Dear friends
Today Bryan, Jim, Adele and Donna were acquitted of their convictions under the Defence (Special Undertakings) Act 1952.
It was a unanimous decision by the full bench of the Northern Territory Court of Criminal Appeal.
The three judges agreed with our submission that there was a miscarriage of justice at last year's trial because we were not able to bring evidence before the jury about the function of Pine Gap.
There were other grounds to the appeal, of a more technical nature. The judges will publish the detailed reasons for their decision in coming weeks.
The Prosecution quickly sought a re-trial, but was quickly rebutted.
"What would be achieved for these individuals or the community if there is a re-trial?" asked Justice Riley rather sternly.
The judges unanimously ruled there would be no re-trial.
The fact that we had already served prison time was a significant factor in their decision to refuse a re-trial. We are all very glad we did this as now our slate is clean regarding the other charge of 'damage', under the crimes act. So now it's all over!
This 'David vs Goliath' outcome is a result of the excellent work of our legal team: Ron Merkel QC, Rowena Orr and Russell Goldflam. Their commitment, persistance and brilliance was amazing. They should be heartily congratulated. (I hope to have a way for you all to do that soon).
The result now raises significant questions for the Government about the use of the Defence (Special Undertakings) Act 1952. It was the first, and mostly likely last time it will be used in this context.
It is a victory for fairness and common sense, and a slap in the face for Prosecutor's who seek to use draconian legislation to respond to pacifists partaking in non-violent civil disobedience with an extreme witchunt.
Congratulations to our Pine Gap colleagues Jessica Morrison and Sean O'Reilly and thanks to everyone involved in our journey since December 2005.
It's been an amazing experience for all of us!
Rise Up!
Put Pine Gap on trial!
cheers from
Donna, Jim. Adele, Bryan
PS: Within 10 minutes of the ruling there was national media coverage on most major newspaper websites as well as ABC Radio and TV.
PPS: Some pics to come, news reports below
http://news.smh.com.au/pine-gap-protesters-conviction-quashed/20080222-1txp.html
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23257820-5005961,00.html
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Letter sent to Pope Benedict - US Visit
To His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI
From:
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Archdiocese of Detroit Kathy Boylan, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Stephen Vincent Kobasa Kathy Kelly Marie Dennis, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Frank Cordaro, Des Moines Catholic Worker
Most Holy Father:
In your own words, "today we should be asking ourselves if it is still licit to admit the very existence of a 'just war'." Yet, during your upcoming visit to the United States, you are planning to meet with President George W. Bush, whose empty justifications for the violence in Iraq lead to increasing numbers of dead, injured and displaced people. Iraqi civilians still endure the "continual slaughter" which you described in your 2007 Easter Sunday address.
Shortly before the U.S. invaded Iraq, you rightly declared that "there were not sufficient reasons to unleash a war." You've also called attention to the terrible new technologies which cause indiscriminate destruction. Five years later, how much more reason you have to call for an immediate end to this war, and to refuse to meet with the President of the United States until that is accomplished.
If you kneel in grief and outrage before the cross of the tortured Christ, can you offer your blessing to a head of government who excuses the most terrible abuses of human minds and bodies as "legal?"
If meet with him you must, then meet as a prophet should - issuing a warning and an invitation to repentance. Courtesy cannot be used as an evasion of our biblical faith. Ezekiel was repeatedly reminded of his responsibility to admonish those doing evil if he desired to escape sharing in the responsibility for their sins. Shouldn't any of us who recognize the horror of what is happening in Iraq be condemned if we are silent?
You are scheduled to be in Washington, D.C. on the anniversary of your birth. We feel sure that you will be thinking of the countless children of Iraq who never reached their fifth birthday. In 2005 alone, 122,000 Iraqi children under age five died. There are many, both within the Church and outside of it, who long for your voice to speak for those innocent dead and - face to face with those whose policies denied all respect for their lives - demand that the killing stop.
We are, in faithful hope
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Archdiocese of Detroit Kathy Boylan, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Stephen Vincent Kobasa Kathy Kelly Marie Dennis, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Frank Cordaro, Des Moines Catholic Worker
From:
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Archdiocese of Detroit Kathy Boylan, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Stephen Vincent Kobasa Kathy Kelly Marie Dennis, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Frank Cordaro, Des Moines Catholic Worker
Most Holy Father:
In your own words, "today we should be asking ourselves if it is still licit to admit the very existence of a 'just war'." Yet, during your upcoming visit to the United States, you are planning to meet with President George W. Bush, whose empty justifications for the violence in Iraq lead to increasing numbers of dead, injured and displaced people. Iraqi civilians still endure the "continual slaughter" which you described in your 2007 Easter Sunday address.
Shortly before the U.S. invaded Iraq, you rightly declared that "there were not sufficient reasons to unleash a war." You've also called attention to the terrible new technologies which cause indiscriminate destruction. Five years later, how much more reason you have to call for an immediate end to this war, and to refuse to meet with the President of the United States until that is accomplished.
If you kneel in grief and outrage before the cross of the tortured Christ, can you offer your blessing to a head of government who excuses the most terrible abuses of human minds and bodies as "legal?"
If meet with him you must, then meet as a prophet should - issuing a warning and an invitation to repentance. Courtesy cannot be used as an evasion of our biblical faith. Ezekiel was repeatedly reminded of his responsibility to admonish those doing evil if he desired to escape sharing in the responsibility for their sins. Shouldn't any of us who recognize the horror of what is happening in Iraq be condemned if we are silent?
You are scheduled to be in Washington, D.C. on the anniversary of your birth. We feel sure that you will be thinking of the countless children of Iraq who never reached their fifth birthday. In 2005 alone, 122,000 Iraqi children under age five died. There are many, both within the Church and outside of it, who long for your voice to speak for those innocent dead and - face to face with those whose policies denied all respect for their lives - demand that the killing stop.
