Crime & Justice Literature Festival at the
Abbotsford Convent 2008

The Jerilderie Letter by Ned Kelly

Come see the divine Peter Finlay and hear the
music of Malcolm Hill, in another splendid
and very moving performance of.....

The Jerilderie Letter by Ned Kelly

8:00 pm Saturday 19 July 2008
The Rosina Function Room
Abbotsford Convent
1 St. Heliers St
Abbotsford

Website:

www.jerilderieproductions.com

Tickets:

www.malthousetheatre.com.au/

Vita

We must replenish the source for our future

BE one of the majority of Australians that see
that we urgently need our country to cut our
greenhouse pollution!

Most Australians don't have time to read Professor Garnaut's
shocking 600-page climate report, so we've created a quick
clip that is succinct. What it means for Australia and what
it means for ALL OF US.

www.getup.org.au/campaign/ClimateActionNow/361

Garnaut is already under fire from a "scare campaign" being
waged by the polluting industries' lobby groups & the Federal
Opposition. That is why it's so important that we pick a good
climate solution from a bad one.

The GetUp community has spoken out strongly on this issue
in the past, because we know that solving climate change is
a top priority for Australia. We marched for it, at the
'Walk Against Warming' rallies.

We voted for it, in last year's election.We all signed
petitions for it over 100,000 calling for strong emission
reduction targets. We take action in our daily lives for
it too consuming less, saving energy, using less water,
and recycling.

If we go silent now, the Opposition and the industries
campaigning for a weak emissions trading scheme that
protects their profits rather than the climate, will win
the debate ahead of the government's upcoming Green Paper
on climate.

After you've seen the clip, make your voice heard too -
and armed with our Information Sheet write a letter to
the editor of your local newspaper.

The Garnaut Review found that Australia will be hit
hard by climate change. If we do nothing, our grandkids
will be living in a very different Australia, one where
agriculture in the Murray Darling Basin has all but ended,
the Great Barrier Reef has been destroyed, snow-based
tourism in Australia is no longer viable, 5.5 million
Australians will be exposed to Dengue fever.

That's why it's important that you understand the climate
solutions being proposed to solve the crisis ahead as the
PM looks to the Australian public in formulating his
response to Garnaut on July 16th.

Be part of maintaining for our future
The GetUp team

Vita

ILL SHAPED CLOTHES AND GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION

Last Saturday marked the first anniversary of John Howard's
'NT Intervention'...However, one is compelled to ask, what
affect has this expensive intervention accomplished? The
challenge for the current Federal Rudd Government is to
reexamine re –evaluate this “intervention”...Then and
ONLY then will we truly empower Aboriginal communities…

www.crikey.com.au/Hot-Topics-List/The-NT-Intervention.html

Given white society has already "intervened”& marginalized
the custodians of this sacred land for over 200 years. The
Howard Governments intervention is an absolute irony indeed!
Their land their cultural and languages have been consistently
diminishing and intervened with since the arrival of Captain
Cook!

Howard’s patriarchal,intervention was a misguided attempt to
better life’ through ultimately restrictive economic sanctions.
The NT intervention is controlling and disturbing!

The previous Prime Minister remarked that the "intervention"
is'"a final solution." This is a very scary concept indeed...

“We now know that the architects of this intervention took
just 48 hours to formulate this policy.”With NO consultation
with those being intervened AT!!!

We must examine this flawed broad-brush intervention that
is apparently "helping’ Aboriginal communities with health,
alcoholism child abuse... Indeed mammoth issues, that are
symptoms of a much much larger problem.

The real issues is rooted in lost life's and a disappearing
culture That was the original “intervention”. Be like “us”
or suffer the consequence and sadly they are…

This one "size fits all" intervention may be a convenient
concept when making fashion choices, for young models
with low self esteem. However completely ill shaped when
using it as a way to JUSTIFY saving life's and money...
Is it the right means to achieve a healthy equal society?
A question that is worth consideration...Also is this the
most transparent and effective way to help a disempowered
part of Australian society regain it's dignity, given we
have ignored the issues for so long!!!

Frankly, my dears we at VITA feel this intervention
smacks of "you think your life is miserable now, try
to survive with even less (money/ resources) and see
how it goes...If you DON'T do as we say we will give
you even less than what you have....

Using what appears to be a misguided tactic with
already disempowered people. The intervention smacks
of last century parent/child psychology.Horrifying as
it stands in so many of these communities, we still
must question what is the best way to assist these
communities revalue their lives? We will see how
Jenny's approach differs ………

AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH

The current Federal government MUST consider a more
compassionate approach to these 'emergency measures'
inherited from the previous Howard government.

