The 2010 National Peace Workshops (NPW) - the national gathering for people interested in peace, social justice, and human rights - will be at the Quaker Settlement in Whanganui from Friday, 16 April to Sunday, 18 April.

The theme of the 2010 NPW is ‘Exposing and opposing militarism and militarisation’ and the focus is on sharing stories and experiences, workshops and participatory discussion with contributors who have experience of community and individual non-violent resistance to militarism and militarisation in Aotearoa and overseas. The programme will include campaign updates from peace and related groups, follow up to the Waihopai Ploughshares trial, and the Peace Movement Aotearoa Annual General Meeting.

More info at Peace Movement Aotearoa.

Saturday, 27 March 2010, 8:30pm, nationwide.

www.wwf.org.nz/earth_hour

In 2009 hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support by turning off their lights for one hour.

Earth Hour 2010 will continue to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future.

Pledge your support turn off your lights for one hour, Earth Hour at 8.30pm, Saturday 27th March 2010.

Find Earth Hour events in your area.

The theme this year is Fish for the Future - “Tiakina ngā tupuranga whakaheke”

For more information, or to find out about events in your area, go to www.seaweek.org.nz

This important day focuses our attention on the water issues and problems facing communities around the world. Each year there is a different theme and in 2010 the focus is water quality, because in order for people and the planet to flourish we need clean water!!

More information at the World Water Day website.

Full article at Inter Press Service.

For the full article go to CommonDreams.org

You can learn more about the Canadian Tar Sands go to wikipedia. Or check out some of the campaigns against expansion of the Tar Sands:

• Rainforest Action Network
• Tar Sands Watch
• Oil Sands Watch

Race Relations Day is on Sunday 21 March. This year’s theme is “It’s About Us”. There are events and celebrations happening all round Aotearoa New Zealand.

To learn more about the history of Race Relations Day or to find out about the Race Relations Day 2010 Postcard Photo Competition go to the Human Rights Commission facebook page.

UNICEF NZ has recently launched a new campaign called ‘Banging the Drum’, focusing on the effects of the global recession on Pacific nations. For the past two months I have been interning at the UNICEF NZ office in Wellington. My role involves working with the Advocacy Manager - International, getting a little bit of office experience as well as helping them out with campaign needs. At the moment we are working busily on this new campaign.

Economic crisis in the Majority world

The global economic crisis (often just referred to as the G.E.C) has had a major impact on the majority of countries in the world. The media has been swamped with reports of unemployment and investments-gone-bad from the U.K, the U.S, and more recently, Greece. But what about our Pacific neighbours?

Research on the issue has projected that around 50,000 more people could be living below the poverty line by the end of 2010. This obviously will have a huge impact on the lives of children and young people. Many of the Pacific nations rely on a cash economy, where cash is required to purchase goods or services. Increases in oil and food prices have left families with little disposable income to cover school fees, healthcare and in some cases, appropriate levels of food for their children.

Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific

© UNICEF/NYHQ2006-2510/Pirozzi.

Why is this important? Historically New Zealand has had a close relationship with the Pacific region. In recent decades we have provided significant amounts of aid money to the region, as well as other services such as military support and policing.  Another important reason is that Auckland is the city with the largest population of Pacific Islanders in the world. So our Pacific neighbours are more than just that. They are brothers and sisters, and these countries are often still called home by many of our citizens.

In New Zealand, the recession has arguably not had a huge impact on young people. Although job availability and family incomes have decreased, social assistance is largely available to cover expenses that families cannot cover themselves. In the Pacific, only 20% of the population have access to social welfare . Imagine not having a choice of whether to go to school or not. Imagine having to work to support your family, even if you are at primary school.

Campaign with a purpose

At school in Vanuatu ©UNICEF/NYHQ2006-2512/Pirozzi

The campaign is focussed on raising awareness in New Zealand of the situation in the Pacific. Children need to be put first in social policy to make sure that they are protected from negative and unstable situations. It is important for people to talk about ways to support social development in times of economic crisis. Social investment has a long term benefit, but sometimes it is hard to remember that, especially in the modern fast-paced world where we want to see benefits immediately.

We are promoting the campaign at a number of festivals. We were at the Newtown Fair with a Cook Island drumming group called Atiu Mapu, and we are also having a stall and a drummer at the Pasifika Festival in Auckland on 13 March 2010.  We want young people to get involved – on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube – to support other youth in the Pacific. You could have a debate, presentation, performance, or writing competition in your school or community group. Come bang the drum for children in the Pacific!

TAKE ACTION

Check out ‘Banging the Drum’ on Facebook
Or visit the UNICEF NZ Banging the Drum website
For information and personal stories go to:

the Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis in the Pacific Conference website

The fifth Youth Parliament is being held on 6-7 July, 2010. The contest is open to anyone living in NZ, between the ages of 16-18 years. Click here to find out more about Youth Parliament.

To enter, post a 2 minute youtube video on this facebook page saying “what NZ should do to make the world a safer, fairer and more sustainable place”. Then send a direct facebook message to Phil Twyford with your name, date of birth, email address and phone number.

Rt Hon Helen Clark, former NZ Prime Minister and now Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, will join Young New Zealander of the Year Ms Divya Dhar and Phil Twyford on the panel to select the winning entry.

Entries close on 20 March and the winner will be announced on 26 March. The Youth MP will have the opportunity for a briefing on foreign policy and development issues by Phil Twyford and Labour colleagues as well as visits to Wellington-based development agencies during the Youth Parliament.

Join the youth campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.  Energized by the upcoming conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty this coming May, a branch of the international organization - BANG (Ban All Nukes Generation) - has been established here in New Zealand.

Get active by contacting Wellington Youth Programmes Coordinator with The Peace Foundation at anna@peacefoundation.org.nz

For more info check out the ENACT website, a website which seeks to engage young people in peace issues and activities, promote youth initiatives on non-violence, conflict resolution and cross-cultural understanding, and provide a space for the perspectives of young people on peace issues.