STUFF HAPPENING AT JUST FOCUS
Kia ora koutou,
Happy New Year JFers and welcome to the first Just Focus Newsletter of 2008! We hope you all had a relaxing break, full of sunshine, good food and quality time with friends and families and you are now ready to face whatever the year will bring.
We are back in the office, fresh from a fantastic weekend at Parihaka. Hello to all our new members who signed up at our stall! We will be writing a wee article about our Parihaka experience and will post more some photos soon…..but here’s one of us hard at work.
This is just a quick one this week as we’re still getting back into work mode — just wanted to say kia ora and let you know we are back and ready to hear from you!
RECENT NEWS AND EVENTS
Many events unfolded over the last few weeks. Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, violence erupted in Kenya amid alleged election fraud, Sir Edmond Hillary died, protesters chased Japanese whalers around the southern ocean and the UN raised concerns that the Government’s Terrorism Suppression Act may not reach international human rights standards.
UPCOMING EVENTS/ACTIONS FOR YOU TO BE PART OF
SUMMER FESTIVALS!
Heres just a few coming up….
Organic River Festival, Levin, 18-20 January— enjoy gourmet organic food, music, beautiful surroundings and learn about alternative technologies.
Parachute, Mystery Creek, 25-28 January — celebrate good music and your faith.
One Love, Wellington, 6 February — its all about unity, community and family.
Splore 08, Tapapakanga Regional Park, 8 - 10 February - a festival devoted to art, culture and community.
Soundsplash, Raglan 15-17 February - an eco reggae festival.
Pasifika, Auckland, 7-8 March — celebrate art, culture and lifestyle of Pacific Islands communities in New Zealand.
WOMAD, Taranaki, 14-16 March — broaden your horizons with workshops, food and music from around the world.
SAVE HAPPY VALLEY OCCUPATION CELEBRATION — 2 YEARS!
Saturday, 2 — Sunday, 3 February
The Save Happy Valley Coalition has been continuously occupying Happy Valley since January 28th 2006 in order to prevent Solid Energy from turning it into an opencast coal-mine. If you want to celebrate with them contact frances.feijoa@gmail.com
WELLINGTON CONFERENCE ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS
Monday, 18 to Friday, 22 February
The Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions is one of the most significant disarmament meetings that the New Zealand government has ever hosted. More info here, or sign the online petition at the Stop Cluster Bombs website.
LINKS TO OTHER INTERESTING STUFF
Check out this video on Greensumption, which exposes the CRAZY idea that we could shop the planet out of trouble.
It was Slow Down Week this week — that means consume less and relax more! You only have today left to participate OR you could think about slowing down for the rest of the year?!
NEW STUFF ON THE WEBSITE
It’s been a quiet few weeks on the site with all of us on holiday — but on the home page you will find blurbs about two FANTASTIC ways you can get involved with Just Focus this year. Fancy yourself the next big thing in global jourmalism? Apply for Just Write! Are you passionate about film and its ability to speak to the masses? Or do you just like organising events? Join the Media that Matters steering group!
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT…….?
……Barack or Hilary?
……Benazir Bhutto
You can have a rant about this stuff and anything else you want on the Just Focus forum!
NEW STUFF FOR YOU
Favela rising : a film by Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary documents life in a Brazilian squatter settlement. Anderson Sa is a former drugs-trafficker who turned social revolutionary working in Rio de Janeiro’s most feared slum. Through hip-hop music, the rhythms of the street and Afro-Brazilian dance he rallies his community to counteract the violent oppression enforced by teenage drug armies and sustained by corrupt police.
You can borrow this DVD and heaps of other books, guides and great films for FREE from the Global Education Centre. Email justfocus@globaled.org.nz for info on how to borrow them.
WANNA GET MORE INVOLVED?
Want to add stuff to the next newsletter or the Events Page, or to write an article/review, or take a photo/create an image for the Just Focus website? Reply to us at info@justfocus.org.nz, it’s always great to hear from you.