Free Tibet Protest in Dunedin, New Zealand

100 people participated in a protest organized by Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), the Organisation for Global Nonviolent Action (OGNA) and the Coalition for Tibet Aotearoa on Friday the 4^th of August in the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand. 

The protest was called in light of the current situation in Tibet, which is at its worst since the Chinese invasion in the 1950's.

“In the last year alone there have been 47 self-immolations in Tibet in protest to the Chinese government's rule and oppression”, says Joe Llewellyn, co-leader of SFT and OGNA. 

Starting from the Peace Pole in front of the Otago Museum, the crowd marched, with a banner saying "Tibet is burning - end the oppression of: Tibetans, Uyghers, Mongolians and Chinese", to the front of the Meridian Shopping Centre, blocking off George Street traffic to perform a ‘die-in’ – a symbolic lying down to symbolize the lives lost in the conflict that is ongoing in Tibet.  The group then progressed to the Octagon lawns where speeches were made, and the printed faces of the 51 self-immolators were lined up to emphasize the tragedy of the situation. 

The march and die-in were well received by the public, the die-in deliberately held only for a few minutes to minimize disturbances to traffic.  People from the sidewalks began joining the march as the crowd progressed and many cars showed their support by honking. 

 “Since the Beijing Olympics the situation has become increasingly worse, with an increased military presence and regular media blackouts”, says Joe Llewellyn. 

The Chinese Government has a track record of silencing political dissidents, Liu Xiaobo, Ai Wei Wei and Chen Guangcheng are recent examples, though many more remain unreported. Mr. Llewellyn says “There are now hundreds, if not thousands, of political prisoners- reports indicate the latest self-immolations have lead to 600 more Tibetans being incarcerated”.

Speaking about a recent report from the Washington-based Human Rights Watchdog, Freedom House, he said: “Freedom House have just upgraded Tibet in their 'Worst of Worst list' together with countries such as Somalia, Saudi Arabia and North Korea. It's a list of the top nine countries in terms of human rights violations”.

He says, “We are protesting to raise this under-reported issue. It also gives people a chance to have their say on it”.

“We are planning future action including a nation-wide petition and protests before the Dalai Lama's visit to New Zealand next year”.

Mr. Llewellyn says “The Free Trade Agreement New Zealand has with China should not be to the detriment of Chinese minorities”.

Watch and Control...

...Bradley Manning, SOPA and the Food Bill

Bradley Manning, the key leaker of Wikileaks and a US soldier, is still in prison for supplying Top-Secret US files “to the enemy”. The treatment he has received has been termed torturous by the UN's rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez- who was at first denied permission to visit him. Manning's crime, namely providing his citizens and the world with information of the US' actions abroad, demonstrates the on-going degradation of freedoms and human rights in the West.

A top US official was recently forced to resign after siding with Manning. The soldier is being made an example of; but the right to protest, internet freedoms and food rights are also getting a prison sentence.  The US Occupy movement supports Bradley Manning's release, but an updated version of the National Defence Authorization Act passed by a majority in December could see any potential “terrorist” being detained as well.

The meaning of the word “terrorist” is subject to interpretation, but if Manning can be thrown into solitary confinement for months on end for 'aiding the enemy', there is no reason why protesters who want to change the status quo, even if by nonviolent means, cannot be seen as enemies too. The bill grants power to the military to arrest U.S. citizens on American soil and detain them in military prisons forever without offering them the right to legal counsel or even a trial.

Recently we have also witnessed the US Senate attempting to pass through legislation that could severely affect our internet-based lifestyles. Even sites like Wikipedia, YouTube, BoingBoing and Facebook could have been affected by the legislation as they rely on referenced sources in a public domain- without these sources receiving a profit.

The two bills, SOPA and PIPA were made to curb online piracy, with offenders legally being shut-off the internet, fined and/or imprisoned. Many sites across the net blacked-out their activity for a day in protest causing the senators and US officials to be flooded with public submissions against the bills.

The protesting sites say the bills would stifle creativity, innovation and internet freedoms: Wikipedia asked its users to imagine a world without knowledge. A spokeswoman for the intellectual property group Electronic Frontier Foundation said the bills would force providers to block access to infringing sites and calls the moves censorship. Soon after the internet black-out, senators began retracting their support from the bills.

