Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Belated Birthday Blog..

Well Hello,

Yes, Happy Birthday to me... I would have posted earlier but I felt compelled to add the last post because of the urgency and sadness of the situation, I hope I was not the only one to send an email. Thank you all for the wonderful birthday emails, phone calls and comments. I really appreciated them.

So on August 28 (though I don't know which time zone) I turned 27 years old. That's right I'm a Virgo, the most superior of all the astrological signs!! A Happy Belated Birthday Blog to my mother and her fraternal twin sister Margaret, who share the birthday with me every year.

Luckily age doesn't mean very much here in never never land; my Peter Pan syndrome suits me very well. These ladies have it...They'll never grow up and they'll never grow old.

Emily made a great pumpkin pie from scratch (which was SO GOOD) and we finished the day with a fantastic potluck.


I had a super day out at the Domain Park, about a 15 minute walk from our house. Emily took all the great photos and the lame comments accompanying them....all me.

I have 3 weeks left of this high school placement, I'm really looking forward to finishing the term.

Emily's art blog is set up. We will reveal the site address as soon as we get some photos loaded (probably in the next post).

Eabha has gotten the cold that really seems to be going around. She is otherwise in perfect health though, and is still in relatively good spirits.

Crazy situation in New Orleans and surrounding areas. No connection with climate change though...wouldn't want the terrorists to win. I did notice however what oil has been doing. I thought this photo was VERY compelling. Interesting how corporate media labels white people as "finders" and non-whites as "looters". It sort of reminds me of "Bowling for Columbine" and the bit about the killer bees. Very sad, not at all surprising.

CLICK THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE



Well that's it for me for now, enjoy the photos and stay tuned for the next post comming soon.

Peace by Piece,
John D

What are YOU looking at? Eabha squints in the sunlight.. Em Posted by Picasa

She was a shoe in.. Em Posted by Picasa

The root of the matter.. Em Posted by Picasa

A great photo by Emily.. Em Posted by Picasa

A great photo by Emily.. Em Posted by Picasa

A great photo by Emily.. Em Posted by Picasa

Jessie (who normaly resides with Tom's parents) hung out with us for the first part of the day.. Em Posted by Picasa

Eabha plays with Ruth and Jessie.. Em Posted by Picasa

Maori fence at park.. Em Posted by Picasa

Maori fence at park.. Em Posted by Picasa

Maori fence at park.. Em Posted by Picasa

Maori fence at park.. Em  Posted by Picasa

Emily and John D.. Em Posted by Picasa

See you later.. Em Posted by Picasa

Monday, August 29, 2005

URGENT ACTION NEEDED!!!

Please take the time to read this and act accordingly!!!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WILL HUNGER STRIKER FACE DEATH IN CANADIAN PRISON?
SECRET TRIAL DETAINEE NEEDS YOUR HELP TODAY

Secret trial detainee Hassan Almrei is now on Day 68 of his hunger strike. He is emaciated and weakened, but his spirit has not yet been broken. The light flickers, but has not yet gone out.

Hassan Almrei has been detained in solitary confinement without charge or trial in a Canadian prison for 4 years. He is demanding minimally decent conditions of detention; his main demand is the right to one hour a day of exercise outside of his cell. The Ontario government (this is a provincial prison) has callously refused to make the tiniest concession.

This is Hassan Almrei's 6th hunger strike in four years. On previous hunger strikes he has asked for rights as basic as heating in his icy cell in winter, but had to go to court to obtain them. Almrei is waiting for a court date once again, but it may come too late.

By way of comparison: in 1981, Bobby Sands and 9 other IRA prisoners on hunger strike died after periods varying from 46 to 73 days, after sustaining severe organ damage (e.g., blindness). Several survivors of the strike remained permanently handicapped. In 1996, many Kurdish hunger strikers in Turkey died after periods of 65 to 69 days.

Please don't let this happen to Hassan Almrei. Please don't let the light go out.

In July, Alexandre Trudeau, Naomi Klein, Heather Mallick, Avi Lewis and other well-known personalities came forward to support Hassan Almrei's request for release on bail (decision still pending). Questioned about his motives, Trudeau stated "I presume he's innocent", adding that it is unacceptable that a person be imprisoned in Canada without being charged and without the right to a fair and public trial. Three of Hassan Almrei's prison guards also testified in his favour, stating that he is an 'honourable', 'trustworthy' and decent man. One guard even stated that he would have no hesitation to have Hassan as a neighbour, saying "I would trust him".


PLEASE WRITE OR CALL MONTE KWINTER, the provincial minister in charge of conditions of detention IMMEDIATELY. A massive, immediate flood of calls, emails and faxes are needed in order to turn the tide.

