WGAR News: SOSBlakAustralia Third Global Call To Action - Stop the forced closure of Aboriginal Communities: 26-27-28 June 2015

Newsletter date: 26 May 2015

Contents:

* Upcoming Event: 26-27-28 June 2015: SOSBlakAustralia Third Global Call To Action - Stop the forced closure of Aboriginal Communities

* News Analysis: Emily Burley, Coffs Coast Advocate: Rally against forced community closures

* News Analysis: Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: "Only in body bags," say Jigalong residents. "They do nothing for us," say Roebourne residents

* Upcoming Event: 1 June 2015: Rally for the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy and Against All Forced Closures, facebook

* Analysis / Opinion: Lauren Williams, USA Today: Australia's closing of Aboriginal communities sparks protests

* Audio Interview: Cassandra Tim & Warren Barnsley, NIRS Weekly News-in-Review: "Nyul Nyul and Jabir Jabir traditional owner Henry Augustine reacts to WA community closures"

* Analysis / Opinion: Peter Boyle, Green Left: Will Abbott save Galilee Basin coalmine?

* WGAR Background: Plans to close Aboriginal homelands / remote communities in WA and SA (and NT?)
* WGAR Background: Aboriginal Peoples and the impact of the Federal Budget

* Analysis / Opinion: John Pilger, Green Left: John Pilger: Honour our Aboriginal heroes

* Analysis / Opinion: Chris Graham, New Matilda: One Year On: A New Matilda Editor's Perspective
* Appeal: New Matilda: Subscribe to New Matilda, While You Still Can!
* About Us - New Matilda: https://newmatilda.com/about-us

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

- Upcoming Event

26-27-28 June 2015: SOSBlakAustralia Third Global Call To Action - Stop the forced closure of Aboriginal Communities
https://www.facebook.com/events/434149830098436/

Stop the Forced Closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia, facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sosblakaustralia

- News Analysis

Coffs Coast Advocate: Rally against forced community closures
http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/rally-against-forced-community...
21 May 15: "HUNDREDS of people gathered in Coffs Harbour on Friday to protest plans for the forced closure of remote Aboriginal communities. An estimated 300 people rallied at Fitzroy Oval before marching to the town centre to hear from a number of speakers. The event was one of many protests nationwide over the past few weeks, held in opposition to plans for the closure of remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. Chris Spencer from the Coffs Harbour Local Aboriginal Land Council said the issue was significant to the local Aboriginal community. ... " Emily Burley

- News Analysis

The Stringer: "Only in body bags," say Jigalong residents. "They do nothing for us," say Roebourne residents
http://thestringer.com.au/only-in-body-bags-say-jigalong-residents-they-...
22 May 15: "There continues the threat to close down Homelands and their communities by the sleight of hand of audit and consultation, but many say they do not want their communities to be audited for the purpose of whether they should exist or not. The Western Australian Government has also thrown into the wash the promise of major reforms in spending on services to Homeland towns and communities but the people say in reality Governments spend ever so little on ensuring even basic rights. ... " By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist

- Upcoming Event

1 June 2015: Rally for the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy and Against All Forced Closures, facebook
Hosted by Alex Pademelon Johnson and 4 others
https://www.facebook.com/events/1611142109127858/
"Last week Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy (RATE) was issued with an eviction notice, effective from May 26th 2015. This day was set to be a celebration marking one year of struggle - now there is an urgent need to mobilise to defend the Embassy. The Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established on National Sorry Day, May 26 last year to demand affordable Aboriginal housing on Aboriginal land at the Block. For the past 12 months the Embassy has successfully blocked attempts by Deicorp and the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) for corporate redevelopment of the Block ... "

- Analysis / Opinion

USA Today: Australia's closing of Aboriginal communities sparks protests
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/05/24/australia-shuts-abor...
24 May 15: "Sydney - Government moves to close remote indigenous communities because of alleged social problems and the cost of maintaining them is triggering a new wave of protests ... Aboriginal groups point to their spiritual connection to the land that is legally recognized, and they say the government should pay to eradicate the social problems it claims exist rather than close communities. The groups also contend that the real reason the government is preparing to evict indigenous populations is to make way for uranium and coal mining. ... " Lauren Williams, Special for USA Today

- Audio Interview

National Indigenous Radio's Weekly News-in-Review
http://www.nirs.org.au/PROGRAMS/NIRS-Weekly-News-in-Review
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1nvmfgmnc5t1cg6/Weekly%20News%20In%20Review%20...
This week's episode is presented by Cassandra Tim.
"Nyul Nyul and Jabir Jabir traditional owner Henry Augustine reacts to WA community closures"
Producers: Cassandra Tim and Warren Barnsley

