Posted on 16-4-2002

What's On Auckland

On Monday April 8 a meeting of some 80 people representing 27 different
organisations was held in Auckland to form a network to strengthen Auckland
action on global and local issues of peace and justice. Attending the
meeting were organisations with concerns such as

- globalisation and its destructive effects
- opposition to George Bush's "war without end"
- privatisation of state assets and community services
- indigenous rights
- the growing gap between rich and poor
- human rights
- sustainable communities
- control of economies by multinational corporations
- community access media

The organisation is called Global Peace and Justice Auckland. The initial
aims of the network include:

- establishing strong links between the groups to share information more
widely, publicise activities etc
- exchanging ideas, strategies and resources
- initiating protest activity on issues of common concern
- organising educational activities such as speaking tours and seminars

Those attending saw the formation of the network as an exciting development
and long overdue for Auckland.

A monthly forum will be organised by the new group with one of its first
activities being support for an international day of protest action against
the United States so-called war on terrorism on April 20. The first forum
on Monday, May 6 will feature a talk by Jane Kelsey on Globalisation, the
New Right and NZ - Is there an Alternative? (See "What's On" below). It is
also planned to produce a monthly electronic newsletter which can inform
people about events in Auckland and begin work on a web page which can act
as a resource for groups. If you can help on these or other activities
please let us know.

Form more information about Global Peace and Justice Auckland you can
contact John Minto 846 3173, jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Mike Treen 3584104 /
0212547440, miketreen@yahoo.co.nz or Geraldine Peters 3570655, bern@ihug.co.nz

WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Thursday April 18, 1pm. FROM CUBA - HEAR FERNANDO DUQUE, 1pm Auckland
University Arts 1 Building. Room 616. Fernando Duque is an official with
the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples and will speak on the
continuing US blockade and Cuban resistance. For more information about
Cuba go to: www.granma.cu/ingles/index.html or www.cubaweb.cu/eng/index.asp

Saturday April 20 - 12noon, INTERNATIONAL CALL TO ACTION, TO OPPOSE RACISM
AND WAR - RALLY AT US CONSULATE CUSTOM STREET EAST. On this day people in
the US will converge on Washington DC to oppose the war in the Middle East
and to demand that US foreign policy be based on social and economic
justice, not military and corporate oppression, and an end to racial
profiling and secret imprisonment of immigrants. The International
A.N.S.W.E.R coalition has called for the International Day of Action and
are inviting fellow citizens from around the world to stand in solidarity
with them on this day. www.internationalanswer.org/ For the latest in
Palestine go to: jerusalem.indymedia.org/ The Auckland rally has been
called by the Women's International League forPeace and Freedom: contact
Joan Macdonald Ph 360 8001 and Women 4 Peace Contact Phil or Jan Ph 376
3882 For more on peace movements in NZ go to: www.peace.org.nz/

Sunday April 21 & Monday April 22. EARTH DAY AUCKLAND CITY. (See article in
notices section on Earthday)

Tuesday April 30, 7.30pm. HEAR ERWANTO, INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE, ACEH
PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC RESISTANCE FRONT, Ellen Melville Hall (opposite
Metropolis Hotel), Freyberg Place, Auckland City. This is the first time
New Zealanders have had an opportunity to hear from an Acehnese activist.
Human rights abuses and killings are a daily fact of life in a war being
fought outside the headlines- international solidarity is urgently needed.
(Any group who would like to meet Erwanto on Monday 29/4 during the day -
please get in touch with Maire on 815-9000) Organised by the Indonesia
Human Rights Campaign, Box 68 419, Auckland. For Aceh links go to:
acehnet.tripod.com/

Wednesday May 1, 5.30pm. ANNUAL MAY DAY MARCH from Downtown QEII Square.
March for workers rights and international solidarity on May Day -
International Workers Day. This year the march is opposing the privatising
plans of Mayor John banks and his council, defending workers rights,
opposing any NZ involvement in US-led wars of aggression and in solidarity
with the Palestinian people.

