The National Indigenous Human Rights Awards (NIHRA), in its second year, was held again at NSW Parliament Wednesday evening the 21st October. These truly national awards recognise and acknowledge the most important social justice struggle in Australia – that of the Aboriginal rights struggle.

The NIHRA are Australia’s only all dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait human rights awards. The NIHRA constitute three awards:

• The Dr Yunupingu Award for Human Rights

• The Eddie Mabo Social Justice Award

• The Anthony Mundine Courage Award

Last year, the presenters of the awards were Yalmay Yunupingu, Gail Mabo and Anthony Mundine. The inaugural recipient of the Dr Yunupingu Award for Human Rights was Arrernte Elder, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks. Ms Monks went on to become Northern Territorian Australian of the Year and this year’s NAIDOC Female Person of the Year.

This year’s keynote speech was presented by South Australia’s Narungga Elder and 2015 NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Tauto Sansbury. The MC was SBS journalist, Arrernte woman Karla Grant.

Mr Sansbury said, "I was born into a mission, we lived by the bell, we were brought up in injustices, denied our languages and identities. I was brutalised in a boys' home and the effects are lifelong. Ever since I have been working for the rights of my people, which to this day have not arrived and the fight continues on."

The two Gold sponsors of this year’s awards are the National Rugby League (NRL) and THF Wines.

The founder of the NIHRA is NSW parliamentarian, the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane who in 2012 also launched the Multicultural and Indigenous Media Awards.

“There is no more significant and important struggle in this nation’s more recent history than the Aboriginal rights struggle. It defines who we are because it is the struggle of right verses wrong, the overcoming of adversity and injustice and in turn not only speaks to the nation but defines the nation – and who we all are and should be,” said Mr Moselmane.

“These awards recognise the history and ongoing nature of the Aboriginal rights struggle – they are judged by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, presented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, awarded to the champions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights struggle – to those who are showing us the way.”

This year's recipients:

Dr Yunupingu Human Rights Award - Tauto Sansbury

Eddie Mabo Social Justice Award - Jenny Munro

Anthony Mundine Courage Award - Adam Goodes

Federal Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Shayne Neumann congratulated the award recipients, who are personally invested in improving social justice, fighting racism and closing the inequality gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“They are role models for younger generations of Indigenous people and their work is making a difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people throughout Australia,” said Mr Neumann.

Karla Grant said, “It was a great honour hosting the 2nd National Indigenous Human Rights Awards as I believe these awards go a long way in recognising the significant contributions made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within human rights and social justice for our people. All of the awards presented last night went to very deserving recipients and it is fitting that Adam Goodes, Tauto Sansbury and Jenny Munro are all recognised for the difference they are making to the lives of Indigenous

Australians.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Linda Burney said that the Awards are a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to just a few of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who make such a valuable contribution to the community.

“Indigenous people make such a valuable contribution to our community, it is so important to have an event to recognise this. I want to extend my thanks to the organisers, attendees and of course the winners of these awards,” Ms Burney said.

Kenrick Cheah 9230 2526

Gail Mabo (presenter of the Eddie Mabo Award) – 0418 289 122

Tauto Sansbury (keynote speaker) – 0403 165 193

A delegation from The World Council of Cedars revolution
Headed by Tom Harb,(Secretary General) and DR Walid Pharse Special advisor to WCCR met at the United Nations with Ambassador Terje Roed-Larsen (S.G. Special envoy for the Implementation of UNSCR 1559)

Delegation discussed security situation in Lebanon in light of Syria wars, Iran and Russian intervention as well as ISIS and Nusra clashes with Hezbollah on borders.

The delegation communicated a security  plan to Ambassador Roed-Larsen to be forwarded to the UN Secretary General.A plan that would protect Lebanon or large parts of Lebanon under 1559 from the militias wars on its soil.

The delegation also discussed a possible international participation in the new security plan.

The delegation then met with the missions of three members of the UN security council USA, France and Russia.

