HELP ALERT Where are we Now? Before his death, Dag Hammarskjöld Stood Up for the UN on Development Safety concerns for those fleeing Sudan violence Global food prices remain high despite marginal decline – UN index SBS PRODUCTION WINS  MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AWARD "Go Back to Where You came From" gets Golden Rose for Best of 2012 at a ceremony in Lucerne, Switzerland. more AID URGENTLY NEEDED: United Nations World Food Programme bosses in Australia today to request and  discuss with the Australian government the need for continued aid to Somalia and South Sudan. The delegation will meet with senior AusAID officials to plead a case that the troubled Horn of Africa region should not be overlooked as Australia decides where to direct its foreign aid spend. One million children at risk of dying from malnutrition in the Sahel - Urgent action needed to address ‘cascading crisis’ in Africa’s Sahel region – Ban Ki Moon | UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Programmes, Louis-Georges Arsenault, said in a news release. “We need more resources to really scale up our response before it becomes too late and too many lives are lost.” There are currently 15 million people facing food insecurity in the Sahel, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. The nutrition crisis is affecting people throughout Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and the northern regions of Cameroon, Nigeria and Senegal. Despite making up half of the world’s population, women represent around 70 per cent of the 1.2 billion people living in poverty and own only1 per cent of the worlds’ wealth UN humanitarian chief urges donors to support Afghan people. The population that has been affected by conflict and natural disasters...  Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ms. Amos underlined that the government and humanitarian partners need to focus on ways of providing more effective relief to natural disasters as well as working to build the longer term resilience of local communities. Australia's budget slows on Foreign Aid which is being put off - Our "Foreign aid vow broken" Good article account by Daniel Flitton - TIMELESS IS THIS MESSAGE: A memory of Solferino: (Un souvenir de Solferino)... '“When the sun came up on the twenty-fifth June 1859 it disclosed the most dreadful sights imaginable.... most badly hurt, had a stupefied look as though they could not grasp what was said to them…'  History of how & why the Geneva Convention came to life? Today it must be about resources support recovery and "The Right to Development", where the challenges and crises are interconnected. Economic, social and environmental concerns are inseparable. Treasurer Wayne Swan said the budget would deliver a small A$1.5 billion (948.48 million pounds) surplus in the year to June 30, 2013, with cuts in spending on defence and foreign aid and abandoning planned tax cuts for companies and savers. The ALP government under Kevin Rudd had promised to devote 0.5 per cent of Australia's gross national income to foreign aid by 2015 — raising total spending to potentially as much as $8 billion. That increase will now be delayed another year to 2016, despite Labor renewing the 2015 pledge at its national conference in December. Deferring the target will save the government $447 million this financial year, with savings to almost double annually over the next three years to a total of $2.9 billion and moving into  $7.7 billion by 2015-16. Fears of aid cuts in the run up to the budget had generated a vocal campaign by charity groups, including stark warnings children will die should Australia fail to met its target. But Treasurer Wayne Swan denied the government was balancing its books on the back of the world's poor and insisted Australia could be proud of what it would achieve in overseas development. _______________ Western Sahara - Calls for Australia to stop buying phosphate mined illegally from Morocco who is mining it from the  Western Sahara. Western Sahara is one of the poorest, most hotly disputed regions in the world, a state in excel. Rich in phosphate, claimed by Morocco, is illegally sold under international law,throughout the world.  Malak Amidan has come to Australia to call for an end of phosphate imports from the territory, to raise awareness of the brutal occupation of her homeland. Landmark: Peak Phosphorus The Sahrawi Peoples in the Western Sahara are being sold out True: The cause of the Saharawi people and the Sahrawi refugees in Tindouf (southern Algeria) is almost forgotten by the international community DEAD _ KILLED AND THE VIOLENCE CONTINIES -  10,000 people have been killed in Syria since the anti-regime uprising broke out in March 2011, according to UN estimates while the Observatory puts the figure at more than 11,100. This is not a calming effect and frankly the claim that 'monitors create a calming effect' is hopefulbut doubtful, given the true complexities. People are being killed, displaced and other countries - with less then Syria being strained by the economic lack of funds to deal with all those needing the urgent help. Calm... makes the claim of working for Peace virtually facile! As we as world citizens watch and listen and attempt to keep any faith on seeing a resolution to this process, we know the worse is yet to come unless something, more strategic to stop the slaughter of civilians can be done in Syria. The Syrian forces are not listening and neither is Syria's regime.... || Fifty of a planned 300 United Nations observers are already in Syria to monitor the cease-fire, but the violence continues, 14 months after Syria's revolt began with peaceful pro-democracy protests. |||| You simply cant have an election Syria,  when so many tens of thousands of your citizens live displaced in other countries, fearing for their life as a result of violent hostilies from your own regime forces. Some Syrians vote amid heavy security, scattered violence and opposition boycotts ....  Secretary-General condemns bomb attack near UN observer convoy in Syria |Amid concerns from the international community over the prospects of a “full civil war” in Syria, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan, said Wednesday  that the ongoing levels of violence and human rights abuses in the Middle Eastern country are unacceptable and the UN observer mission is possibly the only remaining chance to stabilize it.