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We all want Aotearoa New Zealand to be a place where everyone can thrive. Certainly a place where survivors of abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions can thrive. We know that what has happened to the estimated 250,000 vulnerable adults, children, and babies is a “national disgrace” according to Judge Coral Shaw, former Chair of the Abuse in Care Royal Commision of Inquiry.  The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Final Report, Whanaketia: Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light, has 138 recommendations to improve the State Care system, Faith-based Institutions and other departments that have worked with some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable people [1]. The Interim Report, He Purapura Ora, he Māra Tipu from Redress to Puretumu Torowhānui, has 95 Holistic Recommendations to improve the current redress systems (Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children and Ministry of Education) for survivors of abuse in care [2]. Summary of the recommendations are: • expansion of oranga, or wellbeing, services and support services for survivors and their whānau • increased financial payments for survivors • training for those working with survivors • establishment of a listening service  • development of processes for referring allegations of abuse to other agencies • better monitoring of, and reporting on, abuse and systemic issues • memorials and other projects to honour survivors and remember abuse • enactment of a right to be free from abuse in care, as well as a duty to protect this right • an exception to accident compensation legislation • changes to laws relating to civil litigation  • a review of legal aid rates  • a model litigant policy for the Crown • improvements to the handling of survivors’ requests for records, including as few redactions of survivors’ records as possible • a review of record-creation and record-keeping practices. The Abuse in Care Inquiry has been in progress for the past six years. This is the largest inquiry into abuse in care that Aotearoa New Zealand has ever had. These reports from the inquiry shed light on the harrowing and horrific experiences that survivors faced while in the care of the state and faith-based institutions, and emphasise the profound impact that abuse has had on survivors’ lives. Now is the time for action: for people across Aotearoa to come together and be part of the process that ensures that survivors in Aotearoa can thrive.  By signing this petition, you are standing up for the rights of survivors and sending a clear message to the Crown: They have a duty of care to survivors, and a duty to implement all of the recommendations from the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry. Together, let's ensure that survivors are supported.  Join us in this crucial fight by signing the petition today and spreading the word to your friends, family, and community. Together, we can make a difference and safeguard the future of care and help survivors of abuse in State and Faith-based Care to thrive.  _________ Additional information and references: In February 2018, former Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and former Minister for Internal Affairs, Tracey Martin, announced that there would be a Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in care [3]. However, the formal work of the inquiry didn’t commence until January 2019.  Since 2019, the Inquiry has conducted a number of Hearings [4]: • September to October 2020 - State Redress Hearing held  • November to December 2020 - Faith-based Redress (Phase 1) Hearing held • March 2021 - Faith-based Redress (Phase 2) Hearing held • May 2021 - Children's State Residential Hearing held • June 2021 - Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit Hearing held • July 2021 - Tulou - Our Pacific Voices: Tatala e Pulonga (Pacific People's Experiences) Hearing held • February 2022 - Marylands school (St John of God) Hearing held • March 2022 - Tō muri the p`o Roa, tērā a Pokopoko White-te-raa (Māori Experiences) Hearing held • June 2022 - Foster Care Hearing held • July 2022 - Ūhia te Māramatanga Disability, Deaf and Mental Health Institutional Care Hearing Held • August 2022 - State Institutional Response Hearing held • October 2022 - Faith-based Institutions Response Hearing held  The final report of the Inquiry was presented to the Governor General, Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro GNZM, QSO on 25 June 2024, and released publicly following the tabling of the Final Report in the House of Representatives on 24 July 2024 [5].     1 - https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/whanaketia 2 - https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/from-redress-to-puretumu/ 3 - https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/inquiry-abuse-state-care 4 - https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/about-us/timeline/ 5 - Parliament Video | New Zealand Parliament videos.parliament.nz    *Disclaimer: more information will be provided in the Updates section Image credit: Designed by artist Ruby Jones in collaboration with Karah Mackie and survivors of abuse in care

