LL:DDV: 1st meeting CHOGM Action Network/CALL TO ACTION
An open meeting to discuss and plan action around this call will be held on Tuesday 26th June, 6pm, LHMWU Conference Rm (Miscelaneous Workers Union), 74 Astor Tce, Spring Hill. - Everyone Welcome Globalise Solidarity! People before profit! Time for a Treaty! Protest CHOGM October 6-9 Brisbane CALL TO ACTION We encourage any anti-corporate activists, indigenous groups and indigenous solidarity groups, trade unions, environment groups, campaign coalitions, political parties, community groups, student unions and all progressive organisations or individuals to endorse this call by adding their name. 1. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting(CHOGM) will be held in Brisbane this year on October 6-9. This will occur directly after the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) in Melbourne from October 3-5. CHOGM brings together 54 heads of state and will feature notable guests such as the Queen, John Howard, re-elected British PM Tony Blair, and the PM of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. 2. One of the purposes of the CHOGM meeting will be to put pressure on Third World countries to support the new WTO round of trade negotiations which will be discussed at the WTO meeting this November in Qatar. CHOGM represents 40% of the membership of the World Trade Organisation. During the 1999 Durban meeting CHOGM issued the Fancourt Declaration which called for the implementation of the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations. 3. A new WTO round would be disastrous for workers, the poor and the environment everywhere, in particular in the Third World. The General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS) will be a key part of any new trade agreement. GATS is about opening the 'service sector' - everything from public services and the environment -- to deregulation and privatisation. 4. The failure of the US and others to launch a new round of trade negotiations at Seattle is the most significant concrete victory for the movement against corporate globalisation. That is why we are calling for activists, unionists, students and environmentalists to unite to defend this victory by taking action against the CBF in Melbourne and at CHOGM in Brisbane. 5. We support the call by the prominent leader of the anti-corporate movement, Walden Bello, to boycott the Qatar meeting of the WTO. 6. We support the call from Jubilee 2000 for the unconditional cancellation of all Third World debt.CHOGM and the CBF are dominated by rich Western countries like Australia, Britain and Canada, all of which force poorer member states to meet millions of dollars in repayments every year. 7. Privatisation, cuts to spending on health and education, union-bashing, deregulation, shifting the tax burden to the poor, is a key part of the Howard's corporate agenda in Australia. The Labor party also embraces this agenda. Protesting at CHOGM is crucial to building opposition to this corporate agenda in Australia as well as around the world. 8. We recognise that much of the wealth of the imperialist governments of the Commonwealth has been stolen from indigenous peoples. We support the demands of the Indigenous owners of Australia for real land rights and a treaty between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. 9. The convergence on CHOGM will also demonstrate the strength of our international solidarity with the people struggling for workers' and human rights, as well as democratic rights and against homophobia, in counties such as Pakistan, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Fiji. In addition we condemn the imperialist governments for their ongoing support for military dictatorships. 10. We the undersigned support the call for a ( )mass people's march to converge on CHOGM to send a clear message of our opposition to corporate elite's agenda of globalising poverty and exploitation at the expense of the majority. We intend that such a ( ) mass action will strengthen the will, courage and determination of all those around the world who are struggling for global justice. The whole world will be watching. 11. We are also interested in coordinating activities and discussing other proposals that incorporate the politics of the movement against corporate globalisation such as a Counter-Conference to CHOGM, a Boycott the WTO campaign and (a range of acts) of non - violent civil disobedience planned to protest the CHOGM meeting 12. Our demands include: *Treaty for Indigenous Australians!* Boycott the new WTO trade round! * Cancel Third World debt! * Stop GATS! 13. The union/community group/organisation/individual agreed with the above call to action and resolves to support the mass unity march to converge on CHOGM on October 6. An open meeting to discuss and plan action around this call will be held on Tuesday 26th June, 6pm, LHMWU Conference Rm, 74 Astor Tce, Spring Hill. -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at
LL:PR: HEMP Party to contest Aston By-election
