Visit by Turkish feminist
MELBOURNE — Around 30 women attended a meeting on May 7 with Turkish feminist and Freedom and Solidarity Party member Professor Sahika Yuksel from Istanbul University. The meeting was organised by the Immigrant Women's Domestic Violence Service as part of a nine-day speaking tour by Yuksel on the theme of "Cross-cultural perspectives in women's health and violence against women".
Yuksel spoke about the issues and conditions facing feminist activists in Turkey, including the fact that social democratic forces have not been particularly progressive or supportive of women's rights in her country.
Public housing campaign
MELBOURNE — A Western Regional Housing Council public housing campaign group has been formed to stop the attacks on public housing provision in the western suburbs. The group aims to ensure that public housing is not only maintained, but expanded, and provides affordable and appropriate housing for people in the west. It meets every third Tuesday at 3pm at 38 Buckley St, Footscray. For more information phone (03) 9689 4044.
Zapatista solidarity conference
MELBOURNE — The local committee in solidarity with Mexico's Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) will hold a day of discussion in Melbourne on June 15 at 10.30am at the North Melbourne Uniting Church, 4 Elm St, North Melbourne. The gathering is in solidarity with the EZLN's "Intercontinental Meeting Against Neo-liberalism and for Humanity" to be held in Mexico in late July.
The Melbourne gathering will discuss neo-liberalism and opposition to it in Australia and the Pacific region, culminating in the preparation of a document to be delivered to the Mexico conference. For further information contact Bruce on 9560 0571 (ah), 9761 9351 (bh) or Lucho on 9329 5808 or write to PO Box 1006, Brunswick Mail Centre, Brunswick 3056. Email: zap@xchange.apana.org.au.
Forum on Tamil struggle
BRISBANE — On May 22, a Democratic Socialist Party forum on the Tamil national liberation struggle in Sri Lanka heard Anthony Sevanathan (associate professor, Department of Asian and International Studies, Griffith University), who addressed the systematic oppression the Tamil community has experienced at the hands of the Sinhalese-based government.
Since the late 1940s, Tamils have been subject to an ethnic cleansing policy through colonisation of traditional Tamil land; marginalised access to employment and education; denial of traditional language and religion; economic blockade including electricity, water, food, basic medical supplies and necessities; and incidents of mass killing and torture by the Sinhalese government and military.
Australian Indigenous Solidarity Group
MELBOURNE — Some 70 people attended the launch of the Australian Indigenous Solidarity Group on May 18 at North Melbourne Library. The new group aims to provide support to indigenous communities which have called for assistance in their campaigns. It is also publishing a bi-annual magazine, Face, Voice and Soul. The AISG meets at the office of Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St, Collingwood on alternate Tuesdays at 7.30pm. For more information phone Friends of the Earth on 9419 8700.