11 April Newsletter
You may or may not have noticed that it has been a while since our last newsletter. We hope there weren’t too many tears as you gazed at your empty inbox wondering what had become of Just Focus. Well it’s been a very busy month for us, so we took a little un-announced break. But we are back and we have LOTS to tell you!
The Just Write team came from near (Island Bay) and far (Stirling) to Wellington for a training weekend in March. We discussed, we wrote, we planned and we drove round and round a roundabout in search of a little theatre to watch a comedy show. Keep an eye on the site for loads of new content from our fab new writing team!
The youth steering committees for Media that Matters (MTM) met for the first time in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch last month. After playing some silly games, they got down to the exciting business of planning the MTM screenings in their respective cities. If you’re keen there’s still time to be involved! Email will@globaled.org.nz and he will tell you what you need to know.
Finally, as you know Tessa left for the fair shores of the Solomon Islands, and Will joined to the team full time. Will has this to say to the JF network:
Hi, I’m Will. I am Tessa’s replacement here at Just Focus. My hobbies are eating apple crumble and custard, climbing trees and rocks, and watching Jet-Li movies. 
I’m also passionate about Fair Trade and stirring up my friends to do something about the social injustices all around us. The world is full of stink stuff, but there are heaps of people fighting to make it a better place. I’m proud to be part of Just Focus; the next generation of freedom fighters! In the words of David Tua, you guys are ‘O’ for awesome.
RECENT NEWS AND EVENTS
Food price rises threaten global security
Rising food prices could spark worldwide unrest and threaten political stability, the United Nation’s top humanitarian official has warned after rioting in Egypt over the doubling of basic food prices in a year and protests in other parts of the world. Prices have risen 40% on average globally since last summer.
Zimbabwe’s opposition warns of bloodshed
Zimbabwe’s opposition accused President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday of unleashing a campaign of violence since the March 29 elections and called on African states to intervene to prevent widespread bloodshed.
For a pretty clear Q&A on the Zimbabwe elections visit the BBC news site.
China: Beijing Agrees Free-Trade Deal With Aotearoa New Zealand
The signing of the Free Trade agreement between China and Aotearoa New Zealand took place in Beijing on April 7. The agreement commits both sides to almost totally getting rid of import tariffs over the next 11 years, and is the first time China has opened its market fully to the goods and services of a developed country To find out what this really means read the Radio Free Europe article.
Olympic Torch Protests
And on the subject of China, the Olympic torch has been caught up in protests in Paris, London and San Francisco… and its Buenos Aires turn next!
Earth Hour 2008
Around 50 million people made a clear statement against climate change when lights went off around the globe for Earth Hour on March 29. From the Sydney Opera House to the Colosseum in Rome the lights on hundreds of landmarks were switched off to show support for the movement, which has captured the imagination of people in more 40 countries since it started it last year. Check out the photos of Earth Hour worldwide.
LINKS TO OTHER INTERESTING STUFF
Pay up to $88 to ease your climate change conscience when you fly with Air New Zealand. When passengers book they will be able to donate to an environment trust that will fund research into alternative fuels, a tree planting project on a Hawkes Bay farm and buy emission reduction units
from a Manawatu wind farm. For the full story, click here.
Playing with Children’s Lives: Big Tobacco in Malawi 
This is the story of Kirana, one of 250 million children across the world involved in work that is damaging to their mental, physical and emotional development. Some 57 million of these endangered children live in Sub-Sahara Africa and 1.4 million in the small, southern African nation of Malawi.
UPCOMING EVENTS/ACTIONS FOR YOU TO BE PART OF
ANTARCTIC YOUTH AMBASSADOR
Applications close 5pm on Friday 30th May 2008
Open to 18-25 year olds, the principal aim for this programme is to engage young New Zealanders in Antarctic environmental issues, through the New Zealand Antarctic Programme. The Antarctic Youth Ambassador will be placed with Antarctica New Zealand during the summer months and will work as part of the environmental team. For more info and an application form visit the Sir Peter Blake Trust site.
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT ESSAY COMPETITION
Applications close 31 May 2008
Students around the world are invited to do independent research and analyse the case for nuclear disarmament, and to address the following question: ‘What do you think can lead governments to stay away from, or do away with, nuclear weapons?’ You are invited to write an essay of 1500 words, produce a video response of 2-5 minutes (posted on YouTube) or design a poster. The 12 students who submit the best essays, videos and posters will be awarded an airfare and accommodation to attend the Students for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World Conference, to be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, in August 2008. For more info follow this link.
NEW STUFF ON THE WEBSITE
Elliot Taylor has written two articles about Cluster Munitions “Public Action: Let the Chalk Do the Talk” and “In Any Way: Closing the door on Munitions Manufacturers” based on his experiences at the Wellington Conference earlier this year.
IN THE FORUM
Nuclear free NZ?
George W. Bush recently declared “If you truly care about greenhouse gases, then you’ll support nuclear power.” Is New Zealand right to continue its nuclear free stance or should the climate change crisis take priority over the threat of nuclear weapons?
And have your say on the Global Food Crisis.
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.
