WGAR News: Aboriginal protest continues as Australian PM plans visit to New Zealand: Online News Team, Maori Television

Newsletter date: 16 April 2015

Contents:

* Latest News & Videos: Top topic: Australia - Maori Television: http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/latest-news/australia
* News Analysis: Online News Team, Maori Television: Aboriginal protest continues as Australian PM plans visit to New Zealand
* News Analysis: Online News Team, Maori Television: Maori perform haka in Sydney opposing closure of remote Aboriginal communities
* News Analysis: Online News Team, Taiha Molyneux, Maori Television: Maori and Australian artists collaborate to create artwork opposing remote community closure

* Call Out: Melissa Sweet, Croakey - the Crikey health blog: Calling health professionals to stand up on May 1, and join the "Selfish Rabble"
* 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."

* News Analysis: Steph Price, Red Flag: The fight for remote communities strengthens
* News Analysis: Rachel Evans & Jemma Nott, Green Left: Huge rallies against WA community closures
* Video: Yupster2501, YouTube: Stop The Forced Closure Of Aboriginal Communities - Sydney 10th April 2015
* Interview: The Guardian: #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA: stop the forced closure of Aboriginal communities - IndigenousX [Featuring Sam Cook]
* Facebook: Stop the Forced Closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia

* 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)

- 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

Maori Television: Aboriginal protest continues as Australian PM plans visit to New Zealand
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/aboriginal-protest-continue...
14 Apr 15: "A number of rallies have been organised across New Zealand over the coming weeks to show support for the Indigenous communities of Australia battling to save their remote communities from closure. As the battle of the Indigenous people of Australia continues, the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is preparing to visit New Zealand next Monday ... This Saturday a gathering of people in opposition to the closures will be held in Auckland to raise awareness of the situation. ... Event organiser for Saturday’s gathering, Christina Lajdes says, "The amount of support has been mind-blowing. ... " ... " By Online News Team. Our Online News Team reports on the latest news stories at local, national and international levels.

- News Analysis

Maori Television: Maori perform haka in Sydney opposing closure of remote Aboriginal communities
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/maori-perform-haka-sydney-o...
13 Apr 15: "Maori based in Sydney joined forces with those who marched against the closure of remote Aboriginal Communities on Friday. ... The opposition to the proposed closure of the remote communities has grown drastically both online and on the ground, with those supporting the call also marching in Melbourne. A haka was performed at the event to showcase the support Māori have for the Aboriginal people, which was subsequently shared on Facebook and can be viewed on the link below.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153603680311953&fref=nf ... " By Online News Team

- News Analysis

Maori Television: Maori and Australian artists collaborate to create artwork opposing remote community closure
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/maori-and-australian-artist...
15 Apr 15: "A talented Maori artist teamed up with an Australian artist, combining their skills to paint a mural in support of the Aboriginal people’s battle to stop the closure of over 200 remote communities in Western Australia. Jason Manukau of Tainui and Ngati Mahuta has been recognised worldwide for his talent in the art of airbrushing, specialising in portraits and his latest collaborative effort in conjunction with his friend Ian Lowe on display at the Power House in Melbourne has generated passionate feedback. ... " By Online News Team, Taiha Molyneux

Taiha Molyneux
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/reporters/taiha-molyneux
"Taiha is of Tuhoe and Ngati Kahungunu descent she has led the Online News team at Maori Television as Executive Producer for just over a year and was formerly a producer for Te Kaea news. She spent time as a reporter for Maori Television's current affairs show Native Affairs and as Maori Issues Reporter for Radio New Zealand. ... "

- Call Out

Croakey - the Crikey health blog: Calling health professionals to stand up on May 1, and join the "Selfish Rabble"
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2015/04/12/calling-health-professiona...
12 Apr 15: "Widespread anger and concern about the threatened closure of remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia have galvanised a national movement of opposition, as has been seen in a series of marches and protests around the country. As a number of Croakey articles have shown, there are profound concerns about the potentially damaging health impacts of the threatened closures, amongst many other concerns. The community-driven #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA campaign ... is promising "to launch the biggest humanitarian effort for Aboriginal Australia, by Aboriginal Australia". ... " Melissa Sweet, health journalist and Croakey co-ordinator

- 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."

- News Analysis

Red Flag: The fight for remote communities strengthens
http://redflag.org.au/article/fight-remote-communities-strengthens
14 Apr 15: " ... "We are going nowhere!", shouted Meriki Onus, a Gunnai and Gunditjmara woman, as if speaking directly to the rows of police who stood at the edges of the giant circle. "Our goal today was to shut this city down!", declared Pekeri Ruska, Goenpul and Yuggera woman and member of Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance, which helped organise the rally. "As I look around today, this is the biggest one yet", she said proudly of the gathering, which numbered around 5,000. ... " Steph Price, Editor

Red Flag - Who we are?
http://redflag.org.au/content/about-0
"Red Flag is a non-profit left wing newspaper established by Socialist Alternative in 2013. We do not receive corporate or government funding. ... The editorial committee consists of Ben Hillier, Corey Oakley and Steph Price."

- News Analysis

Green Left: Huge rallies against WA community closures
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/58734
12 Apr 15: " ... In Melbourne, between 5000 and 10,000 people responded to the call by Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR) to oppose the ethnic cleansing of remote Aboriginal communities by the federal, WA, SA and NT governments, ... In the most militant Aboriginal rights rally Sydney has seen since massive protests against the bicentenary celebrations in 1988, Aboriginal people came from across NSW including La Peruse, Mt Druid, and Dubbo to take part. A proud Maori contingent was present. ... " GLW author Rachel Evans & Jemma Nott

Green Left Weekly - Australian News
https://www.greenleft.org.au/sections/australian-news
" ... As I've often said to people all over the world when they ask what the press is like in Australia, 'Mostly owned by Murdoch and mostly unfree'. But I always add quickly, 'There is one newspaper that is independent of powerful interests and that's Green Left Weekly'." John Pilger

- Video

Yupster2501, YouTube: Stop The Forced Closure Of Aboriginal Communities - Sydney 10th April 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVa0eQC7NBc
10 Apr 15: "March endorsed by: Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Indigenous Social Justice Association, Grandmothers Against Removals, Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney ... 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. These moves to relocate Aboriginal people and break up communities are taking place Australia wide - from the APY lands in SA, the homelands of the NT, to the Block in the heart of Sydney. ... "

- Interview

The Guardian: #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA: stop the forced closure of Aboriginal communities - IndigenousX [Featuring Sam Cook]
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/01/sosblakaustralia-st...
1 Apr 15: "Sam Cook was born in protest and hasn’t stopped resisting since. As one of the founders of #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA, she’s tweeting all about it @IndigenousX ... The #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA campaign to stop the forced removal of Aboriginal people from their communities, has been the community led response to the pressure points that have been inundating our communities by incumbent state and federal governments. This action was initiated on 13 March by a small group of Kimberley women and in six days we mounted a national call to action activating every state and territory in Australia. ... "

- 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: 14 April 2015)

- - -

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

About WGAR News:

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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) and South Australia (SA);
* 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.

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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)