Traditional Owners and WWF to sign new conservation partnership

From here

Traditional Owners and WWF to sign new conservation partnership

14 Dec 2009

An agreement between Traditional Owners in North Queensland and WWF will be signed today at Airlie Beach marking the start of an Indigenous conservation program that will see greater protection for the region's marine turtles, dugongs and inshore dolphins.

The agreement between the Gudjuda Reference Group and WWF will create a spirit of collaboration between the two organisations and advance the capacity of Traditional Owners to conserve and protect their land and sea resources.

The Gudjuda Reference Group represents Traditional Owners from the Bindal, Ngaro and Juru nations on the Great Barrier Reef coast. Their region covers an area from the Whitsunday Islands up to Townsville.

"This agreement acknowledges the shared desire to conserve wildlife and habitats in this naturally abundant part of the country, as well as the recognition that the Gudjuda Reference Group are the key stewards of their lands and seas," said WWF's Conservation on Country Policy Manager Cliff Cobbo.

The partnership will focus on the conservation of marine turtles, dugongs and inshore dolphins among other things. This will include generating greater awareness in traditional communities of the protection and conservation of these species, greater support for Indigenous turtle tagging and dugong monitoring programs, and the establishment of Indigenous Protected Areas in important turtle, dugong and inshore dolphin habitats.

"At the heart of this agreement is belief that the earth's natural systems, resources and life forms should be conserved for their intrinsic value and for the benefit of future generations," said Gudjuda Chairman Eddie Smallwood.

"But the agreement also recognises that the Gudjuda Traditonal Owners have the right to improve the quality of their lives and to benefit directly and equitably from the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in our traditional lands and seas."

In addition to the promotion of conservation activities in the region, the partnership aims to provide greater access for Traditional Owners to their traditional lands and seas and create opportunities through direct funding for activities such as the creation of ranger groups.

The Memorandum of Understanding will be signed at 1pm on Saturday December 12 in Airlie Beach today.

More information

Charlie Stevens, Media Manager – Queensland, WWF-Australia,

Mobile: 0424 649 689

Cliff Cobbo, Conservation on Country Policy Manager, WWF-Australia,

Mobile: 0406 384 288

Eddie Smallwood, Gudjuda Chairman,

Mobile: 0428 996 398

Australia Post and your Christmas Cards

FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF NETWORKERS

Before you post your Christmas mail

without benefit of stamps,

please consider and re-consider

the ethical implications of your actions.

BELL RINGING: THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION FOR FAITH GROUPS

Dear One and All,

Come to-morrow and ring my chimes!!!

Well, actually the invitation is on behalf of All Saints Anglican Church, Mitcham, who is hosting this Climate Change Bellringing Event.

Here is some information  and here too about the above event being held world wide but, in particular, at All Saints Anglican Church, Whitehorse Road, Mitcham,  Melbourne to-morrow at 3pm.  Coffee and eats will be available.

Church bells will ring 350 times on December 13th, 2009 as part of the largest inter-denominational faith protest of the century. The International Day of Climate Action for Faith Groups event will include churches, synagogues, and mosques from around the world, ringing bells, sounding chimes and beating drums, in a global call for an ambitious and binding agreement in Copenhagen.

“We envisage a chain of chimes and prayers stretching in a time-line from the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific – where the day first begins and where the effects of climate change are already felt today – to northern Europe and across the globe,” explains the World Council of Churches website.

The global event is designed to encourage all faiths to mobilize parishes, congregations and members in a call for urgent action against climate change while creating a global symphony of bells, drums and prayer that will hopefully reach the ears of world politicians.

Bells, chimes and drums will sound 350 times to symbolize the safe upper limit of CO2 in the atmosphere, currently we are at an average of 388ppm and a peak of 390ppm.

ALL SAINTS MITCHAM 

IS SITUATED AT THE CORNER OF 

MAROONDAH HIGHWAY (WHITEHORSE ROAD) 

AND 

EDWARD STREET, MITCHAM.  

