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Two great challenges facing the world at present are climate change and the increasing number of refugees worldwide. In Australia these matters have generated a lot of sniping for little more than political gain.

It is therefore interesting to know that world leaders at the APEC meeting in Singapore may have come up with a process to rescue the outcome of the UN climate change conference, which is to be held in Copenhagen from December 7-18. The plan is to have world leaders play an important role in developing a document in which nations would agree to emission reductions, conditional upon each nation adopting and meeting its own target. This plan is considered to be the first step in achieving an internationally legally binding agreement. The provision of financial and technical support for developing countries from developed countries will also be a crucial factor in the success of the plan. Let us hope this will take us forward in stimulating urgently needed action on climate change. (Official site www.en.cop15.dk provides news and information about the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.)

Congratulations to the ACTU for its timely statement “Time to show our humanity” in ‘The Australian’ early in November. It reminds us that in recent months there has been an increase in the numbers of people fleeing turmoil in the world and that the number of asylum seekers coming to Australia are small compared with those fleeing to other countries and that the number coming to Australia by boat is miniscule compared with compared to those entering Australia by plane. The statement calls for strong leadership from all political parties so that the rights of the asylum seekers are respected and that they are not demonised for political gain. (See: www.actu.asn.au)

Congratulations also to Therese Rein and Lucy Turnbull who stood together with supporters of a “freedom stand” on the steps of the Opera House in late October in support Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s detained pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate while their husbands battled the politics of asylum seekers and emissions trading. The ‘freedom stand” was organised by Labor MP Janelle Saffin. More cooperation such as this would be of benefit for the Australian people.

Thanks to Rod MacGregor, a new member of our volunteer team, who has prepared this edition of the newsletter.

Finally for those who celebrate Christmas I wish you a peaceful day and for those who do not please have a peaceful holiday and a Happy New Year to all.

Léonie M Ebert
Chair, Management Committee

Tax Deductibility Arrives-Hurrah!

As many of you may know, for many years we have been working very hard to establish tax deductibility for donations to the Peace Trust. We are delighted to announce that, with much help from many folk, especially ABAF we now have that facility.

The Peace Trust has a number of income streams which are vital to the promotion of peace, through the arts, and are the means by which grants are distributed. The annual membership fee structure, ($25 for individuals, $35 for families, $50 for organisations and the equally important $10 concession memberships), could be called the backbone of the Peace Trust. The vital organs, if you like, are the $500 life memberships of which we now have 6 and counting, a case of several hearts being better than one!
Then there is the money raised by means of the annual dinner and the art auction and raffles. Let's call this the arms and legs of the Peace Trust. But we need blood to course through this most worthy of beings!
Which brings us back to donations and tax deductibility.

The Trust has recently created the Graham F Smith Peace Trust fund within the Community Foundation of South Australia. The Community Foundation is under the umbrella of the Public Trustee.
Most importantly, any donations made to the Graham F Smith Peace Trust and placed in the Community fund are tax deductible. This makes it just that little bit easier to make a donation towards something you
believe in, something that provides a voice, an action, and...makes tax time, or a July visit to your accountant, more of a win-win than a ... well, you know what I mean!

The Peace Trust also has a PayPal account which anyone can use to make one off donations,
Any questions, please phone the Treasurer, Stephen Attrill, on 0403 322 680.
Happy Donating!
Stephen Attrill, Treasurer, Peace Trust

SA’s Water and Environmental Crisis

The Lower Lakes has been a natural part of the River Murray for thousands of years. Water is not a resource or commodity, but a natural part of the water-cycle to be nurtured and respected. The continuing construction of blocking dams, weirs and regulators is destroying our environmental inheritance, the public amenity and utility of our water ways. I believe the core issue to be the clandestine privatisation of water. Successive federal and state governments have simply referred to the change as "water reform" and promised to save the environment by buying back water in the new national water market. Parliament has been misled and South Australians have been deceived by a process initiated by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 1994.