The South Taranaki Bight is home to a rich and diverse marine ecosystem supporting a wide range of species and habitats, including dolphins, penguins, and whales. The area is also a popular spot for fishing, with abundant and diverse fish species. The area’s underwater ecosystems include important feeding and breeding grounds for marine life, such as fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.  It is vital that the health of this abundant ecosystem is protected to ensure the long term health of these habitats and the wellbeing of our communities. This is our coast.  Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd (TTRL) is seeking to fast-track a proposal to mine iron sands from the seabed within the South Taranaki Bight. This proposal poses a direct threat to the marine life and habitats that depend on this delicate ecosystem. Seabed mining, which involves extracting minerals from the ocean floor, is an experimental and largely untested process. It presents significant risks to the seabed and surrounding environment, potentially causing far-reaching and irreversible damage to not only the project area, but extending many kilometres along the coast due to the spread of sediment plumes that could smother these ecosystems. TTRL wants to mine offshore in depths of up to 20-42 m deep. They plan to dig up 50 million tonnes or more of the seabed every year for 35 years, dumping 45 million tonnes back onto the ocean floor [1]. The dumping back of the waste is what differentiates seabed mining from sand mining, and it has a much bigger impact on the benthic and marine environment. This type of seabed mining has not been carried out anywhere else in the world. This isn’t TTRL's first attempt to get consent for seabed mining in the area. Over the past decade TTRL has had several unsuccessful attempts, spending millions of dollars on the hearing processes and using up an extraordinary amount of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars from the New Zealand public and existing industries, particularly fisheries, opposing their plans. So far their attempts to gain consent have been unsuccessful for risks to the ecosystems and inadequate information in their applications [2]. Now TTRL is making another attempt to secure consent for seabed mining off the Taranaki Coast through the new Fast Track process.  The revised application area in 2024 is 878 square kms, over ten times the original 66 square km application. By applying to the Fast Track process TTRL are trying to to side step the ongoing opposition to their plans. The Fast Track Bill proposes no feedback and submission process from the community, and only allows submissions from invited “relevant” local authorities.  The local community has rallied against this proposal for years, dedicating significant time and resources to protect this precious environment. Local Iwi, along with residents, environmental organisations, boaties, fishers, surfers, and dairy farmers have been continually fighting to oppose this operation [3]. Offshore wind energy development is also threatened by seabed mining, and one developer has already pulled plans for this renewable energy source, due to TTR’s mining bid [4]. Wind farm developers are adamant the 2 projects are not compatible. The full economic and environmental impacts of this proposal have not been adequately assessed or presented. To fully understand the potential consequences of seabed mining, an independent regional cost-benefit analysis is needed. This analysis would provide a comprehensive evaluation of both the short-term and long-term effects on the local economy, environment, and community well-being. Because local councils are potentially the only bodies invited to provide feedback to the Fast Track expert panel or the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), it is crucial that we, as residents directly impacted by this proposal, come together in opposition.  By uniting our collective voice, we can give our local councils the mandate to ensure the health and wellbeing of our unique coast and communities are protected into the future by submitting strong opposition on our behalf. For more information on the social and environmental effects and the known economic costs and benefits please check out our website at: https://www.concernedcommunities.co.nz/ References:  1. https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/campaigns/seabed-mining 2. https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/cases/2021/2021-NZSC-127.pdf 3. https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/19/deep-sea-mining-new-zealand-south-taranaki-bight-ocean-seabed-patea-beach-ntwnfb 4. https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/10/24/offshore-wind-developer-pulls-out-of-nz-amid-seabed-mining-concerns/ 