PICTURE OF CHURCH BELOW SO YOU CAN RECOGNISE IT.  

hUMAN RIGHTS DAY 10 DECEMBER 2009: Rally at Parliament House, Melbourne

Click to enlarge
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY  10 DECEMBER 2009

PROTEST – LOSS of HUMAN RIGHTS

on  

60^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE

DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

5.30pm Start
Rally

Steps of Parliament House, Spring Street Melbourne

 to 

protest the loss of our Human Rights 

especially

Workers Rights

Aboriginal Rights

Refugee Rights

which have dominated the Australian political landscape 

under a Howard / Rudd Government.

We all wear some black as a color theme - 

to mourn the loss of our Human Rights

7:00pm

Victorian Trades Hall Ballroom – Speakers - addressing Human Rights Issues. 

Drinks and light refreshments.    

8:30 - Finish

SUPPORT NETWORK

Asia Australia workers Links

VTHC – various Unions –participate in Rally

Various Human Rights Activists – participate in Rally

Various Human Rights Groups – participate in Rally

Extensive discussions have taken place across all groups

Agreement has been reached by all for full participation.

COMPLIMENTARY   WORLD  EVENT

The Parliament of the World's Religions runs from 3-9 December 2009

with dignitaries from international quarters of the World focused on Melbourne.

The Dalai Lama and other leaders will remain 

until Thursday 10 /12/ 09

Aboriginal Camp Sovereignty 

with traditional welcome and smoking ceremony 

will commence proceedings and operate 

from 3 – 10 December  and recognize 10 December. 

Sharon Firebrace – 0401 414 967

Black Rights Action Group

Alliance for Indigenous Self-Determination

Alliance for Aboriginal Rights

AND THEN THERE IS THIS:

Celebrate Human Rights Day. An evening of speakers, panel discussion, food & West African reggae, to celebrate International Human Rights Day. 

Speakers: 

Saradha Nathan (Australian Tamil Congress) 

Patrick Emerton (lecturer, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Monash University).

Plus 

Panel discussion on 

'What is the unique role communities play in human rights promotion?' 

with

Abe W. Ata (Australian Catholic University, Palestinian community), 

Rex Rumakiek (Institute of Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights), 

Alpha Lisimba (Darfur Australia Network), 

Jendrek Hagedorn (Melbourne Anti-Intevention Collective).

Where?

4th Floor, Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane, City. 

Presented by the Australia Tamil Congress with Humanitarian Crisis Hub. 

For more info email Crisis Hub.

FOR FURTHER READING:

Environmental rights are weak.

To read more on what could be done

to enhance environmental rights

please read the submission to the

Human Rights Consultation by

Shelini Harris and Brigid Walsh

here.

Copenhagen?

Click to enlarge

Photo from David Millburn of Save Solar Systems.

Taken last night at the corner of Collins Street and Swanston Streets

Organised crime and criminals at Crown Casino, Melbourne.

Click to enlarge

Scene on Southbank near the Crown Casino from here

Always makes me think that this could be a foretaste of the fires of hell?!

So many people seem to like to celebrate with a night out at Crown.  I have been coming and going from this part of Melbourne over the last week as I volunteer at the Parliament of the World's Religions which is being held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre in the heart of Melbourne's entertainment and dining precinct. Across the road is the Crown, operated by the Packer family. At night I can chose to wander home past what I call the 'fires of hell' which, needless to say, put out quite a bit of heat.

It's a pity the heat is not put on Crown Casino by the Victorian Government and the Victorian police.  However our government is a gambling addict and facilitates Crown and appears to give it everything it wants and more.

What I don't understand is why so many people associate Crown Casino with a good night out and so many major functions are held there.  Mixing with organised crime and criminals on a celebratory night out is not my idea of fun.  And, yes, there appear to be admissions that - surprise, surprise - organised crime and criminals are alive and well and at Crown.  Have a Casino and it is my view that you have organised crime.  They are inseparable.  Casinos are the simplest, easiest and quickest way of laundering criminal money and turning it into 'clean' cash.

This report appears in The Age to-day.  I am publishing it here so that it doesn't disappear.

