Today we dismantled the sheds in the backyard in preparation for our new shed and concrete. Jas made a fabulous roast in the Webber and everyone pitched in.
Just hours ago, President Obama signed executive orders to close Guantanamo Bay and end the use of torture. This means an end to CIA secret detention centres around the world, an end to torture such as waterboarding, and an end to human rights abuse in the name of the “war on terror”.
This is fantastic news which would never have happened without you and your hard work.
This victory is a result of seven years of tireless campaigning by millions of supporters around the world. Together we have sent a powerful message that the US has a responsibility to uphold human rights and the values we hold dear.
Thanks to you we have made change happen. However, it?s not yet time to rest.
The first 100 days of Mr Obama?s term in office is a unique opportunity for America to reclaim its role as a leader for human rights. In February Amnesty International will present a global petition to President Obama. It will urge the US Administration to establish an independent commission to investigate abuses committed by the US Government in its “war on terror”.
This is your victory, and I hope you will join the millions of Amnesty International supporters around the world to celebrate it.
Thank you once again.
Claire Mallinson
National Director
Amnesty International Australia
PS. If you have signed our petition already, please pass on this fantastic news and inspire others to do the same by forwarding this email to at least two friends.
Dear friends at NCYC09,
Thanks again for everything, nice to meet you all!
I’m now in Auckland where friends also continue to pray and demonstrate for peace in Palestine…
Warmest regards and all the best for our journey to spread the good news from NCYC experience,
Amie
Got these from friends —
I was in Ramallah until Sunday. I’m sure you can imagine how the feeling of powerlessness was prevailing in the West Bank. It was terrifying to monitor the developments in Gaza from there. The war that is shown on Arab TV screens is incomparable with the sanitized version we see here in Europe (and in the Phils). This is the most brutal and ruthless attacks I’ve ever seen. The Arab masses are very, very angry. Even here in Brussels the anger among the Arab migrant community (and not only Muslims) is palpable.
As to international campaigns: It’s a favorable development that the call to boycot Israel is now finally gaining ground. Even Naomi Klein wrote about it last week. I think that’s promising and the comparison with the anti-apartheid campaign is interesting. See http://www.bds-palestine.net/.
We sent a doctor to Gaza. He was able to go in last Sunday and is doing surgery in Shifa hospital.
A Song for Gaza
From
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=dlfhoU66s4Y
Lyrics:
A blinding flash of white light
Lit up the sky over Gaza tonight
People running for cover
Not knowing whether they’re dead or alive
They came with their tanks and their planes
With ravaging fiery flames
And nothing remains
Just a voice rising up in the smoky haze
We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight
Women and children alike
Murdered and massacred night after night
While the so-called leaders of countries afar
Debated on who’s wrong or right
But their powerless words were in vain
And the bombs fell down like acid rain
But through the tears and the blood and the pain
You can still hear that voice through the smoky haze
We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight
We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
Well NCYC has come and gone. It was a very busy week for us, full of WCG and Worship Rehearsals, Band practices, late night NCYC Games set up and early starts, but the mood that was in that room on Wednesday during the response at WCG made it all worth it. So great to see so many young people totally engaged with their God.
Here?s a few pics (we didn?t get to take many as we were too busy!) I managed to get a few of Jas playing during his gigs. He sold 17 EPs so that was pretty good :)
Got this from CTP.
AT-TUWANI REFLECTION: “Resistance will not be tolerated”-from Gaza to At-Tuwani
by CPT Tuwani team members
CPTnet -8 January 2009
At the time of this writing, casualties in the ten-day Gaza conflict have reached approximately 699 Palestinians and ten Israelis, according to news reports.? Here in at-Tuwani, in the West Bank’s South Hebron district, we witness Palestinians’ mourning and outrage over Israel’s latest military actions.? At the same time, we witness army collusion with settlers’ harassment and attacks of Palestinians.
On Sunday, 4 January 2009, two team members observed a confrontation between Israeli military forces and a group of around twenty Palestinian youth outside the Palestinian town of al-Birkeh (”The Pool” in Arabic).? Army and police jeeps had parked along the dirt road between at-Tuwani and Yatta, and the Palestinian youth were shouting at soldiers and police from a hillside above.? A white truck with Israeli license plates approached a police jeep and two settler men got out, one armed with an automatic rifle.? They spoke with the Israeli police, then drove up toward the Palestinian youth, who quickly ran off toward al-Birkeh.? Some Israeli army jeeps pursued the youth up the road toward the town.
The CPTers heard the sound of gunfire and percussion grenades sporadically.? Then, after twenty minutes, the Israeli settlers again spoke with the soldiers and then drove away.? The following day, Palestinian residents of al-Birkeh told us they had seen armed Israeli settlers in the town the previous morning.
This event should be considered within a broader context.? Popular Palestinian outcry against the killing in Gaza has resulted in heavier deployments of Israeli troops and, in central Hebron, U.S. and E.U.-sponsored Palestinian police.? Both there and in the rural South Hebron Hills, Israeli settler civilians continue to demonstrate through words and actions their commitment to a Palestinian exodus from the region.? The Israeli army and police institutionalize that commitment by guarding the settlers wherever they wish to move.
Even though at-Tuwani remains devoid of protests and the villagers have focused by necessity upon the basic work of survival?–plowing fields, digging cisterns, educating youngsters?–local army and settler behavior compound the message that from Gaza to the West Bank, “Control is ours; no resistance will be tolerated.”
Melbourne city cleaners are celebrating as they get ready to vote up their first-ever union collective agreement.
Cleaners have been campaigning for two-and-a-half years to improve average wages of just $300 a week and shifts as short as two hours.
This agreement gives cleaners the fairer pay, conditions and job security they need to build a bright future.
Support from you, the voices of the community, has helped give our members the strength to stand up day after day and win.
But one major contractor, Pickwick Eski, has not signed the agreement. Pickwick Eski cleaner Kamal Jimi says he is often worried his job is not safe and that he does not have enough money.
Melbourne cleaners are standing together with their Pickwick Eski co-workers to ensure all cleaners get a fair deal.
Just as your support was vital in winning the agreement for cleaners at other major contractors, Pickwick Eski cleaners need your backing.
Support cleaners? campaign for a fair deal: contact Pickwick Eski CEO Ken Holder or write to the newspapers.
Together we can win a bright future for the people in our communities.
Cleaners need your support, write to the media or contact Ken now.
Ken Holder
Pickwick Eski
Call Ken: 0411 179 044
Send Ken a letter: 3/28 Norfolk Road, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Email Ken: kenholder@pickwickgroup.com.au
Send a letter to the newspapers;
The Age: letters@theage.com.au
Herald Sun: hsletters@heraldsun.com.au
Stick your email address in the box, and we'll email you stuff. (No junk.)
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Just hours ago, President Obama signed executive orders to close Guantanamo Bay and end the use of torture. This means an end to CIA secret detention centres around the world, an end to torture such as waterboarding, and an end to human rights abuse in the name of the “war on terror”.
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