The Challenge of Eurasia and Multipolarity to American Hegemony-Dr Tim Beal (Fabian Society Forum)
Tuesday 13 June, 5:30 to 7:00pm. It will be live-streamed on YouTube – the link is here.
The United States is fighting a proxy war in western Eurasia – Europe – and soon may be at war with China in the east. The prize is a continuation of American hegemony or its replacement by multipolarity. This talk examines Anglo-American thinking about Eurasia since Mackinder and how this illuminates the current situation. It will also discuss some questions this raises for New Zealand going forward.
Some background for the talk including Mackinder’s world island theory may be found in this article by Tim Beal published in John Menadue’s Australian website ‘Pearls and Irritations’ https://johnmenadue.com/the- ukraine-war-lessons-for- australia-and-the-asia- pacific/,
Dr Tim Beal: Author, Researcher, Educator, Asia specialist Tim Beal is a retired NZ academic who has written extensively on Asia, with a focus on Northeast Asia. He also has an interest in imperialism, again mainly in respect of Asia but recently, also inevitably encompassing Europe
Just Humans: Amnesty International Photo Exhibition
Tuesday 13 June – Saturday 17 June, Turanga Central Library, 60 Cathedral Square, Christchurch
Canterbury Socialist Society – Anarchism for Dummies – Public Lecture
Wednesday 14 June, 6.30pm, Space Academy, 371 St Asaph Street
Facebook event here.
Following the success of our first ‘Socialism for Dummies’ event earlier this year, the CSS brings you round two … ‘Anarchism for Dummies’. Featuring two of the CSS’ very own anarchists (Tim Elder and Leith McLean) and one executive member with a lot to learn (Sionainn Byrnes), this event is an opportunity to ask any and all of the questions you might have about socialism’s emo sibling (just joking … this is why I’m the dummy!).
For real, though, how does anarchism differ from socialism?
Who are key people in the anarchist tradition?
How exactly do anarchists imagine the ideal provision of education, health, and so on?
Your self-confessed dummy will draft a few questions in advance of this conversational event, but we’re also taking submissions from you, the lovely guests and onlookers: Please Submit Questions Here.
City Forests to heal the planet and its people – Molly Melhuish
Wednesday 14 June. 7.00pm, Online
An event from Our Climate Declaration. Hear Molly Melhuish speaking of her experience working with urban marae and local councils to set up Tiny Forests using the Miyawaki method.
Facebook event and Zoom link here.
Housing Forum 2 (Salvation Army) Heating and wellbeing
Thursday 15 June, 10.30am to 1.30pm, The Salvation Army Christchurch City, 853 Colombo St, corner Colombo St & Salisbury St.
Housing issues are significant for people of all backgrounds.
- What are common heating and insulation concerns that people with Lived Experience are experiencing?
- How are Community Support Agencies and service providers rising to meet these demands?
- What options can they assist with and or provide?
Speakers:
Robert Linterman: Community Energy Action/Curtain Bank
Vivienne Sinclair-Phillips: Methodist Mission
Samantha Iri: Tamaiti Healthy Homes
Allan Harris: Tradetech: Healthy Homes
Cost: No/low waged: gold coin/koha/donation. Waged/Service Providers: $15.
What next for our tax system? – Terry Baucher speaks (Fabian Society Forum)
Thursday 15 June, 5.30pm, 15 June, via Zoom
Terry Baucher is a tax consultant and host of the podcast Te wiki o te tāke – The New Zealand Tax Podcast. He’s a frequent media commentator on tax issues and the co-author with Deborah Russell MP of Tax and Fairness.
Aviation Action
Tuesday 20 June, 12.30-1.30pm opposite Countdown in Memorial Ave near the airport
A group of 350 Ōtautahi members are continuing their monthly aviation actions on Memorial Ave. Our aviation banners and placards will be on the road verge opposite the Countdown supermarket near the airport starting at 10am and finishing at 11am. We get a range of reactions, from supportive to annoyed, and it will be interesting to see if being closer to the airport makes a difference. Come and join us, it’s a fun way to spend an hour.
Talking About the Living Wage – Online workshop
Wednesday 21 June, 7pm – 8pm online. Use the link here RSVP Link to join
RSVP Link to join
Tapatahi National Launch: “Bring in the big changes that Aotearoa needs right now!”
Sunday 25 June, 3pm – 5pm, WEA, 59 Gloucester St
Tapatahi is a new initiative to bring people together to fight for the big changes our society needs.
- Action Station petition – “Bring in the big changes that Aotearoa needs right now!”
- Tapatahi Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/
groups/253573297217679 - Tapatahi website: www.tapatahi.nz – about the Coalition, its vision and strategy, plus the demands
- Tapatahi launch event Sunday 25 June 3pm-5pm. A hybrid face-to-face/zoom event held jointly in Tamaki Makaurau, Upoko (Porirua) and Otautahi.
- More details in future CPN newsletters.