Sadly SOPA and PIPA have spawned in new forms, such as the Open Act, and are facing the Senate again, backed by the Music and Film Industries. In New Zealand the recent Food Bill, being looked at by Parliament, could threaten local producers and community gardens. The bill is likely to push the costs up for local producers, despite the fact that big meat industry is the primary cause of food-borne illnesses.

The two bills, SOPA and PIPA were made to curb online piracy, with offenders legally being shut-off the internet, fined and/or imprisoned. Many sites across the net blacked-out their activity for a day in protest causing the senators and US officials to be flooded with public submissions against the bills.

The protesting sites say the bills would stifle creativity, innovation and internet freedoms: Wikipedia asked its users to imagine a world without knowledge. A spokeswoman for the intellectual property group Electronic Frontier Foundation said the bills would force providers to block access to infringing sites and calls the moves censorship. Soon after the internet black-out, senators began retracting their support from the bills.

Sadly SOPA and PIPA have spawned in new forms, such as the Open Act, and are facing the Senate again, backed by the Music and Film Industries. In New Zealand the recent Food Bill, being looked at by Parliament, could threaten local producers and community gardens. The bill is likely to push the costs up for local producers, despite the fact that big meat industry is the primary cause of food-borne illnesses.

The new piece of legislation will not just be an update of the old, it will give unprecedented rights to Food Safety Officers who will be able to confiscate food and personal information as “proof” if a company, or a producer, are thought to infringe the law. What's worse, these police-like FSOs could be contracted by private companies.

The Food Bill is dangerous because of what it allows, but it is also dangerous because the Minister in charge will have the right to give exemptions and even rewrite the bill without having to tell. Our society is becoming increasingly watched and controlled. The Food Bill is just the local version of trade regulations pushed by the International Monetary Fund. If it passes, we could lose the rights to grow our own food, share it and sell it.

The Food Bill is dangerous because of what it allows, but it is also dangerous because the Minister in charge will have the right to give exemptions and even rewrite the bill without having to tell. Our society is becoming increasingly watched and controlled. The Food Bill is just the local version of trade regulations pushed by the International Monetary Fund. If it passes, we could lose the rights to grow our own food, share it and sell it.

We will also be handing over our keys to contracted police officers. Meanwhile our right to protest is also in peril and our freedom to express it online will be scrutinised.

In The News...

Child Poverty in NZ is Extremely Common!

An article in today’s NZ Medical Journal (30/03/12) finds that New Zealand’s investment in children is low by OECD standards. 

 The report highlights poverty as a major driver of preventable illnesses amongst children. There are 230,000 children in New Zealand currently living in poverty. An extremely high number when you think that New Zealand’s whole population is little over 4 million.

 Prof Innes Asher from the Children’s Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said, “New Zealand needs to take immediate action to address child poverty.  While reports are written and committees deliberate, children are growing up in extremely deprived conditions.  A year is not a long time for a government committee, but in the development of a child it is crucial.  We know that childhood illnesses can have life-long consequences, including cardiovascular disease and mental illness in adult life.”

 The Southern young Nats solution to this problem is to give out a few jars of marmite to the poor… hardly a solution!

 OGNA’s solution is simple: work from the bottom up rather than the top down. Job creation, free education and a higher minimum wage would pull families out of poverty and New Zealand’s children along with them. 

National to Sell our Gambling Laws to SkyCity Casino

Harmful gambling can cause stress-related physical and psychological ill health and over 75000 New Zealanders suffer from inferior Mental Health as a result of problem gambling. Other adverse effects include family breakdown, domestic violence, criminal activity such as fraud, disruption to or loss of employment and social isolation. Harmful gambling also profoundly impacts on the physical, emotional, and financial health of family, friends, workmates and others in the wider community.

This is well known by the government. Over the past years pokie machine restriction laws have been put in place to prevent problem gambling and money has been put into rehab programs for problem gamblers.

