17 August Newsletter
STUFF HAPPENING AT JUST FOCUS
Tena ra koe, e te hoa
We have been super busy the last few weeks. We’ve edited articles for the website, developed new Take Action guides and some really interesting lucky dips, supported our new regional coordinators, been in contact with ActNow (our Aussie counterparts), planned our next mail out of Global Bits: The Trafficking Trap (which will coming your way next week) AND on Monday we went along to Youth Connect in Wellington and Auckland, where over 200 young people gathered to share the visions for the future. We haven’t even had time to continue Eva’s weekly coffee meeting tradition. (But we’ll try harder next week!)
RECENT NEWS AND EVENTS
The story of the Jena 6 is one of racism and injustice. Six young African American men from Jena , Louisiana USA , face a lifetime in jail after a school yard fight. On July 31 three hundred of their supporters descended on the town to protest against the injustice and to call for dismissal of all charges. Read this article on Zmag about the growing support for the Jena 6 or watch this report on Democracy Now!
Here in Aotearoa New Zealand , the Maori Party expressed their extreme disappointment about the discriminatory nature of the Youth Rates Bill that was debated in Parliament on Wednesday night, and Iranian Ali Panah’s hunger strike continues in protest against his detention, without trial or charge, for the past 18 months. For the full coverage of this issue and for ways to take action check out the Global Peace and Justice Auckland Website.
Globally everybody’s asking Who’s Editing Wikipedia? It’s a resource that people all over the world use, but where is the information coming from and, more importantly, what information is missing? An online tool, developed by a grad-student in California , reveals the identity of organisations that edit Wikipedia pages, and has exposed the CIA is among those editing entries.
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOU TO BE PART OF
The Date Palm Film Festival is screening an exciting selection of both feature and documentary films, giving you a taste of the sights and sounds of the Middle East and North Africa .
Wellington 5-12 September 2007
Christchurch 13-18 September 2007
Check out the films and other info here.
It is International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition on 23 August. Mark this day by going to see Amazing Grace at your local cinema, or if you are in Wellington, get down to Parliament and help pass over the tens of thousands of signatures on Trade Aid’s SLAVERY STILL EXISTS petition. The petition will be passed to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Trade Select Committee, and will be sent to a select committee process, in the hope that it will lead to a law banning slave made products. Check out the details on the Trade Aid website.
There are five weeks left until the entry deadline for The Outlook for Someday, which means there is still plenty of time to take part in the competition!! Check out the website which contains entry details, an online toolkit AND footage covering a broad environmental and social range, which has recently been made available for you to use. The footage comes courtesy of TVNZ Television Archive, the international Television Trust for the Environment, Greenpeace and Connected Media.
LINKS TO OTHER INTERESTING STUFF
Check out the fabulous winners of Treehugger’s Convenient Truths video contest. They may give you some inspiration for your Outlook for Someday entry.
Speaking of winners, Shoot Nations have posted the winning entries of the International Youth Day photo competition.
And check out Radical Youth’s new website.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS?
A Just Focus member helped organise a protest in Christchurch to protect public space in the city, 14 young people were arrested- Read the article and tell us what you think about this. Join the discussion going on about women being used as guinea pigs for drug companies. And help Nicole out, she has written a lot about women’s issues and feminisms, now she wants to look at some of the contemporary issues facing men and she wants to know what YOU think.
NEW STUFF FOR YOU
Dreamworlds 3 DVD. This documentary is an update of Dreamworlds 2 and looks at the stories that music videos tell about girls and women, and therefore boys and men. It encourages viewers to consider how these narratives shape individual and cultural attitudes about sexuality and gender.
This DVD and heaps of other books, guides and great films are available to borrow 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 write an article/review, or take a photo/create an image for the Just Focus website? COME ON, we know you want to!! Reply to us at info@justfocus.org.nz, it’s always great to hear from you.
