Kia ora whānau,
No April Fools here. In follow up to my last newsletter where I mentioned deactivating Facebook, Facebook announced it will ban white nationalism from its platform. It’s a commitment and it might not happen overnight but it’s more than Twitter has done. I’m still not reactivating my Facebook account as they have yet to address the issue of live video and their response is just a list of excuses rather than announce any meaningful change. AI is not advanced enough to detect these atrocities. Apparently, it still can’t tell the difference between a mass shooting and a first-person shooter videogame. Live suicides are also worryingly a rising trend. Either way, I don’t see Facebook shutting its service anytime soon.
This week is a double feature with reviews for Captain Marvel and Us after the jump.
Reviews
Linkies
- Here are a few touching stories of the lives of some of the victims including Abdus Samad, Atta Elayyan, and Haji Musa Patel.
- A few important pieces on racism and the history of white supremacy in New Zealand. This piece by Moana Jackson. This article by Morgan Godfrey. This podcast by RNZ (Public Enemy is also worth a listen).
- Hala Nasr on growing up with Islamophobia. Shilo Kino on the media’s role in shaping hatred against minorities.
- Like me, you might have missed the boat for Good Bitches Baking’ Kindness for Christchurch t-shirt, but pre-orders are still available for Pepper Raccoon’s Aotearoa Diversity Squad pin. All profits go to Shakti International who help Asian, African and Middle Eastern women who are refugees or immigrants in need of support.
- Wellington Rape Crisis is running its annual appeal. WRC has supported survivors of sexual violence for the last 40 years.
- If you live in Upper Hutt, the Upper Hutt City Council is accepting proposals to its annual plan for the next two years. In 2016, Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt, taken together, had the highest rates of waste per capita in the country. In 2018, Upper Hutt recycled only 1,245 tonnes of waste compared to Lower Hutt’s 8,235 tonnes. Please, please consider voting for a rates-funded recycling service and encourage the council to put money into sustainability.
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*fist bumps*
Michael
