Urgent action: France to violate the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty this week

Got this email today…

 

Hi friends,

This week France is preparing to carry out a new test of a future missile M51. This is a complete violation of the Non-proliferation Treaty that?France signed in 1992.? This violation of international law is a serious one; it will be done in secret.?

Please send a message to the President and Prime Minister of France asking them to suspend the M51 missile program and to take the initiative to commit to the international process of nuclear disarmament while following the elimination convention model of nuclear arms proposed by the UN.

More bombs equals more mess people!

See letter to use below?and email adresses for the French Government in?the TO: field?below.

Thanks,

[Read more]

GetUp Action - Stand up for Tibet & AVAAZ - Tibet Petition

Dear friends,

Often we read the news in horror about international events which we feel we have no control over. But sometimes there is a window when we have real power to play an active role in stopping human rights abuses overseas.

As Australians, we are in a unique position right now to help stop the cultural genocide taking place in Tibet. That’s because Kevin Rudd is visiting Beijing to meet the Chinese President and Premier - the two men who are able to put an end to this crisis. With the impending Beijing Olympics, where the world’s eyes will focus on China, we have a once in a decade chance to make a real difference.

Sign this urgent petition to Mr Rudd to use his influence - and his Chinese language skills - to stand up for the human rights of Tibetans when he visits China in just a few weeks:

www.getup.org.au/campaign/StandUpForTibet

[Read more]

Upperroom Planning

So the option of helping out, set up, plan and run stuff in the upperroom has now been to our Feb and March gatherings. We have a few people offering other people to help or ideas like ?Who would Jesus Bomb?. Not a lot of people saying they will organise the night or know an artist that could display/do art stuff or speakers. I know people that come like to have something they don?t have to organise but you just get lots of whatever I pull together when no one helps out. So time to act people. (Hoping to have some postcards /propaganda for the year and don’t want to miss the year planning.) [Read more]

Easter Message(s)

I thought I would post up Easter Messages as they arrive in my inbox…. feel free to add your own

Easter Message from UCA President Rev.Gregor Henderson

Despite walking this earth 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ continues to make more impact for good on people in the world today than any other single human being.

We hear much these days about the tension, competition and conflict between people of different faiths. This Easter it is worth noting that the stresses that can occur are generated by a very few people. The far more common story, not often told, is the good relationships that are being nurtured, together with a commitment to maintaining peace and harmony, by the vast majority of people of faith.

In the Indian city of Machilipatnam, thousands of Hindus and Muslims come to the city cathedral every Christmas Eve to pray, in respect for the Christian faith and in commitment to community togetherness. Further, each visitor drops a few rupees into the cathedral?s offering boxes and, on that one day, they contribute more than 10% of the cathedral?s annual budget.
[Read more]

Bill Posters

I though I would follow Rus’s graffiti theme with this photo

I love it when people mess with ‘the mans’ brain.

Students Response to Graffiti

 

 

 

 

Dear Political Graffiti Artist on Flickr

On a wall, otherwise freshly painted, where someone sprayed: “Don’t walk away in silence.”

Mk 11 - Palm Sunday Bible Study

MorePraxis bible study works as a resource to prime a conversation and reflection on a passage. So reflect and think about the text, listen for God and your spirit. I hope the format is less like the normal comprehension styled Bible study, but rather that it feels like ideas are raised and space is left for you and your groups to have a conversation.

Mark 11:1-25 - Jesus? Palm Sunday
(Full TExt in PDF)praxisbiblemk11.pdf

Reflect:
Read the text and notice what grabs your attention. Key words? Ideas?
Read it again, now what stands out? What do you relate to? What do you disagree with?
Is there a story from your life it reminds you of?