All three missions reassured the delegation that they are working on protecting Lebanon from the war in Syria.

At the Russian mission. The delegation  urged Moscow to put pressure on its allies Iran and Hezbollah to adhere to a new security plan for Lebanon to avoid a major security collapse.

At the French mission the delegation explored Paris willingness to be part of the international backing of the security plan proposed

And at the US mission the delegation sought an American backing for such a plan, as part of the campaign against ISIS.

The WCCR delegation felt that the current constitutional void cannot be solved except via a new security plan for the whole country in view of the regional developments.

Good Morning dear Friends

On behalf of myself and the Group we would like to thank you for all the support giving to the CLFG for the past 38 years specially for Lebanon Carnival the yearly event for the group

God bless you with your Family

Please check this below about Lebanon Carnival 2015 at Darling harbour - Sydney last Sunday 18/10/2015

 Thanks again

Elie Akouri

By Dr. Safwat Riad    

Business Lunch at Brighton Le Sands on Sunday 18 October 2015 with H.E.Mrs Nabila Malram Egyptian Minister of Immigration with different community groups in Sydney during her excellency short 48 hours visit.  

By Shaoquett Moselmane 

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As a community we must not succumb to hatred, division or fear, as this is precisely what those perpetrating fear and destruction seek. 

We must work together to ensure someone like Curtis Cheng is never placed in harm’s way again.

Finally, We must never blame a community for the actions of a few  who want to damage our way of life. 

This is why Premier Baird, his Ministers must also be honest and transparent  with those in our communities on whom we rely on to address and help us tackle this very important issue of radicalisation.  

This is why the  Baird government's Refusal TO BE HONEST WITH MUSLIM COMMUNITY further weakens our ability to speak with one voice and act as one. 

Just Like his Premier, Minister for Multiculturalism John Ajaka in the upper House, refused to address questions about the lack of consultation  and transparency with the community on proposed terror laws.

During a heated Legislative Council question time this week, Mr Ajaka was unable to rule out allegations that the Muslim community had been used as a photo opportunity for Premier Mike Baird on Tuesday.

Despite holding a round table discussion with Muslim community leaders, Opposition Leader Luke Foley and Member for Lakemba Jihad Dib, the Baird Government did not make any mention of the policies it would announce the next day.

Rather than address concerns about the lack of respect shown to the Muslim community, Mr Ajaka accused the opposition of playing political games.

A transcript of the Legislative Council question time attached as well as a video of the proceedings and Ch 10 coverage representing our efforts to expose the Government for what it is.

Labor's Legislative Council Opposition Whip the Hon Shaoquett Moselmane MLC said:

“The Baird Government has insulted the Muslim community by failing to consult with them about its proposed anti-terror laws.”

“To gather key figures in the Muslim community into one room and then not tell them about a policy like this is plain offensive.”

“Premier Mike Baird has used the Muslim community as a photo opportunity. He doesn’t want consultation, he wants publicity.”

“By parading around and using the community leaders for his political agenda, Premier Baird runs the risk of denigrating the credibility or effectiveness of these community leaders to communicate the messages back to their respective communities.”

Premier Baird and his Liberal Government want to parade the Muslim community and use them to show the wider Community they are tough on crime and on Law And Order. 

We are all against radicalisation and any form of extremism and harm to our Australian society.

they don't care if the effect is to belittle and insult the very people the government has presented to us as community leaders . 

You can't build a genuine partnership if you play political games with the lives of a section of a vulnerable  community .

Shaoquett

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane MLC.

Opposition Whip

Parliament of New South Wales

Parliament House

Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia

M 02 9230 2526 || � 02 9230 2722

S.moselmane@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Indisputably, the 80 – year old President Mahmoud Abbas has established himself internally and worldwide as the icon of Palestinian non – violence. His Israeli peace partners leave none in doubt that they are determined to smash this icon, which would leave them only with opposite alternatives the best of which is a massive peaceful intifada (uprising) against the Israeli occupation.

