The horrors of war versus the horrors of peace --- and the horrors of peace and bureaucracy.

War Memorial should ditch weapons manufacturers: Anti war organisation

By Sally Whyte

20 May 2018 — 7:29pm

The Australian War Memorial risks making war a source of entertainment instead of being a site of commemoration, the parent organisation of last year's Nobel Peace Prize winners has told a parliamentary committee.

Last year's Nobel Peace prize winners, the International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons, grew out of the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, which has used the federal inquiry into Canberra's national institutions to take aim at the memorial's sponsorship arrangements with weapons manufacturers.

The Australian War Memorial and its director Brendan Nelson 

have been criticised by an anti-war group.

The association's president, Canberra-based retired GP Dr Sue Wareham, has taken particular issue with the audio visual elements of the memorial's exhibitions. Dr Wareham was one of the founding members of ICAN and is a board member of the Australian arm of the organisation. ---

In particular, Dr Wareham singles out 

1. the lack of peace movement materials on display and 
2. the prospect of recent border patrols to recent asylum seekers reaching Australian shores being recognised at the memorial. 
3. The inquiry will cover the ways in which the capital's galleries, museums and other institutions receive funding from private sponsorship. The association believes that the memorial should have a policy against accepting funding from weapons companies that profit from ongoing conflicts.

"It's particularly blatant when one walks into the theatre at the War Memorial and it's named BAE Systems theatre. BAE Systems is Britain's biggest weapons manufacturer, they're selling a lot of material to Saudi Arabia at the moment," Dr Wareham said.

"There's BAE Systems alongside our people who have fought and died in the defence of freedom and there's BAE Systems sponsoring, helping, assisting the Saudi Arabian government, which is contributing to a humanitarian disaster in Yemen."

Dr Wareham said the memorial shouldn't be expected to raise its own revenue, and that its plans should be scaled back to be more affordable.

"One of the things our organisation would like to see is that the AWM plans are a little less grandiose and actually get back to the basic function of commemoration of our war dead, which doesn't require a huge and grandiose budget."

Dr Sue Wareham OAM, is national president of the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, which believes the War Memorial should not accept funds from weapons companies.

Photo: Rohan Thomson

According to the submission, the audio visual elements now used at the memorial, as well as interactive activities where children can dress up a nurse or pretend to be in a trench "[run] the risk of blurring the distinction between commemoration and understanding on the one hand, and entertainment on the other. Entertainment is not a part of the purpose or mission of the AWM."

The association believes the memorial sanitises the reality of war, and its current direction doesn't do enough to make people think twice about going to war. The submission also took issue with the suggestion that the memorial may include exhibitions relating to Australia's border patrol to deter asylum seekers.

"Proponents who regard the AWM as a suitable place to display Australia’s rejection of boatloads of desperate people have simply lost the plot."

The memorial has defended itself in the wake of the criticism.

"The Australian War Memorial refutes the notion that any parts of its displays are 'entertainment'. Exhibits and displays are developed to engage all visitors and cater to a range of learning styles including those of children," a spokesman said.

There are no plans for a memorial for Operation Sovereign Borders, the spokesman said, clarifying that comments by memorial director Brendan Nelson about all Defence personnel, including border protection, "were made in the context of the proposed extension to the Memorial being considered by Government next year."

The Memorial said it will continue its funding arrangements with weapons companies.

"The overwhelming majority of cultural institutions rely on partnerships and corporate support to supplement revenue and support continued operations. These arrangements commonly and understandably involve acknowledgment or recognition of the supportive individual or organisation," the spokesman said.

"The Memorial highly values the support of its corporate partners which allows investment directly back into the development of the Memorial’s galleries, exhibitions, programs, collection and staffing."

Sally Whyte is a reporter at The Canberra Times

     Source from the Canberra Times: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/war-memorial-should-ditch-weapons-manufacturers-anti-war-organisation-20180517-p4zfvb.html

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PS: Among the complexities of war and peace, how many fewer people would there be to participate in the Invictus Games if there were no manufacturers of arms and weapons such as Lockheed Martin.

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Please  go here for the Immigration & Border Protection website.

The Editor of this blog does not regard her country

as having a compassionate immigration & border protection policy.

However, there are organisations within Australia that do.

The Editor does not have expertise in immigration & refugee matters.

However, there are organisations in Australia who do.

Message this blog with your email details if you wish to be placed 

in touch with these organisations. 

Israelis come down hard on Palestinians in East Jerusalem

The Knesset passed a law Wednesday allowing the interior minister to revoke the permanent residency status of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem who engage in terror or other anti-Israel activities and any permanent residents involved in such acts. Under the law, the state can deport anyone whose residency status is withdrawn.

The government-sponsored law specifies three situations in which the interior minister can revoke permanent residency: If the status was granted under false pretences, if the resident endangered public safety or security, or if he betrays the State of Israel.