State governments are responsible for water licensing and setting allocations. They have also been responsible for setting up the new water market. One way to obtain water for the new water market is to cut off areas deemed of no real economic value, such as the Lower Lakes, and use pipelines to supply the water from further upstream. Water to the Lower Lakes was cut-off in early 2007. South Australian irrigators can purchase as much water as they need. The government has used these low flows to justify their actions in the Lower Lakes and to build the Adelaide Desalination Plant. Adelaide coastal waters are not being saved. The Lower Lakes and Coorong are not being saved. The water market itself has been allowed to flourish. If this is not fraud, I don't know what is.

Historically, water allocations have been set in response to lack of available water. The operation of the new water market in the Murray-Darling Basin, (MDB) has exposed that there is water, and as much as you can afford to buy. This is the reality of water privatisation. In 2007/08 annual water diversions from the MDB were a low 3,913gl (gigalitre), over 2,515gl of water was traded of which 1,594gl was temporary water. According to a recent report from a water-broker, quoted in The Australian in early October 2009, 1,800gl of temporary water was traded in 2008/09 in the southern part of the MDB.

In the eleven years since 1996/97, the total volume of water diverted was approximately 97,824gl and South Australia's share of this diversion was a meagre 6% or an average of 549gl/year, for a total of 6,037gl. There are 65 major storages and over 600,000 private dams in the MDB, capable of diverting one and half times the average flow of every river in the basin and 25,560 km of irrigation supply and drainage channels. Water must be prioritised to meet Australian needs first before it is made available to those targeting overseas markets.

The people of Adelaide have also been conned into acceptance of a desalination plant they do not need. The billions of dollars involved could have been better spent on water conservation projects. Adelaide’s coastal waters do not need an additional source of pollution; it is already an environmental disaster as a result of years of pollution from wastewater nutrients and stormwater turbidity.

These same governments have allowed the unbundling of water licences from property so water can be traded; licences which were originally granted free of charge. Water has been turned into a commodity to be traded on world financial markets. State governments have guaranteed the transfer of water that is bought and sold. It can also be carried-over for use in future years. Public reservoirs have been turned into water banks for the private sector. Here in South Australia water is simply privatised by the signature of the Minister when water allocation plans are approved, without a whimper from Parliament.

Frankly the Rann Labor Government should resign as a result of its mismanagement of South Australia's water and its environment; a disaster with considerable social, economic and environmental implications. South Australians must demand both a National State of Emergency Commission, to take over management of the MDB, and a National Royal Commission to inquire into its management. There are many questions to be answered; the public has been kept in the dark for too long. The water market should be immediately suspended and irrigators paid just compensation for any water diverted to meet higher order priorities. The Murray must be allowed to flow to the sea; it should not be required to pay for the water it needs to survive.

South Australia needs a Public Commission of Inquiry into the management of water and the environment of this state. Laws must be amended to ensure Governments uphold the "public trust doctrine" to protect the public's right to the utility and amenity of our waterways, both freshwater and marine. A referendum should also be called, to define whether South Australians wish their water to be privatised or alternatively held in public trust for the common good, as intended by our founding fathers, who drafted the Australian Constitution, specifically section 100*. South Australians deserve to know where our politicians and their political parties stand on these issues, particularly whether they support the privatisation of the nation’s water – and we must know before the next election.

*Australian Constitution Section 100 - Nor abridge right to use water
The Commonwealth shall not, by any law or regulation of trade or commerce, abridge the right of a State or of the residents therein to the reasonable use of the waters of rivers for conservation or irrigation

John Caldecott with famous Indian Attorney MC Mehta at the construction of the blocking dam at Clayton during his visit to Adelaide for the Adelaide Festival of Ideas.

