Adelaide Friends of Wikileaks Rally

The Rally at Victoria Square has been rescheduled for Feb 5, 2011 @ 1PM.

Come out to support Wikileaks in the face of an active US campaign against the organisation.

Visit our website with info on joining the email list:
http://www.adelaidefriendsofwikileaks.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adelaide-Friends-of-Wikileaks/145354248852118

more info:
georg.kafka@seznam.cz
ph. 0433 681 508 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              0433 681 508      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Info on all National/International rallies to defend Wikileaks :
http://www.rally4wikileaks.com/
http://wlcentral.org/

Left Unity Consultation and Social Event, Sat 29th Jan, Semaphore Workers Club

Please come, one and all, to the Left Unity Consultation and Social Event on the last Saturday in January – the 29th, 1pm, at the Semaphore Workers Club, 93 The Esplanade, Semaphore.

Left Unity is an exciting new development in which several left groups have formed a network for joint action, statements, policy formation, and mutual support…. the first of its kind for some time!

Participating groups include: The Anticapitalist Forum, The Communist Party of Australia, Socialist Alliance, Organize!, and The Ecosocialist Convergence.

Many other unaffiliated individuals are also involved.

We have been meeting for about 6 months, our concrete actions thus far being:

• Support for the Ark Tribe campain,
• Politics in the Pub on OH&S and Ark’s case,
• Statements on the Inverbrackie refugee issue and a (leafleting) presence at local meetings on the issue,
• Participation in the Lilydale Caged Workers campaign and picket/rally,
• Playing a key role in initiating and building the Stop the Budget Cuts rallies here in response to the latest neoliberal Rann-Foley budget
• Statements and Facebook pages on the extent and impact of these cuts

– more actions and projects are planned, and possible, now we are all working as a networked force!

We would like to let you know more about what we have done so far, what we imagine for the future, and to hear from you about what we need to do – hopefully with your active support and participation..!:) We also think it’s an opportune moment for the Left in this city to gather and mingle – a new formation such as this rides on the back of its personal relationships….

To that end, we have an interesting afternoon planned :-

• an intro to the Left Unity project, and its possibilities
• some exploration of the advantages and functions of such a Unity network
• hearing from yourselves about what you think of the project, and finding out what areas you feel such a new formation should prioritize – we want direction from the social movements and community on this! (Hence the  Consultation bit…)
• we’d also like to find out about your area of campaign/political/industrial work, if any, and create a chance for you to possibly meet new faces involved in the same areas.

All of the above to last a couple of hours max (with a break!), and, the “hard work” done, we’ll then treat ourselves with another few hours of a BBQ overlooking the sea, drinks, and to end it all, an hour of live musical entertainment from local artists.

Please come along to what we are sure will be an stimulating, enjoyable, and important occasion in building the progressive and left movements in Adelaide:

1pm, Saturday 29th January, Semaphore Workers Club.

Australia Day Multi Faith Observance

The Order of Australia Association South Australian Branch,    Australia Day
Multi Faith Observance

Brougham Place Uniting Church,   193 Brougham Place, North Adelaide

Wednesday 26th January 2011   “Australia Day”   Commencing at 11.00 am

In the presence of The Governor of South Australia, His Excellency Rear
Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC & Mrs Scarce

The theme is “Peace and Harmony”

This is great opportunity to join together in this union of faiths to
encourage love, peace and harmony amongst those from different belief
communities.  Participation and contributions will be delivered from eight
differing faiths during the Multi Faith Observance which we hope will
contribute to a greater understanding of each other.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO JOIN IN THIS CELEBRATION

Please direct enquiries to Jane Arthur AM, 91 Hill Street, Netherby 5062
8272 5764 or 0418 843818 or janeandbruce7@bigpond.com
or
Robert Angove AM, 22 Lombard Street, North Adelaide
8267 2903 or 0409 141940 or bxangove@adam.com.au

We look forward to seeing you there
(Wheelchair access is available and on-street Parking is adjacent on this
day)

NEXT SEACRET BDS ACTION – this Friday, 14 January 6-7pm, Rundle Mall PLUS a number of other notices: BDS Presentation; Wikileaks rally postponed; Desmond Tutu; Urgent Appeal

Dear All,

The next BDS action in the Rundle Mall will be this Friday 14 January at the usual time of 6pm to 7pm.  Please meet at the Mall entrance to the Myer Centre.

As always, we will have green T-shirts for people to wear and placards to hold (which you will need to return to the coordinator) and leaflets to hand out to passers by.

You may need an umbrella as showers have been forecast.

This will be Adelaide’s 15th consecutive Friday BDS action against the Israeli cosmetics company, Seacret, which has a retail stall on the ground floor of the Myer Centre in the Mall.   AFOPA has joined the global BDS movement and heeded the call  of Palestinian Civil Society to Boycott, Divest and Sanction the state of Israel to pressure it to cease its oppression of the people of Palestine.  Putting pressure on the economy of South Africa worked to rid the world of apartheid in that country and it can work for Palestine.  Actions like ours are happening all over Australia and indeed the world.  So, if you haven’t yet been able to come, please consider joining us in the Mall.

