Posted on 23-9-2002

GPJA - Events Sept-Oct 02

This month’s newsletter is focused on getting people out for an
international day of action on Saturday, September 28, against the coming
war on Iraq. In Auckland we will be assembling at 12 noon in Queen
Elizabeth Square for a march up Queen St to a rally at Aotea Square. Please
come and bring some friends.

On the GPJA website you can find posters, leaflets, and a fact sheet in
plain text or PDF format. If you can print a few to distribute in your
school or workplace that would be a great help. Go to:
www.gpja.pl.net/index.html Checkout the British site for September 28 at:
www.stopwar.org.uk/

Other centres are also planning action on September 28 and we’ve been asked
to include the details.

NAPIER: The rally will start at 11am, in Clive Square, followed by a march
to Saint John's Cathedral. People are invited to bring a flower as a
reminder of the fragility, preciousness and beauty of life. For more info
contact Odile Balas tel 06 835 0141 or email odile@xtra.co.nz

WELLINGTON: Music, speakers, and information tables, from 12 noon, in Cuba
Mall. Organised by Peace Action Wellington, as part of the international
day of action, for more info contact PAW peacewellington@hotmail.com tel
(04)382 8129.

See “Gangster Diplomacy Bush Style” by John Pilger:
pilger.carlton.com/print/117026

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11

Counting for Nothing: Reflections on the First Anniversary of 9/11, BY Aziz
Choudry www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2002-09/06choudry.cfm Remembering
September 11, by John Pilger pilger.carlton.com/print/116244

WHAT’S ON IN AUCKLAND

Monday, September 23, Pl.net news, 10pm, on Triangle TV “The Price of Oil”.
Features interviews with among others myself on behalf of GPJA explaining
the relationship between war, oil, and the Bush administration. Pl.net News
is a weekly 30-minute news programme focusing on environmental, human
rights and information technology issues. Repeated Tuesday 9.30am and 3pm.
Check out the website at www.pl.net `PTV' for further information. If you
want to find out about other interesting programmes on Triangle or have
trouble tuning your TV for the station go to: www.tritv.co.nz/

Tuesday, September 24, 12 noon outside the Auckland District Court, Albert
Street

Support the Ngawha people who are opposing the construction of the prison
on wähi tapu: Please write to Mark Gosche (Minister of Corrections) about
the prison construction congratulating him on his decision to review the
decision; demand that the work on the construction site be stopped
immediately, and that the prison must not be built at Ngawha. Contact
details: fax (04) 495 8468, mgosche@ministers.govt.nz or write to him at
Parliament Buildings, Wellington (no stamp needed). He is currently
reviewing the decision, and will be meeting with the Ngawha people on 26
September, so letters in support of stopping the prison would be
particularly useful at this time. More detailed information is available
on-line at www.converge.org.nz/pma/ngawha.htm

Tuesday, September 24, 7.00pm, 308 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn STV Campaign
meeting. To organise a petition campaign to force the Auckland City Council
to have a referendum on a more democratic voting system for the city.
Background: Under the Local Electoral Act passed by Parliament in 2001,
local authorities can decide to use STV at the next local body elections
for Mayor, Council and Community Boards. The Act already requires District
Health Boards to be elected using STV, so voter education and training will
already be taking place. Wouldn’t it be easier to have one system – the
fairest system? On 25 July, however, the Auckland City Council not only
voted against switching to STV but they even voted against public
consultation on the issue (surprise, surprise). Fortunately, residents can
gather signatures to ask for a referendum on changing the voting system.
Five percent of enrolled voters would have to sign the petition by December
2002. For more information email lynneserpe@xtra.co.nz or go to:
www.greens.org.nz/campaigns/electoralreform/stv-auckland.htm

Tuesday, September 24, 7:30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn
Socialist Forum: “Capitalism's strategy of armed globalisation”. Discuss
the links between globalisation, capitalism and war. This is the first of
Socialist Worker's new monthly forum series. Contact: 634 3984
socialist-worker@pl.net

Saturday, September 28, 12 noon, Queen Elizabeth Square to Aotea Square
“Stop the Iraq War, End Economic sanctions, Justice for Palestine” March
and Rally.