|Watching this Bloodbath, we throughout the world watch in grief..... Syria continues to  'kill civilians amid talks'| more‎ Saturday Extra: Turkey's position in the Middle East ||| more Hillary Clinton on truce in Syrian truce Annan's six-point peace plan 1. Syrian-led political process to address the aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people 2. UN-supervised cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties to protect civilians 3. All parties to ensure provision of humanitarian assistance to all areas affected by the fighting, and implement a daily two-hour humanitarian pause 4. Authorities to intensify the pace and scale of release of arbitrarily detained persons 5. Authorities to ensure freedom of movement throughout the country for journalists 6. Authorities to respect freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully Meanwhile - "The international community awaits a response by the International Criminal Court, who has been provided eye witness reports and evidence, disseminated by the international media for close to one year. To abandon civilians without food, water, electricity or medical care has severely damaged the credibility of the United Nations as a representative body, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Law."  -- Stephen Michael Apatow, Founder of Humanitarian Resource Institute (UN:NGO:DESA) and the United Nations Arts Initiative. ”Peace begins in the minds of those who perceive diversity as an element of betterment and growth.” - Kofi Annan What Do We Want? NOW? Gillard fails to act on Labor plan to help refugees blacklisted by ASIO NOT GOOD ENOUGH Ms Gillard: Australia's Prime Minister Ms Julia Gillard has failed to speak or say one word to her public distraught about situation of Ranjini, a refugee mother detained with her two children. Ms Gillard and her government has failed to implement a decision of last year's ALP national conference that offered hope for almost 50 refugees facing indefinite detention because ASIO has deemed them threats to national security. The ALP conference voted unanimously to require the National Security Legislation Monitor to propose how adverse security assessments of asylum seekers could be reviewed in a way that protected ASIO's sources but ensured procedural fairness for asylum seekers. NOT er SQUEAK: miacat.com accuses the Attorney-General Ms Nicola Roxon, former Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on the Status of Women of double standards. As a Federal ALP 'feminist leader' Ms Roxon shows contempt for her party's platform and to the status of women. Former PM Kevin Rudd, possible alternative Attorney-General Ms Penny Wong nor women like Tanya Plibersek MP....  I doubt would ever allow a mother and her children, after all they have been "honestly" through to be thrown BACK in detention[given what we really do know] without some statement explaining how the Government intends to deal with this. When will people come before status and a politicians own political power. Power is true leadership shared. We can't share with people who are paid like politicians but fail to lead on the most critical aspects that reflect  who we are as a Nation. My question is does either Nicola Roxon or the Prime Minister represent me, and other Australians who sincerely believe in the complex work of the UN or NOT? MORE Ranjini in 'complete and utter despair' needs our help to encourage the government to find a better way Please Give refugees the right to appeal security assessments – just like the rest of us where; the right to a Fair trial: Every individual is entitled to a fair and public hearing by competent, independent, and impartial processes established by law, in the determination of any criminalcharges against him/her or of his/her rights and obligations in a suit at law. Is Australia like a billard table, a world nation state solid, opaque, and impenetrable, like those that act like spheres similar to billiard balls, when it comes to International, Human Rights? Apart from the Refugee Convention ought we not consider the The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) (1984), together with the word 'other status' Article 2 and Article 5, 7, 8,9,10 and 11 with reference to Article 14 in Human Rights. Or do Australian's just not care? When it comes to UN Australian women against structural violence against women and children, what is Australia doing to advocate a case for Ranjini and her children? Our Silence is Deafening: Ranjini, Mother & Two Children "Detention for life, without reasons" Support Letters for Ranjini STAND UP AUSTRALIA: Discrimination against women is not meant to be protocol under Refugee Convention. It is believed that ASIO had found Ranjini's husband, now dead, was a driver for Tamil Tigers separatists GET UP SIGN PETITION HERE A Parliamentary Committee has already recommended that there should an independent review and appeals process for ASIO findings - a basic principle of justice. Why will Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, not respond? What about the 'right' not to be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile... what about Opinio juris, the belief that a practice is rendered obligatory by the existence of a rule of law requiring it... where given the chance, it would be legislative, in all fairness rather then just an appeal to customary law. As Karl E. Klare wrote, “the human rights project is to erect barriers between the individual and the State, so as to protect human autonomy and self-determination from being violated or crushed by governmental power.” Rights are attached conversely to duties. If a person has the right to freedom from torture, then the state has a corresponding duty not to 'torture', her..... Uncertainity in prolonged Detention, especially for those who can not appeal against a negative ASIO assessment in Australia.... is a form of degrading deprivation to their freedom and liberty. What stands out is that it is female leaders in charge doing it to Ayslum Seeks regardless of their own knowledge and standing of Gender policies that are their to protect women from war-torn regions. Turning Points in Australian History by  Martin Crotty, David Robert. Bigge Report... 