The law applies to all permanent residents, whether they are recent immigrants or long-time residents of East Jerusalem. Under the law, the interior minister must grant an alternative status to a person whose residency was revoked if the individual cannot be permanently resettled in another country.

The law was drawn up after the High Court of Justice last year overturned the revocation, more than a decade ago, of the permanent residency status of four East Jerusalem men.

In January 2006, Mohammed Abu Tier, Ahmad Attoun and Muhammad Totah were elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council as representatives of the Hamas party. The fourth man, Khaled Abu Arafeh, was the minister for Jerusalem affairs in the short-lived government of Ismail Haniyeh. Then-Interior Minister Roni Bar-On rescinded their residency on grounds of disloyalty to Israel.

Read more here

Israeli health minister Yaakov Litzman resigns in protest over railway work on the Sabbath

Updated 23 minutes ago

PHOTO: Yaakov Litzman said the weekend maintenance work on the railway was not warranted. (Reuters: Ammar Awad)

MAP: Israel

Israel's health minister has resigned, saying he opposed continued maintenance work on the country's railways on the Sabbath, when all labour is strictly prohibited by Jewish law.

Key points:

• Mr Litzman said he took issue with government-sanctioned Sabbath "desecration"
• Israel's railways authority said it must carry out work on Saturday so it did not disrupt transportation during the work week
• Much of Israel comes to a halt at sundown on Friday for the Sabbath, but few Israelis strictly observe the day of rest

Yaakov Litzman, who heads a powerful ultra-Orthodox political party in Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, said the work conducted publicly on the railway prompted him to resign.

He said, "As a minister in Israel, I can't maintain the ministerial responsibility" of government-sanctioned Sabbath "desecration" that contradicts the "holy values of the Jewish people".

While Mr Litzman said the weekend maintenance work on the railway was not warranted, Israel's railways authority said it must carry out work on Saturday so it did not disrupt transportation for thousands of Israelis during the work week.

Railway and some other public works have occurred for years on the Sabbath, which begins at sundown on Friday.

Mr Netanyahu said later at a government meeting he regretted Mr Litzman's decision, describing him as, "an excellent health minister who did much for the health of Israel's citizens".

He said his coalition would not dissolve over the issue.

Mr Netanyahu stressed the Sabbath was important to all Israelis — as is the need for "safe and continuous" transportation — and added he was convinced a solution could be found.

The chasm between secular and orthodox

Ultra-Orthodox parties provide Mr Netanyahu with support to stabilise his coalition, while the Government carves out large budgets for the minority community.

They have traditionally acted as kingmakers in Israel's fractious coalition building and have in the past threatened to topple coalition governments by robbing them of their majority.

The issue of desecration of the Sabbath has triggered crisis in the past and highlights the cultural chasm between Israel's ultra-Orthodox population and its secular majority.

Much of Israel, including public transportation, comes to a halt at sundown on Friday, but few Israelis strictly observe the day of rest.

Many restaurants, movie theatres, sporting events and national parks operate, and in secular bastions such as Tel Aviv even some corner stores and shopping centres are open.

Mr Litzman's resignation did not immediately threaten Mr Netanyahu's coalition, but it risked setting off a chain reaction that might.

Later on Sunday however, any crisis appeared to have been averted when Mr Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox coalition partners agreed to maintain the Sabbath status quo.

Mr Litzman's resignation could have exerted pressure on the other two ultra-Orthodox coalition partners to squeeze out concessions from Mr Netanyahu to prove to their constituents that they respect the Sabbath as much as the resigning health minister.

Mr Netanyahu may be hesitant to offer anything perceived as being too generous for fear of alienating secular voters at a time when opposition party Yesh Atid, led by charismatic former journalist Yair Lapid, has been gaining traction in polls.

AP

Victoria's Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill - Religions protest

Pressure is mounting on state MPs as they prepare to debate controversial voluntary euthanasia laws next week.

The pro and anti campaigns are ramping up their efforts, with voting on the bill to begin as early as next Thursday.

More than 120 doctors from around the state intervened on Wednesday, writing to all 127 parliamentarians, urging the politicians to "reduce the suffering" of terminally ill Victorians by voting in support of the euthanasia laws.

The doctors' intervention came as a coalition of religious leaders launched a united campaign on Wednesday, pushing for a no-vote.

Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs and Christians gathered on the steps of Victorian Parliament to deliver a statement opposing the laws to Deputy Premier James Merlino.

The material for this post has been taken from Ballarat's daily newspaper, The Courier.

For more information on what is being considered/proposed by the Victorian Govt,

please read

The Final Report of the Ministerial Advisory Panel

on Voluntary Assisted Dying: Final Report

Editor's Note:

With Voluntary Assisted Dying, people are being offered an option.