Think:
?The first part of this passage is what many Bible headings call ?the triumphant entry into Jerusalem? But what?s so triumphant about it? Jesus doesn?t even spend the night there, because it was too late. At Palm Sunday Church services everywhere will have donkeys and kids chanting HOSANNA! Etc. Laying palm leaves and blankets at the feet of the conquering king like a defeated army laying down their weapons. We all know that Jesus did not come as the conquering king he is the servant king. Jesus is involved in street theatre a staged political stunt - Jesus statement is that he is not this king and not bringing this type of kingdom. I think Jesus knew the passage in Zech 9:9 that he was recreating and that it was too late in the day for the next step in his action. Hence the next day he trashes the temple, disrupts trade for the day and teaches in such a way that astonished and provokes the powers to plot to kill him. So let me prompt our conversation in short hand. Symbolism anyone?….Fig tree = temple? Moneychangers = economic injustice, Mountain = temple or controlling systems?

So each year do we re-enact in our churches the crowd missing the point of the radical kingdom? A kingdom that will overturn the tables of economic and political injustice through forgiveness? (Age)

[Read more]

avaaz Action - Gaza Ceasefire

Dear Friends

The Gaza-Israel crisis is out of control. It’s come to this:
bloody full-scale invasion, or a cease-fire.¹ With rockets raining down on both sides, Israel launched a ground assault into the Gaza Strip this weekend. Over a hundred combatants and civilians from both sides lie dead.² The next 48 hours are crucial — Israel’s cabinet will discuss a larger invasion Wednesday. But Hamas floated a Gaza ceasefire months ago, and 64% of Israelis support the idea.³

Both sides know they are in a battle for global legitimacy, and international opinion counts. We need a massive global outcry for a cease-fire now — sign the emergency petition below, then forward this message to friends and family. We will deliver our petition to senior Israeli and Palestinian leaders this week, as well as in a major billboard campaign:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_ceasefire_now/1.php

[Read more]

UpperRoom - Palms, Protest, Peace & Pasta :)

The Upper Room Project meets the first Monday of each month (6-8:30pm) to engage with spirituality and justice as struggled with and fought for by the Prophets and Jesus. We meet in the S Bar (Shop 18, Village Walk, O?Sullivan Road, Glen Waverley ) with gallery space, discussion corners, opportunity for practical response and pondering space.We hope the upper room will be

• Space to rest/relax with your tribe
• Be challenged by the prophetic call of compassion
• Connect with heartbeats for living

There will be food, wine and friends plus

• a gallery space for photos and other art.
• activist space - activities, information and people deeply into that topic to meet
• conversational space - multimedia and communally led (an interview, music, texts, a place to chat)

Please bring your friends - all are welcome

This month we will be thinking about the upcoming palm sunday peace march and random acts of kindness etc that we may like to get up to. Paul Dyson, peace & anti-nuke activist and very nice bloke, will be with us. He will be reflecting/sharing stories of activism and why the Christian church marches for on Palm Sunday. Of course there will be others of our tribe to eat, drink and chat with and some clips, info etc to fuel the conversation . So cya there. All are welcome

If you would like to be part of the team this year or have ideas for topic/causes, artists (and we thought this year a couple of speakers would be nice), then speak up. I would like to get a new postcard with our plan/program out by April.

Palm Sunday Rally

just got this from jess….

As the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war passes us by…..Would you like a world without war and nuclear weapons? Then come out on Palm Sunday on 16 March to show your commitment to create a peaceful world.

PALM SUNDAY - 16 March.

2pm: Rally for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament
State Library - Corner of Swanston and Latrobe Streets. Rally through the city, and then return to the State Library for music by Martin Martini and the Bone Palace Orchestra.

1.15pm: Ecumenical Service of Prayer and Reflection: Wesley Uniting Church, City.
Bring your instruments for simple music; your protest banners, palm branches if you can -and your yearning for action for Peace in the world. This service will finish by joining the main rally.

PUBLIC MEETING - 12 March - 7pm
Kathy Black, convenor of US Labor Against the War will whare her experience at Trades Hall (cnr of Lygon and Victoria Sts).

For more information, fliers and other events in Australia - see http://www.iraq5yearstoolong.info/

Thanks for your support. A lot of effort is being put in to ensure that this iconic peace day remains. Please come along and bring everyone you know!

Cheers

Jess