'but also a community that would long suffer residual effects of embarrassment and uncertainty about it's  ignominious origins and character".. words of terror and terrorism carry a distinct and contemporary resonance. Or would you prefer An Unruly Child: a History of Law In Australia by Bruce Kerche;.... '‘no longer fit to live upon the earth’ but was ‘to be exterminated asa monster and a bane to human society’ Of course not to forget "There Goes The Neighbourhood". Australia and the Rise of Asia by Michael Wesley 'Try a Pacific islands forum. Boat people? How about a Bali regional process?... "Australia will need to take the world seriously'.... And this one takes the CAKE: Gillard turns her back on reform choosing to leave a mentally ill person in exile - dammed regardless, over any human option. If the present ALP team is hoping for my vote this coming election it has lost it on the grounds of it's Humanitarian ruthless,  inexcusable critieria and the fact that it IS no different to a Howard Government. Even when it is given an opportunty to do something it decides to make things even worse. IE: The federal ALP government of Australia, a Gillard Government [this hursts] is rejecting a landmark UN Human Rights committee ruling by refusing to allow the return of an Australian-raised convicted criminal, who came to Australia when he was 27 days old and the ALP Federal Government has deported to Sweden, even though he served his sentence and has not been in trouble for the tens before he was [surprisingly given the time-lapse], deported. When it comes to "character test" whose are we truely talking about? The person deported speaks no foreign language other then English and has no ties or network of his own in Sweden, where he has been deprted. Seems the ALP lets us down in all areas that really count. This deprtation  is abusive and reflects a government unable to deal with complex issues or show leadership where it counts. This deportation makes this particular ALP government look like a gang of silo-driven politically non-correct deperately seeking FOOLS! AUSTRALIA DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE PART OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL: Unfortunately Australia is no better then China when it comes sorting out it's approach to vunerable persons caught up between policies of common sense and it's Human Rights, Refugee, or associated protection policies. Let down is the idea of "Fair-Go" Australia by this ALP Federal Government who is weak at the knee's on Human Rights when and where it counts most. It can not solve a problem, it prides itself on tough, inhuman acts that leaves it no room when it comes to choosing to vote now for alternative parties. Worse now is the idea of an "informal" vote just to ensure the ALP gets nothing for it's callous,  cold-hearted, unsympathetic view of "others" at the most bottom end of the worlds disadvantaged ladder of need. What is the point of politics when the leaders are deaf, archaicand uncaring about individuals, mothers and children ....  anyway? They think it is a game of two-up, we think it is about peoples lives! In 1822 The Bigge Report on the colony of New South Wales disagreed with Macquarie and advocated for harsher punishment of convicts in Australia .... when it comes to Refugee's - Australian Detention Centres, ASIO - the Gillard Governments attitude toward Maritime Asylum Seekers ... I believe Australia is having a backward moment. On the deportation of the x-crim come man now mentally ill that this ALP government turns it's back on it Sweden.... as I said the entire filthy story takes the cake.The story doesn't very good  for Sweden either given all that they say they are with their 'high & mighty' ethical policies they spray across the worlds media. Letter To Australia's Prime Minister Ms Julia Gillard  [Written last weekend and link twitted to PM who gave not a word of concern about the situation.... anywhere!] Prime Minister, a Mother and her two Children [possibly in absolute shock] have been taken out of community, by ASIO and placed in detention. They don't know why. They have no way of finding out nor defending themselves action. Yes they are Refugees, and yes they were on a Community Refugee program. With respect Prime Minister I ask if this is Australia or do as they do in China? Our treatment of people to date is extreme. Refugees are being denied visas because of adverse assessments by ASIO. So many are sitting in limbo in detention centres. Look at the damage we are doing to these people..... Prime Minister is this our way? I ask Prime Minister please, can you look at this problem urgently. I ask that you do something constructive to help this Mother and her Children, quickly... as their life, their health and civic well-being may be further scarred by this shocking, adversely dramatic kind of treatment. Prime Minister, their a many people now being held in detention in Limbo. They have UNHCR clearance but become a target from within the ASIO process. ASIO staff themselves have said something needs to be done about this. As you know Prime Minister Gillard, ASIO also does assessments on Australian citizens and permanent residents. Australian citizens or permanent residents however, who get an adverse security assessment have the right to receive a "statement of reasons". Additionally is the problem of Human Rights. That not even the Human Rights Commissioner is allowed to have a confidential account of a "statement or reason" due to the secrecy of our national ASIO, Australia's key security organisation. Prime Minister, I remind you of the Muhamed Haneef case. While I may be spitting hairs, it is the things said by citizens beside the claims of the ALP over the way  he  "grabbed" and "detained" and then many years later we found reason not only to let him go but compensate him for the way we had, as a nation, represented by our authorities had treated him. I ask that you remember all that we said in his defense at that time, about decency, about justice, about human rights. Given the character and demonstrated potential goodwill that has been shown by"Ranjini" so far, while she has been  a  refugee resident  with her two boys, within the community, I ask you please Prime Minister to please not allow this family to become victims of a system that is not always perfect. A system  that we all agree can at all times find ways to be improved. As our ALP Prime Minister I ask that you show your hand, to intervene on this case and give us some hope that this kind of thing is not going to be the only way we resolve complex issues directly impacting people from other countries - all the time.... every time there is a negative projection, formality... glitch in our own system. I would as a citizen like to support the actions of ASIO however, I find myself at odds with the ways it does treat people, Prime Minister. Imagine this woman, with her children was you or me or even Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO. If we say we care for women and their families, If we say our policies mean anything through speeches and on paper, Prime Minister let us do something that reflects our own dignity and respect in this light. Regards, Maria Altmann MPhil. Peter Whish-Wilson is Greens Choice for Australian Greens Senate team. His has a a background in international financeand like surfing and has campaigned against the Gunns pulp mill and, will replace Bob Brown in the Senate. Interview with Fran Kelly. Mr Whish-Wilson, 44, has two children and lives in Launceston with his wife Natalie. Mr Whish-WilsonHe is also an economics lecturer at the University of Tasmania, with a focus on sustainability and climate change. His previous work in investment banking has taken him to Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne and New York.He also has military experience, having started his varied career as the Australian Defence Force Academy in the 1980s.  