Mr. Monte Kwinter
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
18th floor, 25 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, ON, M7A 1Y6
Phone: (416) 325-0408
Fax: (416) 325-6067
Email: mkwinter.mpp@liberal.ola.org

Please cc Prime MInister Paul Martin (pm@pm.gc.ca ) and Anne McLlellan, Deputy Prime MInister (McLellan.A@parl.gc.ca)

CC correspondence to Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada at
tasc@web.ca or fax (416) 651-9770 or by mail to PO Box 73620, 509 St.
Clair Ave. West, Toronto, ON M6C 1C0, or let us know that you have phoned Kwinter's office. Hassan Almrei needs to know that he is not alone, that there are people who care enough to take action. For more
information: www.homesnotbombs.ca


Here is a sample letter (feel free to copy)

August 24, 2005

Monte Kwinter
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
Government of Ontario
Object: Hunger strike of Hassan Almrei

Dear sir,

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to meet the legitimate demands of Hassan Almrei, who has been detained without trial in an Ontario prison for four years and is now on a hunger strike to demand minimally decent conditions of detention. His main demand is for one hour a day of exercise outside of his cell.

As of today (Thursday, August 24), Hassan Almrei is on Day 64 of his hunger strike. Hassan Almrei was already in poor health before beginning his current hunger strike. He is at imminent risk of permanent, severe impairment, and very possibly, of death.

By way of comparison: in 1981, Bobby Sands and 9 other IRA prisoners on hunger strike died after periods varying from 46 to 73 days after sustaining severe organ damage (e.g., blindness). Several survivors of the strike remained permanently handicapped. In 1996, many Kurdish hunger strikers in Turkey died after periods of 65 to 69 days.

Please intervene immediately to try to find a humane solution to this situation. You have the power, and therefore the moral responsibility, to resolve this crisis.

As Canadians, we pride ourselves on respecting basic human rights. Please remain true to this fundamental value. Should Hassan Almrei die or be permanently handicapped, it would be to our lasting shame and dishonour as Canadians and as members of the human family.

(signature)






RALLY FOR TWO HUNGER STRIKING SECURITY CERTIFICATE DETAINEES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1 @ 5 PM AT VANCOUVER ART GALLERY (ROBSON SIDE)
Organized by No One is Illegal Vancouver
Contact noii-van@resist.ca, call 778-885-0040
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

* ALSO SEE BELOW FOR SAMPLE LETTER *


By Thursday September 1, Hassan Almrei will be on Day 71 of his hunger strike in a Canadian prison. Emaciated and weakened, he is at imminent risk of permanent, severe impairment and, very possibly, of death. Hassan Almrei has been imprisoned in solitary confinement without charge since October 2001 under a security certificate. A refugee, he is under threat of deportation to Syria where he risks torture. Hassan Almrei is demanding minimally decent conditions of detention; his main demand is the right to one hour a day of exercise outside of his cell. This is his 6th hunger strike in 4 years. Government authorities have so far callously refused to make the slightest concession. By Monday August 29, Hassan will know whether the court will hear his habeas corpus application for bail.

Mohammed Mahjoub will be on Day 56 of a hunger strike, also in a prison in Ontario. Majoub, who has been detained for 5 years, is asking for contact visits with his wife and children. Mohammed is an Egyptian refugee in Canada and is married with two children. Accepted as a refugee in Canada in 1996, Mahjoub denies terrorist ties and is fighting deporation on the
grounds he would again face torture if returned to Egypt, where he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in absentia for terrorism links. After the Sept 11th attacks, Mohammed was moved to solitary for seven months. Mohammed Mahjboub has only been able to hug his children twice in 5 years. His wife, Mona Elfouli, described the impact his detention has had on her and their two young children. "It was very, very difficult for me and the children," she says. "Are they punishing the children or what? They feel sad."

Mohammed and Hassan are two of the five “Secret Trial Five” whose lives have been torn apart by accusations that they are not allowed to fight in a fair and independent trial. All five men were arrested under "Security Certificates," a measure of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) that has been described by Amnesty International as "fundamentally
flawed and unfair". Security certificates and secret evidence reverse the fundamental rule of innocent until proven guilty. Neither the detainee nor his lawyer are informed of the precise allegations or provided with the full information against him. They are imprisoned indefinitely without charges on secret evidence and face deportation to their countries of origin, even if there is a substantial risk of torture or death.

ABOLISH SECURITY CERTIFICATES


**** SAMPLE LETTER ****

PLEASE WRITE OR CALL MONTE KWINTER, the Ontario minister, A massive, immediate flood of calls, emails and faxes are needed in order to turn the tide.

