Posted on 1-4-2003
GPJA
News
March 31, 2003
Website
http://www.gpja.pl.net/
Contact details: Forums - John Minto, (09)
8463173
jbminto@xtra.co.nz;
Newsletter Editor - Mike Treen 0212547440 / 3616989
miket@pl.net
Web page - Geraldine Peters (09) 3570655
bern@ihug.co.nz
Donations can be sent to GPJA, Private Bag 68905, Newton, Auckland. All
communication regarding the GPJA mailing list (email or snail) should be
addressed to
gpjamailinglist@xtra.co.nz
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION SATURDAY, APRIL 12 GPJA are supporting the
next international protest day on Saturday April with a 12 noon protest
march from Western Park (cnr Ponsonby and Karangahape Rds) that will take
in the TVNZ studios and the US-UK-Australian consulates. The next
GPJA forum 7.30pm this Monday, April 7 will discuss the campaign against
the war. We also have a special guest speaker who has worked with
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. (See What’s On in Auckland for
details). The GPJA committee will meet Sunday 10am April 6 at a new venue
- Supper Room, Trades Hall.
A Wellington-based group is promoting the ideas of a World Social Forum
regional conference to be held later this year. A meeting of those
interested with Teddy Goldsmith (founder of The Ecologist) is being held
next Thursday, April 10. (See “What’s On” below)
An international statement for peace and justice initiated by Noam
Chomsky and others is included below for people to sign.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Distribute posters and leaflets: available from the front porch
84 Paice Ave, Sandringham. (Contact John Minto, see above). A separate
mailing with a PDF attachment of the poster will be sent soon.
Cars with a roof rack needed to be a mobile sound system announcing the
April 12 protest. Anytime Thursday-Sat this week and Thurs/Fri next week.
Contact miket@pl.net
People with cars to place signs on the
entrances/exits of the motorways early morning Friday April 11. Contact
miket@pl.net
Flat-deck truck or Ute for use on April 12 march. Contact
miket@pl.net
Help sell “No blood for oil” bumper stickers. Up to 50 $1 each. 50-100 75
cents. 100 plus 50 cents. Contact
miket@pl.net
Help sell “Stop the war on Iraq badges” $2 each. Contact
miket@pl.net.
OTHER ANTIWAR ACTIVITIES
Pickets of the US consulate are being held daily from 7-9am,
12-2pm, and 5-7pm Simon Oosterman is planning to begin a 24-hour a day
vigil outside the consulate. Look out for this strong personal statement
and take some (vegan) support along.
Antiwar vigil church service with Rev Craig Forbes, every weekday
12noon-1pm, Pitt St Methodist Church, Newton.
Silent Peace Vigil every Sunday, 9.15-945am, Quaker Meeting House, 115 Mt
Eden Rd. All welcome. For more information phone Friends Centre (09) 630
6834 Direct Antiwar Action meets Wednesdays, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147
Great Nth Rd
euphemiak@yahoo.com
MESSAGEBOARD
New! - ‘Our Children: The priority for Policy’
(2nd edition),
published by the Child Poverty Action Group. “By almost any measure of
child poverty, NZ remains near the bottom of the league of comparable
countries, at odds with its commitments under the Convention on the
Rights of the Child.” For more information or to get your copy ($10
each), write to CPAG, PO Box 56 150, Dominion Road, Auckland or check out
their web site at
http://www.cpag.org.nz
You can get a free four page summary of the report from the Downtown
Community Ministry, tel (04) 384 7699 or email
dcm@paradise.net.nz
Buy USA? No Way! Boycott US brands, we can help
peace every time we go into a shop and we can choose where to spend our
money. We can send a message to Bush and his band of bullies that is
strong and clear and effective. For more info check out Spend for Peace
Boycott at
http://www.spendforpeace.co.nz
We’re a small record label based in New Zealand
who wrote a track called The Evil Plans of George W Bush IIIrd just after
September 11th. We’ve
released it under a Copyleft license which means that anyone can copy it,
and give it out freely. We don’t care if we never make a cent - we just
want to get the message out there. Please have a listen and if you like
it - let your network know and feel free to play it at any gatherings.