More Broad Daylight Blackmail! Money over citizenship - Many of us are becoming quite alarmed by the directions multi-national media giants are taking. As we watch people like  Eduardo Saverin - renounce his U.S. citizenship, to avod tax... we also see  a growing number of peeps in the 1 percent are giving up their citizenship to cut their tax liability. What most people missed on Apples Mac product growth and now the growth of products in social media.... is how much citzens, in their energy, support, creativity and enthusiam contributed to the creation of these products. Not only toward the design  but then with their loyality and probing ideas. Who is niaf or are their questions to be asked given these organisations are begining to look like they own us, the world in the same ways as  do the Banks? As we watch politics and the media hence we also see the problems deep in the notion of marketing on Facebook which is testing a policy "pay to promote". The line crossed is authenticity. The factor lost is the value of social capital unless you believe only those with money to "pay to promote" are the best for politics or only those product that have the money to "pay to promote" are the most authentic products. What beats me is how skew whiff the worlds socio-economic environment has become. Dog eat Dog appears to be the only norm. All those many generations that gave hope to the idea of democratic politics, fair exchange in the market place and now.... under the banners of both education and social media, the social capital is being milked in the same ways China milks resources out of Africa, Australia milks the potential economic and social self-determination from the people of Western Sahara by buying illegal "Phosphorus " from Morocco. Is the problem about values, ethics or a new form of cultural imperialism?How do we discuss this? ***** How do we get those $$$ standards back? Hear ROBERT SHILLER AND FINANCE IN A GOOD SOCIETY Good One Geraldine Doogue more please.... TOP NEWS! Yepee! Now we are talking. At last Consumer Choice is heard and the government plans to do something about it. Minister for Communications, Stephen Conroy, has signed off on the inquiry, which will also consider the pricing of software and other IT-related material.Consumer advocate CHOICE, which has been lobbying for an investigation into the price differential, is among many who welcomed the parliamentary inquiry. In a letter Mr Conroy said, ''I agree that Australian businesses and households should have access to IT software and hardware that is fairly priced relative to other jurisdictions … the global digital economy is likely to make it increasingly difficult to sustain business models that are based on a geographic carve-up of markets.'' Companies like Adobe and Microsoft are charging Australian businesses up to 145% more for the same products in Australia. According to Stephen Conroy's office several IT Companies will be asked to explain to the Federal Labor Parliament why Australians are being asked to pay over 100% more for the same products in Australia. Canon & Sony's face price gouging appears to be also on the list. Highly Disturbing: Mystery surrounds deaths of 877 dolphins washed ashore in Peru. Officials in Lima said last week that 877 carcasses have washed up, an unprecedented number, along 100 miles of the Piura and Lambayeque coast. Nearly all are bottle-nosed dolphins, many in an advanced state of decomposition. Whatever the reason.... it has to do with our what is occurring in our oceans... ||| Irrawaddy dolphin deemed a critically endangered species -  there are 100 or less of Irrawaddy Doplins left in the wild and there has been no dophin calf sight or born in over a decade. We are Part of Africa Problem: " I think Australia does have an obligation to make up for what is in effect an unplanned $700 to $800 million-a-year gift from developing countries to ours via the value of the medical workforce which is now working in our country, not in the country that paid to train them." Doctors in Africa and Australia's role in development support? Each Day we complain about the world, that it is not fair, that markets are uneven and that the world neglects it's most  poorest. Round and round we go.... each day discussing aid, trade, and the degree of hopelessness that follows us historically as we promote our own market interests over those in greatest need. I live for this story. It outlines the core of all that is wrong about market capitalism and it's exploitation of human resources in countries that need our support rather then depletion. This story is yet another story from Africa from reporter Ginny Stein. I take my hat off to Ginny Stein for the ways that she continues to bring us stories that focus on the needs of Africa [and other places] while at the same time gives us a mirror at ourselves. This story, among the hardest to articulate is bottom line. Rather then go on about [Charity] Aid and Trade, simply a look at how we relate as nations in geo-politics and exchange.  True development would go further then our poor rhetoric that comes nowhere near addressing the solutions of health, education and economic development. We are all partly responsible for poverty levels still exisiting in the lesser developed world. In the same ways we are responsible for the poverty levels experienced by those in our developed world. Austerity measures and all the spin just do not cut when the clock is ticking! Market Capitalism has a lot to answer for and, especially when governments themselves encourage us to take the easy road. Unbelievable: Abbott compares asylum seekers with drug runners. Tony Abbott’s Friday comparison of asylum seekers with drug runners should be treated with utter disdain, says senior correspondent Barry Everingham. In United States constitutional law the expectation of privacy is a legal test which is crucial in defining the scope of the applicability of the privacy protections of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.||||  A.C. Grayling privacy is a complicated issue.  He argues that we are at a 'crucial phase' when it comes to our privacy online. This is the topic ... 