Global Peace And Justice Auckland Newsletter #120, January, 2006

Dear friends,

The first GPJA forum this year will be on the second Monday in February (they are usually on the fisrt Monday) - February 13. We will discussing the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the attacks on civil liberties and the protests planned for March 18 to mark the third anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq. The usual time & venue: 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn

The second forum on March 6 is being moved to The Classic, 321 Queen St for the annual presentation of The Rodger Award for worst transnational company operating in NZ.

Quotes Of The Week

“If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. We will get our labor rights restored when we develop the power and determination to grab them. And all the sniveling in the world won't move us one step toward building that power.” – Frederick Douglas

“Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism - how passionately I hate them!” - Albert Einstein

"It is part of the general pattern of misguided policy that our country is now geared to an arms economy which was bred in an artificually induced psychosis of war hysteria and nurtured upon an incessant propaganda of fear." - General Douglas MacArthur, Speech, May 15, 1951

Announcements

Come To The Waihopai Spybase Protest, January 20-22 This protest weekend is dedicated to the memory of Rod Donald. He was a regular active participant at previous ones and had every intention of joining us in January. So, if you want to honour Rod’s memory and continue his work in a practical way, please come to Waihopai. On Sunday January 22 the Greens are planting native trees at our campsite (see details below of how to find it) as a permanent memorial to Rod, and there will be a major event to accompany that, with Party Leader, Jeanette Fitzsimons speaking, music and a picnic.

One practical point – if you are coming to join us for the weekend, please register (the form is at the end of this message). We need to know numbers in advance so that we know how much food to get. Plus we need to pay DOC a per person per night charge for everyone who stays at the campsite with us. If you don’t register, and we don’t know you’re coming, you’ll need to bring your own food. There’s no local shop where we can buy extra food. Murray Horton, Anti-Bases Campaign, Box 2258, Christchurch, New Zealand. cafca@chch.planet.org.nz www.converge.org.nz/abc

Green Mps Out Of Parliament Support And Outreach Position (40 hours per week) We need a well-organised self-starter to undertake geographical sector and issue based outreach work and administrative support for Green MPs Sue Bradford and Keith Locke. Applicants should have excellent computer and writing skills, good time management and the ability to work on their own, under pressure at times.

It would be helpful if you have experience with Auckland issues and local networks and green philosophy. This position will commence in February 2006. An appointment will be made at the starting salary of $38,345 per annum with provision of four weeks holiday. A special services allowance of $4000 may be approved in recognition of specific experience and skills. The application pack is available on our website www.greens.org.nz or from Nive Kennach 04 470 6700 or nive.kennach@parliament.govt.nz Email application to carol.bourn@parliament.govt.nz or post to Green Party, Parliament, Wellington by midday 16 January 2005. Parliamentary Service appoints on merit and is committed to EEO and good employer principles.

Foreign Control Watchdog 110 December 2005 Online

http://www.converge.org.nz/watchdog/10/index10.htm - The Doha "Anything-But-Development" Round, by Jane Kelsey - Government Initiates "Friends of Private Education Imports ", by Bill Rosenberg - First Ever Conviction of Foreign Landowner - But Huge TNC Transgressions Go Untouched, by Murray Horton - Arrogant Toll Bullies Small District Council With Big Fat Ferry, by Joe Hendren - Reviews, by Jeremy Agar: "Selling Sickness " Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels; "The Collapse of Globalism " John Ralston Saul; "Reclaiming Public Water " Corporate Europe Observatory - Obituaries: Rod Donald, by Murray Horton; David Lange, by Murray Horton; Rona Bailey, by David Grant; Death In The Family: Josephine Minto - 2005 Roger Award Finalists Chosen - It's A Bumper Crop This Year, by Murray Horton Non-Members:

It takes a lot of work to compile and write the material presented on these pages - if you value the information, please send a donation to the below address to help us continue the work. The material on this site may be reproduced provided the source is acknowledged. Published by Foreign Control Watchdog Inc, Box 2258, Christchurch, New Zealand. email cafca@chch.planet.org.nz

Best On The Web

INTERNATIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE

"Today London declared peace on the world." - George Galloway, Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, speaking on Dec 10th at the International Peace Conference in London. Hear George Galloway's keynote speech on building an international movement. Andrew Murray and Jane Shallice moderated a conference panel that featured Galloway, with Ishmael Patel, Friends of Al Aqsa; Herbert Docena, Focus on Global South; Judith LeBlanc, United for Peace and Justice; Sabah Jawad, Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation; Dr. Azzam Tamini, Muslim Association of Britain; and Jeremy Corbyn, Labour MP of Islington North. Photos and audio of this panel are available at http://www.traprockpeace.org/international_movement/

WAR ON FREEDOM

Feingold says what Bush is doing is illegal; The coverup begins! Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin said Saturday: "There's not a single senator or member of Congress who thought we were authorizing wiretaps." "He authorized these wiretaps even though there was no specific law allowing it," Feingold said. "He's trying to claim somehow that the authorization for the Afghanistan attack after 9/11 permitted this and that's just absurd."