There’s more info on downloading and streaming it here:
http://www.tmet.net/rec/releases_goodvevil.htm
Peace, MsBehaviour The Parliamentary Network for Nuclear Disarmament has
information on the debate over Iraq and weapons of mass destruction
http://www.pnnd.org/
WHAT’S ON IN AUCKLAND
Tuesday April 8 & Thursday April 10, 7.30pm, Triangle TV (Episode 2)
“The Gulf War Project” Episode one a 10-part series. Each episode shown
on Tuesday and Thursday of each week at 7.30pm 1) War, Oil and Power 2)
Operation Dissidence 3) Getting out of the sand trap 4) Bring the troops
home 5) News World order 6) Manufacturing the enemy 7) Lines in the sand
8) Global dissent 9) Just say no 10) War on the home front Saturday,
April 5, 2-3pm, Aotea Square, Queen St, Auckland City Palestine/Israel
Rally for Peace, supporting peace and justice based on Removal of Israeli
Occupation, Right of Return for Refugees, Sharing Jerusalem and Cessation
of Jewish only Settlements in occupied Palestine. Contact David
Wakim tel (09) 520 0201.
Sunday, April 6, 3pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn “Behind
the war on Iraq - Palestine, oil, empire, globalisation”. Speakers: 3pm
Munjid Umara from Iraq. 4pm Rana Sobh from Palestine. 5pm Mike Treen
Alliance International spokesperson. 6pm Video “Not in my name”. A
powerful new documentary which tells the story of the US wars you DIDN’T
see on TV. Features John Pilger, Tony Benn, Tariq Ali. Contact:
alliance@pl.net
Ph 376-3780
Sunday, April 6, 7.30pm, The Crypt, St Benedict’s Catholic Church “40
minutes for Peace”, a time to light candles and pray for peace in the
world. Contextual liturgies: Creative and contemporary feminist liturgies
for women and men in response to specific events in our context of
Aotearoa New Zealand. All welcome. Presented by the Working Women’s
Resource Centre ph 5719158 or email
info@womanspirit.org.nz
Monday, April 7, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn GPJA
Forum with special guest Sue Rhodes and ongoing antiwar organising Sue is
a 64-year-old British Quaker with a Zambian background who is working in
Palestine with Christian Peacemaker Teams or CPT, which is a Quaker,
Mennonite and Brethren initiative. Christian Peacemaker Team grew out of
a call in 1984 for Christians to devote the same discipline and
self-sacrifice to non-violent peacemaking that armies devote to war. It
embraces the vision of unarmed intervention waged by peacemakers ready to
risk injury and death in bold attempts to transform lethal conflict
through the non-violent power of God’s truth and love.
Tuesday, April 8, 7pm, Queens Head Tavern, cnr Queen St and Mayoral Dr,
City Aotearoa Indymedia meeting. Calling all camcordistas, writers,
radioheads, web jockeys, and people discontented with the media status
quo. “ Don’t hate the media, become the media.”
Thursday, April 10, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn
Meeting to promote the World Social Forum with Teddy Goldsmith, founder
of the magazine The Ecologist. The following message was received from
Pat Hanley: “On behalf of the Social Forum Aotearoa Coordinating
Committee I am inviting individuals and groups that have an interest in
the World Social Forum movement to meet in Auckland to discuss the
possibility of holding a Social Forum here in New Zealand. A group met
here in Porirua in February and established a coordinating group. However
if the proposed Social Forum Aotearoa is to succeed as a national Forum
there is a need to involve individuals and groups from Auckland in the
development and promotion of such a Forum. The purpose of the meeting
would be to gage support for a Social Forum in Aotearoa, to identify a
way of linking Auckland and Wellington groups, to consider the proposed
timing i.e. suggested Friday Nov 21 - Sun 23. The location we are
discussing is Porirua, hopefully at Te Wanaga Aotearoa campus. This
location was regarded as being central for a national event and within a
diverse community reflecting the values which underpin the Social forum
and with local government support. I would stress that at this stage all
issues are up for debate but we would like to move quickly with
particular regard to holding the Forum prior to the next World Social
Forum January, 2004.
Friday, May 2, 5.30pm, Freyberg Square, High St, Auckland City Two
Christchurch-based groups (CAFCA and GATT Watchdog) which organise the
annual Roger Award say that TNCs are the real “government” of New
Zealand; the public were invited to nominate the worst of 2002. The six
finalists The criteria for judging are by assessing the transnational
that has the most negative impact in New Zealand in each or all of the
following fields: unemployment, monopoly, profiteering, abuse of
workers/conditions, political interference/running an ideological
crusade, environmental damage, cultural imperialism, impact on tangata
whenua, impact on women, health and safety of workers and the public. The
judges: Sukhi Turner, Mayor of Dunedin; Dr Ranginui Walker, Emeritus
Professor at Auckland University, Prue Hyman, academic and feminist, of
Victoria University; and John Minto, National Chairperson of QPEC
(Quality Public Education Coalition) and community activist.are: Tranz
Rail; Novartis; Carter Holt Harvey; Shell; Telecom and Sky City. The
winner of 2002 Roger Award will be announced on the evening of Friday
2nd May in Freyberg
Square, High St, Auckland. Music and revelry preceding the awards begin
at 5.30pm. For more information on the awards ceremony contact the Roger
Award organisers:
g.baxter@auckland.ac.nz
CAFCA-Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa Box 2258,
Christchurch, New Zealand
cafca@chch.planet.org.nz
www.cafca.org.nz
Monday, May 5, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn GPJA
Forum with Murray Horton, Anti-bases Campaign and CAFCA. Friday May
16, Venue to be announced.