RELEASE 15 JUNE 2001 HEMP Party to contest Aston By-election The Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party has thrown its hat into the ring of the by-election circus for the federal seat of Aston. Nigel Freemarijuana, the controversial HEMP candidate who polled 1700 (2.3%) of the primary votes in the recent Ryan by-election, offered to fund a candidate in Aston or run again himself. The offer has been taken up by long time cannabis law reform activist and s11 veteran, Graeme Dunstan. Graeme Dunstan (59) who describes his occupation as an itinerant change agent was born and schooled in Essendon. He is a Duntroon drop out who became a leader of the anti-war and counter culture student movement on the University of NSW campus, and co-organiser of the Australian Union of Students' 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival. He has served as a community arts officer in local government and as a festival consultant to the Victorian Tourism Commission when Don Dunstan was its chairman. As such he was one of the founders of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. In recent years Graeme has served as operations manager for the Nimbin HEMP Embassy, a producer of the annual Nimbin Let it Grow Mardi Grass and captain of the crusading Peacebus.com. Last time he was in Melbourne with Peacebus.com, he was one of those on the receiving end of the police baton charge at the s11/World Economic Forum. HEMP will be waging a guerilla theatre campaign in Aston to put cannabis law reform on the Federal political agenda, Mr Dunstan said. If everyone in Aston who has ever smoked pot voted for us, we'd win hands down. Before the HEMP Party decides its preferences, it will be surveying all the other parties on their attitudes to cannabis and law reform. The ALP is notorious for its broken promises on cannabis law reform, Mr Dunstan said. HEMP preferences recently helped win the former blue ribbon Liberal seat of Ryan for the ALP, but they snubbed us by placing us last on their ticket. This time we want to talk to the Liberal Party, the traditional scaremongers of prohibition, to see if there are any small l liberals as concerned as we are about John Howard's dangerous ignorance and inexperience on drug issues, The HEMPsters will be a roadshow rolling around the streets and parks of the suburbs of Aston in their colourful bus, shadowing the candidates of the major parties and dogging them to make their attitudes to cannabis public. The HEMP campaign for Aston will begin on 4 July outside the court house in Byron Bay Northern NSW. There, Peacebus.com will bear witness to the trials of Rusty Harris, a local folk hero and resistance fighter who was busted in the cannabis sniffer dog operation in Byron Bay on 9 March. Further information Graeme Dunstan, HEMP candidate 0412 609 373 CV www.nrg.com/~graeme Nigel Freemarijuana 07 3369 8701 Michael Balderstone President HEMP 02 6689 0326 a/h 02 6689 7525 Web site: www.peacebus.com -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDV: Merri Creek
Jika Jika Community Centre, Merri Creek Management Committee and Westgarth Action Group are hosting a walk and tour of the special places along the Merri Creek in Westgarth on Wednesday 27 June between 10am 12noon. All welcome. Meet at 10am Merri Parade Railway Bridge, don't forget to wear sensible shoes and warm clothes. Jika Jika Community Centre phone 9482 5100 -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:PR: MEDIA RELEASE- TWO BAYS GREENS BRANCH.
The Two Bays branch of the Australian Greens Party invites everyone to An Evening with the Greens at Hastings Hall, 3 High St , Hastings at 7.30pm on Thursday June 21st. The main focus of the night will be to introduce the local Greens candidates for this year's federal election; David De Rango for Flinders and Henry Kelsall for Dunkley. Participatory democracy is the theme, with people having the opportunity to chat with Greens members about their concerns. David De Rango will be speaking about the World Trade Organisation, General Agreement on Trade in Services, International Monetary and World Bank. In other words, the potential threats to democracy, national sovereignity, people and the environment. We are looking at government of, for and by the corporations. There is not much mainstream media coverage of the major players in global economics - except for the odd McDonalds or Nike ad.. I hope to raise awareness of this important issue. ; David De Rango. Henry Kelsall is the Greens spokesperson on water. He plans to discuss some of the big issues facing the Mornington Peninsula such as aged care, fire blight, population, gene technology and water conservation. There is free admission to this event and more importantly, free speech! David De Rango Greens Candidate for Flinders 5982 1025 (home) or 5986 7299 (work) P.O. Box 481, Rosebud, 3939 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDS: Candle light walk in Adelaide - Friday 6 July 2001
Hi Just a reminder that the next candle light walk in Adelaide for Justice and Peace is on JULY 6th - starting at the new (winter) time: Gather at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start. It will be the seventeenth walk ! Candle light walks are held each month in Adelaide at Genocide Corner. In front of Government House. These walks are an expression of concern for those who wish for justice for Indigenous peoples. There is an opportunity to listen to Ngarrindjeri, Arrabunna and Kaurna Elders speak on issues affecting their people. The microphone remains open for anyone to offer their thoughts on current issues to sing a song or to share stories of struggle. Another Candlelit Walk has begun in Perth every month, and soon other states may follow. Please feel free to attend. P.S. If anyone is interested in other states - please give the Ngarrindjeri Land and Progress Association (NLPA) an email/ phonecall.There is a hope that we will soon have walks all over Australia on EVERY first friday... Don't worry if it will just be a small group of you to start with from little things big things come as Vincent Lingiari said! CONTACT: Ngarrindjeri Land and Progress Association Camp Coorong P.O. Box 126 Meningie, S.A Ph 08 8575 1557 Fax 08 8575 1448 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] websites: www.adelaide.net.au/~nlpa/BIGGERPICTURE.html www.ngarrindjeri.net * -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
