Peace Foundation News and Events August to October
Contents
1. ENACT - Youth Peace Website launch
2. Students for a Nuclear Weapons Free World
4. Palestinian Peace Embroidery exhibition
5. Robert Fisk talk on the Middle East and Human Rights
6. Global Mala - Yoga, music and meditation for peace
8. Peer Mediation - Building Cultural Diversity
10. Una in Japan
11. Roots of Empathy - Wellington
12. Every Child Counts Conference
13. Parliamentary hearings on Depleted Uranium weapons
14. Kiwis lead international campaign for a Nuclear Weapons Convention
Hiroshima Day Lantern Ceremony
1. ENACT - Youth Peace Website launch
A dynamic peace website developed by young people for young people
(and also of interest for the not-so-young)
- Youth actions and initiatives to end bullying, mediate conflicts, promote non-violence and build cross-cultural understanding
- Youth promoting peace at home, in the community and around the world
- Information for youth on conflict resolution, human rights and disarmament
- Perspectives of young people on peace issues
To be launched on September 23, 2008 (location Grand Hall of Parliament - to be confirmed)
For an invitation please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
2. Students for a Nuclear Weapons Free World (SNWFW)
A new global campaign of students organising for a nuclear weapons free world. SNWFW was established in Geneva by the winning students in an international competition launched by Hans Blix and the World Federation of United Nations Associations.
Auckland student Wilson Chun Hei Chau was amongst the competition winners who travelled to Geneva and helped form the new campaign (Wilson is pictured at left in Geneva with three fellow winners). Alyn Ware (Peace Foundation Wellington Office Director) was one of the judges of the competition and one of the speakers at the conference, along with another New Zealander - Ambassador Tim Caughley, Director of the United Nations Office of Disarmament in Geneva.
Follow-up actions include Nukes Gone Wild, a video clip of students taking it to the streets to educate the public about the nuclear dangers.
For more information on the campaign see http://snwfw.blogspot.com, a new blog formed by the students, and http://www.disarmamenthub.org/.
3. Gandhi exhibition - Michael Fowler Centre Sep 29 - Oct 3
The Peace Foundation presents an exhibition of photographs of Gandhi taken by ...... These photos display a range of moods and qualities of Gandhi, helping us to see him with very human concerns and feelings and imperfections - and as someone who reached beyond these to inspire us all in the pursuit of peace, compassion, integrity and justice.
We will be holding a very special reception at the exhibition on Oct 2 - Gandhi's birthday, with the Governor-General, Indian High Commissioner, Dr Kate Dewes (from Christchurch) and others.
For an invitation to the reception please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Any donations to help cover costs would be greatly appreciated.
4. Palestinian Peace Embroidery Exhibition
Centre for Global Action, 2nd Floor James Smith Building
Corner of Manners and Cuba Streets
September 10-11
The Peace Foundation is hosting an exhibition of embroideries of Palestinian women, with written and oral comments to contextualise the environment in which they are working. The exhibition is being developed by Lamis Mawafi, a young Jordanian who migrated to Aotearoa-New Zealand five years ago. Lamis has been awarded the Sonja Davies Peace Award for her work on this exhibition. She notes that the embroideries "connect Palestinian women to their history and the peaceful village life which some of them have never known. For some it is all they can do."
Lamis will speak at the exhibition opening on September 10, 6:30-7:30pm. All invited. RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
5. Robert Fisk talks on the Middle East and Human Rights - Embassy Theatre Sep 7-8
Amnesty International's guest speaker to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
With more than 30 years reporting experience in the Middle East Robert Fisk is the most decorated British foreign correspondent. He writes daily for the Independent and has been awarded the British International Journalist of the Year Award seven times. He has also received the Amnesty International UK Press Award twice and been multiply short-listed for it. Journalist and author, Robert Fisk needs little introduction to New Zealand audiences - his book, The Great War for Civilisation has sold more per capita here than any other country.
"My own journalism over the past five years has concentrated more and more on the sheer hypocrisy of the political-military-journalistic nexus of power which is deployed to fool us, to persuade us to follow policies which are contrary to our national interest and against all morality." Robert Fisk, The Age of the Warrior.
