WGAR News: International anger swelling at plans to evict Australian Aborigines from ancestral lands: Diet Simon, Linksunten Indymedia

Newsletter date: 3 May 2015

Contents:

* News Round-Up: Diet Simon, Linksunten Indymedia: International anger swelling at plans to evict Australian Aborigines from ancestral lands
* Summary of Analysis: Diet Simon, Linksunten Indymedia: French researchers: "Aboriginal communities should not be closed!"

* Photos of May 1st rally: Berlin Action - Stop the Forced Closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia, facebook
* Photos of May 1st rally: Newzulu Australia: Sydney: Tent Embassy joins national day of action on forced community closures

* Videos of May 1st rally: Eleanor Gilbert, Vimeo: May Day Speeches at the Canberra Rally: Alice Haines, BillyT, Roxley Foley, Les Coe & Nungala LeeAnne Lacey

* Audio Interview: Uprising with Sonali: How Australia's Indigenous Communities are Fighting Against Increased Oppression [Guest: Ryan Whitewolf, an activist and musician]

* Media Release: ACTU: Unions urge Abbott and Barnett Governments to stop the funding cuts and closures of Aboriginal communities
* Media Release: ACTU: Union movement condemns forcible closure of Aboriginal communities

* Analysis / Opinion: Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Beware the 'framing' of the conversation - 'consultation' is a dirty word - Don’t close any Homelands - end of story

* Upcoming 15 May 2015 Event: Madeleine Wines, Bendigo Advertiser: Protest may shut down Bendigo CBD

* WGAR Background: Plans to close Aboriginal homelands / remote communities in WA and SA

WGAR News Public Google Group: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en-GB#!forum/wgar-news
WGAR News - Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

- News Round-Up

Linksunten Indymedia: International anger swelling at plans to evict Australian Aborigines from ancestral lands
https://linksunten.indymedia.org/en/node/142064
2 May 15: "Thousands of people converged on the centre of Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, on 1 May to protest against government plans to forcibly close remote Aboriginal communities. The global TV broadcaster Al Jazeera noted that it was the largest of dozens of rallies held around Australia and globally on the day. ... Between 500 and 1000 attended a rally in Perth, the West Australian capital, as well as thousands more across Sydney, Canberra, Darwin, Adelaide, Alice Springs, and 1,000 in four New Zealand cities. National Indigenous TV estimated that there were anti-closure protests in some 70 communities around the world, including in Berlin. ... " Created by: Diet Simon, sourcing from WGAR News

- Summary of Analysis

Linksunten Indymedia: French researchers: "Aboriginal communities should not be closed!"
https://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/141851
1 May 15: "Imagine one day getting told that your suburb will "be closed". That you will lose electricity, water, health care and education for your children, i.e. the services every other citizen of the country where you live is entitled to. The reason? Not a war, as happens in many places whose populations are forced to flee and hide, but the simple fact that the government has decided that you cannot live more than 100 kms away from a town, sharing with others a "lifestyle" in a community deemed "unsustainable and unlikely to attract development opportunities for the future". ... [The above is an extract from Scales of Governance - The UN And Indigenous Peoples, a reposting of an article first published in the Huffington Post (French version) by Martin Préaud and Barbara Glowczewski ... " Verfasst von: Diet Simon, sourcing from WGAR News
"A prominent Aboriginal activist, Ghillar, Michael Anderson, writes that the Sovereign Union of First Nations and Peoples in Australia is building an international campaign to shut down trade with Australia, to force Australia to deal with Aboriginal sovereignty and to bring an end to colonialism. "The fact that Australia has maintained a policy of denial and rejects the right of self-determination by substituting a programme of self-management under the governments' terms and conditions is in complete violation of Australia's international obligations. ... " ... " Verfasst von: Diet Simon, sourcing from WGAR News

- Photos of May 1st rally

Berlin Action - Stop the Forced Closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia, facebook
Hosted by Tanya De Souza-Meally and Lyla Bee
https://www.facebook.com/events/829150893800455/
" ... May 1st is the International Call-to-Action day, when across Australia and the world people will stand in solidarity with Australia's First Peoples in condemnation of these offences. Berlin is home to a large Australian expatriate community. Let's come together to show our solidarity with the proud Aboriginal people and to show the Australian government that its citizens and others overseas are watching, ... We will meet outside the Australian Embassy and embark on a small march. ... "

- Photos of May 1st rally

Newzulu Australia: Sydney: Tent Embassy joins national day of action on forced community closures
http://www.newzulu.com.au/en/photos/australia/2015-05-01/9993/sydney-ten...
1 May 15: "Thousands marched through the streets of Sydney on May 1, 2015 to protest  the forced closure of some remote Aboriginal communities. The rally began at Belmore Park at Central where speakers included lawyer and founder of the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy Jenny Munro, film maker and journalist John Pilger, actor and comedian Ernie Dingo, and poet and playwright Ken Canning. The rally then marched to Redfern's Aboriginal Tent Embassy where protesters gathered around a large bonfire. ... "