Community Gardens

In the nineteenth century, especially during times of hardship and war, allotments of land allowed people to obtain fresh produce within towns and cities. In Britain various acts have made it a duty for local councils to provide land for allotments since the 1920’s. The idea is that individuals pay a membership fee and some small rent which entitles them to a plot of land, less than 1000m3, and to cultivate that land for themselves.

In the 1920’s Albert Einstein maintained an allotment in Berlin-Spandau – we know because he seems to have used it as a social club, and received complaints from the managers about the nuisance created by his lack of care. Looking after an allotment is still a social activity, with families turning up to turn the soil on a Saturday morning, and piling in to pull the veggies of an evening after work.

A community garden differs from this tradition in that the land is worked communally. A group of individuals all take responsibility to cultivate one large plot, and work out between them what they want to do.

There is still an emphasis on growing things and enjoying that process, and the ecological significance of green spaces in the urban jungle is important, but the social aspect is given even more weight. Some of these started as ‘Victory Gardens’ during the 1940’s, some simply took advantage of vacant plots of land. Different gardens have different philosophies, choosing for themselves whether to concentrate on aesthetics or environment, food or flowers.

One example of this concept is the Ridley Grove Community Garden, opened in October 2008, the newest of three communal gardens in Adelaide, situated at 66 Ridley Grove, Woodville Gardens, SA 5012. For information phone 8243- 6420.

“A communal space for people to gather, grow and share.” Like an old fashioned allotment you can join up to grow your own food, but with the modern twist that everyone gets to join in the fun, and share the produce, and have a say about all of the decisions concerning the garden.

Scarecrows and butterflies form the theme of the garden at the moment, but nothing is set in stone – the steering committee is very active in making the gardens fit in with the needs of the locals. Plans for the future include a pizza oven, and a meditation garden with aromatic plants and a water feature

All these gardens share some common philosophies. An emphasis on the community is always the first of these, empowering the community and the individuals there.

Woodville Gardens are accessible to everyone, and aim to be a place where you can make friends, exercise while having fun, as well as sharing the fruits of your labour.

Philip Douglas, Volunteer, GFSPC.

Workers at Woodville Gardens

Additional information relating to community gardens.

The Prospect Residents Energy Forum for Environmental Responsibility [PREFER] has presented their local council with a feasibility study for a community garden in Prospect, which will be considered by Council before year’s end.

Community Shared Agriculture:- www.foodconnectadelaide.com.au

Community Water Forums:- www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/Education/

On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year Human Rights Day will focus on non-discrimination. It is based on the first famous words of the Universal Declaration “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” . Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, says “Our main objective is to help promote discrimination-free societies and a world of equal treatment for all.” She urges people everywhere to support Human Rights Day by embracing diversity and working to end to discrimination. For more information see www.ohchr.org

Book Review: "Killer Company-James hardy Exposed”by Matt Peacock ABC Books 390pp AU$35

In his brilliantly researched book, Killer Company, ABC journalist Matt Peacock exposes the criminal history of the Reid family and others involved in the management of the asbestos manufacturing company, James Hardie.

Peacock details how JH pursued policies very similar to the tobacco companies when they realised that smoking had serious health problems. JH managers tried to cover-up the dangers of asbestos, failed to warn employees and the public of the dangers, concealed the health problems being suffered by their employees and the users of their products, dumped wastes in a very negligent and dangerous way, pressured governments and health authorities not to act, behaved extremely harshly towards its victims when they sought compensation and when the number of claims substantially increased, it sneakily transferred its parent company overseas to Holland and left a foundation behind to provide compensation for victims that was underfunded.

The behaviour of JH and other asbestos companies has led to a situation where tens of thousands of Australians have died or are dying from asbestos-related diseases. They are asbestosis, a dusty lung disease; lung cancer and mesothelioma, a very cruel cancer of the middle lining of organs, but mostly affecting the lungs. The well-known anti JH campaigner, Bernie Banton, died from from mesothelioma after suffering from asbestosis.