“Last week GetUp visited some of the communities that
are affected by the legislation, too find out what’s
actually being achieved in these communities.

GetUp members are taking a proactive approach to have
the Aboriginal communities voices heard...By uniting
and asking the current Federal government to remove
these undemocratic one-size fits all approach of the
"intervention."

See the video below from these communities and send a
message to the Rudd Government, to rethink the harmful
elements of the intervention, not roll them out:

www.getup.org.au/campaign/RollBackNot
RollOut&id=359?dc=433,86439,3

A transparent consultative approach is essential that
protects human rights, not strips them away. We must
create the opportunity, during this period of review,
to leave the government in no doubt that the broader
community expects more than a “rushed, blanket approach
that threatens to do more harm than good”.

Getup “will synthesize our comments on the petition
above, into a formal submission to ensure our concerns
are also considered. Click the link above from the NT
and take action:

Be a part of empowering solution,

Vita

Empty promises and misplaced life's....

Let go of ones own perceived personal problems, the cost
of a new car, the so called "petrol crisis" and anger at
politicians living in their own ego's.

Consider this activity as an alternative source of renewable
energy and give support to people who have no choices....

THE CASE FOR REFUGEES - MAKING THE CASE CLEAR

A Refugee Action Collective - Victoria Refugee Week
action

An empty suitcase is an instantly recognizable symbol
for refugees and displaced persons,

RAC invites you to join in a 'Happening' at 11.30am,
Saturday 28th of June.

To emphasis, the ongoing plight of Refugees in Australia
a mountain of empty suitcases will appear in the middle
of the Melbourne CBD on June 28th. Each suitcase will
represent the human suffering experienced by refugees
every day... and their need for a safe place to call
home, as well as the riches they bring to our community

WHEN: Saturday 28th June. Meet @ 11.30 am SHARP!
It will all be over by 12.30pm.

WHERE: Meet at Atrium at Federation Square (opp. the
Forum Theatre, Flinders St).

BRING: Old unwanted suitcase (they are very cheap at
op shops) with a slogan painted on it. Wear a long coat.

Please select one or two slogans from this list:

Stop Refugee Deportations; Justice for Refugees;
Abolish Unfair Citizenship tests;

Open the Borders; Let the Boats Land,
Let Them Stay; End Mandatory Detention;

No-One is Illegal; Abolish Bridging Visa's
Close Christmas Island.

Download a flyer @

www.rac-vic.org


SUITCASE PAINTING WORKSHOP: THIS SATURDAY @ 3.30

For those who would like to take part there will be
a Suitcase Painting Workshop on

Sat 21st June @ 3.30 pm at rear Wesley Uniting Church
148 Lonsdale St , b/w Russell and Exhibition Sts (
north east/far right corner).

What to bring: old suitcase, bring paint -including
spray cans, brushes, old suitcases, stencil/letter
templates

All are still very welcome even if one does not have
these tools - but please do try and find a suitcase).

Open ones heart and ones suitcase for those with no
choices ... Make it happen!!

Vita

After World Environment Day, one is left perplexed
as to why Kevin Rudd and Brendan Nelson are even
discussing the petrol at the bowser given it is
nearly empty......

Hello bike riders they're arguing about rising
petrol prices whilst ignoring not only "the elephant
in the room - our rising greenhouse pollution.."

They have seriously taken a macro problem and have
diminished it down to micro management of an entirely
irrelevant issue that neither can control...

And although 'revolted" I am moved to use Tony Abbott's
words and say that "I am disturbed" by the this lack
of insight from both sides of the fence by not
addressing the real issues.......

(Mind you Tony was disturbed by Art he had not
seen, nor obviously understood which adds up to
parallel stories really ...!!

GET UP TEAM
"We don't need to remove the GST on petrol, we MUST
start weaning Australia off its oil addiction, with
a 3 point recovery plan - massive federal investment
in public transport

We must establish laws for dramatically more efficient
cars, and an Emissions Trading Scheme which includes
transport.We're tired of waiting for the bus while
our politicians dither in Parliament. Tell your MP
we NEED far-sighted, low-carbon transport solutions
NOW!!!

The world is running out of cheap oil and head-on
into the climate crisis caused by burning fossil
fuels. World oil prices have more than quadrupled
in the past six years and more than doubled in
the past year.

At the same time, transport is 14% of Australia's
greenhouse pollution and rapidly rising. For both
of these reasons we need to move Australia away from
oil, and fast.

Previous governments have failed to prepare
Australia's transport system for rising oil
prices. Our governments, Federal and State in
partnership, must begin making major long
term adjustments now.

First, we demand a world class public transport
system starting with a $5 billion investment from
the newly created Building Australia Fund.