There are particular safeguards on the manner of carrying out the option.

Those with conscientious objections have their objections respected.

The role of palliative care is neither overlooked nor is it excluded. 

Aboriginal elders address the Parliament of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia

ABORIGINAL ELDERS ADDRESS LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

On an historic day in the Victorian Parliament, Aboriginal elders have addressed the Legislative Assembly.

The elders spoke in English and Woi-wurrung language to explain their connection with the Yarra River and the importance of protecting the river for generations to come.

The elders’ statements were made prior to the introduction of the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Bill 2017.

Aunty Alice Kolasa, Aunty Gail Smith, Ron Jones, Allan Wandin, Uncle Colin Hunter Jnr and Jacqui Wandin entered the Legislative Assembly chamber to the sound of traditional clap sticks.

After their statements, they were thanked by Speaker Colin Brooks and were applauded by members of parliament.

Please help to #Keephopealive in #Ballarat against he death penalty - particularly in #Indonesia

The information below is cross-posted with permission from Advocacy @ St Paul's

Dear Advocates,

Apologies for the short notice of to-nights's event.

Have only received notification this morning.

Details are in the re-published email below.

Please do your best to support this event.

Remember the mercy you give is the mercy you get! 

 The Ballarat group is part of the worldwide Amnesty International movement that opposes the death penalty in any circumstance, for any person.  Residents are invited to the

Spiritual Centre, 

Ballarat Base Hospital

7.00p.m.-8.00p.m. 

To-night 

Sunday 8th.February 

(entry from Sturt Street) 

to light the flame of justice, and send a public message that Australians oppose state-sanctioned executions.

The event is a response to comments by Indonesian President Joko Widodo that he would not grant clemency to at least 64 individuals who have been sentenced to death for drug-related crimes and that there were plans to execute all of them.

These include Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in the next batch of 11 whose claims for clemency have been rejected.

Amnesty International is asking Australians 

to use the hashtag #KeepHopeAlive

 and sign

Amnesty International’s petition

calling for the executions to be stopped. 

The death penalty has been proven not to work in deterring crime. It is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and it has no place in today’s justice system.

Amnesty International has been campaigning against the death penalty for the last 30 years, and most countries in the world have recognised the justice in this stance. When Amnesty International first pledged to abolish executions in the ‘70s, only a handful of countries had stopped killing people as a form of punishment; now 140 countries have abolished the practice.

Vigil for Hope ("Stop the Executions") 

 7.00-8.00p.m. 

Sunday 8th. February 

 Spiritual Centre, Ballarat Base Hospital. 

 Media Contact: Max White 5331 2502

Ministers of Religion and leaders in faith organisations: The Working With Children Check briefing on changes to the Working With Children Act 2005.

The letter and the attached poster have come to the B.I.N. email box this week and the B.I.N. social media editor is publishing the documents here to provide easy and public access for Ministers of Religion and leaders within faith organisations to whom the Working With Children Check applies. The information poster can be read from this blogpost or downloaded and printed direct from the blogpost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Martin.West@justice.vic.gov.au	22 Oct (3 days ago)
to me

Good afternoon,

I am writing to invite you, or other representatives of your organisation, to an education session about recent changes to the Working with Children Act 2005. These changes broaden the legal obligation for ministers of religion to have a Working with Children (WWC) Check.

From 26 October 2014, all ordained or appointed religious leaders in Victoria (lay or ordained, paid or volunteer) are required to have the WWC Check, unless their contact with children is only occasional and incidental. 

The details of the education sessions are:

Date:	Wednesday 5 November
Times:	11:00am – 12:00pm and 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Location:	Herring Room Heritage on Lydiard 115 Lydiard Street North Ballarat 3350 Light refreshments will be provided.

We would be grateful if you could promote these education sessions with members of your network.

Please be aware there are penalties for non-compliance with the Working with Children Act 2005. For individuals, there are fines of up to $35,426.00 and / or up to 2 year imprisonment. For organisations there are fines of up to $177,132.00.

To register interest for these education sessions, please emailmartin.west@justice.vic.gov.au or call 03 8803 8574.

Kind regards,

Martin West
Public Interface Officer
Working with Children Check Unit
Community Operations and Strategy
Department of Justice
GPO Box 1915 MELBOURNE  VIC  3001
 
( 03 8803 8574  Ê (03) 8803 8504  
 
W: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au 

Finance, Economics and Faith - interest and usury in the traditions.

For many years now, the world-at-large has been preoccupied with finance and economics.  Now finance and economics are never far from the forefront of daily life - but with the Global Financial Crisis (the GFC) and nations and individuals plunged into poverty money and its associated category headings.

The list of headings is long.  The list of countries doing it tough is long too.  Can faith speak to money?  Has faith something to say about finance and economics and governance?