Tickets: $25 ($20 students and senior citizens) from www.ticketek.com
6. Global Mala - Yoga, music and meditation for peace.
UN International Day for Peace Sep 21
Capital E, Civic Square, Wellington
1pm-6pm
Entry by minimum donation of $10 all proceeds to the Peace Foundation.
Come join a fun-filled afternoon hosted by Yogaunlimited to commemorate UN International Peace Day, celebrate peace within and between us, support the Peace Foundation, and enjoy yoga, music and meditation. This special event will include 108 salutations to the sun (done in relay so people of all abilities can participate).
For more information including a programme see http://www.yogaunlimited.co.nz/events.html.
This local event is part of a worldwide effort called the Global Mala.
The World Harmony Run is a global relay that seeks to promote international friendship and understanding. As a symbol of harmony, runners carry a flaming torch, passing it from hand to hand, travelling through over 100 nations around the globe.
The run is in New Zealand from September 8 until October 5, starting from Cape Reinga and finishing in Christchurch (see World Harmony Run Itinerary). Everyone is invited to participate either through greeting runners as they pass through your town, joining the run for a short distance, learning and performing the World Harmony Run song, submitting peace art for the online exhibition, sharing peace poetry with the run, or encouraging your school to commemorate the run with some classes in peace.
The World Harmony Run was founded in 1987 by Sri Chinmoy, an accomplished sportsperson, philosopher, artist and poet - and is being organised in New Zealand by the Sri Chinmoy Centre. Sri Chinmoy was instrumental in the declaration of Wellington as a Peace Capital in 1993. A plaque commemorating this and the work of Sri Chinmoy was unveiled by Wellington Mayor Mark Blumsky in 1995 and is situated in Cuba Mall.
For more information see World Harmony Run New Zealand.
8. Peer Mediation - Building Cultural Diversity
The Peace Foundation has received a grant from Save the Children to upgrade resources for the our school-based peer mediation programmes in order to more fully reflect the variety of cultural backgrounds of children and youth in Aotearoa-New Zealand.
The Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme has already proven to be very successful with students of all cultures. However, the programme and resources were developed primarily by Pakeha (European-descended New Zealanders), based on similar programmes in the United States and other Western countries. A trial Peer Mediation and the Koran programme, developed by Ghazala Anwar (Peace Foundation member and lecturer in Islamic Studies) and implemented in Pakistani schools, indicates the potential to adapt the peer mediation programmes to integrate different ethnic, cultural and religious frameworks while maintaining the core principles and skills.
The Peace Foundation Wellington Office and the Cool Schools National Manager will undertake a consultation process with key stakeholders starting with high school students. Workshops involving students from a variety of cultural backgrounds are planned for September and October in Wellington.
Human Rights in Education is a broad collaborative initiative aimed at fulfilling the aspirations we have for our children and young people -- to develop as confident, connected and actively involved learners and citizens - through the development of our schools and early childhood education centres as communities in which human rights and responsibilities are known, promoted and lived. This includes the rights and responsibilities of pupils, staff, parents, other family members and the community.
There is compelling evidence that a comprehensive human rights-based approach to education will contribute to participation, engagement and achievement, helping young people develop as New Zealand and global citizens, while ensuring that New Zealand meets its legal obligations under international human rights law. It meets the requirement of the revised New Zealand Curriculum that "respect for themselves, others, and human rights" be "evident in the school's philosophy, structures, curriculum, classrooms, and relationships".
Schools joining the Initiative agree to:
- base their school explicitly on human rights principles, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the right to education
- share their experiences and resources with others in the Initiative.
The Initiative is part of New Zealand's Action Plan for Human Rights - based on the contributions of over 5,000 individuals, groups and organisations - and is backed by the Children's Commissioner, Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, Development Resource Centre and Peace Foundation, and supported by Sir Paul Reeves and Dame Silvia Cartwright.
