12 April 2011: Public forum on government spending priorities and Global Day on Action of Military Spending

AUCKLAND:

* Leafletting for the Global Day of Action – on Tuesday, 12 April, meet at
4.30pm, outside the US Consulate, Citigroup building, 23 Customs Street
East. For more information contact Pax Christi Aotearoa New Zealand, email
paxnz@xtra.co.nz

Last year global military expenditure was $1,630 billion (US), on average
nearly $4.5 billion a day. By way of contrast, an average of more than
24,000 children under the age of five die every day from mainly preventable
causes – lack of access to adequate food, clean water and basic medicines.
This is one of the prices paid, the collateral damage that is seldom talked
about, for maintaining armed forces in a state of combat readiness around
the world.

 

Updated: Public forum on government spending priorities and Global Day on
Action of Military Spending

11 April 2011

Kia ora,

below are updated details of the public forum on government spending
priorities in Wellington tomorrow (Tuesday, 12 April), and other Global Day
of Action events in Wellington and Auckland; ways you can support the Global
Day of Action wherever you are; and the list of supporting organisations.
The new Global Day of Action colour poster is now available at
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdposterA4.pdf
This message is available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams11.htm

** Wellington events **

* Public forum on government spending priorities – on Tuesday, 12 April,
join us for a discussion on:
* Child poverty – Dr Nikki Turner, Child Poverty Action Group
* Pressure on frontline advocacy and welfare – Kay Brereton, Wellington
People’s Centre
* Early childhood education – Jenny Davies, NZEI Te Riu Roa
* Military expenditure – Edwina Hughes, Peace Movement Aotearoa  From
5.30pm to 7pm ~ light refreshments at 5.15pm ~ at Connolly Hall, corner
Guildford Terrace and Hill Street, Thorndon, Wellington.
An event marking the Global Day of Action on Military Spending. For more
information, contact Peace Movement Aotearoa, tel 04 382 8129,
pma@xtra.co.nz A flyer for the public forum is available at
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gd120411.pdf

Last year global military expenditure was $1,630 billion (US), on average
nearly $4.5 billion a day. By way of contrast, an average of more than
24,000 children under the age of five die every day from mainly preventable
causes – lack of access to adequate food, clean water and basic medicines.
This is one of the prices paid, the collateral damage that is seldom talked
about, for maintaining armed forces in a state of combat readiness around
the world.

* Poster and flyers for the Global Day of Action: the new Global Day of
Action colour poster is now available at
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdposterA4.pdf The preliminary A4 flyer
(which can be printed, then cut to A5) is available at
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams11s.htm – the flyer with updated facts
on figures on global and national military spending will be available on the
Global Day of Action index page at
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams11.htm on Tuesday, 12 April.

* Add your organisation to the list of supporters: if you would like your
organisation listed as a supporter of the Global Day of Action and of the
urgent need to change spending priorities away from funding armed forces
towards meeting human needs, please send your details to email
pma@xtra.co.nz with ‘Global Day of Action support’
in the subject line and we will add you to the list of supporting
organisations at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams11s.htm You can also
add your organisation’s name to the international Global Day of Action site,
http://demilitarize.org

* Supporting individuals: you can add your name as an individual supporter
of the Global Day of Action by RSVPing to the event listing on the Peace
Movement Aotearoa Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=197013510322406

* More ways you can support the Global Day of Action, and background
information on the Day: are available at
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gdams11i.htm

* Supporting organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand: the Global Day of Action
on Military Spending is supported by Amnesty International, Tauranga Moana;
Anglican Pacifist Fellowship, New Zealand Branch; Green Party; Pax Christi
Aotearoa New Zealand; Peace Movement Aotearoa; Women’s International League
for Peace and Freedom, Aotearoa Section;  and the Yearly Meeting of Aotearoa
New Zealand Religious Society of Friends, Te Haahi Tuuhauwiri (Quakers).