Adelaide shoppers are very interested in what we have to say and many support us and ask for our leaflets and more information.  Our persistent, peaceful protest has gained us a number of new members and supporters and people from other activist groups have also come to take part.

Here is the link to the YouTube from last Friday:  http://www.youtube.com/user/AustralianFOPA#p/a/u/0/BnsUymkeOss

 

Have you completed the AFOPA Membership Survey?  Please consider doing it because it is very easy and  quick to complete and it is really important that our Association hears from you, its members and supporters, about how we are going and what we could do to improve.  You can go to the survey by clicking here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/55MRCFD.   If that does not work try: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/55MH27K.

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PRESENTATION: Introduction to Palestine and the boycott/divestment campaign

We have been provided today with late notice of this presentation, which has been organised by Adelaide Activists.  AFOPA has not been involved with organising the presentation and is not aware of the content.  It is encouraging to see that other groups are taking initiatives in Adelaide regarding the BDS.  For those of you on Facebook, you can check out the details here:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191393274211329&index=1

WHEN: This Saturday 15 January · 14:00 – 17:00

WHERE: Adelaide Activist Centre, Rm 205, 95 Currie St, Adelaide

DESCRIPTION: This presentation is designed for people who are new to issues surrounding the Palestine/Israel conflict. It will address both the historical events as well as inform people about the current BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanction) campaign against Israel’s apartheid policies. There will be lots of opportunities to ask questions and have discussions. For this reason it would be great if people who had more developed understandings of the issues also came along.

 

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Adelaide Rally to Support Wikileaks and Julian Assange has been postponed and will not be held this Saturday as previously announced.

Go to the Facebook page for further information: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=181160868571449

 

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CARE2 PETITION IN DEFENCE OF ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS DESMOND TUTU

 

Tutu’s  life has been lived in the spirit of “never again” – the ultimate  lesson of the Holocaust
Archbishop  Emeritus Desmond Tutu has publicly criticised Israeli policy towards  Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank. He has also criticised Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians. These criticisms are well-known.

Recently, his criticisms of Israeli policy have  elicited bitter personal attacks. Amidst calls for him to be removed as  Patron of the Cape Town and Johannesburg Holocaust Centres of the South  African Holocaust Foundation, Tutu has been attacked and labelled an “anti-Semite” and a “bigot”.

Disagreements should be debated  openly, but these personal attacks are totally unacceptable.

During the Second World War, which killed 60 million people, Nazi Germany killed socialists, gay men and lesbians, Roma people, and resistance fighters, but its most systematic destruction was of the Jewish people.  Six million Jews were transferred to ghettos and concentration camps  before being murdered.

This grotesque crime against humanity  must never be forgotten. Its legacy and lessons belong to and must be  guarded by all of humanity. Racism -including anti-Semitism- sexism,  xenophobia, homophobia, and inhumanity must be resisted wherever they  occur. As stated in the Mission Statement of the South African Holocaust  Foundation, we must build “a more caring and just society in which  human rights and diversity are respected and valued.”

This is  precisely the cause to which Tutu has dedicated his life. He represents the finest tradition of resistance to all forms of oppression.  He has  taught us that understanding the Holocaust begins with appreciating that  the only way for each of us to be safe is for all of us to be safe. He embodies the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document born of  the horrors of the Second World War, the rights contained in which  pertain equally to Israelis and Palestinians.

To use the  Holocaust in an attempt to de-legitimise Tutu is to undermine its legacy and insult the memory of its victims. To call him an anti-Semite, because he has attacked the policies of the Israeli government, is  outrageous, renders the term meaningless, and enfeebles the necessary  efforts to defeat real anti-Semites and racists.

We give  our support to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu as a most appropriate  patron of the South African Holocaust Foundation.

SIGN PETITION HERE: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/defend-tutu/

Sonja Karkar

Editor

Australians for Palestine

http://australiansforpalestine.com

Left Unity Social

Hi all,

We decided at the last LU meeting to have a Left Unity “social” that is much more than a social, at the end of this month. Basically it will take the form of a couple of hours of discussion about the whole Left Unity project – its purpose, its vision, what you could do to contribute, etc.. to be followed by a BBQ, drinks, and socializing … there’s even been an offer from a muso to play some old labour movement classics…! – all to be done on Saturday arvo , 29th Jan, at the Sempahore Workers Club, that great little spot on the Esplanade overlooking the sea… what better way to usher in the new year with bunches of like-minded others, all working to build unity and connection on the Left? If you’d like to be an active part of this exciting project, please come along this Monday to the Prince Albert Hotel on Wright St at 7 pm – we’ll probably be in the room out the back, or upstairs…. This meeting is purely to focus on organizing this event, so should be relatively short and sweet