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Manufacturing Fear A public forum on the politics of anti-terror. Saturday 13 November, 9.30-4.30 Broadway Tower, University of Technology Sydney. Entry by donation; disabled access; please email ahead if an interpreter is required. As terror laws and military strikes escalate, who gains, who loses? Who is manufacturing fear and why? Who lives in fear in the 'war on terror'? What can be done to challenge this? How can people take up the issues, and act for justice? Speakers: Vicki Sentas, Community Law Centre, UTS; David Bernie, NSW Council for Civil Liberties; Agnes Chong, Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network; Joo Cheong Tham, Civil Rights Network Victoria; Michael Head, UWS; Michael Humphrey, UNSW; Jude McCulloch, Monash University; Stephen Hopper, solicitor; Ratna Dewi, Legal Aid Institute, Indonesia; Rafendi Djamin, Human Rights Working Group, Indonesia; Nori Colmenares, Philippines; Tanja Dreher, UTS Shopfront; Scott Poynting, UWS; representative from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; Warren Duncan, Community Relations Commission; Ken Davis, APHEDA,Trade Union Aid Abroad; Dr Jamal Rifi; Keysar Trad, Lebanese Muslim Association; Kieran Longridge, Greenpeace; with participants from the NSW Labor Council, Amnesty, NSW Council of Social Service, and others. Organised by: NSW Civil Rights Network + Research Initiative on International Activism, UTS. Web. http://www.civilrightsnetwork.org/ + www.international.activism.uts.edu.au Email. manufacturingfear@yahoo.com Tel. 9514 2714 Supported by: Community Relations Commission + Social Inquiry, UTS. This is the first of a two-part series, 'Who's Afraid in the War on Terror?'. The second Forum, 'Facing Fear: community anti-racism work after September 11, 2001', will be held 26 November.. Mike Moore on Farenheight 9/11 Never speechless, Mike Moore didn't expect such a great response to his latest film and says George Bush must be getting the removalist vans ready. USA's largest union votes to bring home troops Nearly 4000 delegates of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) representing 1.6 million members, voted unanimously at the union's national convention to end U.S. occupation of Iraq and to bring U.S. troops home. The resolution pointed to military intervention aboard and attacks on workers at home. It charged the Bush administration with responsibility for declining wages and benefits, deunionisation, cuts in public services, crumbling health care and educational systems, cuts in veterans benefits, escalating public debt, and eroding economic, social and personal security. Hill considers Missile defence system for Australia The Defence Minister says Australia's involvement in the US missile defence system may be extended to deploying ballistic missile interceptors near capital cities reports Tom Alard of the Sydney Morning Herald. Also see Peter FitzSimons article The bleeding obvious: we do not need the son of Star Wars. Media failed to examine the reasons given for going to war In the siege of Falluja more than 80 Americans and 700 Iraqis were killed. How did it come to this? The media barely scrutinised the given reasons for going to war, all of which have now been proven false, writes Robert Manne. Spy Bills referred to Senate Committee The Senate has referred the Government’s Anti-Terrorism Bill 2004 and Surveillance Devices Bill 2004 to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee. The Committee is to report on the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2004 by 11 May 2004 and the Surveillance Devices Bill 2004 by 27 May 2004. Further information can be found on the Civil Rights Network website. Unions in Iraq - Interview with David Bacon “Right now, the Bush administration … is enforcing a (1987 Saddam Hussein) law that prohibits workers in the public sector in Iraq from organising. And, in the U.S. … the Bush administration forbids the 170,000 workers in the Department of Homeland Security from forming unions, too.” Seven Oaks magazine interviews David Bacon of the Canadian Autoworkers. 