<br><div class="gmail_quote"><img src="http://www.aidwatch.org.au/sites/aidwatch.org.au/files/aidwatch_logo.gif" height="42" width="167">
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<p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dear Supporter</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the past month we’ve been gearing up for our 20<sup>th</sup>
anniversary celebrations and fundraiser which is happening a mere 2 sleeps away this Thursday 6
September at the Red Rattler in Marrickville. This is a chance to recognise all
of the incredible work done by our many volunteers, members and campaigners
over the last 20 years, work that wouldn’t have been possible without the
continued support of people like you. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you haven’t already got your tickets there will be some
available on the door, but it helps us out greatly if you're able to pre-book. You
can buy online <a href="http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=31393" target="_blank">here</a>
(more details are below).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Also in this bulletin:</p>
<p><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><a href="#1398f3ccfa55795b_PWYP">AID/WATCH article on mining and
accountability</a></p>
<p><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><a href="#1398f3ccfa55795b_AfterRio20">After the RIO+20 – report
back from our forum</a></p>
<p><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><a href="#1398f3ccfa55795b_deepseamining">Deep sea mining in the
Pacific</a></p>
<p><span style="font-family:Symbol"><span>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><a href="#1398f3ccfa55795b_positionsavailable">Positions vacant:
AID/WATCH is looking for a campaigner volunteer web administrator</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">AID/WATCH 20<sup>th</sup> Anniversary
Fundraiser</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The AID/WATCH 20<sup>th</sup> Anniversary Fundraiser is now
just a mere 2 sleeps away. It’s still not too late to pre-book your tickets (<a href="http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=31393" target="_blank">book
tickets here</a>). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’ll be kicking things off with a keynote speech from
founding member Lee Rhiannon, followed by a panel discussion with AID/WATCH
campaigners past and present. Music is supplied courtesy of the Iranian sounds of Ember, Cabaret French Swing of <a href="http://mysaucegood.com/">My Sauce Good</a> and
international drumming sensation <a href="http://www.therhythmhunters.com/background/index%20Background%20Info.htm">The Rhythm Hunters</a>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span>N</span>ibbles provided and drinks available at the bar. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">When: <span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Thursday 6 September 2012</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Time: <span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">7pm – 11.30pm</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Where: <span> </span></span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The Red Rattler</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> <span> </span> 6 Faversham St</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">
<span> </span>Marrickville, NSW,
2204</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">More information is available on <a href="http://www.aidwatch.org.au/campaigns/aidwatch-20th-anniversary-celebration-6-september">our website</a> or on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/376377932429912/">Facebook</a><br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="1398f3ccfa55795b_PWYP"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Publish What You Pay Blogroll</span></b></a></p>
<span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.publishwhatyoupay.org/" target="_blank">Publish What You
Pay</a> is a collection of Civil Society Organisations that strives for
accountability and transparency in the resource extraction industries.
Throughout the Olympics they published blogs relating to the silver, gold or
bronze mining industries of winning nations. Reflecting on Australia’s silver
wins, <span> </span>AID/WATCH Co-Director Liz Barrett
wrote <a href="http://www.publishwhatyoupay.org/newsroom/blog/anvil-silver-mine-and-search-accountability" target="_blank">this
piece</a> on the Australian Anvil Mining Company and attempts to hold them
accountable for human rights abuses. </p>
<p style="line-height:normal"><i>Anvil silver mine and the search for accountability</i></p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">In October 2004, Congolese troops entered the
town of Kilwa in Katanga Province situated in the nations southeast, 50km away
from the Dikulushi silver mine operated by Australian company Anvil Mining. A
small, poorly armed rebel group of less than 10 people had taken over the town
two days previously and the military had been sent in to clear them out.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">In what became known as the “<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2005/s1384238.htm" target="_blank">Kilwa incident</a>”,
by the time the military left, more than one hundred people, most of whom were
civilians, lay dead. Eyewitness accounts and investigations after the incident
found mass graves of people who were summarily executed, reports of torture,
widespread looting by the military and illegal detentions. </span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.publishwhatyoupay.org/newsroom/blog/anvil-silver-mine-and-search-accountability" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">READ the rest of the article here...</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="1398f3ccfa55795b_AfterRio20"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">After Rio+20 Forum</span></b></a></p>
<span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Big thanks to everyone that came out to our successful post
Rio+20 forum last month, which we co-hosted with Friends of the Earth Sydney.
Mehreen Faruqi, Kylie Benton-Connell and Lee Rhiannon each gave very
interesting talks on different components of the Summit - the role of big
business, the NGO counter summit and the Australia's Government's sustainable
mining agenda. After the talks we had a really engaging discussion about advancing
global environmental justice and the intersection between the climate and aid
justice movements in Australia.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="1398f3ccfa55795b_deepseamining"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Deep Sea Mining in the Pacific</span></b></a></p>
<span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">AusAID opened applications for their <a href="http://www.ausaid.gov.au/Publications/Pages/adras-priority-themes-2012.aspx" target="_blank">Development
Research Awards Scheme</a> in August. With Mining for Development given its own
priority sector (it also appears again under the Africa priority sector), NGOs
are worried about what exactly AusAID’s role in the mining industry is going to
be. Within these Awards, AusAID have also provided special funding for those
undertaking research on experimental sea bed mining.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pacific NGOs have been running <a href="http://www.deepseaminingoutofourdepth.org/" target="_blank">a high profile campaign</a> against
the threat of this ‘experiment’ on Pacific lives and livelihoods. Canadian
mining company Nautilus Minerals Inc. (Nautilus) is set to embark on the
unprecedented extraction of metals from the sea floor. The mining project,
known as the Solwara 1 project, will extract gold and copper from the floor of
the Bismarck Sea in Papua New Guinea. It is the first of a potentially
large number of deep sea mining projects within the Bismarck Sea and wider
Pacific Region.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So far more than <a href="http://mildamelanesia.org/news/8000-sign-pang-petition-block-experimental-sea-bed-mining" target="_blank">8000s
signatures</a> have been collected on a petition to block the mining from
occurring and <a href="http://mildamelanesia.org/news/pacific-cso%E2%80%99s-call-moratorium-deep-seabed-mining" target="_blank">asking
for a moratorium</a> on deep sea mining. <span> </span>Read more about this campaign <a href="http://www.deepseaminingoutofourdepth.org/" target="_blank">here</a>. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="1398f3ccfa55795b_positionsavailable"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">Positions available</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><br>
<br>
</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Campaign Coordinator</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">AID/WATCH is currently seeking an experienced campaign
coordinator to facilitate planned publication launches and activist speaking
tours at the end of the year. Longer term the coordinator will be responsible
for planning and coordinating campaigns in conjunction with the AID/WATCH
Committee of Management. <br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The position is 3 days/week (21.5 hours) <br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Applications are now open </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Go to <a href="http://www.aidwatch.org.au/news/position-vacant-campaign-coordinator" target="_blank">our
website</a><span> </span>or the <a href="http://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/Members/Aidwatch/campaign-coordinator/?searchtermurl=aidwatch**">ethical jobs website</a> for more details</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Volunteer Web Administrator</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do you know your drupal from your elbow? AID/WATCH is
currently looking for someone able to volunteer regular time to AID/WATCH in
order to administer our website.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Visit <a href="http://www.aidwatch.org.au/news/position-available-volunteer-web-administrator" target="_blank">our
website</a> for more details<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"></span></b></p>
<br></div><br><br>