Despite this the National government has decided to sell the gambling laws that aim to prevent people developing gambling addictions in return for a $350million convention centre in   central Auckland! …Mind you we shouldn’t be overly surprised. It wasn't that long ago, after all, that Key’s Government agreed to change our employment laws to suit American film giants Warner Bros, the makers of The Hobbit.

This goes to show just how undemocratic our “democracy” is as large corporations just have to ability to change law by throwing money at the government. Ordinary people have no say in this, which completely shows where the governments priority is –to make more money. It doesn’t matter whether the changes are going to negatively affect people or not, they are concerned with profit and nothing more – showing the inherent downfall of the capitalist system.

 We need a new system – where the focus is on improving people’s lives, not on profit. To do this we must strengthen our communities, not weaken them by increasing the number of people with gambling addictions. Mr Key is free to sell and cut whatever he likes if we let him. Over the last few years we have been, as our education system, welfare system, and state assets slowly disappear. It is us who have let this happen and it will not stop until we organise, take to the streets and show our voice.

Homophobia in Chile

On March 3, Daniel Zamudio was sleeping in a the San Borja park in Santiago when a group of four young Neo-Nazis beat him, kicked him, burned him with cigarettes, and carved swastikas into his body before leaving him for dead. The reason?- because he was homosexual. These heinous crimes have left a bitter taste in the mouth of the Chilean public and have lead to an outcry to change the laws and penalize this type of violence in the country which has very weak  anti-discrimination laws.

Although Nazism seems like it would not appeal to youths with at least some indigenous ancestry, according to research by journalist Lygia Navarro, most Chilean youth became involved in neo-Nazism because of economic disenfranchisement, and they direct their hatred toward those whom they believe to be a threat to society (and, in effect, the raza chilena or Chilean race), such as homosexuals, Peruvian immigrants, alcoholics, drug addicts, thieves, and punk rockers. 

A large reason this happens is because the left is weak. It must grow and present an active challenge to Nazi ideas- redirecting youths anger and frustration at the system that leaves them jobless with few prospects - not towards each other. Gay, lebian, bisexual and transgendered people must be free from violence, harassment and legal constraints, and be   extended the same rights as others, including the right to marry and divorce in order to prevent prejudice and attacks such as the attack on Daniel Zamudio.

Capitalism, in Chile and the rest of the world, divides the working class, based on sexual, gender, racial, national and other distinctions. In order to create a world of equality we must overcome these divisions and fight for the rights of all oppressed people which includes fighting to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Through collective grass roots action this can be achieved.

Current Struggles OGNA is Supporting

Asset Sales: What We Didn't Vote For

The Government’s dreams of raising $7 billion by selling off 49 percent of four energy companies and Air New Zealand have come one step closer to reality with a slim win in Parliament on March the 8^th this year.  National’s partial asset sales legislation, or the Mixed Ownership Model Bill, was passed with just 61 votes to 60.  As recently re-elected Prime Minister John Key sees it, “rightfully so; the issue was voted on in the November election, and National won.” 

Striking, then, is a recent 3 News poll that revealed 62 percent of voters oppose asset sales, with only 35 percent in favour.  Compared with the 60 percent opposed to the plan in early 2011 it would seem that despite a convincing win at the November elections, National failed to get voters on side regarding the biggest issue on which they campaigned.  Such clear-cut evidence makes Key’s offhand remark that a public referendum regarding asset sales is not needed, as “We've had that - it's called an election”, seem all the more infuriating. 

In the absence of democracy being upheld by our elected leader, lobby organisation Grey Power and the Council of Trade Unions are in the process of launching a petition to force a citizens-initiated referendum.   To force such an outcome they will need signatures from 10 percent of all registered voters, that being more than three hundred thousand signatures.  Even when gained, however, the results of such a referendum are not binding – that is, it can be completely ignored by Government. 

Nonetheless this effort is being backed by such parties as the Greens and Labour in light of the dire consequences if nothing at all is done.  Primarily, Green Party co-leader Russel Norman opposes asset sales as it will take assets owned by all New Zealanders and place them in the hands of the wealthiest.  Overall asset sales will create a future that New Zealanders simply cannot afford: one where foreign ownership means profits go overseas; where partial privatisation will inevitably lead to full privatisation and an ensuing lack of control on companies that affect our daily lives.  It is not hard to see how a loss of government control on the electricity market will lead to higher prices as shareholders demand increasing returns for their investments. 