1st trade union mission returns from Iraq The ICFTU reports a high level of union activity including attempts to negotiate with the occupying authority. The Authority controls much of Iraq's major industry. High-cost plan short on details of threats Sydney Morning Herald December 6 2003 The question over joining the US missile defence system is who does the system protect Australia from? The Pentagon has welcomed Australia's decision to join the missile defence system, but US critics questioned whether the financial and political cost has been fully spelt out to the Australian public. Privacy being destroying in the name of public safety Sue Lowe, Sydney Morning Herald A report by the Electronic Privacy Information Centre shows that legislation introduced since the September 11 terrorism attacks have had a devastating impact on privacy. However, surveillance technologies, such as biometrics and video surveillance, have yet to prove effective as terror deterrents. The report also claims that telecommunications interception in Australia has increased substantially in the past year, with 2,514 warrants issued and only four refused (excluding ASIO applications). Critiques of the Blair Dossier and Powell speech Read critiques of the untruths that were used as a justification for war. Labor Council's NO WAR site If you have information you would like put on the Labor Council website contact Amanda Tattersall on 0409 32 11 33 or a.tattersall@labor.org.au Terror Bill targets public servants In March 2002 the Attorney General Daryl Williams moved 6 bills that proposed new powers for ASIO and the creation of a new and very broadly defined offence of 'terrorism'. All six bills including the powers to ban organisations and the new ASIO powers were examined by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. The ASIO powers were examined by the Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD. Check their website for more details. The Main problems are: 1) The definition of terrorism contained in various bills is too broad in scope. Rather then create an offence of terrorism existing provisions and offences in the criminal law should be used; 2) the Attorney General and the government should not be given the power to ban organisations, any conspiracy to commit criminal acts can be addressed by the existing criminal law. Such powers violate fundamental principles of freedom of association and expression which the government and ALP claim to support; 3) ASIO should not be given the power to detain non-suspects for 48 hours incommudicado. The right to a lawyer and right to silence are fundamental rights that should not be removed in any circumstances. The existing methods of criminal investigation and arrest should be used. 4) less than two weeks (seven working days) with Easter in the middle is totally inadequate for public consultation on this legislation the Committee and Senate must give more time for a proper public discussion on the impact of this legislation. In addition there should also be public hearings in other cities apart from Melbourne. Spying Bill Targets Unions The proposed new laws follow hot on the heals of revelations that former Defence and Workplace Relations Minister, Peter Reith, snuck rule changes through Parliament prior to the election allowing spying on union phone calls during industrial disputes. Changes to rules governing the operation of the Defense Signals Directorate have far reaching consequences for trade unions attempting to defend their members. PSA Endorses Labor Council Resolution on Terror and Racism The PSA has endorsed a Labor Council initiative to counter racist reactions to the event in the United States. Labor Council Resolution John Pilger According to Tony Blair, it was impossible to secure Osama bin Laden's extradition from Afghanistan by means other than bombing. Yet leaders of Pakistan's two Islamic parties negotiated bin Laden's extradition to Pakistan to stand trial for the September 11 attacks. According to reports in Pakistan (and the Daily Telegraph), this had both bin Laden's approval and that of Mullah Omah, the Taliban leader. . http://www.johnpilger.com/ Useful Sites The progressive site http://www.zmag.org has interviews with Noam Chomsky and other writers. Also http://www.nowarcollective.com/ has an excellent collection of materials and links. War and Racism A talk by Scott Poynting given to a forum organised by Students United Against War and Racism and the Partnerships in Cultural Change Project during the longest-running student occupation at UWS being held by indigenous students from the Goolangullia Aboriginal Education Centre. 