It is true that Abbas cannot yet be called the Ghandi of Palestine. He has yet to follow in the footsteps of the founder of modern India and deliver similar national results by leading a massive popular revolution for liberation and independence, but his strictly adhered to non – violence platform continues to be the prerequisite for any peaceful settlement of the Arab – Israeli conflict in and over Palestine.

For decades, before and after the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories was completed in 1967, Abbas has stuck to his belief in negotiations as the only way to settle the more than a century old conflict. Building on Abbas' legacy, his chief negotiator, Saeb Erakat, wrote his book, "Life Is Negotiations."

Abbas has all along rejected "armed struggle" and all forms of violence. He even did his best to avoid popular uprisings lest they glide into violence. Instead he has unequivocally opted to act as a man of state committed to international law and United Nations legitimacy.

Ever since he was elected as president he conducted Palestinian politics accordingly to make his people an integral part of the international community. His respect to the signed accords with Israel raised backlash among his own people when he described, for example, the security coordination agreement with the Hebrew state as "sacred."

Demonising Abbas

Nonetheless, the Israelis are still persisting on an unabated campaign to demonise Abbas, tarnish his image, undermine his peace credentials and deprive him of any gains for his people.

A Haaretz editorial on Oct. 4 said that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "fanning the flames of incitement against" Abbas. On Oct. 10, The Times of Israel quoted the Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon as saying that "We have come a long way to convince Israeli society that he’s (i.e. Abbas) no partner."

Evidently, this is the only way for the Israelis to absolve themselves from their signed peace commitments. Ya’alon's deputy, Eli Ben – Dahan, was quoted on the same day as saying that "Palestinians have to understand they won’t have a state and Israel will rule over them."

The Israeli minister of education Naftali Bennett, speaking to the army radio on Oct. 11, raised the anti – Abbas ante to an adventurous and irresponsible end game when he said that Abbas' "absence is better."

Bennett left it to the former Israeli ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, to explain the raison d'être for his call for the "absence" of Abbas. In a Ynetnews article on Oct. 3, Oren concluded absurdly that "Abbas poses a danger which may be revealed as strategically more serious than the tactical dangers posed by (the Islamic Resistance Movement) Hamas."

Former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman was more forthright when he called on Oct. 12 for Abbas' Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank to be "overthrown."

According to William Booth, writing in The Washington Post on Oct. 10, "Israeli (Cabinet) ministers have branded Abbas 'a terrorist in a suit' and 'inciter in chief'. They mock him as weak," ignoring that their smearing campaign accompanied by their government's determination to undermine his peace – making efforts is making him weaker internally and render the "two – state solution" a non – starter among his people.

A poll released by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research on Oct. 6 found that 65% of the public want Abbas to resign and if new presidential elections were held the deputy chief of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas," Ismail Haniyeh, would win 49 percent of the votes against 44 percent for Abbas. The "main findings" indicated a "decline in the level of support for the two – state solution" as 51 percent "opposed" this solution. What is more important in this context was that "57% support a return to an armed intifada."

International Community Indifference

The Israeli anti – Abbas campaign could only be interpreted as a premeditated endeavour to evade a mounting international pressure for saving the so – called "two – state solution."

The cancelation of a visit scheduled for last week by senior envoys of the international Middle East Quartet upon Netanyahu's request was the latest example of the world community's helplessness and indifference vis – a – vis Israel's sense of impunity against accountability, which empowers the Israeli occupying power to escalate its crackdown on Palestinians under its military occupation since 1967.

In particular, U.S. President Barak Obama Administration's "reversals" and "empty promises," in the words of Peter Berkowitz on Oct. 13, to Abbas as well as the inaction of the European Union and the other two Russian and UN members of the Quartet are encouraging Israel in its anti – Abbas campaign, thus discrediting the Palestinian icon of non - violence further in the eyes of his own people as incapable of delivery to walk away from his non – violent path.