24 September to 17 October, Aotea Centre, BNZ Foyer, 9am-5pm daily.
Hiroshima-Nagasaki A-Bomb Exhibition - a collection of photographs and
artefacts that depict the consequences of the bombings from 1945 through to
the international peace initiatives of today. The exhibition aims to
promote the total abolition of nuclear weapons through increased knowledge
and understanding. The Auckland exhibition is being organised by The Peace
Foundation. It is co-sponsored by The Community Arts Programme at The Edge
and by the Japanese Consulate in Auckland. Entry free. For further
information contact: Marion Hancock (Peace Foundation Director) 373 2379

Monday, September 30, 7.30pm, Freemans Bay Community Centre General meeting
of Wake Up Auckland. Its theme is "Where to from here?" and will focus on
getting ready for the 2004 elections, the Local Government Bill, and
developing a vision for Auckland City from the grassroots up. Contact:
Marney Ainsworth Mobile: 021-284 7122 Ph: 09-376 6213, Fax: 09-376 0403,
email marney@xtra.co.nz

Monday, September 30, 6pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont Street, Ponsonby
'Some Reflections on Women's Human Rights in the 21st Century', Dr Feride
Acar (Vice-Chair, United Nations Committee for the Elimination of
Discrimination Against Women - CEDAW) speaks at a public forum, 5-30pm for
refreshments. Organised by the Human Rights Commission, please RSVP by 26
September if you're planning on going, to Bernadette Gleeson email
bernieg@hrc.co.nz or tel (09) 306 2653.

Monday, September 30, 7pm, Orakei Marae (end of Kupe Street) Action for
Children and Youth Aotearoa AGM 2002, business followed by an update by
Alison Blaiklock on the draft report to the UN Committee on the Rights of
the Child, light supper and Refreshments will be served. (Go to the end of
Kupe Street, continue past the Health Centre on the left and through the
gateway, veer right into the car park, the meeting room is in the building
ahead). If you are planning on going, please RSVP by 23 September to
Bettina Schempf (ACYA Secretary) email tina.sch@ihug.co.nz or tel (09) 271
3532.

Thursday October 3 to Saturday October 6, Nga Kete Wananga Marae, Manukau
Institute of Technology. - Treaty 2002 conference, for anyone who already
has at least a basic knowledge about Te Tiriti and wants to strategise with
others towards a Treaty-based Aotearoa; at For more info or to register,
check out www.manukau.ac.nz/treaty2002

Sunday, October 6, 2pm, Fickling Centre, 546 Mt Albert Road, Three Kings
“IN A LAND OF PLENTY: The Story of Unemployment in New Zealand” – A new
film by Alistair Barry. Made for a general audience, In A Land of Plenty
cuts through the smokescreens and spin doctoring to reveal the heart of
Rogernomics and the modern free market economy. Narrated by Ian Johnstone
and using extensively researched archive footage and interviews with those
close to the action, this feature length documentary traces the origins,
the politics and the effects of New Zealand’s policy of unemployment
through to the present day. Entry by donation.Organised by the Auckland
Alliance. If you need transport, contact - Auckland Isthmus: Trish Thomas,
phone 815 5077, mob 021 115 3930; West Auckland: Gwen Shaw, phone 378 2188,
mob 027 414 4074; South Auckland: Len Richards, phone 276 9433; North
Shore: John Read, email j.read@auckland.ac.nz

Monday, October 7, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn GPJA
FORUM: "Is democracy a ‘foreign flower’ in the Pacific". Hear David Robie,
Pacific journalist and senior lecturer in Communication Studies at AUT;
John Ondawame, Australasian representative of the Free Papua Movement.

