Launch of Aboriginal solidarity group
MELBOURNE — The new group Justice for Indigenous Australians was launched here on June 3, the fourth anniversary of the High Court's native title judgment, "Mabo Day". Speakers included Aboriginal lawyer Marie Andrews, a representative from the Council of Aboriginal Reconciliation, Senator Sid Spindler from the Democrats and Joseph O'Reilly from the Council for Civil Liberties. JIA will be holding a public meeting on July 23. For further details or to get involved, ring 9417 6744.
Cuba solidarity film night
MELBOURNE — Thirty-five people attended a June 13 showing at the Overseas Services Bureau of Luchando!, the 1994 film by Melbourne-based Russell Porter depicting Cubans' fight to preserve their revolution. The event was a fundraiser for the Cuba Solidarity Coalition. Recent visitors to Cuba addressed the audience. The CSC is planning a demonstration against the US blockade of Cuba and will be holding a fiesta on July 26. The CSC can be contacted on 9279 1854 (BH) or 9455 1329 (AH).
Guns rallies
MELBOURNE — An estimated 70,000 people attended a pro-gun rally held on June 1. Speakers included president of the Sporting Shooters Association Ted Drane. Drane argues that gun owners need to elect their own state and federal MPs. Other speakers included far-right independent federal MP for Kalgoorlie, Graeme Campbell and chairman of the Shooters Party of Victoria, Neville Sayers. Campbell said that there was a"vacuum in political representation for ... those that believed in individualism".
The next day, a 30,000-strong rally in support of gun control took place. Speakers included Leigh Hubbard, secretary of the Trades Hall Council, Barry Jones from the ALP, the Coalition's Peter Reith, Joanne Nash, sister of a Port Arthur massacre victim and Reverend Tim Costello, a Baptist minister.
Women's festival in Wollongong
WOLLONGONG — On May 31 and June 1, the annual young women's festival was held to celebrate and encourage the diverse talent of young women in the area. Workshops gave young women the opportunity to learn about everything from juggling to safe drug use in an open and relaxed atmosphere.
An outdoor performance cafe on the Saturday featured musicians, poets, dramatists, vocalists and belly dancers. A highlight was an acoustic performance from local band Evol.
A contemporary of Che
NEWCASTLE — Seventy people packed into the Lambert Lounge at Newcastle University on June 13 to hear a talk by the Cuban revolutionary Leonardo Tamayo Nuñes (also known as Urbano). Organised by La Peña, the Latin American Society, the meeting heard Urbano talk about the early days of his participation in the Cuban revolution when he fought with Che Guevara in the Sierra Maestra and later in Bolivia. Urbano kept the audience enthralled with anecdotes about the guerilla struggle, Che, the role of leadership in struggle, Che's decision to go to Bolivia and the difficulties they faced there. Urbano is the only surviving member of the group of revolutionaries who went to Bolivia with Che.
Human rights in China
CANBERRA — Some 60 people attended a speak-out organised by Amnesty International on May 31 against human rights abuses in China. The event is part of a six-month campaign against the increase in human rights abuses in China. Many people signed the "Great Wall of Hope", a reference to Beijing's Democracy Wall of the late 1970s, and wrote a message to the Chinese government expressing their concern.
The speak-out was organised to coincide with the anniversary of the Tienamen Square massacre in June 1989. Chinese democracy activists traditionally face punishment at this time of year. People interested in this national campaign can contact Amnesty International on 1 800 028 357.
ALP senator defends ALP
HOBART — Attacking the Coalition's proposed cuts to higher education at a Politics in the Bar on June 6, Sue Mackay, ALP senator for Tasmania, argued that Tasmania University brought $8 million to the state economy from overseas students last year and should be exempt from cuts.
Mackay said that it was a mistake to compare HECS (which Labor introduced) to the sorts of cuts that are being mooted now. The ALP is doing a lot of post-election soul searching, Mackay said, and is now opposed to funding cuts to the university, up-front fees, means-tested scholarships and changes to HECS and Austudy.
Sarah Stephen, former general secretary of the ANU Student Association and an activist in the education campaign, welcomed the ALP's about face, but noted that the Liberals are only finishing off what the ALP had started. She pointed out that in 1992 the ALP tried to replace Austudy grants with a loans scheme and in 1994 it allowed the charging of full up-front fees for all postgraduate courses and considered all the same changes to HECS, as well s an up-front fee of $500-$1000.
World Environment Day #1
WOLLONGONG — On June 1, people ranging in age from a couple of months to 70 years participated in a World Environment Day rally, march and festival focused on the issues of uranium mining, woodchip exports and BHP's environmental impact on the Illawarra region.
In Wollongong Mall, speakers included Sally Anderson from the Wilderness Society who urged consumers to boycott companies involved in woodchipping; Fiona Passmore from Resistance who spoke about the destructiveness of uranium mining; Russell Pickering from the Democratic Socialist Party who gave an overview of the global nature of the ecological destruction and local activist John Locke.
Locke told the rally about on the proposed re-opening of the Southern Copper smelter at Port Kembla which has been closed for 15 months. During that time, Illawarra residents, in particular in Port Kembla and Warrawong, have experienced increasingly clean air. According to Locke, if Southern Copper is re-opened, an estimated 9200 tonnes of sulphur will be released into the atmosphere annually.
World Environment Day #2
HOBART — On June 8 more than 100 people gathered for a spirited rally and march to mark World Environment Day. The action called for an end to uranium mining, hands off our national parks, and an end to woodchipping in old growth forests.
The crowd marched to the offices of North Ltd chanting "Amcor, Boral, North Broken Hill. Get the logs outta the woodchip mill!". Amanda Sully from the Wilderness Society told the rally about North's investments in not only woodchipping but also uranium mining via its large shareholding in Energy Resources Australia.
Other speakers included Jamie Kirkpatrick, professor of geography and environmental studies at the University of Tasmania, who spoke about the need to address more than just the symptoms of a bad society, and Ben Courtice from Resistance who talked about the importance of involving the broader community, and especially trade unions, in the campaign to end uranium mining. The day ended with an all ages benefit gig for World Environment Day and Green Left Weekly.