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters recent address to Parliament summed up the situation beautifully, stating that asset sales “is a process arranged by the greedy for the greedy just like this is a Government of the greedy by the greedy and for the greedy."   This blinded move for asset sales has been made by a government completely out of touch, and seemingly with no care for the opinions of, the general public. 

What we need now is to coordinate the voices that oppose this move so strongly.  So keep up to date, talk with friends and family, and get your name on that petition. 

Ports of Aukland Dispute: We Have Been Here Before

In 1951 the management of Ports of Auckland locked out the wharfies, this led to a shut-down of the whole country and bitter ideological battles that have resurfaced again today. After more than 8 months worth of negotiations, the wharfies have been locked out once more. The Maritime union needs to keep on picketing if working conditions in New Zealand are to continue improving.      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Despite the ruling of the Employment Court, whose decision implies the Port management is being unfair, the quasi 300 workers are still on the streets, unsure when they will get their next payment.   

Unions across New Zealand have applauded the determination of the stevedores fighting for their livelihoods. The families of the workers have been able to get by thanks to the donations from other unions.        

The management of the Ports of Auckland wants to sack the current set of workers to contract new ones, without union affiliation, who will work for worse work conditions. The Ports are already dangerous enough as it is, and the job gets more dangerous further into the night- the longer the work hours. If the Ports get their way, businesses across New Zealand will have an excuse to casualize their workforce. This will mean workers will be given less holidays, there will be less job security and they will have to work longer hours. It will also drive down wages, as each worker, without the backing of strong unions, will be under more of a threat from profit-driven capitalists.    

OGNA stands behind the Maritime Union in its current struggle, and will be backing MUNZ as it comes into negotiations with Port Otago in April. Unions, as democratically-run organisations, are an example of worker solidarity. Countries with strong unions are more equal, and the workers therein earn higher wages.  If we want New Zealand to leave behind the days of unemployment and low wages- stronger unions will be our best bet.

Kony 2012

Kony 2012 may be the first slacktivist campaign to go completely viral within hours. Created by the sub-par charity, Invisible Children, the Youtube video shows how a young kid is sat down and forced to believe that violence and the military can be good. Likewise the viewer is indoctrinated to believe the out-of-date information given to us by one of the charity runners, who has filled his pockets with the money of well-meaning individuals.

Joseph Kony is the founder of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The militant group operates in 4 countries since 1987. It is believed to have abducted and trained up to 100,000 child soldiers and has been filed by the International Criminal Court on numerous counts of human rights abuses.

The 30-minute spiel is an example to follow when it comes to marketing. That is all it is though. Some reports say that only 30% of money given to the charity ends up where it was destined. The Kony 2012 video successfully pushes an empathy button- but as many have already said, liking a status is not going to change the world. Moreover, liking a bottom that supports the US' world-domination campaign through military 'peace-enforcing' is the wrong path to take.

OGNA believes Invisible Children has succeeded in creating an awareness campaign. However, instead of buying products, nonviolent methods such as petitioning governments, demonstrating before embassies and boycotting countries and products are good alternatives. The Kony 2012 campaign has enraged many Ugandans who have already started to boycott the charity's products. If we want to change the world, we have to be more active in our fight against injustices.

Te Whiti o Rongomai III (1830 – 1907)

Māori culture and war have often been closely entwined. After the development of horticulture and farming a “Warrior Culture” developed. This went on to become a core element of their society for the majority of time they have inhabited the islands of New Zealand. Different and competing groups of Māori often killed each other as they fought over land and resources which resulted in the enslavement or death of their enemies.

In the early 1800’s the British sought out to make New Zealand part of the vast British empire, which could more accurately be described as the “Brutish Empire”. The crown murdered many Māori and put a bounty on Māori heads – five pound for a head and ten pound for that of a chief. In 1867 the situation was dire with only 40,000 Māori surviving from the population of 85,000 only half a century prior. Māori culture was set to be crushed as they suffered huge blows fighting the better equipped Europeans, who’s population on the land was now close to half a million, and many died from new diseases brought to New Zealand from Europe.

