WGAR News: Evicting Indigenous Australians from their homelands is a declaration of war: John Pilger, The Guardian

Newsletter date: 23 April 2015

Contents:

* Analysis / Opinion: John Pilger, The Guardian: Evicting Indigenous Australians from their homelands is a declaration of war

* Video Special report back: Paddy Gibson, Stop the Intervention: First Nations Peoples and Australian Government Policy - What happened to the Intervention? 20 April 2015

* News Analysis & Video: Maiki Sherman, Maori Television: Protest against closure of Aboriginal communities continues to gain momentum
* News: Maiki Sherman, Maori Television: Marama Fox to attend protest against closure of Aboriginal communities in Australia
* Latest News & Videos: Indigenous - Maori Television: http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/latest-news/indigenous
* News Analysis: Amy McQuire, New Matilda: Maori Leader Brands Tony Abbott A 'Racist B*stard' Over Remote Closure Plans

* Community Solidarity Action Sign-on Statement: Green Left: New NT group says fund and support self-determination for Aboriginal communities

* Upcoming Event: 1 May 2015, Melbourne - rally and march against the forced closures of Aboriginal communities, facebook
* Upcoming Event: 1 May 2015, Sydney Rally May 1: National Day of Action: Stop the forced closure of Aboriginal communities, Stoptheintervention_announce
* Event Call: Mudgin-Gal calls for organisations to close early May 1 in solidarity with NDA, Stoptheintervention_announce
* Event Poster: Stop the Forced Closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia, facebook: "We would like to confirm that that 2nd National Call of Action will be held Friday 1st May 2015."
* Facebook: Stop the Forced Closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia: https://www.facebook.com/sosblakaustralia

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

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

- Analysis / Opinion

The Guardian: Evicting Indigenous Australians from their homelands is a declaration of war
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/22/by-evicting-the-hom...
22 Apr 15: "Australia occasionally interrupts its ‘normal’ mistreatment of Aboriginal people to deliver a frontal assault, like the closure of Western Australia’s homelands ... Australia has again declared war on its Indigenous people, reminiscent of the brutality that brought universal condemnation on apartheid South Africa. Aboriginal people are to be driven from homelands where their communities have lived for thousands of years. In Western Australia, where mining companies make billion dollar profits exploiting Aboriginal land, ... " John Pilger

John Pilger - The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/profile/johnpilger
"John Pilger is a war correspondent, film-maker and author. His latest film is Utopia."

Note from John Pilger: A longer version will be up on http://johnpilger.com/

The films and journalism of John Pilger
http://johnpilger.com/
"It is not enough for journalists to see themselves as mere messengers without understanding the hidden agendas of the message and myths that surround it." John Pilger

- Video Special report back

Stop the Intervention: First Nations Peoples and Australian Government Policy - What happened to the Intervention?
Special report back from Paddy Gibson on the effects of current government policies on First Nations Peoples communities.
http://stoptheintervention.org/past-events/20-apr-2015-what-happened-to-...
20 Apr 15: "Paddy Gibson has just returned from 12 months living in Alice Springs. At this special STICS meeting he gave a presentation looking at the continuing impacts of the NT Intervention, now known as 'Stronger Futures' on Aboriginal living conditions, incarceration and child removal rates. Paddy also discussed how the policy architecture of the Intervention is expanding across the country [with the threatened closure of WA Aboriginal homeland communities] and why the demand for a repeal of Intervention laws remains as important as ever."

For the event on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1577298605858310/

"[Padraic] Gibson is a senior researcher with the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, University of Technology Sydney. He has lived in Alice Springs and travelled extensively in Central Australia researching the impact of State and Federal government policy on First Nations People. He is also an organiser with the Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney and co-editor of Solidarity magazine and Associate Producer of the epic documentary Utopia by John Pilger."

- News Analysis & Video

Maori Television: Protest against closure of Aboriginal communities continues to gain momentum
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/protest-against-closure-abo...
22 Apr 15: "A protest rally was held in Auckland strongly opposing a decision by the Australian Government to close around 150 remote Aboriginal communities. Tomorrow, a protest march will be held in Perth, Australia, by a local Aboriginal community. In a few weeks, Marama Fox will also fly to Western Australia to take part on another protest march. However, despite a number of New Zealand MPs voicing their concerns, there are also those who are keeping quiet on the matter. Auckland University students standing up ... " By Maiki Sherman

Maiki Sherman - Maori Television
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/reporters/maiki-sherman
" ... Maiki came to Te Kaea having spent three years with Te Karere, and before that she worked in print. Maiki is now based is Wellington focussing on politics as Te Kaea’s reporter in Parliament. While at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ruamata, Maiki was named New Zealand Top Scholar, Te Reo Rangatira Level 3, for students exceptionally fluent in the Maori language. ... "

- News

Maori Television: Marama Fox to attend protest against closure of Aboriginal communities in Australia
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/marama-fox-attend-protest-a...
22 Apr 15: "Maori Party Co-leader, Marama Fox, will take part in a protest march in Australia next month opposing its Government’s plan to close 150 remote aboriginal communities. The news comes days after the Maori Party sent a letter to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott outlining their concerns. ... Meanwhile, National Party MP Hekia Parata is being criticised by Labour Party MP Kelvin Davis for keeping quiet on the issue. Hekia Parata criticised a protest over the weekend aimed at Tony Abbott during his New Zealand visit. ... " By Maiki Sherman

- Latest News & Videos

Australia - Maori Television:
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/latest-news/australia
"Maori Television reports on the current situation affecting Indigenous Aboriginal communities in Western Australia, and other relevant stories of our Maori people residing in Australia."