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/17/bush.nsa/index.html Lawmakers Back Use of Evidence Coerced From Detainees

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/17/politics/17detain.html?oref=login&pagewa nted=print America kidnapped me - the U.S. policy of "extraordinary rendition" has a human face, and it is mine. By Khaled El-Masri: I am still recovering from an experience that was completely beyond the pale, outside the bounds of any legal framework and unacceptable in any civilized society. Because I believe in the American system of justice, I sued George Tenet, the former CIA director, last week. What happened to me should never be allowed to happen again.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11338.htm Kidnap and Torture American Style - Video : Chanel 4 Investigation: Kidnap and Torture American Style follows the stories of terror suspects. Some of them are British residents, who have been snatched from streets and airports throughout the world before being flown to the Middle-East and Africa. In countries such as Syria and Egypt, they undergo agonising ordeals before being incarcerated, without ever facing an open trial. Watch it here.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11314.htm

Walmart & China

On December 15, 2005 China Labor Watch and the National Labor Committee released two reports on Wal-Mart factories in Southern China. One factory manufactures stationary, such as notebooks and holiday cards. The other produces toys, such as battery-operated trucks (see picture above). In both factories workers receive dismal wages, are cramped into hot dormitories and work exhausting hours at an unbelievably fast pace. In each factory workers are working up to thirteen hours a day, six to seven days a week.

In each factory workers are denied health insurance, maternity leave, paid holiday leave, marital leave or leave to bury family members. In both factories workers are told exactly what to say to inspectors, making it clear that factory inspections are not working. These factories must be opened to China Labor Watch to conduct independent investigations and thorough worker trainings.

Read the full report on conditions of workers at the Lung Cheong International Toy Factory: http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/upload/Wal-MartLungcheongReport.pdf Read the full report on conditions of workers at the Panyu United Stationary Factory:

http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/upload/Wal-MartPanyuReport.pdf See the length to which Wal-Mart goes to hide its factory locations:

http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/upload/PiersData.pdf

Walmart & USA

Wal-Mart must pay workers $172m: A California court found Wal-Mart broke a state law requiring employers to give staff an unpaid 30-minute lunch break if they worked more than six hours. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4554404.stm

Science

'A People's History of Science,' by Clifford D. Conner http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/18/books/review/18weiner.html

LATIN AMERICA

Latin America Looks Leftward Again http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/18/weekinreview/18forero.html?emc=eta1&page wanted=print Running on empty - The rainy season can't come soon enough in the Amazon, but even the end of a drought that has had terrible consequences for the area's plant and animal life may bring only temporary respite. Sue Branford reports http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,,1606083,00.html

Bolivia

Morales to nationalize Bolivia oil, gas: The winner of Bolivia's presidential elections has repeated his vow to nationalize oil and gas and said he will void at least some contracts held by foreign companies "looting" the poor Andean nation's natural resources. http://tinyurl.com/8x9ue Bolivia's Morales brands Bush a "terrorist": Evo Morales, the winner of Bolivia's presidential election, branded U.S. President George W. Bush a "terrorist", in an interview with Arabic satellite television http://tinyurl.com/bn6g5 Bolivia's Morales blasts U.S. policies on drug trafficking: Mr. Morales, who vows to end a U.S. campaign against coca growing, stepped up his criticism of U.S. anti-drug policies yesterday, accusing Washington of using drug-fighting efforts to militarize the region. http://tinyurl.com/94zl9 Evo Morales: "I Believe Only in the Power of the People" http://salonchingon.com/readingroom/evomorales.php?city=ny

Audio:

Chomsky on Terror and Iraq http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11330.htm

West Papua:

Papuan groups form national coalition http://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacbeat/stories/s1534744.htm Gold's other price: Company records obtained by The Times show that from 1998 through 2004, Freeport-McMoRan gave nearly $20 million to military and police generals, colonels, majors and captains, and to military units. Individual commanders received tens of thousands of dollars, in one case up to $150,000, according to the documents http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/27/news/gold28.php#

IRAQ U.S. Airstrikes Take Toll on Civilians - Medical workers had recorded 97 civilians killed. U.S. Marine airstrikes targeting insurgents sheltering in Iraqi residential neighborhoods are killing civilians as well as guerrillas along the Euphrates River in far western Iraq, according to Iraqi townspeople and officials and the U.S. military. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11374.htm Behind the Steel Curtain: The Real Face of the Occupation: Modhhir Najim Abdulla, a security officer in the hospital took us to his uncle’s bombed house where 17 women, children, and civilians were killed. The house of Arkan was just heaps of concrete blocks; the roof was flattened to the ground. There were 5 families living there. Not one of them was a stranger or a fighter. http://www.brusselstribunal.org/ArticlesIraq2.htm#behind

Timor Leste

A Quarter Century of U.S. Support for Occupation: East Timor Truth Commission report uses declassified U.S. documents to call for reparations from U.S. for its support of Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor from 1975 until U.N. sponsored vote in 1999 http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB174/press.htm

USA

The miscreant dynasty - The Bush generations have enriched themselves while impoverishing the presidency.: Behind George W, there are four generations of Bushes and Walkers devoted first to using political networks to pile up and protect personal fortunes and, latterly, to using absolutely any means to gain office, not because they want to do good, but because they are what passes in American for hereditary aristocrats. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11337.htm

Afghanistan

Parliament sworn in for Afghanistan: Human Rights Watch says up to 60% of the deputies are former commanders or their proxies and the list of deputies reads like a Who's Who of protagonists of the bloody past, boding ill for efforts to account for abuses and to stamp out a drugs trade. http://tinyurl.com/dweao US-run 'torture jail' in Kabul: America operated a secret prison in Afghanistan as recently as last year and tortured inmates there, according to a human rights organisation. http://tinyurl.com/9etzn

ENDS

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