You may have heard or read this story before, but it still has some impact in the re-telling.
A few prominent clergypersons were invited to the Oval Office to meet with the President.  Rev. William Sloan Coffin, then Senior Pastor of Riverside Church in New York City, was one of those invited. President Reagan patiently explained to the visiting pastors why these cuts were necessary, in his view, to balance the budget.  Rev. Coffin replied, “Mr. President, it is up to us to proclaim that ‘Justice shall roll down like waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream.  Your job is the plumbing.”

The Rev Dr Susan Brooks Thistlewaite uses the story in a blog post from her blog #Occupy The Bible.

That story reflects one Christian attitude to finance and economics.  The Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, Islam, and Christianity - each have injunctions against usury.  Usury is the charging of interest although in some interpretations this becomes the charging of 'excessive' interest.  Islam is the only faith of the three which adheres to injunctions against usury.

People of the Jewish faith have become associated with finance, banking and usury - not least because of this family.  Not all Jewish people are bankers or people connected with finance and economics - but a lot of them are.  

The writer of this article says : Christian ethics has failed in one of the most overlooked, if not ignored, civil and human rights issue in the world today. 

In each of the three faiths, there are strong ethical dictums relating to the alleviation of poor, to hospitality, to consideration of the other as one would consider him or her self.  

But where does this leave ordinary folk trying to negotiate their ways through modern economic life while maintaining an ethical faith and lifestyle?  And what happens in other faith traditions?  Below are some selections for further reading.  

Readers of this blog might like to write to us at ballaratinterfaithnetwork@gmail.com and let us know their thoughts.  

• Should interfaith networks start talking about this and begin to shine some light on the teachings of the different faith traditions and how they work themselves out in modern life?  
• Should faiths bear a common witness against poor governance both of civil society and corporate entities?  
• How would this be done effectively?

Further reading

Usury

Your faith, your finance :  a guide to money faith & ethics

Face to Faith: once confined to religious debates, the word 'usury' is making a welcome return to politics

Call and response blog: usury

Is anti-usury activism anti-semitic?

Buddhist economics: money and interest - How money & charging interest debased Buddhism

The plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma)

An Urgent Call for Justice for Rohingya Muslims

Rohingya children in Burma. Image: Rohingya News Network

Since 2010, when a democratic government was elected for the first time in 50 years, the people of Myanmar have had ample reasons to celebrate the country’s growing democracy. However, for nearly a million Rohingya Muslims living in Myanmar, there is little to celebrate. Widespread violence against the Rohingya erupted in June 2012 and sporadically continues today. In one incident, police in Rakhine fired on a crowd of Rohingya Muslims who demanded the release of a deceased Rohingya fisherman’s body that was being held by the police. The gunshots killed eight people and injured many others. Yet, the government of Myanmar has done little to suppress communal violence against Rohingya Muslims, and local authorities are further perpetuating human rights abuse.

The persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar extends beyond ad hoc violence to include government policies that are blatantly discriminatory. Presently, a Rohingya woman is only permitted to have two children, and Rohingya men are prohibited from marrying Buddhist women. Even more pejorative than these laws is the government’s refusal to grant the Rohingya citizenship. Without citizenship, the Rohingya do not benefit from the rule of law or the protection of the state. Furthermore, the Rohingya lack access to basic services and are limited in their ability to travel. The situation in western Myanmar has escalated to such a point that Human Rights Watch has describe it as an “ethnic cleansing.”

Read more at Georgetown Journal of International Affairs

Religious and ethnic organisations unite against plans by the Australian Government to weaken or abolish race hate laws

Tony Abbott is facing a fight against Australia's indigenous, Jewish, Arab, Chinese, Greek, Armenian, Lebanese and Muslim populations, who have united in urging the government not to proceed with announced plans to abolish or weaken race hate laws.

As his first legislative act, Attorney-General George Brandis wants to introduce a bill to change sections of the Racial Discrimination Act that protect ethnic groups against hate speech. He especially dislikes provisions that make it unlawful to offend or insult people on the basis of their race.

Declaring himself a champion of ''freedom'', Senator Brandis has disparaged the laws used against Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt over an article he wrote in which he accused ''white'' Australians of identifying as Aborigines to advance their careers.

The head of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Peter Wertheim, said he could not recall ''any other issue on which there has been such unity of purpose and strength of feeling across such a diverse group of communities''.

''We have read with growing concern that the federal government has plans to remove or water down the protections against racial vilification,'' reads the statement signed by the heads of groups including the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, Arab Council Australia, Chinese Australian Forum, Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Australian Hellenic Council, Lebanese Muslim Association and the Armenian National Council of Australia.

Jewish leaders have combined in a rare joint protest with prominent ethnic and indigenous leaders.

To read more of this report, please go to this link.

Why racial hatred laws are vital to Australian multiculturalism