17 October 2001 War and Racism Debunking the Myths about Asylum Seekers 8 things you should know about Assylum seekers from the Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education http://www.erc.org.au/issues/text/se01.htm Gagging Dissent Tolerance of dissent is declining in the land of the free http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,574808,00.html Who is Ousama bin Laden? by Professor Michel Chossudovsky, University of Ottawa Centre for Research on Globalisation (CRG) President Bush declared that he would "make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them". Yet it was the CIA that funded Ousama Bin Laden's rise via the Pakistan Inter Services Intelligence. http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO109C.html New Internationalist Across the world a new peace movement is growing, firmly saying no to both war and racism. New Internationalist has a number of stories at: http://www.newint.org/streets/usterror/index.html Bush's Faustian deal with the Taliban Robert Sheer in the Los Angeles Times: An easy to read article arguing that the United States $43 million gift to the Taliban Rulers of Afghanistan shows that it sacrifices human rights in the 'war on drugs'. www.mapinc.org/media/248 Resources on bullying and Harassment A number of useful resources are available free from the Library of the Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment (ODEOPE). These include: (1) Bullying and harassment: risk prevention guidelines for employers: a book by Anthea Lowe & Assoc 2001 (2) Bullying: from backyard to Boardroom: a book by Paul McCarthy and others. Federation Press, 2001 (3) Workplace bullying: what can be done to avoid victim traumatisation? Beyond Bullying News, Aug Contact the ODEOPE Librarian Tel: 02 92483528Fax: 02 92483500 email: nasirl@eeo.nsw.gov.au Web http://www.eeo.nsw.gov.au LOCAL PEACE GROUPS CENTRAL COAST PEOPLE FOR PEACE CONTACT: Elaine 43822164 or email elaine@cci.net.au DARLINGTON/REFERN PEACE GROUP CONTACT Sally Quiler on 9699 3936. EASTERN SUBURBS FOR PEACE NOT WAR MEETING: Tuesday 18 February: 7pm at Bondi Pavilion. CONTACT: Tim 9388 0754 or email easternsuburbs_peacenotwar@hotmail.com HUNTER PEACE FORUM (Newcastle) Contact Gary Kennedy, Secretary Trades Hall on gary@newtradeshall.com. LEICHHARDT STOP THE WAR CONTACT: Hannah 0418 668 098, Paul 0410 629 088 or Dennis 0418 290 663. MARRICKVILLE PEACE GROUP CONTACT: Kylie on 95570115, John on 95587051 or Minh on 0403181586 or peace@acmica.org. MAROUBRA PEACE GROUP CONTACT: Paddy Manning on 0414 650 500 or manning@ethicalinvestor.com.au . NEWTOWN PEACE GROUP Contact: Karen e4karen@dodo.com.au, www.acmica.org/nowar. The Crypt, cnr of Lennox & Station Sts, Newtown Transport: 5min walk from Newtown Square (Newtown Neighbourhood Centre), walk down Bedford St and you'll see a big sandstone Church. The door's on the corner. Weekly organising meeting for residents in Newtown (and surroundings) opposed to a war. All concerned residents welcome. NORTHERN BEACHES FOR PEACE 'Manly for Peace' rkirk@intercoast.com.au If war starts: Meet at the Corso amphitheatre 6pm with candles for a peace vigil 'Pittwater for Peace' purpleforpeace@yahoo.com.au NORTHSIDE NO WAR CONTACT: David on David.Golan@ubsw.com or Anne on 0404 090 710. NORTHSHORE AGAINST THE WAR Meet on Thursday nights from 7pm, for further information email: mail@sydneypeace.com. PENNANT HILLS PEACE GROUP CONTACT: Martha on 9484 2422 or email philmar@ihug.com.au. WESTERN SYDNEY PEACE GROUP (meets Rooty Hill) MEETS: 2nd and 4th mondays of each month at 7pm at the Rotty Hill Uniting Church, Rooty Hill Uniting Church, 86 Rooty Hilll Rod North CONTACT: Tim Vollmer on 0401 769 880, timothy.k.vollmer@uts.edu.au or for regular event updates email westpeace- subscribe@yahoogroups.com Progressive PSA brings together rank and file trade union activists in the Public Service Association of New South Wales and the CPSU (SPSF Branch). We work for improved and more equitable pay greater job security a democratic and strong union Contact us at: psaprogressive@yahoo.co.uk