HELP INDIGENOUS ACTIVISTS TO GET TO HAGUE CONFERENCE

From: "viviane lerner" <vlerner@interpac.net>


-----Original Message-----
From: Zohl de Ishtar <pacific@talent.com.au>
To: Abolition Caucus <abolition-caucus@igc.org>
Date: Saturday, March 13, 1999 11:22 PM
Subject: Assistance for Indigenous People to get to HAP


>INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN AND PACIFIC ACTIVISTS REQUIRE ASSISTANCE
>TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL FORUM
>
>Dear
>
>I am writing to you to gain your financial sponsorship for ten
>Indigenous Australian and Pacific activists to enable them to attend the
>Hague Appeal for Peace Conference - the end of millenium peace
>conference being held in The Hague from May 11-16, 1999.
>
>The Hague Appeal for Peace Conference to be held May 11-16, 1999, is a
>major end-of-century international campaign and conference for peace and
>justice. It will commemorate the centenary of the First Hague Peace
>Conference, and will complete an extraordinary sequence of world
>conferences and summits convened during the last decade. Aiming to
>delegitimize war, the conference will bring together all sectors of
>international civil society to develop specific global strategies for
>disarmament and nuclear abolition, the peaceful settlement of disputes
>and the development of international humanitarian law.  The program
>covers four substantive themes: disarmament, conflict
>prevention/resolution, humanitarian law, and culture of peace. Organized
>by civil society rather than governments, documentation from this
>conference - tabled as "The Hague Agenda for Peace" - will be presented
>to world governments at the parallel intergovernmental process, which
>will comprise high-level meetings in 1999 in The Hague, St. Petersburg,
>Geneva and New York.
>
>Through participating in this conference Indigenous Australian and
>Pacific activists will be able to place on "The Hague Agenda for Peace"
>issues such as: Native Title rights in Australia, Bougainvillean Peace
>Process, French occupation and nuclearisation of Te Ao Maohi (aka French
>Polynesia), the Indonesian illegal occupation and military violence in
>West Papua, , racism, human rights violations, uranium and other mineral
>mining, the proposed international nuclear waste repository planned for
>southern Australia, US military bases, the impacts of nuclear testing,
>and many other issues of the independence and nuclear free campaign of
>our region. The lasting effects of such an achievement can be expected
>to be felt for many decades into the future. Without the Indigenous
>Pacific contribution to this conference it will fail in its attempt to
>represent a global perspective.
>
>The Indigenous Australian and Pacific activists represent 4 nations:
>Aboriginal Australia, Bougainville, Te Ao Maohi (aka French Polynesia)
>and West Papua (aka Irian Jaya). These nations will join delegations
>from Ka Pae’aina (aka Hawai’i) and Aotearoa (aka New Zealand).
>
>The individuals involved are:
>
>Aboriginal Australia - Kathy Malera-Bandjalan (Malera-Bandjalan
>traditional custodian of Timbarra under threat of gold mining); Jacqui
>Katona (Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corp./ uranium mining at Jabiluka-Kakadu
>World Heritage Park); Christine Christopherson (Mirrar woman from
>Jabiluka area); Joan Wingfield (Kokotha/Arabunna people/threatened Billa
>Kallina nuclear waste repository).
>
>Bougainville: Lucy Madoi (Bougainville Women for Peace and Freedom,
>President); Marcelline Tunim (Bougainville Women for Peace and Freedom,
>Vice-President).  (Survivors of nine year long Papua New Guinea imposed
>war; involved in Bougainvillean initiated Peace Process.)
>
>Te Ao Maohi (aka French Polynesia): Oscar Temaru (Tavini Huirratira,
>President); Lucie Pereire (Tavini Huirratira, Women’s Association),
>Marie Bopp Du Pont (Tavini Huirratira, Youth) (Campaigning for
>independence, end of French colonisation and ending of military
>occupation, including cleanup and compensation following French nuclear
>testing program.)
>
>West Papua (aka Irian Jaya): John Otto Ondawame (Organisasi Papua
>Merdeka/Free Papua Movement); Win Zonggonau (Organisasi Papua
>Merdeka/Free Papua Movement, NANGO-PNG) (Campaigning for independence,
>against Indonesian illegal occupation, removal of Indonesian military