Second, we must include transport in the Emissions
Trading Scheme. Third, we need mandatory fuel
efficiency standards for all vehicles to match
other OECD countries.

Tell our political parties about the three steps to
kicking Australia's oil addiction and jump-starting
cleaner transport"

And this from the USA quote of the day in the
New York Times

"I paid so much for gas to get to work I couldn’t pay my
car payments anymore."CLEVELAND WHITESIDE,

a farm worker whose car was repossessed because gasoline
prices have broken his budget.

GO FIGURE!!!

www.getup.org.au/campaign/FixTransport&id=355

Vita

As one of the very last acts of the Howard Government,
Brendan Nelson bought $14 million worth of cluster
bombs -

These weapons that contain mini-bombs, some of which
remain unexploded on the ground for years awaiting
innocent civilians. It's the first time Australia
has bought such a weapon, and one we would hope the
new Government would categorically reject.

But right now, as the international community meets
in Dublin to ban them, the new Australian Government
is going out of its way to frustrate the process.

They're calling for their 'SMART 155' bomb to be
excluded, and for rogue nations who persist in
using cluster bombs to be permitted to do so.

We've got just a few scarce days left before the
fragile international agreement is drafted.

Sign the petition today telling Kevin Rudd to
ban the bomb: no loopholes, no exceptions.


www.getup.org.au/campaign/BanTheBombs&id=346

Thousands of civilians have lost their lives
and limbs, mainly children from Cambodia, Laos,
Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon.
So much so that the international symbol of the
campaign is a limb.

Just last week the Pope took the unusual step
of calling on the international community to
outlaw the deadly weapons.

But our government has refused to accept that a
total ban on cluster munitions has to prohibit
countries from assisting other nations who use
cluster bombs. They are also arguing that the
Smart 155 is not a cluster munition, despite
having no independent tests on its safety and
refusing to provide any evidence to back up
that claim.

The UK Prime Minister yesterday reversed his
decision to exempt his own weapons, leaving
Australia increasingly isolated. We should be
encouraging positive international agreements
to save lives, not hindering them.

Tell the PM today - as this decision is being
made right now - to ban the bombs:


The Government is hoping this issue will slip
under the radar without anyone noticing -
but the stakes are simply too high to ignore.
Despite technological advances, cluster bombs
can't distinguish between combatant and
civilian - we need a strong international
treaty to prevent horrors like those experienced
as a result of land mines... That decision is
being made right now in Dublin.

The PM has shown what a 'creative middle power'
can achieve - advocacy on Tibet, ratification
of Kyoto, the Apology. Remind the New Rudd government
that we as a nation MUST be setting new bench marks
of integrity compassion and peace.......

Thanks for being part of the solution,

The GetUp team

Vita

La Mama – A Melbourne Theatre Arts Icon
is up for sale and needs our financial
help !!!

La Mama, in Carlton is a remarkable arts
icon that has been a fundamental backbone
of the Melbourne arts scene for over 40 years....

The building is up for sale and needs our
support to continue it's vital vibrant part in
Melbourne's Arts community ...

We All have an opportunity to play a meaningful
role and be part of maintaining La Mama's future....

As you maybe aware, La Mama’s landlady of 40 years -
Rose del Monaco died in November last year. Her
estate has offered us first option to purchase the
La Mama site.

Whilst thrilled at this offer, the terms make it
IMPERATIVE that we call for help from those who are
able and prepared to contribute financially to the
La Mama Trust fund -

Our goal is to raise the deposit at very short notice!
We are suggesting 1000 friends contributing $1,000 each..
However all financial contributions whether less or more
are very welcome and appreciated....

We are part of the way there and would be extremely
pleased if Lamana's friends and audiences could
contribute to the future of the Theatre......

We have already secured generous financial donations
from dedicated supporters of LaMama but still need
more to ensure we continue our important role in
Melbourne's theatre world....

Be part of history and Please do consider this
request... We have a deadline to raise the total
deposit by May 27th 2008.

To date Our Trust Fund a/c current has covered
just shy of half the total amount needed however
with LaMama supporters help we endeavor to reach
our goal successfully by May 27th 2008..

So be part of history and contribute to Lamama's
future......

Once we have the deposit in place, we are confident
a number of large stakeholders will come to the party.
This includ federal, state and municipal arts funding
bodies and philanthropic bodies.

Please note that all contributions to the LaMama Trust
are totally tax deductible, and your donation can be
made electronically:

For further details on how to contribute
contact LaMama on 9347 6948

OR

email bree@lamama.com.au

to find out how to make your contribution and
maintain LaMama's future

www.lamama.com.au/

Vita