Global Peace And Justice Auckland Newsletter #128, March 17 , 2006

ALL OUT SATURDAY.

12 Noon Us Consulate, Customs St Antiwar Action To Mark 3rd Anniversary Of Iraq Invasion – No More Torture And War – Trrops Out Of Iraq And Afghanistan Now

1PM BRITOMART, 2PM MYERS PARK THE BIG PAY OUT - MARCH, RALLY AND CONCERT to support the SuperSizeMyPay.com campaign against low wages, youth rates and for secure hours. March up Queen St to a concert in Myers park from 2pm with bands including – 8FOOT SATIVA; STYLUS; SHONA LAING; OLMECHA SUPREME; GENEVA

WORKERS CHARTER PAPER - March issue is Out ! The March issue of Workers Charter newspaper has been printed (16 pages in colour). It's going out to everyone who received the first issue. The main Auckland distribution will be this coming weekend at the Big Pay Out. However we are keen to get the paper distributed to more centres and through more networks than for the first issue. If you can help then please email editor@workerscharter.org.nz and we will send you a bundle. (remember we are not charging for the paper but working to get the number of subscriptions high enough to pay for the paper). Regards, John Minto, Editor, Workers Charter. editor@workerscharter.org.nz Ph (09) 8463173 Fax (09) 8463176

CEASE HYPOCRISY ON THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS The 62nd Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights will begin next March 20 in Geneva, coinciding with the broadcasting of new footage of US military torturing Iraqi prisoners. The United States and its EU allies have successively prevented this Commission from condemning the massive and systematic violations of human rights promoted in the name of the so called war against terrorism. The EU governments have refused to admit the testimonies and evidences submitted by citizens of their countries, who have been victims of several forms of torture at Guantánamo navy base.

They have also allowed the flight of CIA aircrafts carrying prisoners to illegal detention centers in Europe and elsewhere. We the undersigned call upon intellectuals, artists, social activists, and men and women of goodwill everywhere to join our claims: the Commission on Human Rights or the Council that will substitute it, must demand the immediate closing of the arbitrary detention centers created by the United States as well as the ceasing of all these deliberate violations of human dignity. http://www.hhrr.info/index.php?lang=2

ORGANIZING MCDONALDS - A PLUCKY NZ UNION ATTEMPTS THE IMPOSSIBLE?

They said it couldn't be done. They said you can't organize young, minimum wage workers at places like Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and McDonald's. But the plucky New Zealand union known as "Unite" wasn't listening, and stunned the world a few weeks ago by launching the first-ever strike at Starbucks. Now they've taken on McDonald's, and they are serious about challenging one of the most ruthlessly anti-union corporations on the planet.

They're signing up workers, taking the company to court, and launching a global campaign to flood McDonald's in New Zealand with thousands of email protest messages. Your support for this effort is essential. If we can compell McDonald's in tiny New Zealand to cave in and finally respect both the law and the basic human rights of its employees, we can begin to challenge the company in other countries as well. Please click here now: http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=8 0 Then, pass on this email message to your fellow union members. Get everyone involved!

WHAT’S ON IN AUCKLAND

Saturday, March 18, 12 noon, US Consulate, Citybank Building, Customs St East INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST TORTURE AND WAR. MARKING THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE INVASION OF IRAQ.

Saturday, March 18, 1pm, Brittomart, bottom of Queen St THE BIG PAY OUT - MARCH, RALLY AND CONCERT to support the SuperSizeMyPay.com campaign against low wages, youth rates and for secure hours. March up Queen St to a concert in Myers park from 2pm with bands including – 8foot Sativa; Stylus; Shona Laing; Olmecha Supreme; Geneva

Saturday, March 18, 6pm, National radio ROBERT FISK interviewed by Chris Laidlaw

Friday, March 24, 7.30pm, Delargy Room, Pompallier Centre 30 New St, Ponsonby Hear: Fr Edi Mulyono SJ, Director, Jesuit Refugee Services in Indonesia, speak on "INTERNAL REFUGEES IN INDONESIA". All Welcome. Pax Christi and Indonesia Human Rights Committee - Phone 377-5541 (Pax Christi)

Saturday, March 25, 9am -5pm, Friend's Meeting House, 113 Mt Eden Rd The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Aotearoa Section, AGM at the Programme- morning AGM and business; afternoon report from Edwina Hughes abou attending WILPF meeting in the US followed by Workshop about Women Leaving Prison. Contact Joan Macdonald joanmac@pl.net ph (09) 360 8001 Council of