'The Private, The Public and The Line Between' he will be dicusing at the Sydney Writers' Festival  [Yep... I agree with Grayling.... The ownership is a pressing issue. On the issue of openness however, I actually believe perhaps because of 'population'... we have gone backward regardless of all the TV & social media. How many of us actually have the opportunity these days to really know our neighbours.... or is this yet again... another class thing?] - On the Spirit of Things, AC Grayling gentle as he may be speaks as no shrinking violet. I appreciated his "humanity", the ways he points to us, ourselves and questions "what are we doing", who are we reading... what are we thinking... where are we going?....  In a conversation with Rachael Kohn, the interview includes readings from Graylings new book... " The Good Book", including the opening words to his 'Genesis'. Vital Stuff, I thought. My ears want more! The face of poverty in Burma - As one listens to the world down talk the unfairness of austerity measures, it is hard to believe much will change in the present conditions under market capitalaism, given the way it works. In places of Burma it is no different. The conditions for ethnic minorities have improved little and activists say closer ties with the military junta should be conditional on an improvement in their human rights. STORY OF MABO - COMING ABC June 10th ABC FOUR CORNERS - Judgment Day: Native Title in Australia. A story with exclusive interviews on the political historical process fought in Australia by the Keating Government leading into the Mabo Decision during 1993. [Well Done Liz Jackson & Co] Don't miss this account. Catch-Up online video. What was valuable from the FOUR CORNERS - Judgment Day: Native Title in Australia. video aired on ABC last week is the look at politically at culture Australia. As we watched the players of then and compare their journey since, we can see ourselves through their eyes and that in most ways we are still arguing the same as same today.... Keating is a Brother to ALL when it comes to MABO and, it took a leader to do what still has to be done, when it comes to leadership of this Nation, Australia. Michael Kirby and Mick Dodson launch a new campaign in Sydney, calling on the NSW state government to spend more on programs to keep Indigenous kids out of jail. In Australia's criminal justice system prison is usually seen as the last resort. The Law Report looks at a situation where prison has become the only resort. In the Northern Territory the prisons are bursting at the seams and there are growing concerns about some inmates who shouldn't be there in the first place. In overcrowded cells, sharing scarce facilities, are people who have an intellectual or mental impairment or who are deaf. Some of these people are being held under a custodial supervision order. A piece of legislation that was designed to protect them has led to them being detained indefinitely. _______________ Indigenous "fit to plea" claim: While understanding the argument presented... it falls short of core issues in the legal system. IE: No proper preparation and brief statements presented to "fly-in" lawyers who often meet their clients only minutes before going into court. The entire design of legal representation in regional remote areas is poor, lacks funding and therefore equity when it comes  to understanding the issues surrounding crime in Indigenous community. Most critical is the poor input in the area of Crime Prevention that is not taken seriously by any government at a community level and least of all by the police force itself. Much More Needs to be DONE!! Breakfast Linda Burney Deputy Opposition Leader in NSW speaks up for teenagers shot in King Cross NT Prison officers describe conditions in the Territory's two jails as 'third world.' Issues facing Indigenous youth living in Australia's cities. ________ Dealing with Long-Term Planning: Indigenous Community Programs to support intervention are critical if "Stronger Future" is to have any sense of fairness. The problem to date is that Indigenous Programs for over 40 years have been Ad Hoc an experiment of Development sabotaged by Short-term rather then Long-term funding. Local Planning in all locations needs a greater focus. Mental Health Community Coalition ACT to better linkages, engagement and community care in Mental Health provisions for Prisioners: Push for Gaps in mental health support for the ACT's prisoners are contributing to high rates of suicide, drug overdose and recidivism, advocates say. The Mental Health Community Coalition ACT's budget submission has highlighted deficiencies in support for mentally ill prisoners being released from the Alexander Maconochie Centre. The group estimates that up to 80 per cent of prisoners have a mental health issue, and describe the jail as Canberra's largest mental health facility. What a Life? Overlooked by Mining Companies is the culture they produce..... when it comes to "Gloomy miners suffer in silence" Saturday Extra with Geraldine Doogue[with a special thanks to the producers]. Awesome question: "How do we teach optimism and yet value negative emotions? How do we acknowledge the structural forces at work in culture and society and foster a sense of agency and control for the individual?" ||| Is it worth questioning welfare, as something that has been central to liberal and social democratic thinking since the end of the Second World War... or go deeper and examine today those that we ought to be questioning, given the benefits they received too had gained from these benefits, including public housing and 'secure' public service jobs accumulating a form of  as inter-generational wealth from previous policies. [Seems there are two sides to this question and we better be quick in the ways we articulate it... before the growing crisis in markets, capital and the worlds capital exchange of resources totally narrows.]... IE: "Meanwhile, the world outside carries on. Nations burn, vested interests seize the state and the billions of dollars it offers, insurgents and secessionists oppose them and, when they succeed, tear up agreements. Because this layer of policymaking doesn't explicitly address politics, the resulting instability often renders such technical assistance mechanisms null and void." Six Queensland artists from out of nowhere, explore how they feel about coal seam gas and other mining development in their region. ||| From Late Night Live we have an interview from author Sharyn Munro  which questions "Rich Land, Wasteland: How Coal is Killing Australia" ina new book by the same title. Mixed Messages on the role of university... what is the purpose of learning... [these days,] do we need to consider a structural change, a whole approach to our higher 'learning' institutions? Elliot Perlman on Late Night Live: If this interview were completely about Auschwitz, then I may not have listened. Instead, it is about so much more. When it comes to the reference of the Austrians however... it is difficult to argue. However... when it comes to us true Austrians? What I have learnt is not to be