In 1869 as a response to this a visionary Māori leader known as Te Whiti announced the year of “Trampling Underfoot”. Unsurprisingly the British took this as a sign of victory but they had no understanding of what Te Whiti was saying. The year of “Trampling Underfoot” was an announcement of resistance it was the year in which the people in power were to be humbled. He planned to get a separate treaty between Māori and Pakeha (whites), a treaty between equals. He is quoted as saying

 

 "The Pakeha have some useful technology but not the kindness of heart to see that Māori also possessed much great technology which if adopted would lead to stability, peace and a great new society."

 

He was going to achieve this without using violence. As many Pakeha were welcome to come to New Zealand but Māori would remain the proprietors of the land.

 

For ten years Māori from all over the country, and a few Pakeha, travelled to Te Whiti’s settlement/sanctuary at Parihaka, the only condition for their entry was that they destroyed all of their weapons. Te Whiti, a chief in a society that had war in its very foundations saw that violence never leads to peace. He is quoted as saying

 

"No good thing has ever been wrought by violence ... there is no reason why violence should continue to have power over us... if any man molests me I will talk with my weapon- the tongue".

Many of the Māori who came to Parihaka carried ploughs with them. All the food consumed in Parihaka was grown there so that British goods could be boycotted.

 

Ten years after Te Whiti’s announcement, on the 26^th of May 1879, Te Whiti came up with a plan of how to use the many ploughs that had been gathered at Parihaka in a great act of non-violent civil disobedience. All over the district, where Pakeha occupied Māori land that had not been disputed since its rightful owners were killed or driven-out, Māori started to plough the land. They received abuse and many death-threats but always remained calm and polite and continued to plough all day and every day. Te Whiti said

 

 "Go put your hands to the plough. Look not back. If any come with guns or with swords, be not afraid. If they smite you, smite not in return. If they rend you, be not discouraged. Another will take up the good work."

 

This is exactly what happened.

 

Settlers and the government alike did not know how to combat Te Whiti’s non-violence. Some fled, some built fortresses and trenches, and some called for a “War of Extermination” – the headline chosen by the local newspaper. Unsurprisingly the government started to arrest the ploughmen and Te Whiti sent out five more each day. Every day they would get arrested without resistance and were shipped to Dunedin where they were held without trial. As the government could see that the people of Parihaha were undeterred they sent in the army who prepared for war... however when they arrived they did not know quite how to react to Māori warriors, who had fiercely fought Pakeha columns and won, giving them gifts.

 

By 1880 the government had spent over one million pounds and the prisons were full. The media reported on the event and it turned into a national scandal. All the prisoners were released. At this point hundreds of Māori were working the reclaimed fields. In response the army finally decided to attack. They were met by the entire population of Parihaka singing and praying. Te Whiti was finally arrested. Without his leadership the movement at Parihaka continued with Māori refusing to pay taxes and launching more ploughing campaigns.

 

Te Whiti died in 1907 and was buried under a cloud of white feathers. Although Māori did not regain their land and are less than 20% of New Zealand’s population, the struggle for Tino Rangatirotanga continues to this day. The people at Parihaka whom Te Whiti inspired are credited with stopping a war of genocide that would not have stopped until all Māori had died. He had a huge influence on the thoughts and actions of Mahatma Gandhi who read about him while in South Africa.

 

Te Whiti is a person to look up to and we must follow in his footsteps until all of the oppressed, all over the world are liberated.

 

J.Llewellyn   

Radio 1 and VSM

Dunedin’s Radio 1 was told in early July that there were recommendations for its sale, in bureaucratic terms, a recommendation is more of a threat than an option. OUSA had taken a decision without any consultation, neither the students nor the radio station were contacted until the announcement was made. It was a shock to everyone in Planet Media, the umbrella company that controls Critic and the iconic student radio station. According to Sean Norling, producer of Radio 1, the decision has no taken into account the interests or desires of the students. It also sets a precedent though.

