Australia’s pathway to poverty – bridging visas

Sat 30 Mar 2013
By Gerry Georgatos

Gerry Georgatos - courtesy of The Stringer - http://thestringer.com.au/australias-pathway-to-poverty-bridging-visas/#... Photo - courtesy of The UN, Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya
The Australian Government’s hard on refugees policy is creating an underclass of people – many condemned to an itinerant lifestyle and many condemned to living on the streets.

According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship since November 25, 2011, 12,765 people have been released from the detention centres and into community on bridging visas.

15 year old girl sentenced to 100 lashes for being raped

Sat 23 Mar 2013
By Gerry Georgatos

Gerry Georgatos - courtesy of The Stringer - http://thestringer.com.au/15-year-old-girl-sentenced-to-100-lashes-for-b...

In the tourist mecca of the Maldives, a teenage girl who was repeatedly raped by her stepfather has been sentenced to 100 lashes. There has been no public outcry by the world’s governments or by international public institutions. Human rights groups are outraged and social media is running the gauntlet to prevent the lashings.

The Prime Minister’s apology to victims of forced adoption

Fri 22 Mar 2013
By Gerry Georgatos

Jennifer Kaeshagen - courtesy of The Stringer - http://thestringer.com.au/the-prime-ministers-apology-to-victims-of-forc...

On Thursday, 21 March, Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivered a national apology on behalf of the Australian Government to all Australians affected by removal policies and practices from 1932 to 1982 which resulted in forced adoptions. The exact figure of how many children were removed remains unknown but it is estimated that as many as 225,000 babies were removed throughout this time. Many adoptees may still not know this to have been the case.

Video: Campbelltown rally hears how Sydney's water catchments under threat from CSG

Tue 19 Mar 2013
By takver

On Sunday around 300 residents rallied in Campbelltown in western Sydney and called on the NSW state government and Federal Government to protect drinking water and drinking water catchments, and for local communities to protect their farmland and water resources from Coal seam gas (CSG) development. Jess Moore from Stop CSG Illawarra spoke passionately and outlined the campaign to stop coal seam gas mining in Sydney's water catchments and the threat it poses to the millions of people who live in greater Sydney area. Here is her speech with transcription.

10 years since start of war on Iraq: what have we achieved?

Sun 17 Mar 2013
By kimk

With the ten year anniversary since Australian forces joined an international 'coalition of the willing' to invade Iraq coming next Monday March 18th, we are pleased to let you know about many events happening around Australia to mark the occasion.

Coal dust and climate change: Newcastle residents march against proposed T4 coal loader

Sat 16 Mar 2013
By takver

Up to 1500 people attended a rally in Newcastle today in opposition to a fourth coal loading terminal being built. Gathering at Customs house at 10am, people marched to Civic Park, chanting 'our water, our health, more precious than your wealth' and 'one two three four, no to T4'. Protestors are concerned with the impact of coal mining on agriculture and water resources, coal dust pollution risks to public health, environmental concerns, and contribution to global climate change.

Related: Photos on Flickr | Youtube Video from Newcastle Herald | Australian based company Ambre Energy pushing coal exports in Oregon

Quality of life for Australians 2nd only to Norway, but for Aboriginal peoples 122nd

Sat 16 Mar 2013
By Gerry Georgatos

by Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer - http://thestringer.com.au/
Photo (Publik15): Community Leader and Utopia resident Rosalie Kunoth Monks told Salil Shetty, that her people want to stay on the land, but are forced to deal with overcrowding, and lack of access to basic facilities like electricity and water

Queers against Cops respond to attacks

Sun 10 Mar 2013
By blackrosebooks

Following the 2013 Mardi gras parade (the corporate gaystream shadow of a radical and militant queer protest in 1978) a video was released online that showed a young shirtless man being choked by a police officer, then slammed headfirst into the pavement while handcuffed.

Outrage quickly spread across the Queer community and far beyond. Within two days, Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) called for a demonstration against police brutality on Friday 8th of March. The rally was to gather at 6pm Taylor square, then to march to Surrey Hills cop shop then back.

Premier Campbell Newman opens up logging destruction in Queensland native forests

Tue 26 Feb 2013
By takver

The Queensland Premier and Government have reopened logging in native forests with 2 million hectares of state forest being made initially available for environmental destruction. This will impact on habitat for endangered species, biodiversity and the huge carbon stores locked up in mature forests. Mature forests also tend to hold more moisture and are less susceptible to bushfire, and absorb more water during floods - providing a natural flood mitigation service, a natural service that is all the more needed with the increase in rainfall and extreme whether events with climate change. See Leaked Document (PDF).

Sea Shepherd: Whaling factory ship rams Korean fuel tanker and 3 activist ships

Wed 20 Feb 2013
By takver

Update 25 Feb 2013: Japanese Whalers escalate dangerous attacks on Sea Shepherd in refueling attempt

20 Feb 2013: In the Southern Ocean tempers are fraying over whaling with Sea Shepherd hindering all attempts to slaughter whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sancturay in their Zero Tolerance campaign this year being run from the Australian Sea Shepherd Organisation. A Major confrontation erupted today north of the Australian Casey Antarctic Base when Sea Shepherd used it's vessels to prevent the Nisshin Maru Whaling Factory Ship coming alongside the Panama registered Korean fuel supply ship the Sun Laurel.

Related: Whaling Fleet committed multiple breaches of international law says Sea Shepherd Director Bob Brown