The NAIDOC March starts at 11am at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service 186 Nicholson St Fitzroy and marches through the central business district of Melbourne to Federation Square for speeches and a concert commencing at 12pm.
We certainly would like to thank the Liberal members for their stance, an unpopular stance no doubt. Their stance is more courageous than the two-faced stance of the Labour Party, on immigration, refugees, human rights.
Its time to get a decision from this questionable High Court Australia on issues of HREOCA1986, RDA1975, etc
Turnbull faces backbench revolt
By Julian Drape and Melissa Jenkins
Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull's leadership was further undermined on Wednesday amid the second backbench revolt in a week.
The anarchist media collective a-films has just published a new short film ("Two Years Under Siege"/10min) from the destroyed Nahr al-Bared Refugee Camp in northern Lebanon.
Two years after the outbreak of the war in Nahr al-Bared, the camp's fate remains unclear. The reconstruction of the official camp might start soon, but the army keeps its tight grip on the camp. Several checkpoints, barbed wire and military posts cut Nahr al-Bared off from its surroundings.
Ever since Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain in 1948, the rights of the Tamils have been under attack. The Sinhala ruling elites have used anti-Tamil racism to secure power and privilege and deflect discontent from below. The history of Sri Lanka is marked by a bloody series of government-instigated anti-Tamil programs and policy mandates.
The persecuted and besieged Tamils finally turned to armed struggle to secure independence in their traditional homelands. With the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), this phase appears to have come to an end.
By the GetUp team
After 16 months in immigration detention, Kasian was granted a temporary visa. Then he was hit with a $160,000 bill for his "accommodation" in Baxter Detention Centre. There are hundreds more like him - experiencing unimaginable trauma only to then be slugged with an enormous bill for the privilege.
The good news is the Senate is scheduled to vote this week on a bill to overturn this policy, but the vote is going to be very close.
Cycle Against Alice Springs Uranium Exploration/Mining.
THIS FRIDAY June 26th
Exploration drilling has been going on for 2 months now at the Angela uranium deposit, less than 25km from the Alice Springs CBD, well within our town water catchment boundaries.
It's time to make the biggest show of public protest yet. We are calling on all Alice residents to get on your bikes and cycle in protest against this uranium 'crisis'.
Don't be sorry later.....be vocal now....save Alice Springs from becoming just another eyesore mining town.
Rallies were held across Australia on Saturday 20 June to mark the 2nd anniversary of the NT Intervention. Around 200 attended a rally at the State Library in Melbourne, and a large proportion then marched or otherwise made their way to Trades Hall for further discussions and planning.
There is now wide acceptance of the problem of global warming but still governments and corporations are failing to act. Damien Lawson explores some of the history of civil disobedience and argues that now is the time for us all to put our "bodies on the line".
Damien Lawson is the National Climate Justice Coordinator with Friends for the Earth Australia and a former advisor to Federal Green Senators.
All are welcome who challenge the Victorian Government's ban on political activity in open public spaces that have been privatised as a result of "private public" partnerships.
Bring along food, leaflets, banners, jokes, poetry, rants, songs to share with others assembled in free association for free speech.
WAG members hold weekly direct democracy assmblies about Climate Change, Constitutional Rights, The Right to freely distribute political material in open public space and much more.
2009 Emerge Festival, Sunday June 21, Fitzroy Town Hall
A tide of food and music gushed out of Fitzroy town hall and onto Napier Street as part of the 2009 Emerge Festival, celebrating emerging and refugee cultures in Victoria.
Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Ethiopian, Western Saharan, Turkish, Jamaican, Afghani and Timorese cultural groups were but a handful of populations represented in song, dance, craft and cuisine.
We members of the Prescribed Area Peoples’ Alliance have made the following statement from our June 18-19 meeting in Darwin.
This morning, dozens of children - under the watchful eye of the Australian Government - were escorted to school by guards. This evening the children will return to a fenced facility on a remote island and do their homework in demountable buildings, while they ponder their plight. Sound like fiction?
Sadly, there are families and children on Christmas Island who experience this heartbreak daily.
Asia's longest civil war was declared over, four weeks ago when the Sri Lankan military claimed victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The UN estimates that over 20000 Tamil civilians were killed in the last week of fighting alone. This is on top of the estimated 7000 civilian deaths that are believed to have occurred due to the conflict between January - March 2009.