Radio 1 and all other student services are being attacked as a product of the threat VSM poses. The Voluntary Student Membership Bill was drafted by ACT initially in 2005 but it wasn’t drawn into parliament until 2008. Heather Roy says tertiary students are “forced to join an organisation and pay the fees that they set.”# For this reason ACT is seeking to amend the Education Act of 1989 to “uphold students’ right to freedom of association”#. Currently all university students except those at the University of Auckland are automatically enrolled into their respective student unions and in exchange receive representation and services, ranging from counselling and advice, to entertainment and interest groups.

ACT is hiding behind a façade of democracy, saying their bill would allow students to have a choice, however the introduction of VSM would actually lead up to a forecasted 90% reduction in membership. At the end of the day this would mean less funding and, as a result, students associations could disappear altogether and with them all the benefits one gets from being part of the student union. ACT says it “does not seek to damage or limit students associations.”# Its bill though would do exactly that. In Australia, VSM lead to “closure of health, counselling, employment, childcare, welfare and academic advocacy services.”# The universities were forced to take over the services hitherto provided by the students associations; fees increased dramatically meaning fewer students had the chance to attend tertiary education and those who could were getting worse services and were less protected against fee rises than previously.

OUSA contacted financial advisers Deloitte. The audit the company made recommended the sale of Radio 1, saying the station is economically unviable- a fact disputed by the Radio 1 staff. Who it can be sold to is a mystery, as it is a non-profit organisation and the buyer would be obliged to accept the charter attached to the non-commercial 91 fm bandwave. What’s more worrying than any potential buyers though, is the fact that OUSA can sell off services without having to consult its members. This is why Sean Norling considers OUSA undemocratic, and serious constitutional changes need to be made. If not, OUSA will be able to get rid of other important services such as the food bank, Clubs and Socs, Unipol or Queer support. Students should be able to have an active voice in OUSA, especially when it comes to decisions that affect them. If any service is to be removed from the students, we should be given a chance to hear the debate behind the brick wall and we should be given the chance to express our opinion on the issue- what is democracy about otherwise?

Radio 1 turned its dials to the pop music currently around for a week after the decision was anounced as a form of protest. Whether you like current music or not is not the issue, the issue is that without Radio 1 we will not have the choice of music and the rising talent currently in Dunedin and in New Zealand. Radio 1 is an alternative radio station, with its speakers booming the songs volunteers choose. Because Radio 1 is a student radio station, run by the students, with local music, giving ample opportunity for the diversity of expression existant in Otago. Losing Radio 1 would constitute a loss of culture and identity, it would also set a precedent: OUSA will prove itself to be an undemocratic institution, unconcerned with the people it represents and the people it affects.

OGNA supports all protest action taken by Radio 1, the symbolic switch off of its programing that took place between the 3rd and 9th of July is an effective form of protest that clearly achieved its goal: to get people talking. Right now though we need people acting, signing petitions, demanding their fair say. Democracy is at stake.

D. F. Benson-Guiu

Our Last Ocean: All for a Plate of Fish?

The Ross sea is the most pristine and productive marine ecosystem on earth.  It is home to at least 10 mammal species including the Antarctic minke and killer whale, half a dozen species of birds, 95 species of fish and in excess of 1 000 invertebrate species.  Untouched by widespread pollution, invasive species, mining or overfishing,  the Ross Sea,  otherwise known as ‘the last ocean’, is a living laboratory providing us with our last chance to understand how healthy marine ecosystems function. 

This invaluable opportunity, however, is slowly slipping away.  Since the first fishing vessel from New Zealand was sent into the Ross Sea in 1996, international fishing fleets have targeted this remote and pristine ecosystem to harvest the Antarctic toothfish.  The most dominant fish predator in the Ross Sea, the Antarctic toothfish can grow in excess of two metres in length and over 150 kg in weight – a valuable catch for fishermen who are able to sell this “white gold” as Chilean sea bass to high-end restaurants around the world. 

