#2
Sydney Social Forum a success
SYDNEY — More than 300 people attended the third Sydney Social Forum on September 17 19 at the University of Technology, Sydney. The forum was launched with a public forum titled "Keeping it common", which looked at the struggle again privatisation.
Dozens of workshops and talks were held on a wide range of issues and struggles for justice around the world. Tinashe Chimedza, the former general secretary of the Zimbabwean National Union of Students, spoke about the joint struggle for democracy and against neo-liberalism in Zimbabwe.
In the closing session, former human shield in Iraq, Donna Mulhearn, spoke of the immense suffering of the Iraqi people. She emphasised the significance of the campaign to end the occupation of Iraq and of the need to defeat the Howard government in the coming federal election. She told participants that this election is being closely watched by the Iraqi people.
Stuart Munckton
Protest hits anti-choice rally
MELBOURNE — On September 18, the Socialist Alliance organised a pro-choice speak-out and march to parliament against the Right to Life's annual "March for Little Feet" rally.
Zoe Kenny, the Socialist Alliance candidate for the federal seat of Melbourne, pledged that the Socialist Alliance will fight "to remove abortion from all state crimes acts" and for abortion to be "provided through the public health care system". She said many women did not realise that abortion was still technically illegal in Australia.
Linda Waldron, the Socialist Alliance candidate for Gellibrand, highlighted the poor record of the major parties on women's rights. A US-based representative of Radical Women gave solidarity greetings to the rally.
Vannessa Hearman
TAFE students jeer Labor MPs
WOLLONGONG — On September 22, 200 TAFE students gave a rowdy cheer to a call for people to throw out the Howard Coalition government made by Klaas Woldring, NSW Senate candidate for the Progressive Labour Party, at a meet-the-candidates forum. However, Woldring's appeal to do this by voting in a Latham Labor government was met with silence.
The two Labor representatives at the forum — Jennie George and Sharon Bird — were jeered by the crowd throughout their addresses.
Chris Williams, the Socialist Alliance candidate for Cunningham, called for all TAFE fees to be abolished and urged all those present to reject excuses for not implementing free education immediately. The student loans scheme should also be abolished according to Williams because every student should be on a living wage and therefore the loans scheme shouldn't be needed.
Nicole Hilder
From Green Left Weekly, September 29, 2004.
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