Monday May 6, 7.30pm. "GLOBALISATION, THE NEW RIGHT AND NZ - IS THERE AN
ALTERNATIVE?" Global Peace and Justice Auckland forum with Jane Kelsey.
Trades Hall 147 Great North Rd, Auckland. Jane has just published a new
book "At the Crossroads" which discusses globalisation and its impact on
NZ. In particular she challenges the notion that there is no alternative to
the New Right dogmas that dominate economic "analysis" today. Jane has just
visited Argentine and South Africa to see first hand the impact of
neo-liberal economic policies and the resistance to them

Thursday May 9, 7.30pm. 'SAHARAWI WOMAN SPEAKS OUT', Public meeting at the
St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby. Hear Fatima Mahfud a Polisario
representative who works with the National Union of Saharawi Women to
educate people worldwide about the liberation struggle of her people. The
people of Western Sahara have fought against foreign domination of their
land for decades. The country was a direct colony of Spain from 1884 to
1975. In 1975, as the independence struggle led by the Polisario Front
picked up steam, the Spanish government handed Western Sahara over to the
semicolonial regimes of Mauritania and Morocco. Today Morocco, with the
support of Paris and Washington, continues to occupy two-thirds of Western
Sahara, including the entire coastline. Close to 200,000 Sahrawis, the
majority of the population, were driven off their land and live in refugee
camps in Algeria, near the border, and in the liberated zone in the eastern
part of the country. The Polisario Front waged a guerrilla war to win
liberation until 1991 when it entered a UN-brokered cease-fire with the
Moroccan monarchy. The cease-fire was based on an agreement that Sahrawis
would be allowed to hold a referendum to determine whether their nation
would be independent or annexed to Morocco. Since then Morocco has blocked
the vote taking place. Women have played a leading role in the organisation
of life in the camps, where Saharawis have made many advances, giving them
more confidence and strength to continue their struggle. Those advances
have included a literacy campaign, the integration of women into the
workforce and the administration of government, and the expansion of free
medical care.

For more information phone Love Chile 815-4321, ext.8929, Felicity
579-5707, Joan 360-8001. Donations to help with the costs of the tour can
be mailed to Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, PO Box
47189, Ponsonby. (Cheques should be made out to "WILPF - Auckland Branch"
and marked "Fatima Mahfud Tour"). For news go to: www.wsahara.net/index.html

Saturday, May 11, 4pm. EMAILS FROM EAST TIME - AN AUCKLAND PREMIER of an
important New Zealand documentary by Peter Marra and written and directed
by Dave Owens. Dave went to East Timor to serve as a volunteer aid worker.
His observations and interviews with East Timorese make compelling and
challenging viewing. Ferndale House 830 New North Rd, Mt Albert Saturday
11 May at 4 pm : The documentary maker will join us from New Plymouth and
will introduce his work. Join us to celebrate East Timor's independence -
short speeches and refreshments to follow the documentary. Organised by the
Indonesia Human Rights Campaign.

Wednesday, June 5, 7-30. 'THE PLIGHT OF EAST TIMORESE REFUGEES', Grey Lynn
Community Centre, 510 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn. Organised by the Indonesia
Human Rights Campaign. There are still nearly 100,000 East Timorese
Refugees being held in camps where the militias which ran amok in East
Timor two years ago are still ion control. Find out the latest news on the
fate of these refugees and what we can do to help. IHRC newsletter - Autumn
edition is just out - please contact Maire maire@clear.net.nz if you would
like to be on the mailing list. For more information on the struggles in
Indonesia and East Timor go to: www.asiet.org.au/

May 4 July 21. REPORTING THE WORLD: JOHN PILGER'S GREAT EYEWITNESS
PHOTOGRAPHERS, on show at Auckland War Memorial Museum from 4 May ­ 21 July
2002 (see previous article for details).