Upcoming Wellington events:
- Workshop for Primary Principals Sept 3rd, Wellington
Human Rights in Education Director Ced Simpson, will be running a workshop for primary principals organised by the NZEI on Sept 3rd in Wellington. The workshop is entitled Values in Practice - Lifting Achievement by Generating Respect for Self, Others and Human Rights. Register with Susan Elliot at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or on 04-382-2728.
- National implementation workshop for school leaders, 2-3 Oct, Wellington
The Human Rights in Education team will be running a National implementation workshop for school leaders, 2-3 Oct in Wellington. The workshop is aimed at principals and colleagues who have committed to implementing the Initiative at their school and will address the key question...How do we make this work in our school? Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information and to register.
For more information see http://www.rightsined.org.nz/
Una McGurk, Youth Programmes Coordinator, travelled to Japan from 31 Jul-16 Aug to speak at a number of events commemorating the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to meet with peace activists from Japan and around the world. Una was impressed by the numbers that turned out to the events - including 3,000 young people for the Hiroshima Youth Rally, 6,000 for the World Conference on Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, and about 40,000 (including the Japanese Prime Minister and ambassadors from 55 countries) braving the intense heat and sun for the official commemoration ceremony on August 6.
A highlight of the trip for Una was the lantern ceremony commemorating those who died in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Lanterns inscribed with personal messages of peace are launched down the river where many drowned while seeking respite from the flames and heat in the aftermath of the bomb blast. "That evening the whole city seemed to gather along the banks of the Motoyasu River and the water glowed with thousands of coloured lanterns, symbolising the spirits of those who died. It was a very moving and beautiful sight", Una said. The ceremony is an expression of hope that nuclear weapons will never be used again. After the conference, Una travelled to different cities in Japan where she visited local peace and youth groups.
See: Thousands mark 63rd anniversary of atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Mainichi Daily News, 6 August 2008
Peace Declaration of August 6 by Hiroshima Mayor Tadashi Akiba
11. Roots of Empathy - Wellington
Roots of Empathy teaches skills of caring and empathy to children through structured classroom experiences with a growing baby through the first year of its life. The programme has been highly successful with dramatic and measureable results in a) reducing levels of aggression and violence, b) raising social/emotional competence, and c) increasing empathy amongst school children in schools were it is being implement. It began in 10 Wellington schools this year - Rangikura, Glenview, Churton Park, Johnsonville, Karori West, Holy Cross, Belmont, Dyer Street, Naenae and Koraunui.
Andrea Jeffrey, Wellington Roots of Empathy Liaison Person, reports that;
The Roots of Empathy programme is progressing well in its first year in Wellington. The students have begun to understand the role the parent has in establishing attachment and learning to read the baby's cues in order to meet their needs. The baby becomes the catalyst for developing empathy. The feedback from the instructors indicates that students in every class are making a positive shift in their emotional literacy, learning to identify feelings in themselves and others and beginning to make thoughtful decisions about how they respond to others.
The parents involved have said how thrilled they are to be a part of it, and many are finding themselves ‘accosted' by students bounding up to them when out at the shops or pools with cries of, "There's our baby!"
The Peace Foundation is finalising the next 10 schools to join the ROE programme bringing the total to 20 schools participating in the Wellington region in 2009. For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (Auckland) or Andrea Jeffery (Wellington)
12. Every Child Counts Conference
9am- 5.30pm, 10-11 September 2008
James Cook Hotel, the Terrace, Wellington
Every Child Counts is focused on achieving change in four vital areas related to child well-being:
* Putting children and families at the centre of policy and planning.
* Ensuring all children get a good start in the early years.
* Reducing child abuse and neglect, and
* Ending child poverty.
Highlights of the annual conference include presentations from National Party leader John Key and the Hon Ruth Dyson, Minister of Social Development and presentation of the Every Child Counts Awards by Principal Family Court Judge Peter Boshier.