On Oct. 12 the AFP reported that the "frustrated' Palestinians "have defied" both Abbas and the "Israeli security crackdown" to launch what many observers are calling the beginnings of a "third intifada."

To his credit, Abbas proved true to his non – violence commitment. Israeli daily Haaretz on Oct. 11 quoted a senior official of the Israeli Shabak intelligence agency as telling a cabinet meeting on the same day "that not only does Abbas not support 'terrorist attacks' but also tells PA security services to 'undermine' anti-Israel protests as much as possible."

Abbas was on record recently to tell "our Israeli neighbours that we do not want a security or military escalation. My message to our people, security agencies and leaders is that the situation must calm down." He warned against "an intifada which we don't want." On Oct. 6, he publicly told a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) that "we want to reach a political solution by peaceful means and not at all by any other means."

The practical translation of his on record "principles" was self evident on the ground during the past two weeks of Palestinian rebellion against the escalating violence of the illegal Israeli settlers of the occupied Palestinian territories and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), especially in eastern Jerusalem, which so far claimed the lives of more than 25 Palestinians and at least four Israelis in October 2015.

Within the PA security mandate, violence was practiced by the IOF only and only Palestinians were killed. Mutual violence was confined to Jerusalem, the area designated "C" by the Oslo accords in the West Bank and Israel proper, where security is an exclusive Israeli responsibility. There Abbas has no mandate. Most victims of both sides fell there and there only Israel should be held responsible and accountable.

One could not but wonder whether eastern Jerusalem and area "C" of the West Bank would have seen no violence had Abbas' security mandate been extended to include both areas. U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, who announced on Tuesday plans to visit "soon" to calm down the violence, should consider this seriously.

Ending the Israeli occupation is the only way to move the situation "away from this precipice," lest, in Kerry's words, the two-state solution, "could conceivably be stolen from everybody" if violence were to spiral out of control.

In 1974 late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat appealed to the UN General Assembly to "not let the olive branch fall from my hand," saying that he was holding a "freedom fighter's gun" in his other hand. Abbas embraced the "olive branch" with both hands and dropped the "gun" forever.

In May this year, Pope Francis told Abbas during a visit to the Vatican: "I thought about you: May you be an angel of peace." The Jewish Virtual Library's biography of the Palestinian President vindicates the Pope's vision. It hailed him as "considered one of the leading Palestinian figures devoted to the search for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian – Israeli conflict... It was Abbas who signed the 1993 peace accord with Israel.

End of Era

Writing in Al – Ahram Weekly on Oct. 12, the President of Arab American Institute, James Zogby, was one only of several observers who announced recently the "burial" of the Oslo accords. In "fact" Oslo "was on life support" and "has been dying for years" Zogby said, concluding: "What happened this week was the final burial rite."

The Oslo accords were the crown of Abbas' life – long endeavour. The "burial" of Oslo would inevitably be the end Abbas' era.

Smashing the Abbas icon of Palestinian non – violence would herald an end to his era, dooming for a long time to come any prospect for a negotiated peaceful solution. His "absence," according to Gershon Baskin, the Co-Chairman of Israel/Palestine Center for research and Information (IPCRI), will be "definitely the end of an era" and "will be a great loss for Israel and for those who seek true peace."

Israelis by their ongoing campaign of defamation of Abbas would be missing an irreversible historic opportunity for making peace.

However, Abbas will go down in Palestinian chronicles as a national symbol of non – violence, who raced against time to make what has so far proved to be an elusive peace. Despite his failure, thanks to Israeli unrealistic dreams of "Greater Israel," he will be the pride of his people in future in spite of the current widespread national opposition to his life – long commitment.

* Nicola Nasser is a veteran Arab journalist based in Birzeit, West Bank of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories (nassernicola@ymail.com).

By Marcelle Mansour

I start my words here by humbly saying that I have a great honor to be one of the global selected artists where one of my works has been selected and displayed at the Louvre Museum, Fifth Annual Exposure Photography Award, and presented in the International display at the Louvre Museum in Paris on 13 July 2015, and also was published in the book of the ‘Exposure Award 2015’. 