Because JH had asbestos production and sales of its products overseas, this massive human tragedy will also affect people other than Australians.

Matt Peacock first investigated asbestos issues in 1977 when he received a media award for producing a series of programs for ABC Radio that looked into a number of areas where asbestos was causing problems - e.g. Wittenoom, Baryulgil, JH factories in various Australian states, Melbourne suburban rail cars etc.

"Killer Company" provides us with a detailed history of JH criminal behaviour and how it was exposed. It examines how working class heroes like Bernie Banton, the union movement, victims groups, and the legal firms Slater and Gordon and Turner Freeman struggled to expose the dangers of asbestos dust and to win compensation for the victims and their families. It also identifies some union leaders who went along with JH.

Owners of industry often blame unions and left wingers for promoting the concept of a class war in society. On reading Peacock's extraordinary book, ordinary workers can be forgiven for believing in a class war. "Killer Company" clearly shows that JH directors were criminally negligent and showed no humanity or compassion for their victims and no remorse for their crimes.

It is to be hoped that we learn the lessons from the asbestos tragedy. It is crucial that unions, environmental and consumer groups are on their guard to ensure that people are protected from the health problems associated with asbestos dust and other hazardous agents that exist in our workplaces.

The publication of this book comes 2 years after the defeat of the Howard government and its WorkChoices policy. This defeat was largely due to the very strong campaign organised by the ACTU against WorkChoices. It should be remembered that a side issue of this campaign was justice for asbestos victims. Bernie Banton figured prominently in this campaign while on his death bed, fighting for justice for fellow victims and forcing Tony Abbott to make the anti cancer drug, Alimta, freely available to sufferers of mesothelioma.

Many unionists would be aware that the Rudd government has retained much of WorkChoices in its Fair Work Act. Many do not seem to be aware that the government's review of the OH&S laws around the country could lead to a situation where these laws are very likely to be seriously watered down. To prevent any more tragedies arising from work hazards, it is to be hoped that the union leaders in Australia mount a similar campaign to the one that was conducted in the lead-up to the 2007 federal elections to demand effective OH&S laws around the country. After all, our OH&S rights at work are worth fighting for too!

South Australian Council for Civil Liberties is calling on all concerned Australians who support refugees to refuse to stay silent as their plight once again becomes a political, instead of a humanitarian, issue and ask all concerned folk to ‘Wear a Key for Refugees’.

You can choose what kind of key you wear and how you wear it; around your neck, printed on a t-shirt or pinned to your lapel.

The Council says “Don’t stay silent any longer, spread the word and wear your key today.”

For further information contact Claire O’Connor, Chair, South Australian Council for Civil Liberties
0434103394 coconnor1@vtown.com.au

Universal Periodic Review

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all 192 UN Member States once every four years. The UPR is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations. As one of the main features of the Council, the UPR is designed to ensure equal treatment for every country when their human rights situations are assessed.
The UPR was created by resolution through the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 which also established the Human Rights Council. It is a cooperative process which, by 2011, will have reviewed the human rights records of every country. Currently, no other universal mechanism of this kind exists. The UPR is one of the key elements of the new Council which reminds States of their responsibility to fully respect and implement all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The ultimate aim of this new mechanism is to improve the human rights situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever they occur.

Australia’s review scheduled for 2011 – Source: www.hrca.org.au

Over the past twelve years Tony Rosella has been involved in, and commissioned to create, many major works of public art. This includes several landmark pieces engaging directly with indigenous groups, including Ikara which won the Ruby Award for Best New Work in 2007 and also nominated for Best Community Work .

Tony is currently working on (Design Development Stage) the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander War Memorial .

Tony’s work in the public realm is a fusion of sculpture and a sense of landscape and place. It allows viewers to enter into more than just a symbolic relationship with the art and surrounding environment, but provokes both a spiritual and historical response. This is due to his unique methods of inception, creation and construction of each piece. He views sculpture as a three-dimensional language that speaks of a shared perception of “the essence of place”.