Friday, 18 October, 7.30 pm, Somervell Church and Community Centre, 497
Remuera Road. Pacific Women's Watch (NZ) will hold a Discussion Forum
"Poverty - What is the Reality for Women in New Zealand?" Speakers will
focus on "Poverty - No Money and Why; Domestic violence: Refugees and
Migrants - Barriers to Integration. Coffee and Dessert to follow. $20 or
unwaged Koha. Ph. contacts 5283727 or 4456431 or 4280700

Thursday, October 24, 7:30 pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby
United Nations Day: Human Rights Network Auckland Forum on “HOUSING in NZ -
a right or a commodity?" with knowledgeable speakers, plenty of time for
general discussion. Wanted: Input re housing issues for NGO / Alternate
report to UN ICESCR. For more information re Forum or Report, contact:
Kevin McBride, phone: 377 5541, email: paxnz@xtra.co.nz

~ 31 October - Roger Award for the Worst Transnational Corporation
Operating in Aotearoa/New Zealand in 2002 - nominations for the 2002 Award
close on 31 October. Roger Award nomination form and criteria are available
on-line at www.converge.org.nz/pma/rog2002n.htm

Monday, November 4, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn GPJA
Forum: “The WTO, Gatts and Privatisation”. Hear Jane Kelsey (ARENA), Penny
Bright (Water Pressure Group) and others. A WTO ministerial meeting is
planned for November in Australia and pressure is building for extending
privatisation (in the form of so-called public-private partnerships) into
roading, water, health and education services. What’s wrong with these
plans and what can be done to stop it? See “The Last Frontier: Explaining
Gatts” by Claude Barlow
www.theecologist.co.uk/archive_article.html?article=151

Friday November 8, 6pm - Sunday November 10, 3pm, Kotare Education Centre -
510 Wayby Station Rd, Wellsford. A workshop for key networkers in different
activist groups such as peace and justice, Te Tiriti, women's liberation,
anti corporate globalisation or GE FREE Aotearoa. We invite groups to send
a person who is a good networker, plays a facilitator role and understands
both coalitions and the central values of your group. A fundamentalist view
of struggle or methods is not relevant. Enrol early as numbers are limited
to 15. Facilitators Catherine Delahunty and Tim Howard will lead the
process. Email cdelahunty@clear.net.nz

Thursday 14th November - 7.30pm, Maidment Theatre, University of Auckland
2002 MEDIA PEACE AWARDS. Nga Tohu Rongomau Papaho. In association with the
'Like Minds' Awards Special Guest Speaker: Tom Scott - Journalist,
Cartoonist. Tickets: $25.00 waged, $15.00 unwaged Tickets at Maidment
Theatre, Phone: 09 308 2383. www.peace.net.nz/

OTHER NEWS

The first batch of 1,064 signatures on the new 'No NZ support for the 'war
on terrorism' petition supported by GPJA were handed in September 11. Keith
Locke MP presented it to parliament on 19 September. There will be further
presentations of signatures to parliament as they are collected. The
petition form is available on-line at www.converge.org.nz/pma/pet003.htm or
as a Word 6 attachment on request to pma@xtra.co.nz

Amina Lawal is a Nigerian woman convicted of adultery and having a child
outside marriage, who has been sentenced by the court to 'death by
stoning'. The court of appeal has upheld the decision and decided that she
should be stoned to death as soon as her eight-month-old daughter is
weaned. Amnesty International has organized a petition which you can sign
online and which will be forwarded to the President of Nigeria. Go to:
www.mertonai.org/amina/ and click on the link marked "Sign our Letter". It
will only take 2 minutes of your time, but could save a woman's life and
give a child a mother, for life.

The World Social Forum 2003 will be launched on September 23rd in Porto
Alegre and on the 24th in São Paulo. Pre-registrations will start at the
end of this month. Web Page www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/eng/index.asp
GPJA will be writing to groups in New Zealand to see if they are interested
in participating in this unique world event that brings together tens of
thousands of opponents of corporate globalisation and war. If you want
further information email miketreen@yahoo.co.nz