INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN AND PACIFIC ACTIVISTS REQUIRE ASSISTANCE
TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL FORUM
Dear Friends
I am writing to you to gain your financial sponsorship for ten
Indigenous Australian and Pacific activists to enable them to attend the
Hague Appeal for Peace Conference - the end of millenium peace
conference being held in The Hague from May 11-16, 1999.
The Hague Appeal for Peace Conference to be held May 11-16, 1999, is a
major end-of-century international campaign and conference for peace and
justice. It will commemorate the centenary of the First Hague Peace
Conference, and will complete an extraordinary sequence of world
conferences and summits convened during the last decade. Aiming to
delegitimize war, the conference will bring together all sectors of
international civil society to develop specific global strategies for
disarmament and nuclear abolition, the peaceful settlement of disputes
and the development of international humanitarian law.
The program
covers four substantive themes: disarmament, conflict
prevention/resolution, humanitarian law, and culture of peace. Organized
by civil society rather than governments, documentation from this
conference - tabled as "The Hague Agenda for Peace" - will be presented
to world governments at the parallel intergovernmental process, which
will comprise high-level meetings in 1999 in The Hague, St. Petersburg,
Geneva and New York.
Through participating in this conference Indigenous Australian and
Pacific activists will be able to place on "The Hague Agenda for Peace"
issues such as: Native Title rights in Australia, Bougainvillean Peace
Process, French occupation and nuclearisation of Te Ao Maohi (aka French
Polynesia), the Indonesian illegal occupation and military violence in
West Papua, racism, human rights violations, uranium and other mineral
mining, the proposed international nuclear waste repository planned for
southern Australia, US military bases, the impacts of nuclear testing,
and many other issues of the independence and nuclear free campaign of
our region. The lasting effects of such an achievement can be expected
to be felt for many decades into the future. Without the Indigenous
Pacific contribution to this conference it will fail in its attempt to
represent a global perspective.
The Indigenous Australian and Pacific activists represent 4 nations:
Aboriginal Australia, Bougainville, Te Ao Maohi (aka French Polynesia)
and West Papua (aka Irian Jaya). These nations will join delegations
from Ka Pae’aina (aka Hawai’i) and Aotearoa (aka New Zealand).
The individuals involved are:
Aboriginal Australia - Kathy Malera-Bandjalan (Malera-Bandjalan
traditional custodian of Timbarra under threat of gold mining); Jacqui
Katona (Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corp./ uranium mining at Jabiluka-Kakadu
World Heritage Park); Christine Christopherson (Mirrar woman from
Jabiluka area); Joan Wingfield (Kokotha/Arabunna people/threatened Billa
Kallina nuclear waste repository).
Bougainville: Lucy Madoi (Bougainville Women for Peace and Freedom,
President); Marcelline Tunim (Bougainville Women for Peace and Freedom,
Vice-President). (Survivors of nine year long Papua New Guinea imposed
war; involved in Bougainvillean initiated Peace Process.)
Te Ao Maohi (aka French Polynesia): Oscar Temaru (Tavini Huirratira,
President); Lucie Pereire (Tavini Huirratira, Women's Association),
Marie Bopp Du Pont (Tavini Huirratira, Youth) (Campaigning for
independence, end of French colonisation and ending of military
occupation, including cleanup and compensation following French nuclear
testing program.)
West Papua (aka Irian Jaya): John Otto Ondawame (Organisasi Papua
Merdeka/Free Papua Movement); Win Zonggonau (Organisasi Papua
Merdeka/Free Papua Movement, NANGO-PNG) (Campaigning for independence,
against Indonesian illegal occupation, removal of Indonesian military
forces, ending of human right violations.)
Together these people represent some of the most significant Indigenous
Australian and Pacific issues of decolonisation, demilitarisation,
denuclearisation, peace and justice and reconciliation issues facing the
world today.
Funds Required:
The full amount required is $34114. This consists of:
Australia: It will cost each of these 4 women $2760 to attend the
conference. Total = $11,040.
Bougainville: It will cost each of these 2 women $4432. Total = $8864.
(This is so high because these women have to travel to Sydney first as
it is dangerous for them to travel through Port Moresby, Papua New
Guinea.)
Te Ao Maohi (aka French Polynesia): It will cost each of these 3 people
$2850. Total = $8550.
West Papua: These 2 activists will require $2900 each. Total = $5660.
The Indigenous Australian and Pacific attendance is being coordinated by
Zohl de Ishtar, in both her capacity as International Peace Bureau
Oceania Representative and as Director of Pacific Connections. The
International Peace Bureau (IPB) is one of the four international
organisations which host this major event. IPB was first established in
1892, has been awarded a Nobel Peace Laureate, and is the world’s most
comprehensive and oldest peace organisation. Pacific Connections is a
consultancy and advocacy service established to assist Indigenous
Australian and Pacific peoples.
The situation is urgent. We had hoped to receive funding from the HAP
conference organisers but, while they have provided some funds, they are
unable to meet all the requests made to them from the many countries of
the global south which are endeavouring to be involved in this important
event. We only received this problematic information recently.
While
invitations have been secured for these activists to present papers, as
representatives of their peoples and all citizens of the Pacific region,
we are far from having secured the funds necessary to pay for air fares,
registration, etc. It will cost a total of $34,114 to cover all the
activists listed above. While they are trying to raise the funds
themselves this is an extremely difficult task, especially for nations
such as Bougainville where the war has left them without a cash
economy. They need your help.
Please help. Whatever assistance you are able to give to assist these
people to attend this very important conference would be very much
appreciated. It all adds up. Rest assured that your contribution will
assist these women directly.
To send funds you can either:
1) send a cheque, made out to "Pacific Connections", and earmarked
"HAP" to Pacific Connections, PO Box 172, Annandale 2038, Australia.
2) Or deposit funds directly into bank account, "Pacific Connections"
at Commonwealth Bank, Annandale NSW, # 062 102 1005 2883. Please notify
us if you deposit funds directly.
** Please pay in Australian dollars. **
If you would like more information on how you can support these people
please contact:
Zohl de Ishtar
IPB, Oceania/Pacific Connections
PO Box 172, Annandale, 2038, Australia.
phone: +61 -2 -96603670 Email: pacific@talent.com.au
Please pass/network this request on to your colleagues. Copy and
duplicate this request in hard copy and through the internet. If you
can’t assist perhaps someone else might be able to. There is only a
short lead up time to May and we need your support.
Yours in solidarity,
Zohl de Ishtar
HAP organiser for the Pacific
International Peace Bureau, Oceania Representative
Pacific Connections
Zohl de Ishtar
Pacific Connections
Women for a Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (Australia)
International Peace Bureau, Oceania Representative