To find this language requires an acute and intimate understanding of both the landscape (natural and urban) in which the piece will sit and the people who will engage with the art. He works collaboratively at each stage of the construction, including early designs, always willing to adjust or generate new ideas. This ensures that the work is compelling, blending seamlessly with the environment, without being obtrusive. Marked by a simple restraint, but never simplified, he endeavors to create work that inspires situations for interaction, wonder and fascination.

In the course of this work he has generated a great deal of ideas that he wants to explore in a more concentrated, focused and conceptual way, without the complexity of working in the public art realm. He has also realized over the course of these public projects, by sheer lack of time and resources that he has neglected the more intimate and experimental side of his work which could both enhance his future sculptural vocabulary and reputation. He believes, then, that he is at a stage that requires a period to refocus and experiment to enable his work to develop in a significant new direction.

Tony Rosella was one of the artists who worked on the Kaurna reconciliation artwork, a project of the Graham F Smith Peace Trust. He is a member of the Peace Trust grant selection committee.

Please volunteer to lead the Kaurna Walking Trail. The Kaurna Walking Trail recognises the Kaurna people as the traditional owners of the Adelaide Plains. It is an opportunity for Adelaide residents and visitors, to celebrate the history of the Kaurna people and their connectedness to this place. The trail begins at tarnda kanya (red kangaroo rock), site of the reconciliation sculpture in front of the Adelaide Festival Centre. It includes Karrawirra parri (the River Torrens) and a series of sites which recall encounters between the Kaurna people, the white settlers and other indigenous groups.

Training for volunteers will be provided - for further information contact info@artspeacetrust.org or 08 82673915

This year Peace Groups of Adelaide decided on a joint event to commemorate UN International Day of Peace. The Combined Committee of Adelaide Peace Groups planned an event for Sunday afternoon, September 20, at the Estonian Hall, 200 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide. The focus of the day was on commemorating peace, both at a personal as well as at a world level.

Secondary students from a number of schools in Adelaide were encouraged to pursue a Peace Study project during the third term. As a result the children from several schools made a study of “peace in my life” and represented it graphically, or in prose or poetry. Over one hundred pieces of art were on display, and viewers were encouraged to take time to contemplate the messages that our young people are sending about peace.

Dr Amanda Ruler from MAPW gave the opening address. This was followed with the ringing of bells to remind us that the Peace Bell rings on the 21st September each year as a symbol of world peace and unity.
The afternoon unfolded with peaceful communal activities including song, dance, music, children’s entertainment and peace groups’ information stands. The artist in residence, Michael Kumick, made clay images to capture the ethos of the day, poets read their poetry, a refugee family spoke poignantly of their journey to Australia and one of the children danced her story.

The day gave us an opportunity to stop, reflect and decide if we stand for peace in our homes, our community and the world. It provided an opportunity to celebrate peace and reminded us that peace can start with each one of us making a commitment to opt out of the status quo and adopt a common vision for peace in our lives.

A wonderful gentle celebration enjoyed by all who attended.

Ros Gill
The Combined Peace Group of Adelaide*
*Graham F Smith Peace Trust, MAPW, Australian Peace Committee, WILPF, Psychologists for Peace &
UNAA.

Artists demand torture music playlist

A group of artists is demanding that the U.S. release a list of songs that were played, typically at ear-splitting volumes, as a means of inducing prisoners in detention camps to comply with their captors. One prisoner, Binyam Mohamed, said he was played Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" for 20 days on end. Tom Morello, who was a member of Rage Against the Machine, said, "The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me." The Washington Post (10/22)

Second to None DVD

Over four nights in November 2007, Kurruru Youth Performing Arts, working in partnership with Vitalstatistix Theatre Company, presented Second To None – an Aboriginal and Maritime Journey. The collaboration merged elements of theatre, dance, installation, projection media and ceremony, to take audiences on a journey, both literal and physical, through the past, present and future of Port Adelaide.