“I’m currently organising in conjunction with Performing Artists For
Peace Association a Full Moon Dance For Peace event celebrating life,
unity and peace on the
16th of May at a venue
yet to be confirmed. It will be a chance for people to make a stand for
peace while experiencing other forms of dance and acknowledging our
creator and Mother Earth.” Helpers, leaders, performers or supporters
inspired by a stand for peace please contact Clancy at
clancycroft@hotmail.com
or 021 452177.
NZ GOVERNMENT POSITION
The NZ government expressed “regret” for the war in a statement
to the NZ Security Council. It did not condemn the invasion nor call for
the withdrawal of the US/UK forces. According to the NZ Herald (28/3/03)
Foreign Minister Phil Goff assured pro-war critics “that there was no
question of the US-UK forces withdrawing at this time’” and that “there
was nothing in New Zealand’s statement to the Security Council which the
US, Australia or Britain would find offensive.” The statement includes
the extraordinary view that “Those involved in initiating military action
appear to have acknowledged their responsibilities” in respect of
minimising “risks to the Iraqi people” and meeting their “humanitarian
needs”.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0303/S00513.htm
A welcome and a roasting for Te Kaha
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00264.htm
Condoleezza Rice, Bush’s national security
advisor says thanks “Many more countries are providing supplies,
logistical and intelligence support, basing and over-flights, and
humanitarian and reconstruction Aid. .Every instance of support, from
every country, no matter how small or Large, is helping to win this war,
and every one is valued.”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030326.html
NB: Waihopai, a NZ spy station supplies “intelligence” direct to the US
National Security Agency and the NZ frigate Te Mana is escorting US
warships through the Gulf.
PEACE MOVEMENT AOTEAROA
Alert: Stop all NZ military cooperation with the US and British
armed forces
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nzparlt0303.htm
Regular updated site on war and NZ response
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/iraqa.htm#oiraq
INTERNATIONAL STATEMENT FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
Please join Ezequiel Adamovsky, Vittorio Agnoletto, Michael Albert, Tariq
Ali, Patrick Bond, Leslie Cagan, Noam Chomsky, Bill Fletcher, Eduardo
Galeano, Susan George, Marta Harnecker, Boris Kagarlitsky, George
Monbiot, Suren Moodlar, Hector Mondragon, Tanya Reinhart, Carola
Reintjes, Arundhati Roy, Lydia Sargent, Howard Zinn, and many more in
signing the following statement by using this formand, even more, please
join us in working to encourage other people to sign it, and for them in
turn to get others to sign it.
“I stand for peace and justice. I stand for democracy and autonomy. I
don’t think the U.S. or any other country should ignore the popular will
and violate and weaken international law, seeking to bully and bribe
votes in the Security Council. I stand for internationalism. I
oppose any nation spreading an ever expanding network of military bases
around the world and producing an arsenal unparalleled in the world.
I stand for equity. I don’t think the U.S. or any other country should
seek empire. I don’t think the U.S. ought to control Middle Eastern oil
on behalf of U.S. corporations and as a wedge to gain political control
over other countries.
I stand for freedom. I oppose brutal regimes in Iraq and elsewhere but I
also oppose the new doctrine of “preventive war,” which guarantees
permanent and very dangerous conflict, and is the reason why the U.S. is
now regarded as the major threat to peace in much of the world. I stand
for a democratic foreign policy that supports popular opposition to
imperialism, dictatorship, and political fundamentalism in all its
forms. I stand for solidarity. I stand for and with all the poor
and the excluded.
Despite massive disinformation millions oppose unjust, illegal, immoral
war, and I want to add my voice to theirs. I stand with moral leaders all
over the world, with world labor, and with the huge majority of the
populations of countries throughout the world.
I stand for diversity. I stand for an end to racism directed against
immigrants and people of color. I stand for an end to repression at home
and abroad.