Indigenous - Maori Television:
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/latest-news/indigenous
"Stories of signifficance from around the world that relate to and impact the Indigenous people."

- News Analysis

New Matilda: Maori Leader Brands Tony Abbott A 'Racist B*stard' Over Remote Closure Plans
https://newmatilda.com/2015/04/21/maori-leader-brands-tony-abbott-racist...
21 Apr 15: "He slammed John Howard over the Northern Territory intervention, and now prominent leader Hone Harawira has turned his attention to Abbott. Amy McQuire reports. The leader of one of New Zealand’s two Maori political parties has savaged Prime Minister Tony Abbott as a "racist b*stard" for his support for the closure of up to 150 remote Aboriginal communities, stating that the plans fit the international definition of genocide. Mana Movement leader Hone Harawira, ... " By Amy McQuire, a Darumbul woman from central Queensland. Amy is a senior reporter with New Matilda. She is the former editor of the National Indigenous Times and Tracker.

Amy McQuire - New Matilda
https://newmatilda.com/users/amy-mcquire

- Community Solidarity Action Sign-on Statement

Green Left: New NT group says fund and support self-determination for Aboriginal communities
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/58765
17 Apr 15: "Community Solidarity Action was launched in Darwin to respond to funding cuts under the federal government's Indigenous Advancement Strategy and to protest against the closure of communities in Western Australia. The group was launched by community organisations, unions and individuals concerned about or affected by the recent funding announcements and community closures. It will hold a rally in Darwin on May 1 at Raintree Park to protest against these cuts, show solidarity with communities facing closure ... "

- Upcoming Event

1 May 2015, MELBOURNE - rally and march against the forced closures of Aboriginal communities, facebook
Hosted by Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance - WAR
https://www.facebook.com/events/554444444695682/
Melbourne Town Hall
"Melbourne city will join the international day of action against the forced closures of Aboriginal communities, please come along and stand in solidarity. We will start at Melbourne Town Hall at 4pm on 1 May 2015.
Things to bring:
- Gum leaves
- Banners
- Snacks and water"

- Upcoming Event

1 May 2015, Sydney Rally May 1: National Day of Action: Stop the forced closure of Aboriginal communities, Stoptheintervention_announce
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/stoptheintervention_announce/mED...
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/stoptheintervention_announce/jRG...
https://www.facebook.com/events/824338330974046/
"Speakers include:
Jenny Munro, Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy
John Pilger, Award winning journalist
Gwenda Stanley, Gomeroi Sovereign Movement
Ken Canning, Murri poet
Representatives from WA communities"
"Join the national day of action and take to the streets in Sydney once again against disgraceful moves to shut down Aboriginal communities. We will be marching in solidarity with brothers and sisters in WA staring down the imminent threat of withdrawal of essential services to once again force Aboriginal people off their lands. ... "

- Event Call

Mudgin-Gal calls for organisations to close early May 1 in solidarity with NDA, Stoptheintervention_announce
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/stoptheintervention_announce/gkc...
" ... The Board of Mudgin-Gal Aboriginal Women’s Corporation will close business hours early on 1 st of May 2015 to allow staff to the rally at Belmore Park at 4pm in support of the national day of action against the forced closure of Aboriginal communities attend and urges other community organisations and local businesses to do the same.
Mudgin-gal believes that it is important to defend the interests of our clients who as members of our community are most at risk from flow on effects of the decisions of federal and state governments. ... "

- Event Poster

Stop the Forced Closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia, facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sosblakaustralia/photos/a.1042299689120174.1073...
24 Mar 15: "We would like to confirm that that 2nd National Call of Action will be held Friday 1st May 2015. Actions will begin at 10am in the Kimberley but there will be other times for other states behind this and we will promote the information specific to the locations when confirmed. Any communities wishing to organise an action on this day, please contact us so that we can support you and provide resources."

- Facebook

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

- 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: 22 April 2015)

- Background

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: 22 April 2015)

- - -

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

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'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) and South Australia (SA);
* the Aboriginal sovereignty movement and the Aboriginal tent embassies;
* Justice Reinvestment, Aboriginal imprisonment and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody;
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* Removal of Aboriginal children and the continuing Stolen Generation;
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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)