Reflecting on the process and the performance, Kurruru has produced a documentary of this community production. Featuring interviews with directors Diat Alferink, Maude Davey, Karl Telfer and Sasha Zahra, as well as the show’s cast, crew and audiences, the documentary offers a glimpse at the impact and ongoing legacy of Second To None. Interlaced with scenes from the performance, the documentary tells the story of the environment and community that drove the telling of this one-time-only creative work. A copy of the documentary can be ordered from Kurruru by phoning them on (08) 8341 1150 or emailing info@kurruru.org.au

The Peace Trust supported the original production of Second to None and has also contributed to the making of the documentary.

AVAAZ Success

European Union in Luxembourg

Great news - our campaign for European sanctions on the Guinean junta was successful!
Our community pulled out all the stops to get the EU to act after the massacre of over 150 democracy protesters -- delivering our 125,000 strong petition to the Presidency of the European Union, and publishing opinion pieces citing the public demand in the International Herald Tribune, the New York Times online, and other papers.

The day after our petition delivery and opinion pieces ran, the EU agreed to an arms embargo and sanctions! Last week the African Union(AU) followed with travel bans and asset freezing.

This is a victory for our global democracy movement, particularly for those brave African voices who are standing up to brutality and violence. Our small actions together gave European and African leaders a public mandate to do the right thing. EU and AU sanctions are now putting powerful pressure on the military leadership to step aside and allow a democratic process in Guinea.

With thanks,

Alice, Benjamin, Ricken, Graziela, Luis, Pascal and the whole Avaaz team (Source: www.avaaz.org)

Acclaimed Australian Architect Awarded Dreyer Foundation Prize of Honour ‘09

Richard Leplastrier received the Dreyer Foundation Award – the first non-Dane to receive the award for a valuable contribution to society made by an architect.

The Dreyer Foundation Prize of Honour 2009 has been awarded to architect Richard Leplastrier for his understanding of the true meaning of sustainability, based on a philosophy best summed up by the motto: ‘Let’s cultivate less!’

How little do we need? The winner of The Dreyer Foundation Prize of Honour ‘09, Richard Leplastrier, has asked himself this question many times in his long career. Richard Leplastrier is renowned and recognized for only using resources close by in an endeavour to minimize the impact on the environment as much as possible. His favourite material is wood—preferably recycled and veneer—and in principle, many of his designs can be taken apart and used again and again. In the words of architect and Dreyer Foundation board member Lene Tranberg, his architecture is an “Ode to nature”.

In her summary, Lene Tranberg explains her reasons for awarding The Dreyer Foundation Prize of Honour ‘09 to Richard Leplastrier:

“The legacies of Jørn Utzon, Kenzo Tange, and the classic Japanese building tradition are continued in the most beautiful way – creating human experiences of exceptional elegance and simplicity. Within the realm of architecture, he has imbued the term “sustainability” with a deeper meaning through the ideas expressed in ‘Let‘s cultivate less!’”

Annual Planning Workshop - Sunday, 31st, January, 2010

Autumn Newsletter Deadline - Monday, 15th, February, 2010

International Women’s Day - Monday, 8th, March, 2010

Quiz Night - TBA, April/May, 2010

Winter Newsletter Deadline - Saturday, 15th, May, 2010

Annual Dinner - Saturday, 26th, June, 2010

Spring Newsletter Deadline - Sunday, 15th, August, 2010

International Peace Day event, TBA, September, 2010

Summer Newsletter Deadline - Monday, 15th, August, 2010

Launch – The Graham F Smith Memoir, TBA, November 2010

UN Human Rights Day - Friday, 10th, December, 2010

Contributions to the newsletter are welome. Autumn Newsletter deadline is Monday 15th February, 2010.