Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 30. August 2004 / Timeline August 30, 2004
Version 3.530. August 2004, September 2004
08/31/2004
A Day of Nonviolent Civil Disobedience and Direct Action
http://www.warresisters.org/RNC_CD.htm and
http://www.a31.org/truesecurity
4:00 Decentralized actions at war profiteers and more. 6 pm
Orientation at Madison Sq. Park or on the Steps of New York Public
Library, 5th Ave and 41st St. 7 pm converge at Madison Square
Garden.
Transform the streets of NYC into stages of resistance and forums
for debate through nonviolent action. Among the many groups calling
for civil disobedience on this day are the War Resisters League and
the True Security Cluster.
08/31/2004
'Cheap' Kiwi army recruiting Islanders
By Claire Harvey, New Zealand correspondent
From The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10618152%255E2703,00.html
PACIFIC Islanders make great New Zealand rugby players, and now
they can be Kiwi soldiers as well.
The New Zealand Defence Force is recruiting in the Cook Islands,
Tokelau and Niue to replace troops who leave the NZDF for foreign
military positions or the private sector.
But the Opposition New Zealand First Party claims the recruiting
system is "exploitation of a cheap labour source", saying the
defence pay rates are too low for the forces to keep trained
staff.
The Labour Government of Prime Minister Helen Clark was undermining
the local labour market by going offshore for troops, said New
Zealand First defence spokesman Ron Mark.
And a crunch is looming because the NZDF has ordered new equipment,
such as 105 light armoured vehicles due to arrive next year, which
needs extra troops and engineers.
"We've got the toys, but we haven't got the boys," Mr Mark said.
"Rather than meeting the needs of New Zealanders by raising pay and
improving conditions, the Government is just going to a cheap
labour pool.
"What's next, recruiting a whole battalion of Gurkhas?"
The lowest ranks of the NZDF earn less than $NZ25,000 ($23,250) a
year, although all personnel are getting a 2.5 per cent pay rise
this year, the third rise in as many years, thanks to Defence
Minister Mark Burton's lobbying in cabinet.
By comparison, an Australian army tank crew member earns just over
$34,000.
"We are talking about very small numbers of people being recruited
from overseas," Mr Burton said.
"In the army we have recruited 15 people from overseas in the past
18 months, and in the navy it is 10 or 20 a year for the past
decade."
But most units are operating at less than 75 per cent of their
staffing requirements, according to the NZDF annual report, and
there are critical shortages in some areas such as navy
mine-clearance diving teams.
Overall numbers in the Kiwi defence force have dropped from nearly
21,000 in 1990 to just under 13,000 last year.
08/31/2004
Danmarks Humanistiske Forskningscenter lukker.
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