Attn: Global Response Quick Response Network: This urgent (gotta do it right away!) appeal comes from Friends of the Earth - Australia. Please send a quick fax to US Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt, before he meets with Australian aboriginal representative Yvonne Margarula April 20. Thanks for your help with this! --GR Dear US and other groups, On April 20, Yvonne Margarula, the Senior Traditional Owner of the Jabiluka land in Kakadu National Park, in the NT of Australia, and Jacqui Katona, executive officer of the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation, will be seeing US Secretary for the interior, Bruce Babbitt. Bruce Babbit is the boss, or rather the bosses boss, of the US delegation to the World Heritage Bureau and Committee. Last december in Kyoto, the Bureau and the Committee accepted a report from the World Heritage mission to Kakadu, reccommending that Kakadu be listed as 'in Danger' in a manner similar to Yellowstone and the Everglades. The proposed Jabiluka uranium mine is in the middle of the World Heritage area, surrounded by it on all sides. It is directly adjacent to archeological sites up to 60,000 years old. The final decision to put Kakadu on the 'in Danger' list is anything but a done deal. It will be made in Paris in June/July at meetings of the Bureau and the committee, after consideration of a 'rebuttal, by the Australian Government of the Kakadu World Heritage Mission report. The Australian Government released this rebuttal yesterday, and it claims that there is no threat to Kakadu. The Australian federal government has allocated a million dollars to a massive campaign of international lobbying, designed to avoid an 'In Danger' listing. The Australian environment community is strongly countering this with our own campaign, which enjoys the support of the majority (67%) of the voting population, all non- government political parties and the uniting and catholic churches. The US delegation, for which Babbitt is responsible, is of critical importance on the World Heritage Bureau and Committee, and its attitude will strongly influence other delegations when the committee and the bureau meeting Paris in June/July to make a final 'in danger' listing. The meeting of Yvonne and Jacqui with Babbit is therefore crucial to getting Kakadu finally declared 'in Danger'. BABBITT NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW. HIS FAX NUMBER IS +1-202-208-5048. You need to make the following points: 1)The views of the Traditional Owners of the Jabiluka site on Kakadu must be taken with the utmost seriousness. 2)The Australian Government response to the UNESCO mission report on the other hand, contains major errors of both fact and interpretation, and cannot be regarded as a credible document. 3)The traditional owners of the jabiluka site the Mirrar/Gundjehmi, are now faced with an immediate threat to the Boyweg/Almudj sacred site complex, as a result of construction work at Jabiluka that continues in defience of last years World heritage Committee reccommendation for an immediate cessation of construction. 4)Babbitt should formally ask the Australian government to stop construction as per the reccommendation of the world heritage committee meeting in Kyoto last year. 5)He should also ask the World heritage secretariat, via the US delegation, to take immediate action to request the same of the Australian government. 6)The US should vote and actively lobby for Kakadu National park to be finally listed as 'In Danger' in Paris in June/July. You may also wish to fax the Australian government, and simply ask them to implement the reccommendation of the December '98 World Heritage Committee meeting in Kyoto, that construction work at jabiluka cease. The number of the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard is : 61-2-6273-4100. The minister for the Environment, Senator Hill is on: 61-2-6273-6101. The number of the NT Chief Minister is: 61-8-8981-1621. Statements of solidarity should be sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] GLOBAL RESPONSE is an international letter-writing network of environmental activists. In partnership with indigenous, environmentalist and peace and justice organizations around the world, GLOBAL RESPONSE develops "Actions" that describe specific, urgent threats to the environment; each "Action" asks members to write personal letters to individuals in the corporations, governments or international organizations that have the power and responsibility to take corrective action. GR also issues "Young Environmentalists' Actions" and "Eco-Club Actions" designed to educate and motivate elementary and high school students to practice earth stewardship. P.O. Box 7490 Phone: 303/444-0306 Boulder CO, USA 80306-7490 Fax: 303/449-9794 To receive Global Response materials by e-mail, send an e-mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of your message, type this text: subscribe globresmembers Visit our website at: http://www.globalresponse.org