>forces, ending of human right violations.)
>
>Together these people represent some of the most significant Indigenous
>Australian and Pacific issues of decolonisation, demilitarisation,
>denuclearisation, peace and justice and reconciliation issues facing the
>world today.
>
>Funds Required:
>
>The full amount required is $34114. This consists of:
>
>Australia: It will cost each of these 4 women $2760 to attend the
>conference. Total = $11,040.
>
>Bougainville: It will cost each of these 2 women $4432. Total = $8864.
>(This is so high because these women have to travel to Sydney first as
>it is dangerous for them to travel through Port Moresby, Papua New
>Guinea.)
>
>Te Ao Maohi (aka French Polynesia): It will cost each of these 3 people
>$2850. Total = $8550.
>
>West Papua: These 2 activists will require $2900 each. Total = $5660.
>
>The Indigenous Australian and Pacific attendance is being coordinated by
>Zohl de Ishtar, in both her capacity as International Peace Bureau
>Oceania Representative and as Director of Pacific Connections. The
>International Peace Bureau (IPB) is one of the four international
>organisations which host this major event. IPB was first established in
>1892, has been awarded a Nobel Peace Laureate, and is the world’s most
>comprehensive and oldest peace organisation. Pacific Connections is a
>consultancy and advocacy service established to assist Indigenous
>Australian and Pacific peoples.
>
>The situation is urgent. We had hoped to receive funding from the HAP
>conference organisers but, while they have provided some funds, they are
>unable to meet all the requests made to them from the many countries of
>the global south which are endeavouring to be involved in this important
>event. We only received this problematic information recently. While
>invitations have been secured for these activists to present papers, as
>representatives of their peoples and all citizens of the Pacific region,
>we are far from having secured the funds necessary to pay for air fares,
>registration, etc. It will cost a total of $34,114 to cover all the
>activists listed above. While they are trying to raise the funds
>themselves this is an extremely difficult task, especially for nations
>such as Bougainville where the war has left them without a cash
>economy.  They need your help.
>
>Please help. Whatever assistance you are able to give to assist these
>people to attend this very important conference would be very much
>appreciated. It all adds up. Rest assured that your contribution will
>assist these women directly.
>
>To send funds you can either:
>
>1)  send a cheque, made out to "Pacific Connections", and earmarked
>"HAP" to Pacific Connections, PO Box 172, Annandale 2038, Australia.
>
>2)  Or deposit funds directly into bank account, "Pacific Connections"
>at Commonwealth Bank, Annandale NSW, # 062 102 1005 2883. Please notify
>us if you deposit funds directly.
>
>** Please pay in Australian dollars. **
>
>If you would like more information on how you can support these people
>please contact:
>
>Zohl de Ishtar
>IPB, Oceania/Pacific Connections
>PO Box 172, Annandale, 2038, Australia.
>phone: +61 -2 -96603670   Email: <pacific@talent.com.au>
>
>Please pass/network this request on to your colleagues. Copy and
>duplicate this request in hard copy and through the internet. If you
>can’t assist perhaps someone else might be able to. There is only a
>short lead up time to May and we need your support.
>
>Yours in solidarity,
>
>Zohl de Ishtar
>HAP organiser for the Pacific
>International Peace Bureau, Oceania Representative
>Pacific Connections
>
>...
>
>Zohl de Ishtar
>
>Pacific Connections
>Women for a Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (Australia)
>International Peace Bureau, Oceania Representative
>
>PO Box 172, Annandale 2038, Australia.
>Tel: +61 (0)2 96603670  Email: <pacific@talent.com.au>
>
>NEW WEBSITE: PACIFIC ACTION <http://www.pasifika.net/pacific-action>
>
>Eradicate Colonialism!
>The Pacific will never be demilitarised until it is decolonised.
>
>(Sponsored by Pax Christi and Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition)
>


------------------------------------------------------------------------
New hobbies? New curiosities? New enthusiasms?
http://www.onelist.com
Sign up for a new email list today