I stand for peace. I stand against this war and against the conditions,
mentalities, and institutions that breed and nurture war and
injustice. I stand for sustainability. I stand against the
destruction of forests, soil, water, environmental resources, and
biodiversity on which all life depends.
I stand for justice. I stand against economic, political, and cultural
institutions that promote a rat race mentality, huge economic and power
inequalities, corporate domination even unto sweatshop and slave labor,
racism, and gender and sexual hierarchies.
I stand for a policy that redirects the money used for war and military
spending to provide healthcare, education, housing, and jobs. I
stand for a world whose political, economic, and social institutions
foster solidarity, promote equity, maximize participation, celebrate
diversity, and encourage full democracy.
I stand for peace and justice and, more, I pledge to work for peace and
justice.”
To sign the statement, click here
http://www.zmag.org/wspj/sign_statement_frm.cfm
To promote the statement to others, either via email or print, click here
http://www.zmag.org/wspj/outreach.cfm
THE COST OF THE WAR
Two new articles on the financial costs of the invasion of Iraq: “US and
British taxpayers could pay the price for a conflict that may cost
trillions
of dollars’” Philip Thornton, 25 March 2003 at
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/story.jsp?story=390495
The cost of war: $75bn, and rising’, Rupert Cornwell, 26 March 2003
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=390852
MEDIA
Eliminating truth: the development of war propaganda
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00277.htm
BBC chief stresses need to attribute war news
sources
“We’re absolutely sick and tired of putting things out and finding
they’re not true. The misinformation in this war is far and away worse
than any conflict I’ve covered, including the first Gulf war and Kosovo,”
said a senior BBC news source.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,924172,00.html
News consumers beware: you are being lied to
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00282.htm
SCOOP COVERS THE FULL TRUTH
Scoop Editorial: The Graphic Portrayal Of Real War - Scoop is
determined that its editorial policy will continue to serve truth,
accuracy and honesty and that its reportage of this US invasion of Iraq
will not be censored nor sanitised. Let us consider why this is so.
See... Scoop Continues To Publish Reality Of War Images.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00261.htm
See also Photo-Essay 1: Death and Casualty From Iraq, Part 2 and Part 3
(WARNING. GRAPHIC IMAGES MAY DISTURB)
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00258.htm
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00259.htm
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00260.htm
Consider whom you bomb
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00286.htm
THE LIES CONTINUE
Being lied to - missile strikes and executions, by Russell Brown
http://publicaddress.net/default,hardnews.sm#post352
Our Luke was not executed
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12783733&method=full&
siteid=50143
Downing St backtracks on claim soldiers executed
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,924450,00.html
Pitiful apology attempt angers hero’s family
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12788037&method=full&
siteid=50143
MIDEAST VIEWS
Al Ahram weekly
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/
REPORTERS WORTH FOLLOWING
Robert Fisk:
http://www.robert-fisk.com/
John Pilger:
http://pilger.carlton.com/print
Michael Moore:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
IRAQI RESISTANCE TO INVASION
You should have known we’d fight
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,921197,00.html
Exiles head home to fight invaders’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,921351,00.html
Basra: Why they are not cheering
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2884769.stm
WAR NOT GOING TO PLAN
A Turkey shoot’ but with marines as the target
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A40567-2003Mar28?language=printer
Supply lines in chaos
http://businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/mar2003/nf20030328_4776_db071.htm
US will lose this war - Scott Ritter
http://www.gulufuture.com/news/scott_ritter030325.htm
THE VULTURES GATHER - WAR PROFITEERS LINE UP
Contracts doled out to rebuild Iraq are questioned WASHINGTONLike a
vanguard of Marines eager to storm ashore, U.S. companiesfuelled by
federal contracts worth billions of dollarsare preparing to surge into
Iraq to help rebuild a country devastated by war and years of harsh
leadership.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/114656_rebuild28.shtml
Unfinished business
Richard Perle’s resignation highlights questions over US economic
involvement in post-war Iraq, writes Brian Whitaker
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/dailybriefing/story/0,12965,924728,00.html
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
The other war: Iraq’s humanitarian crisis
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15501
WAR AIMS
The wraps come off US colonialist ambitions
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15468
Rumsfeld threatens Syria and Iran
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-627288,00.html
PALESTINE
On man’s fence is another man’s prison
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=275277
PHILIPPINES
As we mobilize against the murderous onslaught on Iraq we cannot
afford to
ignore US military operations in other parts of the world. By Aziz
Chaudrey
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00291.htm
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