So great is the market for Chilean sea bass that up to 20 long-line vessels from a dozen different nations can be found in the Ross Sea extracting up to 3 000 tonnes of toothfish – the ‘total allowable catch’ (TAC).  This fishing is done in spite of known detrimental impacts: scientists have observed a decline in killer whales, which prey almost exclusively on Antarctic toothfish; scientists are now almost unable to catch toothfish for research that has been taking place since the 1970s, when they were once able to easily catch several hundred in single season. 

New Zealand’s position in the development of this devastating plundering of natural resources, as well as its current position in the international debate regarding the protection of the Ross Sea, deserves special attention.   Aside from being the source of the first fishing vessel to enter the Ross Sea, New Zealand was one of the two counties (the United Kingdom being the other) whose fisheries campaigned and won a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco-certification label for fisheries in the Ross Sea in November last year.

This eco-certification was awarded despite three years of protest by Ross Sea scientists and advocacy organisations; the MSC’s blue label’ brands Ross Sea fisheries as sustainable, despite an internationally-recognised lack of evidence.   Significantly, the MSC allowed the final decision of whether to award the eco-certification to be made by Moody Marine Limited, a company contracted and paid for by New Zealand and UK toothfish fishers.  As Richard Page, Greenpeace International Oceans Campaigner has publically stated,

“The fishery should never have been considered for certification in the first place and now, through a convoluted and deeply flawed process, Moody Marine…has been allowed to ignore the inputs from dozens of independent scientific experts and its own peer reviewers to give the blue label to the fishery.”

In objection to the overall situation, and in particular New Zealand’s involvement, The Last Ocean Charitable Trust was established in 2009.  This non-profit organisation based in Christchurch, the gateway to Antarctica, has been campaigning to raise public and political pressure in order to establish a Ross Sea marine protected area (MPA).   MPAs are the ocean equivalent of national parks, acting to limit human impact and thus protect the natural and cultural values of an area.

It is hoped the Ross Sea MPA would encompass the entire ecosystem, including the continental shelf and slope.  A proposal for the MPA was co-ordinated by the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) in September 2009.  The proposal included a statement signed by more than 450 scientists stressing the importance of the Ross Sea’s unique ecology, and that it is imperative to preserve this ‘living laboratory’ through an MPA. 

The proposal was presented to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the international body responsible for managing the marine living resources of Antarctica.   The CCAMLR formally came into force in 1982 and is now 25 nations strong, New Zealand being one of the original members.  It operates under a strict set of conservation clauses that aim to prevent such things as the overharvesting of marine resources, and to maintain the ecological relationships of harvested species. 

Yet an obvious failing of CCAMLR is the inclusion in its 25 members of nations who are the chief consumers of Antarctic toothfish: the People’s Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States of America. New Zealand’s dual position as one of the biggest fishers of the Ross Sea, set to profit from the sale of the Antarctic toothfish at $70 a kg, and member of the CCAMLR is further damning of the Commission’s purported unbiased position as protector of the Antarctic. 

Such bias in the CCAMLR may well influence the next designation o f MPAs around Antarctica in 2012.  The CCAMLR has identified the Ross Sea as warranting protection; support from member nations the next step towards putting the ASOC proposal into practice.  As a ‘key’ nation of the Commission, New Zealand could play an important role in swinging votes towards full protection of the Ross Sea. 

New Zealand has the important geographical position of being the closest country to the Ross Sea, as well as the historical position of being a signatory nation of the initial Antarctic Treaty.  The Last Charitable Trust is campaigning for the New Zealand government to uphold history and its highly publicised ‘Clean Green’ image and lead the way to a Ross Sea MPA.  A clean green image that has recently come under fire on BBC World where John Key was confronted with the sad reality of River Manawatu in the southern North Island being one of the most polluted in the Western world. 

As a revolutionary socialist organisation, OGNA supports any campaign aiming to prevent the pillaging of our natural environment.  The loss the Ross Sea, our Last Ocean, for the sake of the profit from steak of fish must be stopped. By stopping further fishing in the Ross Sea we can preserve the last intact marine ecosystem on Earth.

New Zealand’s status as a capitalist country whose highest priority is the increase of profit is a boundary towards all environmentally friendly causes and campaigns.  The natural wealth of our country cannot compete with the allure of the profit that can be gained from harmful fishing, unsustainable farming, mining of indigenous and precious land etc.   To prevent the plundering of our natural resources, a new social and economic system is needed where overproduction and profit are not the guiding principles of industry.  