a bystander. It is a bystanders apathy that tolerates injustice that  breeds serious dysfunction within a society.... Phillip Adams interviews author Elliot Perlman, whose latest book is "The Street Sweeper". Shin Dong-Hyuk was born in a political labour camp in North Korea. He is one of the few to ever have escaped. Blaine Harden tells us part of his story in a book "Escape from Camp 14: One man's remarkable odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" Special on Lateline - Education programs for pre-school children, what is the challenge. PART 1: Neuroscience research shows that 80 per cent of brain development occurs before age three, meaning educational interventions need to start two years before primary school. | Interview with Federal Education Minister Mr Peter Garrett -PART 2: Tuesday on Lateline... will focus on issues of States and specifically NSW. And PART 3, an interview with world's leading neurologists, Dr Judy Willis, says educational engagement with children in the early years pays off. ***** ||| Flexability is key to learning. As Headmaster Ben Van Aantholt tells us, "I've always had a theory: you have to provide the doorways and the more doors and windows that you put into a school, the more people that will walk through them.". No Surprises Here: Report finds charitable contributions made by clubs are 'minuscule' compared to their profits. |||| In the US... what do we know about these companies? "Six Rigged Rules Corporations Use to Dodge Taxes" ||| WHEN IT COMES TO PROFITS... who is tired of hearing the stories the world over of companies exploiting workers in all capacities.... for the sake of 'business'.... Dateline airs the Fashion Industry this week. Find out about the campaign against unsafe working practices occuring in Europe on Dateline. Ghost Net Exhibit: Derelict fishing nets - or ghost nets - are having a huge impact on the Northern Australian environment. Since 2005, a group called Ghost Nets Australia has removed more than 8,000 fishing nets, some up to four kilometres long, from our coastline. The group is an alliance of over 30 indigenous communities across Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. Now, Ghost Nets has opened an art exhibition featuring the nets, in the hope that it will draw attention to the environmental issue. The Miacat Logie Award for 2012 Australia: The Time Traveller's Guide. The fourth and final episode saw us racing down the last 65 million years to the present day. This story is the heart of our  National Treasure. It is this year, Miacats Logie Award for most relevant Film of the Year. A Film that makes sense of this Nations Beginning and the End of all Time.... An Australia we need to understand  NOW. I especially found the final episode to be the most powerful for it's editing, content and presentation, a wrap all in one. Alongside this Award is a special tribute to Paul Lockyer and his family for their work producing the book "Lake Eyre: A Journey Through The Heart Of The Continent". A book that explains the magic of life in Lake Eyres basin which makes up one sixth of the Australian continent. Using  words and images – from its ancient history as a lush home to megafauna, to the present day where it can change from a deeply inhospitable salt pan to a wetland teeming with birds and wildlife..... I hope to own a copy of this book one day. A  GREAT AUSTRALIAN STORY - Return To Wooleen Station - Transcript Peter Andrews, Natural Landscape Ecologist goes to Wooleen Station, about 700 kilometres north of Perth. A  landscape that was suffering from not enough low plants to slow down the water and stop the erosion... once over stocked but now after much effort and courage...  under restoration. LOVE THIS STORY - especially after all the years of controversy over the true meaning and value of ecology. Can we hope for Peace or will this all mean more of the same from the past? <------ Sudan violence sparks exodus into Kenya Four, a Norwegian, a Briton, a South African and a South Sudanese detained by [north of the border, Sudan] according to reports, after  attempting to investigate the debris from recent fighting between Sudan and South Sudan 2012 South Sudan–Sudan border conflict It is difficult for us on this side of the world to know what is truly occurring in Sudan. Eric Reeves has perhaps an alternative view to mainstream media... "Scandalous international hypocrisy on Sudan" ||| His website has more 'Sudan Research, Analysis, and Advocacy'. Of specific interest is his article 'Former Members of the UN Panel of Experts for Darfur Offer a Damning Alternative to the “Official” Report'. Sudan and South Sudan do not need another war, Ban stresses Unfinished Business still causing clashes between North & South Sudan. Second air raid reported by South Sudanese officials on Bentiu inside a week. ||| India government also expresses concern over the recent developments in Sudan and South Sudan, which is witnessing violence over the oil and territory issue, and asked both sides to exercise restraint and recommence negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues peacefully. Tuareg rebels fall out over al-Qaeda's  jihad in Mali Children in Mali suffering from triple disaster, warns UNICEF Ban voices concern over arrests of public officials in Mali Mali 'on brink of major disaster'... following a coup and rebellion in the north, Amnesty International says. | People and aid agencies warned the uncertain situation in Mali face a humanitarian catastrophe. According to Oxfam, more than 210,000 people fleeing the violence, drugs and food depots have been looted. more Senior UN official urges action to halt human rights abuses in Mali - Senior UN official condemns ‘alarming’ reports of sexual violence in Mali New Mali leader sworn in and threatens rebels with 'total war'... IF. Mali coup leaders, ECOWAS announce deal... Mali coup leaders to stand down as part of Ecowas deal France Dismisses Mali Rebel Independent Nation Claims after Mali Rebels proclaim Independent State in North.... So does the US, Canada so do  Malian northerners, who are apparently dismayed and rally in Bamako saying they are ready to fight to dislodge the rebels occupying the north after the desert Tuaregs proclaimed their independence. Meanwhile, A rebel spokesman admitted in an interview with France 24 that there was some “confusion” on the ground between groups over who controlled what, and a Malian security official told Agence France-Presse that Ansar ud-Din, the Islamist group, was in charge and not the rebels who declared independence. [go to this artlcle for related sources]. Wiki - Tuareg rebellion (2012) - [March-press article on early conflict] Wiki - Mali Geography and why "Gains of Mali's Tuareg rebels appear permanent, analysts say"?