- Videos of May 1st rally

Eleanor Gilbert, Vimeo: May Day Speeches at the Canberra Rally: Alice Haines, BillyT, Roxley Foley, Les Coe & Nungala LeeAnne Lacey

Eleanor Gilbert’s Videos: https://vimeo.com/user1605040/videos

Alice Haines: https://vimeo.com/126589161
BillyT: https://vimeo.com/126589163
Alice Haines: https://vimeo.com/126589164
Roxley Foley: https://vimeo.com/126624867
Les Coe: https://vimeo.com/126624868
Nungala LeeAnne Lacey: https://vimeo.com/126640787

- Audio Interview

Uprising with Sonali: How Australia’s Indigenous Communities are Fighting Against Increased Oppression
http://uprisingradio.org/home/2015/05/01/how-australias-indigenous-commu...
http://ia601508.us.archive.org/3/items/20150501Uprising/2015_05_01_Ryan_...
1 May 15: "Guest: Ryan Whitewolf, an activist and musician. ... the Australian government has been waging an all-our war against aboriginal communities, having proposed the closure of 150 communities in Western Australia. Even the United Nations permanent forum on indigenous issues has added its voice to those opposing the move. ... Around the world, actions have sprung up in solidarity with Australia’s indigenous people as part of a global awareness campaign. In Los Angeles, where this program is based, indigenous activists from Australia will be rallying this afternoon in Echo Park. ... "

- Media Release

ACTU: Unions urge Abbott and Barnett Governments to stop the funding cuts and closures of Aboriginal communities
http://www.actu.org.au/actu-media/media-releases/2015/unions-urge-abbott...
1 May 15: "Unions are calling on the Abbott and Barnett Governments to reinstate funding for Aboriginal services, and end the forcible closures of Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. ... The ACTU strongly believes in the right to self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Both governments must genuinely engage and consult with Aboriginal people. Unions have endorsed today’s National Day of Action and will join the community to attend the rallies across the country. ... "

"The union movement supports, and will defend, the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to live on traditional lands and continue their cultural connection which is an invaluable part of Australia’s identity as a nation." ACTU President Ged Kearney

- Media Release

ACTU: Union movement condemns forcible closure of Aboriginal communities
http://www.actu.org.au/actu-media/media-releases/2015/union-movement-con...
26 Mar 15: "The ACTU Executive has voted unanimously to condemn the Abbott and Barnett Governments’ moves to forcibly close Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. Unions call on the Abbott Government to restore funding for Aboriginal communities and the Barnett Government to end the political funding games and work with communities to maintain their connection to traditional lands. Australian Unions will support campaigns driven by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. ... "

"Tony Abbott’s insensitive "lifestyle choices" comment demonstrates his disconnection from the Aboriginal communities he purports to represent as the self-appointed Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs. It is interesting to note that the Prime Minister’s position reflects capitalisation and the sectional interests of corporate miners such as Reinhart and Forrest." ACTU President Ged Kearney

About the ACTU
The ACTU is the peak union body representing almost 2 million Australian workers and their families.
http://www.actu.org.au/about-the-actu/about-the-actu
"When union delegates gathered in the Victorian Trades Hall in 1927 to establish the Australian Council of Trade Unions they had a clear vision - to lift the living standards and quality of working life of working people. And their strategy to achieve this was also clear – to build union organisation of the workforce on a national basis. More than 80 years on the ACTU, its affiliated unions and their members celebrate a proud record of achievement on behalf of working Australians and the community. ... "

- Analysis / Opinion

The Stringer: Beware the 'framing' of the conversation - 'consultation' is a dirty word - Don’t close any Homelands - end of story
http://thestringer.com.au/beware-the-framing-of-the-conversation-consult...
26 Apr 15: "Far too many politicians, ‘leaders’ and commentators are carrying on about Governments needing to ‘consult’ with the ‘remote communities’ rather than just stating as it should be - ‘do not close any communities’. Throwing around the ‘consultation’ is dangerous because it buys into an argument that some Homelands and their communities should be closed. There should be no buy-in to this. ... " By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist

- Upcoming 15 May 2015 Event

Bendigo Advertiser: Protest may shut down Bendigo CBD
http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/3051848/protest-may-shut-down-...
2 May 15: "HUNDREDS of protesters are expected to bring Bendigo's CBD to a standstill later this month, as they rally against the forced closure of remote indigenous communities. The May 15 rally will be the second in Bendigo this year ... they will stage an hour-long sit in. Keagan James, rally co-organiser, said 300 to 500 people were expected to attend the rally to show solidarity for those against the removal of Aboriginal people from communities in Western Australia. "It will be a peaceful rally but also fiery. We want to be heard," Mr James said. ... " By Madeleine Wines, with The Age

- Background

WGAR Background: Plans to close Aboriginal homelands / remote communities in WA and SA
https://indymedia.org.au/2014/12/08/background-plans-to-close-aboriginal...
(last updated: 2 May 2015)

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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

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'WGAR News' monitors the media, including alternative media, focusing on:

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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)