Mr. Monte Kwinter
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
18th floor, 25 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, ON, M7A 1Y6
Phone: (416) 325-0408
Fax: (416) 325-6067
Email: mkwinter.mpp@liberal.ola.org


I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to meet the legitimate demands of Hassan Almrei and Mohammed Majoub, who have been detained without trial in Ontario prisons for several years and are both on hunger strike to demand minimally decent conditions of detention.

Almrei has been held in solitary confinement for 4 years; he is asking for the right to have one hour a day of exercise outside of his cell. Majoub, who had been detained for 5 years, is asking for contact visits with his wife and children. Almrei and Majoub have never been charged, much less found guilty, under the fundamentally unjust Security Certificate process.

Both have been on hunger strike for over 50 days and their condition is deteriorating, particularly that of Hassan Almrei. Mr. Almrei was already in poor health before beginning his current hunger strike and is imminently at risk of serious and permanent damage to his health. Failure to act quickly could have grave and irreversible consequences.

Sincerely,

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Whew!!


O.K, I'm pretty sure this breaks the record for most photos in a post! Posted below are about 60 photographs from my second new zealand highschool placement, where I teach social studies and health education.

The health class is great. My associate teacher is very gifted, and the students really like her. She has been emphasizing the sociological (as opposed to the bio/physiological) aspects of sexuality in this unit. This of course is right up my ally. My associate was very keen on the gender subversion kit from crimethinc and we have ordered 100 copies of each poster (I understand they have also been added to the ciriculum!!!)

Social studies has also been really interesting. In our topic on human rights we have just finished watching "The Fourth World War", which the students really enjoyed. Next week we will begin a look at different forms of resistance and the various social groups that employ them before moving on to the topic of Amnesty International. There is a "celebrity" faculty member at this school. Ironically for me John Minto, a key organizer of the historic new zealand Springbok Tour (rugby) protests is the physics teacher at this school, with whom I've had the pleasure of meeting.


I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce my flatMATE's (Tom's) new blog: Angry and Articulate. I'll let the site introduce itself if you feel so inclined. I will say that this blog comes HIGHLY recommended, and you may find yourself quickly addicted to the thoughtful insights it provides.

O.K, what is going on with this world? I don't know how much information is comming across in corporate media where you are from; but did you hear that A DANCE PARTY IN UTAH WAS BROKEN UP BY THE NATIONAL GUARD? That's right, on the anniversary of the Kent State shootings, the National Guard broke up a dance pary that had:
- A permit
- $2,000,000 worth of insurance
- security guards confiscating drugs/weapons
- and 3,000 party goers
The party was raided just minutes after it had started, with teargas, beatings and arrests. The coverage by the corporate media in utah was terrible, so if you rely on corporate media for (most) of your news, you may have not even heard about it! First hand accounts describe several guardsmen kicking a 17 year old girl repeatedly in the stomach and targeting those who tried to videotape the incident. Several videocameras were confiscated.

Another very recent violent "intervention" that reeks of fascism in our time, was this anti-war march in Pittsburgh that was attacked vicsiously by the police.

Isn't it supprising that the pope has warned against "do it yourself" religion? I'm sure that the "do it with the ultra-conservative multi-million dollar vatican" breed of religion is fine, but forget that "where two or three are gathered in my name" stuff. Speaking of the "christian" right, has everyone heard about Pat Robbertson of the "Christian" Coalition's call for the assassination of venesuala's leader Hugo Chaves? Now I'm not suprised to hear this from the head of the "Christian" Coalition who has actually said - and I quote
"Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
I am hugely supprised however to hear that the WHITE house distanced themselves from the call considering their support of israel's blatent assassinations of blind paraplegics and resisters of their illegal and brutal occupation. Infact most of the foreign policy of the Regan administration of the 1980's was about targeted assassinations and overthrowing democratically elected leaders; like when they overthrew and assassinated Salvador Allende on SEPTEMBER 11TH 1973. Maybe they were jellous of the democratic elections?

But if anyone should be suspicious of anyone it's those vagrants. That's right. Poor people, beggars, shoe-shinners, hobos and their wretched ilk, should be thought of as potential terrorists according to this latest release by the U$ State Department! Someone tell them that poverty is terror!

O.k, the last note I want to leave on, is about scientific experimentation on those still alive!! Now the BBC failed (not suprisingly) to point out that animal liberation/rights activists in the U.K were not responsible for digging up the body in this story, but their victory stands to discredit the inexcusable practice of vivisection and torturing animals. If you think that animal torture is justified in the name of science (except of course on human animals as in nazi germany..) I challenge you to see if your arguements hold up after checking these resources: 1 2 3


Anywho, keep your stick on the ice; we'll post again in a few short days..

John D

School placement.. JD Posted by Picasa

School placement.. JD Posted by Picasa

Staffroom.. JD Posted by Picasa

Staffroom.. JD Posted by Picasa

Staffroom.. JD Posted by Picasa