All people should enjoy freedom, justice and equality. That includes Palestinians. Israel is occupying and colonising Palestinian land, and maintains an apartheid system of discrimination against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in violation of international law.  We support the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity, as called for by the Palestinian-led BDS movement. Israel is only able to maintain its apartheid regime and to expand its illegal settlements because of material support from the international community, including through unethical investments by global financial institutions (including ASB and other New Zealand banks and funds). According to research by Mindful Money, KiwiSaver funds' investments in companies financing and constructing illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine and arming Israel were up 20% in the first 5 months after October 2023. The research showed that our KiwiSavers have an estimated $200 million collectively invested in these companies. Many of our KiwiSaver funds are invested in companies that are involved in Israel’s illegal occupation, meaning that through our retirement savings we are inadvertently helping to finance of Israel’s system of apartheid, the expansion of illegal settlements in the Westbank and East Jerusalem, and the genocide of the people of Gaza. What can you do about it? It’s time we pressure our KiwiSaver providers, beginning with ASB, to stop financing Israel’s apartheid, ongoing colonisation and genocide and divest from the illegal settlements. Together we can get them to do the right thing.  • Are you an ASB customer? Sign the petition and use your power to demand that ASB divest - or else you will switch to another provider. But don’t switch yet - while you’re still a customer you have power to pressure ASB - keep the pressure on till 29 November when everyone will switch together if they haven’t divested from Israel. • Not a ASB customer? Sign the petition and share to help bring others on board to demand action from ASB. Boycott action works - and is a powerful tool we can use to make big companies realise the cost of doing business with an apartheid state.  Why ASB? Of all of New Zealand’s KiwiSaver funds, ASB has the most investments in Motorola Solutions Inc.  Motorola Solutions Inc provides telecommunications, surveillance and military technology to the Israeli military and illegal Israeli settlements - effectively operating as the IDF’s technology arm and enabling the maintenance and expansion of these settlements. The company also provides technology for operating Israel’s checkpoints and separation wall, two key pieces of Israel's apartheid infrastructure.[1] https://www.whoprofits.org//writable/uploads/old/uploads/2018/06/old/bab_al_shams_-_ahmad_al_bazz.jpg Motorola Solutions Inc. have been included in the UN List businesses involved in activities that help maintain/enable Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law. [2] ASB has $14 million invested in Motorola Solutions Inc., making their KiwiSaver fund one of the biggest investors in the occupation in the top 10 KiwiSaver providers. While many KiwiSaver funds are complicit in Israeli crimes, we have identified ASB as the #1 Most Unethical KiwiSaver for those who care about Palestinian human rights.  The International Court of Justice – the world’s highest court – recently declared that states, international organisations, investment corporations and all other institutions must not assist in maintaining the illegal situation created by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.[3] ASB is currently complicit in Israel’s violations of human rights and international law through its investments in Motorola Solutions Inc. To avoid being an accomplice to this illegal activity, ASB must divest from Israeli apartheid. BDS works! In calling on ASB to divest from Motorola Solutions Inc. we are taking the lead from the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions as a form of non-violent pressure on Israel. Both globally and here in Aotearoa, companies are realising that the investments in companies that sustain Israel's apartheid are unethical and are divesting. NZ Super Fund, KiwiSaver provider Simplicity, and most recently Ireland’s sovereign investment fund and French Insurance giant AXA have all divested from services due to their role in illegal settlements. Public pressure works! We won’t stop with ASB’s investments in Motorola… ASB and other New Zealand banks and KiwiSaver providers continue to maintain investments in other companies directly or indirectly involved in the maintenance and expansion of the illegal settlements, listed in the UN database.[4]  So we are also calling on ASB and all other New Zealand banks and KiwiSaver providers to adopt policies that prohibit investments in the companies identified by the UN and get rid of any existing investments in these companies. These financial institutions are on notice that we don’t want our money invested in Israel’s discrimination and colonisation. If they continue to bank on apartheid, we’ll stop banking with them! It is more urgent and important than ever that our voices are heard loud and clear by decision-makers and to encourage others to join our growing movement. References:  [1] https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/3808? and https://wiki.stoparmingisrael.nz/motorola [2] OHCHR update of database of all business enterprises involved in the activities detailed in paragraph 96 of the report of the independent international fact finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem [30 June 2023]. [3] Legal Consequences Arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem (Advisory Opinion) [2024]. [4] See for example: kiwisaver_investments_israel – Stop Arming Israel (stoparmingisrael.nz). Photo credit: Motorola communication device used by the Israeli Police during the dispersal of a Palestinian demonstration Bab Al Shams, E1 Area | Jan 2013 | Photographed by Ahmad Al-Bazz, Activestills.