Monday, March 27, 7.30pm, Ponsonby Moaque, 17 Vermont Street, Ponsonby Council of Christians and Muslims (NZ) Inc. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING after which we will be addressed by Sir Paul Reeves, CCM Patron. www.ccm.org.nz The Council of Christians & Muslims, PO Box 56-150, Dominion Road, Auckland, New Zealand. PATRONS:Abdul Rahjim Rasheed; Sir Paul Reeves; CO-PRESIDENTS Ashraf Anwar - (443-7669, anwarashraf@hotmail.com) Bruce Keeley - (534-8941, millkee@nznet.gen.co.nz ) Hon. Treasurer: Shima Parshotam (272-9260) Hon. Secretary: Joan Brock (625-5465, jgb@ihug.co.nz ), Membership: Jim Hunt (833-6067, njimihunt@paradise.net.nz) Committee:Neil Hutchison (478-7660), Muhammad Kailash Parshotam (272-9260), Abdul Hafeez Rasheed (620-9241), Stuart Vogel (620-5595), David Wakim (520-0201), Sameer Youssef (sameer@i4free.co.nz), Gul Zaman (271-3347).Hon Auditor: E Myers.

Thursday, April 6, 7.30pm, Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby HUMAN RIGHTS VS HUMAN Security - Are they compatible? What balance is in the best interests of the country / people. A panel of notable speakers will be chaired by Margaret Bedggood, former Human Rights Commissioner. Supper will be provided, a gold coin koha would be appreciated. Enquiries: Joan Macdonald, ph: 360 8001 joanmac@pl.net Directions: St Columba Centre is close to Ponsonby Rd – with a large car park at rear of building

May 10th - May 17th. Academy Theatre HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL 2006 With Panel Discussions of experts and speakers, Performances and entertainment. More details on doco's/films closer to the date.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

ARUNDHATI ROY Each of the Iraqi children killed by the United States was our child. Each of the prisoners tortured in Abu Ghraib was our comrade. Each of their screams was ours. When they were humiliated, we were humiliated. The U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq - mostly volunteers in a poverty draft from small towns and poor urban neighborhoods - are victims just as much as the Iraqis of the same horrendous process, which asks them to die for a victory that will never be theirs: Arundhati Roy, "Tide? Or Ivory Snow? Public Power in the Age of Empire," http://www.democracynow.org/static/Arundhati_Trans.shtml

BEST ON THE WEB

NEW ZEALAND Robert Fisk: Algerian under a death sentence fights deportation: Pouring sweet tea for his guests, he does not look like the potential "terrorist" that New Zealand's under-staffed Security Intelligence Service claims him to be. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article12353.htm

AUSTRALIA Shocking Oxfam report on comparative iindigenous health http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/indigenous/docs/health_15032006.pdf

IRAQ Iraq: Permanent US Colony http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031306A.shtml US 'may want to keep Iraq bases': The United States may want to keep a long-term military presence in Iraq to bolster moderates against extremists in the region and protect oil supplies, the army general overseeing US operations in Iraq has said. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article12340.htm The Abu Ghraib files: 279 photographs and 19 videos from the Army's internal investigation record a harrowing three months of detainee abuse inside the notorious prison -- and make clear that many of those responsible have yet to be held accountable. http://www.salon.com/news/abu_ghraib/2006/03/14/introduction/

CUBA 25,000 Cuban doctors on internationalist missions http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2006/marzo/lun13/12salud.html Gays in Cuba, from the Hollywood School of Falsification - A Movie Review of "Before Night Falls" (October 2001) by Leonardo Hechavarría and Marcel Hatch http://www.walterlippmann.com/lgbt-cuba-003.html

BOLIVIA Morales Speech: Bolivia: From Neoliberalism To A Homeland For All http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=52&ItemID=9897

ARGENTINA A tale of two Argentinas http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/progr ammes/from_our_own_correspondent/4793814.stm

UK Trial by spin machine: The innocence of British Muslims released from Guantánamo is a story no official wants told http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1730270,00.html

PHILIPPINES Philippines: The Killing Fields Of Asia: Since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo joined the US global “War on Terrorism”, the Philippines has become the site of an on-going undeclared war against peasant and union activists, progressive political dissidents and lawmakers, human rights lawyers and activists, women leaders and a wide range of print and broadcast journalists. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article12325.htm

ENDS

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