The book: says: “The photographs within this collection represent some of the most interesting work of the Fifth Annual Exposure Award. It’s an honour to be able to share this work with you and with the world.” 

The title of my artwork is ‘moonlife’ that I created and photographed. In addition to being me a practicing visual artist, poet and bilingual writer, journalist and active in the cultural activity, I also practise  photography which I  learned  professionally by myself, but I use it mostly for my artworks, and for the subjects that I like and perceive in various ways.  

Some people ask me to what extent do I appreciate photography compared to the fine arts that I practice? My answer is that the source of revelation in photography is wonderful, especially when I take the picture in its moment to be recorded and documented that lies in the memory and conscience of the mind. This requires a certain creative ability to reveal some kind of various perceptions about the presented subject by the person who stands in front of the eyes of the lenses. This is because individuals may differ from each other in terms of thinking, imagination, tendencies, trends, meditation and outlook on life, that makes people see an image in different ways and that depends on the individual’s distinctive experience. An example is my artwork of Moonlife or the Bread of Life, I photographed it in a manner akin to the landscape, and especially it consists primarily of natural elements as the essence of creativity and looks very similar to the views of nature. The way it has been photographed led to the discovery of a lot of beautiful multi – hidden meanings which make it a source of inspiration for others. 

About the conversation that lies between the creative image and the receiver I would say that art of photography implies art of perception as a means used by the artist to make the picture affect in the eye of the recipient where seeing can be felt by the eyes. Viewers can discover more insights to detect the new vision of the beautiful subtleties underlying in the human sensations, mind and conscience that reveal the hidden truth.

At the end of it all, according to artists’ capabilities, I believe that photography is a fantastic tool that complements other forms of arts. On this occasion I would like to heartily thank both the SeeMe and Peecho teams for their wonderful work. I am also grateful to the judges for my work was favoured.

It unfortunately showed that democracy at its best, in the form of the airing of free speech, is like a sieve, which allows for pressure to be released through unrestrained expression. But in this way it also diffuses the intensity of the message by giving it many voices. This is what happened over the last month. Instead of a laser like revolution we experienced small bulbs lighting up here and there.

Nevertheless, how many times can the same serious subjects of discontent be raised on deaf ears? Corruption – mismanagement – abuse of power – stealing public funds – lack of transparency – discrimination – nepotism – clientelism - all these complaints fall like rain on dry land. In no time at all, these sound bites are swallowed in the Lebanese process of digestion and neutralized in its metabolism of absorption.

Initially, the oligarchs were visibly ruffled by the accusations and huddled together to entrench in their seats of power, but as the days progressed and the soapbox replaced the popular tsunami of revolt, all the Zaims settled back into the comfort zone of their fortresses.

These fortresses have been erected over 20 years of manipulating all the state apparatuses to ensure their institutionalized feudal hold on power through the cultivation of serfs instead of citizens protected equally under the law.

Therefore peaceful demonstrations cannot breakdown their walls of smugness. If violence is not an option 

( and yet even the simplest omelet is not made without breaking eggs ) then what are our choices to maintain the pressure on the establishment cartels to force them to change?

 The only option we have is to return to basics. The principle of Ockham's razor states that if you have two equally likely solutions to a problem, choose the simplest. Ironically, the simplest solution in Lebanon under the present seemingly paralyzed circumstances, is to elect a new credible president, which will in itself launch a chain of predictive events including a new government, a new electoral law, and a new parliament (obligatorily).

Though the Presidency in point of fact, is not strong in and of itself, it has proved to be strong in its vacuum. It is the only mechanism, which still has elements of leverage. These must be applied domestically and internationally to break the stalemate, otherwise, the closed system of self-prorogued governing will perpetuate itself hermetically sealed by the tyranny of the institutionalized oligarchs.