Other speakers:
Di Grennell (Ngati Mutunga, Ngai Tahu), Executive Director of Amokura, Northlands pan-tribal family violence prevention programme
Richard Eckersley, respected Australian researcher into generational perspectives on young peoples health and well-being
Baroness Doreen Massey, Chair, House of Lords All-Party Parliamentary Group on Children, United Kingdom
Dr Susan St John, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Auckland and member of Child Poverty Action Group
Professor Richie Poulton, Director, Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit.
For more information go to www.everychildcounts.org.nz or ring 04 3855 667.
13. Parliamentary hearings on Depleted Uranium weapons
10:30 am
Thursday 28 August
Parliament House
Depleted Uranium (DU) is a chemically toxic and radioactive compound, which is used in armour-piercing munitions because of its very high density. It is 1.7 times denser than lead, giving DU weapons increased range and penetrative power. However, DU weapons pose two dangers not counting the damage initially created by the bomb. Uranium is a known heavy metal toxin, and also produces radiation damage. It is thought that DU is the cause of a sharp increase in the incidence rates of some cancers, such as breast cancer and lymphoma, in areas of Iraq following 1991 and 2003. It has also been implicated in a rise in birth defects from areas adjacent to the main Gulf War battlefields.
New Zealand military do not currently use DU. However, the government does not prohibit its potential acquisition and use by the military, nor campaign for its prohibition internationally. The Christchurch-based Depleted Uranium Education Team (New Zealand affiliate of the International Campaign to Ban Uranium Weapons) has submitted a petition to parliament asking the NZ Government to follow Belgium's example and ban depleted uranium munitions.
On Thursday 28 August at 10:30 am in Parliament House three DUET members - Rob Ritchie, Commander Rob Green and Dr John Peet - will testify orally to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee. Dr Rosalie Bertell of the USA will testify by DVD and telephone conference. If anybody wishes to be there for support or interest, then please contact John Peet 03 384 1281 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
14. New Zealanders lead international campaign for a Nuclear Weapons Convention
New Zealand MP Marian Hobbs and Peace Foundation Wellington Office Director Alyn Ware are leading international efforts to achieve a Nuclear Weapons Convention - a global treaty to prohibit and eliminate all nuclear weapons.
The idea for such a treaty has been circulating for a number of years. In fact, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted resolutions every year since 1996 calling for such a convention in light of the International Court of Justice case which concluded that there is a universal obligation to achieve the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. However, until recently there has been little prospect of success due to the opposition of key nuclear weapons possessing countries France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States (of the other countries possessing nuclear weapons China, India, Pakistan and North Korea support the proposal and Israel has stayed somewhat silent).
This has changed with high level former officials from the US and UK calling for a nuclear weapons free world, and with that call being picked up by both US presidential candidates and to some degree by the current UK government. In order to assist the process, Alyn Ware co-founded Abolition 2000, an international network of over 2000 organisations promoting a nuclear weapons convention. He then established a team of international experts which drafted a Model Nuclear Weapons Convention - demonstrating the legal, technical and political elements that could facilitate the abolition of nuclear weapons. This Model treaty has now been circulated by the United Nations and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Conference. Alyn has also co-authored Securing our Survival: The Case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention - which outlines the why, how, who, where and when of achieving nuclear abolition. The book is now in its third printing.
Marian Hobbs, as international Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND), is leading a global effort of parliamentarians to encourage their governments to initiate negotiations that would lead to a Nuclear Weapons Convention. On July 1, the 40th anniversary of the signing of the NPT, PNND launched a parliamentary statement supporting a nuclear weapons convention that was signed by parliamentarians from across the political spectrum including Michel Rocard (former Prime Minister of France) and Jean Luc Dehaene (former Prime Minister of Belgium). The Rt Hon Jim Bolger (former Prime Minister of New Zealand) and the Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser (former Prime Minister of Australia) have also given their support to a NWC along with key international figures such as Ambassador Sergio Duarte (the UN High Level Rep for Disarmament) and Senator Romeo Dallaire (former Head of UN Forces in Rwanda). Marian and Alyn are hoping that the gathering support from parliamentarians and civil society will encourage countries like New Zealand to take leadership and push for the start of negotiations on a NWC.
For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit http://www.lcnp.org/mnwc/index.htm
