[Aidwatch] E-bulletin 23 Sept. 2010

Wed Sep 22 18:00:18 PDT 2010

AID/WATCH E-Bulletin Thursday 23 September 2010

1.   AID/WATCH Committee of Management 2010-2011

2.   MILDA UPDATE: Mele Declaration   

3.   PACER-Plus UPDATE: Pacific civil society organisations call for moratorium on PACER-Plus negotiations

4.   EVENT: AFTINET Film Nite Fundraiser

5.   EVENT: Film Screening - 'The Doctors of Tomorrow' and 'Pacific School of Medicine'

6.   EVENT: Re-inventing Social Democracy for the 21st Century

7.   Donate to AID/WATCH

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1.      AID/WATCH Committee of Management 2010-2011

AID/WATCH is pleased to announce its Committee of Management (CoM) who were elected at the annual general meeting held on 19 August 2010. AID/WATCH CoM for 2010-2011 are Dr Tim Anderson, Dr James Arvanitakis, Jemma Bailey, Pooja Chowdhary, Catherine Coorey, Nishan Disanayake, Dr James Goodman, Matt Hilton, Hannah Ireland, Dr Duncan McDuie-Ra, Sam Porter, Ariel Salleh. 

AID/WATCH's 2009 annual report is available at: http://aidwatch.org.au/publications/annual-report-2009

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2.   MILDA UPDATE: Mele Declaration
As Pacific Islands Forum Leaders gathered for their annual meeting in Port Vila, Vanuatu, the Melanesian Indigenous Land Defence Alliance (MILDA) issued the Mele Declaration. MILDA called upon the Forum leaders, and particularly the leaders of the Melanesian states, to reject all policies which require that customary land be registered as a precondition for business or development activities, and to cease all pressures for customary land registration, whether voluntary or involuntary. 

Click here to read the Mele Declaration and related media coverage

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3.         PACER-Plus UPDATE: Pacific civil society organisations call for moratorium on PACER-Plus negotiations

In August, Pacific civil society organisations launched a statement calling for a moratorium on negotiations for a new Pacific-wide free trade agreement known as PACER-Plus. The statement, launched in Port Vila, Vanuatu, coincided with the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting, and called on Leaders to put the developmental priorities of the Pacific ahead of political timelines.

Click here to read the statement 

Click here for further resources on PACER-Plus, including new fact sheets on the health implications of PACER-Plus.

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4.         EVENT: AFTINET Film Nite Fundraiser

AFTINET invites you to a film night fundraiser featuring Wall Street 2 - Money Never Sleeps.

When:             Monday 27th September, 6:30pm 

Where:            Dendy Opera Quays 

Cost:               $20

For more information contact the AFTINET office on 02 9212 7242 

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5.         EVENT: Film Screening - 'The Doctors of Tomorrow' and 'Pacific School of Medicine'

In 2003, Cuba agreed to provide scholarships for East Timorese students to attend medical school in Cuba. Cuban health workers would also travel to Timor-Leste to help build the newly-independent nation's medical system. 'The Doctors of Tomorrow', filmed in both Timor-Leste and Cuba, examines this health cooperation program. 

Also screening will be 'The Pacific School of Medicine', a short documentary which shows the Cuban doctor training program through the voices of students from Timor-Leste and the Pacific in colleges across Cuba. 

When: Tuesday 28 September, 7:30pm

Where: Petersham Bowling Club, 77 Brighton St. Petersham

For more information, contact Alex Johnson 0449 184 801or see: http://www.thepbc.org.au/index.php?pageid=1313

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6. EVENT: Re-inventing Social Democracy for the 21st Century 

The 3rd Annual E.L 'Ted' Wheelwright Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Professor Fred Block, renowned social scientist from the University of California.

After the global financial crisis, the weakening of neo-liberal politics and a turbulent Federal election that has left many questions about our nation's future unresolved, Professor Block's lecture will put a spotlight on new ideas for Re-inventing Social Democracy for the 21st Century. 

When: Tuesday 5 October, 6pm.
Where: The Eastern Avenue Auditorium, Eastern Ave, The University of Sydney, Camperdown.

The lecture will be followed at 7.30pm by drinks and pizza at the nearby Hermann's Bar.

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7.    Donate to AID/WATCH

AID/WATCH is a community-based organisation and does not accept government or corporate funding. We need your help to continue our work as the independent monitor of Australia's aid and trade and to improve the effects of development on the planet and its people. Only through being financially self-sufficient can we have the freedom to criticise or applaud with objectivity. Together with you we can achieve change without compromise.

Click this link to give to AID/WATCH today: http://www.aidwatch.org.au/donate

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