The spread of awareness and the united activity of those concerned is the start to making a true difference.  To join the force of over 600 people on the Last Ocean Charitable Trust’s petition, head to http://www.lastocean.co.nz/ and put pressure on the government to support the Ross Sea MPA proposal.   A petition alone will not change the system that is the root of the problem.  But from small actions big things can grow.  The first step to bigger things is the development of a non-violent movement that seeks to establish a system that connects everyone in the plight to solve all environmental problems.  A movement that is willing to take direct action to the establishment of socialism.  

R.L.Bradley

Te Mana

Hone Harawira at the Te Mana party hui

The appearance of Te Mana on New Zealand’s political scene is an exciting development for the working class and politics in general, but it has left many socialist organisations confused. OGNA believes that while it is a good thing and we must use it while it’s there, its working class identity is as much of a facade as parliamentary politics on the whole.

Hone Harawira split from the Maori party due to his former party’s relationship with National. Hone was highly critical of the Foreshore and Seabed Act and his comments, in which he called the coalition with National more important than the commitment to Maori over the issue, eventually led to his resignation from the Maori party. He had proved the only class-conscious left-wing voice in the Maori party, interested in Maori and class. When the by-election was called, he received flak from National and the media saying that it was a waste of tax-payer money. As Hone said, it is “hardly an expense in terms of democracy”. On the 25th of June Hone regained his seat in parliament as leader of Te Mana, winning the election with a significant 8% advantage. The Maori party was relegated to a mere 9% of votes.

Te Mana is needed in the current political spectrum. Hone is pro-worker and Te Tai Tokerau are aware of this. The Maori party on the other hand have started to lose their niche. Maori, in their vast majority are working class; they live in the poorer suburbs or areas of the countries and still now a disparity between Maori and Pakeha levels of education exists. The Maori party has failed to represent the working class sector of the Maori population. Hone and Te Mana however, are set to create a pro-Maori and pro-working class party. They note in their kaupapa that “ordinary New Zealanders are starving, workers are being forced into slavery by the 90-day bill, and Maori rights are being drowned in the Raukumara Basin”[1]. Te Mana doesn’t just represent Maori interests, it represents the interests of the working class, in other words the majority of New Zealanders, because Maori are an important and significant part of this working class.

There is no party in parliament currently that can actually say it truly represents the working class. National and Labour serve capital and neo-liberal economics, thus hurting the majority of Kiwis with lower pay, worse representation in terms of unions, increased fears of job loss; all in the name of recession or austerity. At the same time though we are seeing tax subsidies and tax cuts for a few, as well as a destruction of our services of education and our environment. Te Mana is focussed on rebalancing the scales, it wants to put ‘class’ back into the agenda. The Labour Party and the Greens are losing support to Te Mana. Sue Bradford, Matt McCarten, John Minto, Mike Treen and Annette Sykes have all joined Hone, they have long fought for the working class, green politics and Maori identity. Hone is also helping to set up a much-needed activist youth force, Mana Rangatahi.

OGNA stands in support of Te Mana, we must remember though that while Mana does represent the interests of the working class, so did Labour once, so did the Maori Party, the Alliance and so do the Greens. It is key that Te Mana continues its quest to protect workers and Maori but at the end of the day it is yet another cog in the system. Parliament is focussed on reform, it will never achieve full equality or justice for the working class. OGNA believes there is the danger that socialist organisations will lose their way supporting Te Mana, capitalism can only be changed through a movement by the workers and for the workers. We need to empower communities and unions that will be able to unite people in the struggle nationally and internationally. Reforms will never end up achieving economic justice; the workers do not receive what they work for, they are oppressed and forced to slave in the interest of bosses and under the duty of nationalism. We must overcome these restrictions. In order to achieve a socialist society, one that belongs to the working class and through it everyone else, workers must unite to achieve a socialist revolution, which will only succeed if it is non-violent.

 

D. F. Benson-Guiu

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[1] http://mana.net.nz/kaupapa-vision/