appearance - decided yesterday that his words would also be censored. That is Saddamism. This is how Saddam ran Iraq. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9141.htm War taking toll on health of Iraqi kids: According to Jean Ziegler, the U.N. Human Rights Commission's special expert on the right to food, the rate of malnutrition among Iraqi children has almost doubled since Saddam Hussein's ouster in April 2003. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9191.htm

AN ILLEGAL WAR

Secret way to war http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18034 Greg Palast: Testimony On Downing Street Memos http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00239.htm An Open Letter to US Troops in Afghanistan and Iraq from a 26 year veteran "You do not have to follow illegal orders EVER, under any circumstances, and you ARE bound by International Law. You should also be bound by what you know is right, by your sense of plain common decency. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9158.htm We are all complicit in these vile acts of torture - But what can we do about it? by Robert Fisk. What can we do when an American president dispatches "suspects" to third countries where they will be stripped, wired up, electrocuted, ripped open and tortured until they wish they had never been born? http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9194.htm

WORLD ECONOMY

The coming trade war and global depression: Just as monarchism first emerged as a progressive force against feudalism by rationalizing itself as a natural law of politics and eventually brought about its own demise by betraying its progressive mandate, social capitalism today places return on capital above not only the worker but also the welfare of the owner of capital. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9162.htm

ENDS

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