We are, in faithful hope
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Archdiocese of Detroit Kathy Boylan, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Stephen Vincent Kobasa Kathy Kelly Marie Dennis, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Frank Cordaro, Des Moines Catholic Worker
Friday, February 8, 2008
FACILITATING SOCIAL CHANGE CONFERENCE 2008
Commonground Conference Centre, Seymour, Victoria
Thurs 6pm 8-5-08 to 6pm Sat 10-5-08
Plus - a free party chucked in for Sat night 10-5-08
thru to breakky Sun Morning 11-5-08
THE IDEA
Like never before, the world needs good facilitation to help collaborate
around just and sustainable outcomes on SOOOO many fronts.
This is a little Conference between the big Australasian Facilitation
Network (AFN) Conferences held annually in November. This May
Conference seeks to extend the reach of facilitation further into the
realm of social change, and being social change agents.
For such just and sustainable outcomes to have greater impact, we need
to gather together people who think differently. At this Facilitating
Social Change Conference - we would like to extend the invitation to
Facilitators from the 'top end of town' through to activists working
from 'the bottom up' - and all in between.
THE PROGRAM
At this stage, we would like to 'keep it fluid', and consult with people
interested in attending - to find out the kind of topics you would like
covered. So if you have ideas about what you want, and who could do
it - then contact Glen Ochre at all@groupwork.com.au.
In subject line of email, put 'FSCC Topics'.
As we get closer to the Conference - the melding of what people want,
what people can offer, and who is coming will form the core of the
Conference.
There will be room at the Conference for spontaneous topics.
THE VENUE
The venue is at Commonground - a small dedicated conference/social
change resource centre and intentional community. Glen Ochre and Ed
McKinley are among those who founded the Commonground Co-operative in
1984. It is nestled into the bush on a 95 acre property, near Seymour,
95 kms north of Melbourne. It is easily accessible fromMelbourne
Airport, is on the Sydney/Melb rail line, the Brisbane/Melb and
Sydney/Melb bus
routes.
THE DETAILS
A maximum of 60 participants, with 4 levels of accommodation.
We encourage people to come for the full 3 days to get the full benefit
from the conference process.
Costs range from $170 to $380 for the 3 day conference - depending on
your income level and accommodation option. The aim is to subsidise
those with low incomes/high costs. Delicious vegetarian meals are
included in the conference price. A roster will be used for
dishes/cleanup. This helps keep costs down.
See the Conference website www.fscc.net.au for full details.
THE PARTY
The Conference will formally close at 6pm on Saturday 10-5-08, but
everyone is warmly welcome to stay on for a great Saturday night
Freebie:
- dinner
- band and lotsa dancing
- accommodation
- Sunday morning breakky
THE NEXT STEP
For further enquiries:
Contact Ed McKinley edd@itu.com.au or +61 03 5793 8257 (AUST)
Stephen Thorpe stephen.thorpe@aut.ac.nz or 0011 6421 110 3018 (NZ)
To book: go to www.fscc.net.au/docs/registration.html#
Thurs 6pm 8-5-08 to 6pm Sat 10-5-08
Plus - a free party chucked in for Sat night 10-5-08
thru to breakky Sun Morning 11-5-08
THE IDEA
Like never before, the world needs good facilitation to help collaborate
around just and sustainable outcomes on SOOOO many fronts.
This is a little Conference between the big Australasian Facilitation
Network (AFN) Conferences held annually in November. This May
Conference seeks to extend the reach of facilitation further into the
realm of social change, and being social change agents.
For such just and sustainable outcomes to have greater impact, we need
to gather together people who think differently. At this Facilitating
Social Change Conference - we would like to extend the invitation to
Facilitators from the 'top end of town' through to activists working
from 'the bottom up' - and all in between.
THE PROGRAM
At this stage, we would like to 'keep it fluid', and consult with people
interested in attending - to find out the kind of topics you would like
covered. So if you have ideas about what you want, and who could do
it - then contact Glen Ochre at all@groupwork.com.au.
In subject line of email, put 'FSCC Topics'.
As we get closer to the Conference - the melding of what people want,
what people can offer, and who is coming will form the core of the
Conference.
There will be room at the Conference for spontaneous topics.
THE VENUE
The venue is at Commonground - a small dedicated conference/social
change resource centre and intentional community. Glen Ochre and Ed
McKinley are among those who founded the Commonground Co-operative in
1984. It is nestled into the bush on a 95 acre property, near Seymour,
95 kms north of Melbourne. It is easily accessible fromMelbourne
Airport, is on the Sydney/Melb rail line, the Brisbane/Melb and
Sydney/Melb bus
routes.
THE DETAILS
A maximum of 60 participants, with 4 levels of accommodation.
We encourage people to come for the full 3 days to get the full benefit
from the conference process.
Costs range from $170 to $380 for the 3 day conference - depending on
your income level and accommodation option. The aim is to subsidise
those with low incomes/high costs. Delicious vegetarian meals are
included in the conference price. A roster will be used for
dishes/cleanup. This helps keep costs down.
See the Conference website www.fscc.net.au for full details.
THE PARTY
The Conference will formally close at 6pm on Saturday 10-5-08, but
everyone is warmly welcome to stay on for a great Saturday night
Freebie:
- dinner
- band and lotsa dancing
- accommodation
- Sunday morning breakky
THE NEXT STEP
For further enquiries:
Contact Ed McKinley edd@itu.com.au or +61 03 5793 8257 (AUST)
Stephen Thorpe stephen.thorpe@aut.ac.nz or 0011 6421 110 3018 (NZ)
To book: go to www.fscc.net.au/docs/registration.html#
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