PEACE IS UNION BUSINESS
There's no peace without justice

Search this site Donate! Leaflets & Resources Who are the Progressives Awards Women Your Super Universities Casuals Events CPSU - our federal union Bullying & Harassment Contact Us Links Subscribe to our mailing list for updates

Peace & development talks Tuesday 2 August from 7:30pm to 9pm China: new Giant in the world economy impacts on Australia and the world Dr Joseph Halevi, Political Economy, University of Sydney Dr Patricia Ranald, AFTINET Thursday 25 August from 7:30pm to 9pm Lies, torture, refugees and deportation ...Where to for asylum in Australia? Phil Glendinning, Director, Edmund Rice Centre Kate Gauthier, A Just Australia Thursday 29 September from 7:30pm to 9pm United Nations 60th birthday: Past imperfect, future tense? Speaker from United Nations Association of Australia Thursday 27 October from 7:30pm to 9pm Climate change and energy Oil, coal, nuclear, renewables: which way for Australia? Speakers to be announced Thursday 24 November from 7:30pm to 9pm Making Poverty HistoryCan it really be done? Speaker from Oxfam Australia All talks at Mosman Art Gallery and Community Centre Corner of Myahgah Rd and Short St Mosman NSW 2088 (close to Spit Junction) Entry by donation: $10 waged, $5 unwaged. Refreshments including free glass of wine and free wine tasting after talk. For more information visit the No War web site. Solidarity vs paternalistic charity When it comes aid, who we donate to is every bit as important as how much we give. We need to break the ‘crisis/relief’ mentality if we are to genuinely address human disasters and injustice. Trade unions are ideally placed to do this work. Top 10 War profiteers for 2004 Lockheed Martin remains the king among war profiteers The company's stock has tripled since 2000 to just over $60 billion. Mercenaries: Privatising the war and avoiding responsibility Remember Tim Spicer who was expelled from Papua New Guinea following the Sandline Affair? The next year he broke a UN arms embargo in Sierra Leone with the support of the British Government. Now his company Aegis Defence Services has received a Pentagon contract in Iraq worth $293 million. Privatisation a condition of post war Iraq Aid NAOMI KLEIN says the US argues it must stay in Iraq to prevent anarchy but instead of using F-16s and Bradleys it is now using Aid and the weaponry of the World Trade Organisation and IMF to control Iraq. When Jewish loyalty meets the brutality of Israel ROBERT MANN reflects on the tragedies of Israel and Palestine. Article from the Sydney Morning Herald December 2004. Australian Poll: Majority believe Iraq wasn't worth it A growing number of Australians believe the war in Iraq was not worth the bloodshed, with opposition hardening as the US-led coalition of the willing struggles to overcome stiff resistance from insurgents. 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 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 sustainable jobs in a sustainable environment a democratic and strong union as part of the broader labour movement Contact us at: ppsa@progressivepsa.org