- Analysis / Opinion

Green Left: Will Abbott save Galilee Basin coalmine?
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/59076
23 May 15: "In its latest federal budget, the Tony Abbott Liberal-National government announced the setting up of a $5 billion "concessional loan facility" called the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. The proposal has been condemned by environmental and Aboriginal rights groups. ... SOSBlakAustralia, which leads the campaign against the forced closures of Aboriginal communities, condemned this new loans scheme as "$5 billion dollars to exploit the Northern 'frontier' after gutting Indigenous services by $543 million in 2014 and threats of community closures. ... " By GLW author Peter Boyle

- Background

WGAR Background: Plans to close Aboriginal homelands / remote communities in WA and SA (and NT?)
https://indymedia.org.au/2014/12/08/background-plans-to-close-aboriginal...
(last updated: 19 May 2015)

WGAR Background: Aboriginal Peoples and the impact of the Federal Budget
https://indymedia.org.au/2014/12/24/wgar-background-aboriginal-peoples-a...
(last updated: 21 May 2015)

- Analysis / Opinion

Green Left: John Pilger: Honour our Aboriginal heroes
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/59066
23 May 15: "If you want to meet the best Australians, meet Indigenous men and women who understand this extraordinary country and have fought for the rights of the world's oldest culture. Theirs is a struggle more selfless, heroic and enduring than any historical adventure non-Indigenous Australians are required incessantly to celebrate. I know this to be true, because I have been reporting from and filming in Indigenous communities for most of my life. In 1984, I met one of the best Australians, Kwementyaye Randall. ... " By GLW author John Pilger

- Analysis / Opinion

New Matilda: One Year On: A New Matilda Editor's Perspective
https://newmatilda.com/2015/05/19/one-year-new-matilda-editors-perspective
19 May 15: "Chris Graham looks back at one year in the hot seat... which has rickety wheels, a broken gas-lift and ripped fabric. When I took over New Matilda a year ago today, I promised readers a wild ride. I don’t know about you, but I’ve certainly had one. In the space of a year, we’ve found ourselves in the Federal Court and the NSW Supreme Court - with numerous other threats in between - and we’ve been investigated by state and federal police on several occasions. ... " By Chris Graham, the owner and editor of New Matilda

Chris Graham - New Matilda
https://newmatilda.com/users/chris-graham

- Appeal

New Matilda: Subscribe to New Matilda, While You Still Can!
https://newmatilda.com/2015/05/24/subscribe-new-matilda-while-you-still-can
24 May 15: "Earlier in the week, we put a call out for subscribers. We’re doing it again, but this time with more gusto! New Matilda exists almost solely on paid reader subscriptions. Unfortunately, our current rate of subscriptions isn’t enough to sustain the publication. Of course, we’ll find a way to keep going - we always do. But any help our readers can provide is greatly appreciated. Traffic to the ‘new’ New Matilda is up 300 percent, but the paid subscriptions, unfortunately, are not. ... " By New Matilda

About Us - New Matilda
https://newmatilda.com/about-us
" ... New Matilda is independent journalism at its best. The site has been publishing intelligent coverage of Australian and international politics, media and culture since 2004. You'll find new stories on the homepage daily. ... Our readers are our investors. New Matilda is predominantly reader-funded and remains fiercely independent, with no affiliation to any political party, lobby group or other media organisation. Become a New Matilda funder here: https://newmatilda.com/be-a-supporter "

- - -

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

About WGAR News:

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en-GB#!forum/wgar-news

Subscription to 'WGAR News' is free.

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

* The Freedom Summit's National Freedom Movement;
* the Australian Federal government intervention into Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal communities;
* Plans to close Aboriginal homelands / remote communities in Western Australia (WA), South Australia (SA), [and Northern Territory (NT)?];
* the Aboriginal sovereignty movement and the Aboriginal tent embassies;
* Justice Reinvestment, Aboriginal imprisonment and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody;
* Aboriginal land rights and mining;
* Suicide and self-harm in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities;
* Removal of Aboriginal children and the continuing Stolen Generation;
* Aboriginal peoples and the impact of the Australian Federal Budget;
* Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing;
* other Aboriginal rights issues; and
* upcoming Aboriginal rights events around Australia.

'WGAR News' gives priority to grassroots Aboriginal voices and grassroots voices in solidarity with Aboriginal peoples' rights.

The role of 'WGAR News' is to facilitate the voices of others, and as such, 'WGAR News' rarely writes its own articles.

'WGAR News' publishes information and opinions from a wide range of sources.
These opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of WGAR.

The e-newsletters include media releases, opinion pieces, news items, audio, videos and events.

Subscribers can expect to receive about 5-6 e-newsletters each week.

To subscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "subscribe WGAR News" in the message header.

To unsubscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "unsubscribe WGAR News" in the message header.

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)