Confidential police reports have detailed the suicides of at least 40 people sexually abused by Catholic clergy in Victoria, and have urged a new inquiry into these and many other deaths suspected to be linked to abuse in the church. In a damning assessment of the church’s handling of abuse issues, the reports say it appears the church has known about a shockingly high rate of suicides and premature deaths but has "chosen to remain silent." Austian Priests attempting to stand up to the Pope. Helmut Schüller of the Preachers’ Initiative, who formally headed Caritas Austria plans a global movement saying to the Pope "2012 will be the year of internationalisation". Pope Benedict however has re-stated the Roman Catholic Church's ban on women priests, teachings on celibacy and warned that he would not tolerate disobedience by clerics on fundamental teachings.... but some think not so sharply? Some 15% of Austrian priests  belong to the  Preachers'  Initiative and have been calling for change for at the last six years.

Jerilderie Court News- ANU losing it's  charm.

Once it was just about being lonely in a crowd but today... "Australia's urban planning too often emphasises productivity and sustainability at the expense of friendliness and community, a new report finds." It says, 'the report says bad town planning can 'build in' social isolation, with long-term damage to quality of life and our physical and mental health.' [ Or, forced to endure long-armed indifference, discrimination and stigmatised degrees of treatment by those in mainstream, supported by their policy roles or connectivity.] More then Mental Health being a topic demanding "No more silence: mental illness should be talked about", its general causes ought to be central to the discussion. For too long the social economic and cultural pressures of society itself, has been ignored as a major factor underlying peoples control over their own networks and circumstance. As the goal-post keeps moving, the systemic  filter that once safe-guarded peoples rights to self-determination is breaking down. The gap widens every where  People not normally in difficulty are now too being caught in the net, and too many, in the media, community and government services standby, for what ever reason... The most shocking part of this reality is that genuine "hardship" itself has become perceptively labelled with tags and false classifications within the Mental Health and Community Services system.  At this rate.... things will get worse.

UNHCR urges more support for statelessness treaty Find  Interactive Map       World Food Program is trying to Fight Hunger Worldwide. UN committee on global food security adopted a new set of rules to reduce land grabbing The UNESCO World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education Child detention should be outlawed: global report. The report says immigration detention has a profoundly negative impact on children's physical and psychological development, placing them at risk of depression, anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, bed-wetting and feelings of hopelessness and frustration. Afghan child hunger among worst in world: WB report UN official highlights role of business sector in sustainable development We must act together to fight exploitation and human trafficking in tourism, say UN and international partners Faith in Future Development:  A "whopping 50 tonnes of plastic waste into a 90 foot bridge that is durable enough to accommodate heavy-duty vehicles. Yep... That's right folks....  First Foot Bridge Made of Recycled Plastic Was Built in Less Than 2 Weeks! The project reuses 50 tonnes of plastic waste that was otherwise slated for either local landfills or China, is that it won’t rust, it requires very little maintenance, and not a drop a paint had to be applied to it. Marking International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination,  the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “Racism undermines peace, security, justice and social progress,” Mr. Ban added. “It is a violation of human rights that tears at individuals and rips apart the social fabric.” Also, Defeating racism, tribalism, intolerance and all forms of discrimination will liberate us all, victim and perpetrator alike. Anti-racism - Australians are being urged to become involved in the creation of a national anti-racism strategy. Talking about racism: Equality and social cohesion in Australia - Transcript of a speech by Dr Helen Szoke We need to ask some questions. Why are so many Indigenous Australians in Custody & worse, why is there a jump of 50% i  in death rates,  compared to 20 years ago? Book: Special Issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies: Responses to Stigmatization in Comparative Perspectives  I'm Not Racist, But.. Insight Question "Are we genetically wired for prejudice?" And,  survey released by the Lowy Institute suggests the majority of Indonesians want a much broader relationship with Australians however Australians response not as warm. [ My own response to issues suggests Human Rights - Justice and Corruption within system at every level has to do with a major part of the initial problem with the Australian response.] Why ASIO won't get online with Huawei. ***** YAHOO! 