Hi People
this is the latest NAPNT Digest that has gone out to our yahoogroup. Subscribe to the group and you can be ktp up to date in detail. Generally we only post updates to the NAP blog so to get all the nitty gritty, subscribe today.
Anyway read on to find out what we are up to in September.
NAPNT Digest 25th August 2003
1. Intro
2. Syringe Fest 2003
3. Syringe Art
4. Court update
5. NAP Website updated
6. Some NT News
7. Some Australian News
1. Intro
Hi people and a special welcome to the new members on the list. Things have been a little quiet here in Darwin lately as we build up to the mammoth 2nd Darwin International Syringe Fest in less than 4 weeks. More about this later…
There is a lot of action coming up in the next few weeks so make sure you keep up to date with what is happening and hopefully we will see you at one of our events.
Read on for more info about what we are up to.
Nap Mob
2. 2nd Darwin International Syringe Festival
As we said, there is less than 4 weeks to go to our second syringe festival. Although it may sound crazy to some, the syringe festival is a legitimate event; a wake, celebration, discussion and protest all rolled into the one week.
You can find out all about the syringe fest by clicking on the link on the napnt.org website. At the moment, the following is confirmed:
21st September Opening Party at 19 Gilbert Street… 4pm onwards byo consumables
22nd to 25th September.. 1st International Conference on Using Direct Action to End the War on Drugs. Already, attendance has been confirmed from a number of interstate activists including Michael Arnold form the NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA) and Annie Madden and Nicky Bath from the Australian Illicit and Intra-venous drug users league. There are also a number of activists/people coming from overseas but we don’t want to release their names until they get through immigration.. for obvious reasons.. but this will be 4 days of debate, workshops, training and some on the job direct action. You need to register, but it is free to NAP members… which is you.. so come along and get involved in the discussion… and the action.
22nd September.. in the evening we will be launching the art exhibition – Syringe Art. Read more about this later in the digest.
23rd September.. Tuesday nite drug users cabaret at the Groove Café… the only things you will have to pay for during the syringe festival… except for your drugs.
24th Sep.. movie night… activist films and films on the war on drugs
25th Sep… DOOF.. at undisclosed location… Equinox.. featuring DJ Mibrane from Sydney.
26th Sep… Friday will see the tour of injustice and a drug users picnic.
27th Sep will be our monthly community smoke-in… this time in Bennett Park.. not Raintree Park.. this will have a drug law reform focus and will act as a launching pad for our free Margo Lawton campaign.
28th Sep.. Sunday… closing party at 19 Gilbert Street.
So you can’t miss it, a whole week of fun, fun, fun.. and daddy ain’t gonna take the T-bird away!
If your not in Darwin and haven’t booked a ticket yet.. get one.. and contact us to find out about cheap accom!
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Volunteers are urgently needed for the syringe fest. We are having a volunteers meeting on Tuesday 24th August at 7pm at the Railway Club in Parap. Hope you can make it.
3. Syringe Art
The Syringe Art exhibition/competition will take entries in any form, somehow related to or featuring or designed using syringes with a theme “end the war on drug users”. Entries close on close of business Friday 19th September 2003. Drop your entries off at the NAP office at 19 Gilbert Street Ludmilla or put them in the post., or you could scan and send via email or send videos and other stuff via email.. anyway, get imaginative!
4. Court.. Court… Court
Appeal dates have been set for the parliament invasion case, so it looks like we will probably be going to jail in late December.
A number of us have also recently been set down for a trial by judge and jury for sitting in clear martin’s office for an hour or so. That will be in the NT Supreme Court next Feb.
But in September… we face the Darwin Magistrate’s Court for the 6th Smoke-in.. that happened in October last year. We will really need supporters for this and we will be going all week so make some time to come along and show your support.
We are in court from the 15th September – Monday, right through to and including the Friday of that week.
Some of us may go to jail for this one as well!
5. NAP website
You may have noticed some major improvements to the NAP site including an “about us” section and a search-bar to search the napnt.org site. If you haven’t seen it, check it out.. and if your involved with an organisation with a website, or you have your own website, you may want to link to us.
There are also some new articles on the main article index page so check it out.
http://www.napnt.org/Main-Articles-Index.htm
6. Some NT News
Newshawk: Gary Meyerhoff
Pubdate: Thursday 21st Agust 2003
Source: Northern Territory News
Author: Edith Bevin
URL: http://ntnews.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,7015613%255E13569,00.html
Drug dog bid to halt dope trade
Dogs used to patrol Australia's borders may be used to stop the flow of cannabis to the Territory's remote communities.
CLP Senator Nigel Scullion is trying to broker a meeting between the NT Police Minister, police and Australian Customs officers to get a formal agreement for custom sniffer dogs to be used in the Territory.
A memorandum of understanding exists between the NT police and Customs to use dogs when available.
Senator Scullion said formalising the agreement would allow drug squad officers to conduct random but consistent patrols of aircraft, barge and truck cargo.
The dogs would need additional training as they are now only trained to sniff out morphine-based drugs.
During a visit to the NT in June, Senator Bronwyn Bishop pledged to reintroduce sniffer dogs to Darwin and Alice Springs airports to stop drug trafficking.
Senator Scullion said abuse of cannabis was chronic and needed immediate action to end ``this trade in human misery''.
``We've got kids as young as 11 that are using quite considerable amounts of cannabis,'' he said.
``It's unacceptable and it's got to stop.''
Police Minister Paul Henderson last night called on the Federal Government to meet Senator Bishop's commitment.
The call comes despite the Government refusing in March to allow the NT police to have their own drug detection dog.
The O'Sullivan review recognised the need for a dog squad, saying it was a ``necessary part of drug detection and prevention activities for the NT''.
The Government has promised to honour all of the O'Sullivan recommendations.
7. Some Australian News
Newshawk: Gary Meyerhoff
Pubdate: Friday 22nd August 2003
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation On Line
URL: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s929831.htm
Govt accused of sitting on hepatitis C report
The Howard Government has been criticised for keeping a report on the spread of hepatitis C under wraps for almost a year.
The federal Health Department report warns the virus, which affects more than 210,000 Australians and can lead to liver cancer, is on the rise and may affect about 500,000 people by 2020.
It says there has been inadequate research and surveillance and a lack of resources to fight the disease.
Stuart Loveday from the Australian Hepatitis Council says the Government has had the findings since last November but has not acted on them.
"It's as if the Federal Government has hit the pause button," he said. "Nothing seems to be happening at a national level and there are services on the ground which are being threatened."
Federal Health Minister Kay Patterson has defended her position, saying the report was ordered ahead of time as the basis for a new five-year strategy to combat the disease.
"I have asked for a coordinated response to that report," she said. "Of course we won't agree with everything in the report and the states won't always agree with everything in the report either."
Labor's health spokeswoman, Julia Gillard, says the Minister must act immediately.
"We were appalled that the Minister sat on this report for as long as she has," she said.
"What needs to be done is she needs to work quickly and in partnership with all of the stakeholders groups rather than just having the report gather mould as it sits on the edge of her desk."
<< Home