Thousands of crimes at Crown

JASON DOWLING

December 8, 2009

THERE is a lot more that goes on at Melbourne's ''world of entertainment'' Crown casino than roulette and blackjack.

A police report has highlighted money laundering, prostitution, cheating and thousands of other offences, including robbery and assault, over a three-period at Victoria's monopoly casino.

The October 2007 report was part of the review of the Melbourne casino operator's licence and was obtained by The Age under freedom of information.

''There has been an identified need to initiate and actively pursue persons suspected of being involved in organised criminal activities, including money laundering at Crown Casino,'' it said. The report said ''meetings with Crown to formulate a strategy to identify and deal with suspected money laundering and unlicensed money lending problems have been initiated''.

Mark Zirnsak of the InterChurch Gambling Taskforce said the police report ''confirms the taskforce's view that casinos are always going to be magnets for criminal activities''.

The police report also referred to prostitution at the casino. While it said there had been no arrests for prostitution, ''it is reasonable to speculate that escort agency females frequent hotel rooms and accompany persons on to the gaming floor, however, provided these are registered persons no offence is committed''.

The report showed 33 people had been excluded from the casino under the Victoria Police Chief Commissioner's exclusion powers, but added, ''This process is on hold pending the outcome of an appeal by a prominent organised crime figure against his exclusion.''

Police were unable to say last night if the exclusion process was still on hold.

Over a period of three years from mid-2003 to mid-2006 3125 offences were committed within the Crown Casino complex, the report said.

The offences included 445 assaults, two kidnappings or abductions, eight sex offences (not rape), 32 cases of handling stolen goods, 13 weapons offences and 344 cases of theft from cars.

Crown Casino spokesman Gary O'Neill said the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation's review of the casino operator's licence said ''the Victoria Police report did not identify any probity issues'' and concluded that there no issues ''that would adversely affect'' its ability ''to continue holding the casino operator's licence''.

Mr O'Neill said: ''A lot of successful prosecution of criminal activity is brought about by the sort of reporting regime that Crown adheres to.'' He said Crown had 45 million visitors in the relevant three-year period.

State Parliament is expected to pass laws this week allowing for the biggest expansion of Crown Casino's gambling capacity in a decade, with a 43 per cent increase in its number of table games.

Life is full: retrieving balls and keeping them in the air

An adventure in space ... 

Nike Savvas with her artwork Atomic: Full of Love, Full of Wonder 

at the Art Gallery of NSW yesterday. It took 10 days to install.
Photo: Jon Reid

From here.

Miss Eagle is back.  After three weeks in the Northern Territory - in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek - she spent two days and three nights at home before she embarked on GreenFaith Australia's Walking Humbly: a journey to the Murray.  This was a must since your Miss E dreamed up the concept which was then brought to wonderful reality by Elyse Rider and Jamel Kaur Dhillon.  Last night (in spite of having two good sleeps on Sunday and Monday) I slept the clock around and then some.  Clearly a delayed reaction!

However there is so much to do.

  

• Planning the "community meets industry" day at next year's EcoForum 2010 in conjunction with Steve Posselt.

• Planning my volunteering days under Jamel's competent direction at the Parliament of the World's Religions

• Supporting my friend, Patricia Corowa, who has only just, in the last few days, been selected to attend that famous conference in Copenhagen.  Please do all you can to help the Pacific Island participants by going to GetUp! and taking the requested action.

• Organising my involvement in volunteer library work at Worowa Aboriginal College.

• Going to hear Sulak Sivaraska speak to-night at the Augustine Centre.

To-morrow night, I am off to a Public Meeting at 6.30pm under the title of Renewable is do-able: green jobs for Victoria.  The meeting will be held at the Fitzroy Town Hall, 201 Napier Street, Fitzroy.  It is being organised by Save Solar Systems.

...and many emails and phone calls to catch up on.

I have much to blog about and many photographs to sort through and edit.  So I might disappear for another day or two..or seven.  But I will be back as soon as I can.  Until then, you will know that I am occupied productively.