June Quaker Forum
Wednesday 28th June, 7.30pm, Quaker Centre, 217 Ferry Road
A Healthy Diet from a Sustainable Food System
7.30pm on Fri 21 July, at the WEA, 59 Gloucester St
Actions, Articles, petitions and websites
A blogsite worth keeping an eye on
There are good contributions on many progressive issues on The Daily BlogEdited by Martyn Bradbury
Essential reading here
- Ending Poverty Together: Green Party Plan on taxation and guaranteed payments here
- Roger Waters speaks out on Palestine here (Video)
- Cut cord to global superpowers here
New actions, petitions etc:
Sign the petition for no more oil and gas drilling in Taranaki here
Tell McDonald’s to “Stop using anti-biotics in your meat” here
Calling all dogs! Sign to stop greyhound racing here
Older Petitions, actions:
Make taxation fairer here (Action Station petition)
Hold big tobacco accountable for its corporate abuses of humanity – sign the petition here
Stand with the indigenous people of Brazil to protect their precious lands here
Stop the book bans in the US – sign the petition here
Submissions
Submissions on the independent review of our electoral laws here (17 July deadline)
Petitions on the parliamentary website – huge variety of these
https://www.parliament.nz/en/
Other useful websites:
Restore Passenger Rail
https://restorepassengerrail.
We are demanding the government restore passenger rail services to at least year 2000 levels in alignment with Te Tiriti justice with affordable, accessible services. This will connect 3.5 million New Zealanders, save money, save lives, reduce inequality and help to tackle the climate crisis and ecological collapse we are now experiencing.
Water Bear
Enjoy feature-length documentaries, engaging short films and inspirational media for free. Let’s drive impact around the world together. Watch. Connect. Take Action. Free Membership. Support Sustainability. Free Video On Demand. 80+ Global NGO Partners.
https://www.waterbear.com/
Greenpeace
https://community.greenpeace.
Action Stations
https://our.actionstation.org.
AVAAZ
https://secure.avaaz.org/
Aotearoa for Assange – A4A. View the panel of international experts here. Haere mai Julian Assange – A4A open letter.pdf 165 KB Download. Follow the campaign on social media and through the website www.A4A.nz
Amnesty International petitions
https://www.amnesty.org.nz/
CPAG Child Poverty Action Group – Preventing Covid 19 health inequalities here
https://www.cpag.org.nz/
350.org – Fossil-Free Schools campaign here
An international movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.
https://350.org/
Generation Zero is a youth-led climate action organisation. We mobilise New Zealanders to engage with decision-making and campaign for intergenerational climate justice.
https://www.generationzero.
Change.org is proven to influence politicians, public officials and business leaders. Learn how to create your petition using Change.org’s powerful online tools.
www.change.org
Freedom united are currently running numerous worthwhile petitions including:
Free Uyghurs from forced labor in China; Abolish prison slavery in the U.S.; Stop detaining survivors (of trafficking); Chocolate companies: help end child exploitation.
https://www.freedomunited.org/
LabourStart is an online news service maintained by a global network of volunteers which serves the international trade union movement by collecting and disseminating information — and by assisting unions in campaigning and other ways.
https://www.labourstart.org/
Reporters without Borders – World Press Freedom
Whatever the political system, it cannot reflect divergent interests and internal contradictions without independent watchdogs capable of challenging established authority. In dictatorial regimes, the state apparatus is able to dominate and a few monopolize most of the wealth because journalists are neutralized. In democracies, entertainment and positive reinforcement of desires may generate political apathy. Independent journalism is therefore crucial for a “high intensity” democracy.
https://rsf.org/en
CODEPINK is a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect our tax dollars into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming programs.
https://www.codepink.org/
Ekō
SumOfUs has changed its name to Ekō. Ekō has numerous petitions worthwhile signing up to:
Protect the right to protest; Save-bees-ban-sulfoxaflor-
Scroll down on their website to see their successes around the world. https://www.eko.org/
RootsAction begun in the United States is dedicated to galvanizing people who are committed to economic fairness, equal rights for all, civil liberties, environmental protection — and defunding endless wars. We mobilize on these issues no matter whether Democrats or Republicans control Washington D.C.
https://rootsaction.org/
Green Party Aotearoa – 15 current petitions including an open letter to Labour Government Ministers, calling on them to uphold their promise of banning new mines on conservation land
https://action.greens.org.nz/
World beyond war
https://worldbeyondwar.org/
The New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society
https://www.nzavs.org.nz/
SAFE
https://safe.org.nz/
Whistleblower & Source Protection Program (WHISPeR)
The Whistleblower and Source Protection Program (WHISPeR) at ExposeFacts provides critical legal support for whistleblowers and media sources in the national security and human rights arena. Our model encompasses affordable legal protection, public advocacy, investigative journalism, and the latest in encryption technology. By protecting whistleblowers, sources, and online activists, we facilitate robust investigative journalism, hold government to account, protect the freedoms of speech, privacy and the press, and foster the most critical component of democratic society: an informed citizenry.
https://whisper.exposefacts.
Ngā mihi nui.
Nā,
John Minto