National tour and Book launch: 15-24th June (ACT, WA, NSW, VIC)
Melbourne: Tues 23rd June, 6:30PM - Green Building, 60 Leicester St, Carlton.
He is called a hero by David Suzuki and Vandana Shiva and speaks out against seed and chemical giant Monsanto. His evidence to Canadian Parliament exposed dangerous foods, including GM bovine growth hormone.
The 5th monthly dinner for Squatters and Sqautters in Expectation (SASIE). An evening of food and words around a warm fire for people who are currently sqautting, interested in sqautting, or want to support sqautters. We will be sharing stories, skills, resources, information and generally working out ways that we can support each other.
Bring a plate or come at 4pm to help cook
This dinner is held on the last Sunday of every month.
** Please forward to anyone who may be interested **
The Tamil struggle to halt genocide
Featuring: Marty Gnanananthan (Tamil Youth Organisation); Francis Xavier (Member from the Tamil community)
& Dr Brian Senewiratne (Longtime Human Rights Activist)
PLUS: Launch of new book "The Tamil Freedom Struggle in Sri Lanka" written by Chris Slee, Dr Brian Senewiratne, and Vickramabahu Karunarathne
Tuesday June 23, 6:30pm
Brisbane Activist Centre, 74B Wickham St (Cnr Warren St), Fortitude Valley.
Donation entry, Cheap Tamil meal available from 6pm
“Death of Democracy” March through the streets of Wonthaggi – Marking two years since the announcement that the desalination plant would be built in Wonthaggi, Watershed Victoria has organised a “Death Of Democracy” march through the town, celebrating the strength of the campaign and demonstrating our continued opposition to the project.
Students of Sustainability (SoS) is a week-long conference dedicated to the exchange of skills and knowledge in the pursuit of environmental and social justice.
The program is packed with workshops, plenaries, lectures and skillshares on topics from ocean degradation to the NT intervention.
Come to loophole for fine food and beverage in aid of the Squatters and Unwaged Workers Show which is just a few hundred dollars short of its 2009 radiothon target. All sorts of fab political books, discs and t-shirts available by best offer. Farewell SUWA show presenter Tristan, who will be taking requests for deeds of revolutionary valour in Mexico, provided that they are not too scary or involve advanced grammer.
Please promote and forward the following information to anybody who may be interested in attending:
History of Tamil Peoples' Struggle & What has to be done for Peace & Justice in Sri Lanka
This free talk will trace the development of the ethnic conflict that has resulted in the violation of human rights of both the Tamils and the Sinhalese, which now features the Genocide of the Tamil people.
The fundamentals underlying this problem will be set out and the possible solutions analysed.
Hi to all you avid peace makers once again!!
I hope you are all feeling as enthusiastic for change as I am.....!!
I have been working on a large project since the last PC called Committed 2 Change. We are developing a model organisation here in the Capricorn region that we plan to set up so as it can be duplicated around Australia as time, money and energy allow!!!
Scientists and the Wilderness Society have called on the Federal Government to urgently protect native forests in South East Australia as a method of locking up carbon, with new scientific research showing that the world’s most carbon dense forests are found in cool temperate climates of Australia, particularly the central highlands of Victoria.
Related: Central Highlands Alliance | Victorian Rainforest Network
This first evening in a series of climate justice events will focus on the international UN climate talks, in the lead-up to Copenhagen in December 2009.
Please RSVP to Nicole Rankin by Tuesday 16 June
Email climatejusticebrisbane@gmail.com or mobile 0431 942 807
Speakers and discussion will explore problems with the climate negotiation process, and give a snapshot of how those problems can be solved. Learn about how the climate negotiations impact on local people's struggle for justice and explore strategies for creating global climate justice through local solutions.
I would like to inform you of the below event. All are welcome.
It is an event organised to inform mainstream Australians on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.
You may wish to inform like-minded people (especially academics, political representatives in parliament, journalists, activists, religious leaders, etc). Please ensure that individuals register by Monday 4.00pm.
This event is not for those who are already aware of the situation, but rather for those who wish to find out more.
Nisha N.
The following article is based on a speech given at a recent rally in Melbourne.
In a village in the Vanni region of north-east Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) demanded the Tamil civilians move into the “safety zone”. It demanded they leave all their belongings and walk towards the soldiers with their hands raised high.
Afraid of getting shot, they screamed: “Please don’t shoot us!”, and walked slowly towards the SLA with the hope of surviving this ordeal. What awaited them was a blood bath.