21st Century Service Delivery  - Australia's own NBN The Federal ALP's $36 billion national broadband network has cleared its last big hurdle, after Telstra’s plan to split itself in two was approved by the competition watchdog. We thank the ALP government and Telstra. We thank all involved in this most complex and progressive set of announcements because of what it means to this nations future here from the bush to cities, from Australia "anywhere" to the world-----wide. "The decision entrenches the structural separation of Telstra – and paves the way for the NBN to increase its customer numbers sharply as the roll-out continues. The government says splitting Telstra will also temper its marker dominance, boosting competition and delivering lower prices to consumers." Turnbull responds to NBN's Mike Quigley on timeframe for connecting 750,000 houses to the NBN Problem: Contradictions.... The Labor Government is tightening up Australian law in areas that will have a direct impact on organisations such as WikiLeaks. Only the Greens are challenging the new bills in parliament, and they are receiving scant media attention. | Regarding China however.... I understand and agree with the government given China's  governmental role in Hacking, how this works...  and their record on Human Rights.... Trust is a central issue...  I don't tust China's record on Human Rights which is where Trust starts. Transparency works two-ways... China government, it's legal system is too big - closed when it comes to ... interests outside China. More discussion required: "How much foreign investment is too much?" and "Fears over China land investment".||| John Lee - Centre for International Security ... - University of Sydney on Lateline discussing Australia's relationship with China, the US and the optional focus for Australia's new Foreign Minister Bob Carr. [Tues 6th] Well argued reasons why "convergence" is a key to reviewing 1001 reasons why Australia's Media regulation needs to be updated. "Sweeping changes to the Australian media have been proposed by the government's Convergence Review Committee. Its 200-page report recommends the government establish one regulatory body to oversee journalistic standards across all media platforms and another to regulate mergers and acquisitions." When it comes to enforcing 50% Australian content, I support the call on the same grounds as I do health and community development policies as opposed to neo-liberal profit policies that look for the cheapest most superficial production methods in most cases, which unfortately actually contribute to a depletion of Australia's true identity, and the national conversation that needs to explore the need to strengthen Australia's cohesive elements. Be it Mining or Media.... you see the same as outcomewhen it comes to  the reality of todays society which is held ransom for the sake of multi-national and big business profits. We do need balance and by demanding 50% local content through media it is just one more way to ensure investment and jobs go to local consumers over the current rort. Without  Consent: "What happens when young, educated, Australian-born girls are forced into unwanted marriages - often with relatives overseas?" Very Important Story! The ramifications of this story spread wider then just one woman, man and their families. I support Australia's call to stop "Forced Marriages" in Australia, by law. The move will help free the way forward for many generations to come... problem, it will take time. Afghanistan, a story on the daily situation for women, as Foreign Correspondent follows Noorjahan Akbar and her friend Anita Haidary who have established an  organisation Young Women for Change, dedicated to improving the lives and rights of Afghan women. Very Hard Story - An IoS investigation: To the Chinese and the Indians, the spoils of a terrible war A Precarious Crossroads for Afghan Women Australia's first Islamic Investment Index "Crescent Wealth" launched! Shared risk means 'shared responsibility'.... a model where mutual agreements side-track the usual  a-typical profit value measure by focusing  all forms of 'real trade' on  orthodox  principals. The books it could be said are brought back to the means of exchange. It is considered a safe framework for investment,  as trade is based on the money value itself dropping many of the Wests known add-ons such as 'interest,  'futures' and even 'insurance'. Find more from podcast. A little of this, ethically mixed with that, could go a long way. Who knows what things would look like in the next 50 years. ie: What is it that the some serious Finance Gurus are saying to  Wall Street Lobbyists Question: Has Europe looked at some of this? Regarding the Australian home front: "Getting wealthier, feeling poorer".... this article does not account for the factors that contribute to "job insecurity", casual and part-time labor as well as other indicators that are essential for a proper reading on "mobility" itself.

We, throughout the world call the Syrian authorities to end the killings immediately and to put a halt to human rights violations. SYRIA: Secretary Clinton Intervention at the Friends of Syrian People Meeting Aljazeera News SBS World News You can hear the urgency in the US Hillary Clinton's voice. It reflects everything we want and feel. Stop the Slaughter and find the pathway to PEACE. Please Make Your Own Voices Heard. Do what you can to STOP THE SLAUGHTER IN SYRIA. Stop the government from killing its own people! This government has lost legitimacy! United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 - Googlemore Putting Security Council Resolution 1325 back on the Australian agenda Related... Statement by Israeli Women's Organizations We women's organizations from a broad spectrum of political views demand an end to the bombing and other tools of death, and call for the immediate start of deliberations to talk peace and not make war. The dance of death and destruction must come to an end. We demand that war no longer be an option, nor violence a strategy,  nor killing an alternative. The society we want is one in which every individual can lead a life of security - personal, economic, and social. Our Vision & Our Voices Making a better world, one idea at a time "If we care about the children, the grandchildren, the future generations, we need to make sure that they do not become the cannon fodder of the future....", said veteran journalist Helen Thomas