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Mandatory detention must go!

Sarah Stephen At least 10,000 unauthorised arrivals have been through Australia's immigration detention centres since July 1999, including 3899 children. Thirteen people have died in detention. At least four asylum seekers have been killed upon

VENEZUELA: A movement of revolutionary ideas

Roberto Jorquera, Caracas On May 21, more than 1000 people attended the Third National Seminar on Ideological Formation, organised by the Centres for Ideological Formation (CFIs). The CFIs are grassroots groups initiated in March this year by

BELGIUM: Arctic leaders appeal over global warming

Visiting the European Union headquarters in Brussels on May 25, indigenous leaders from Arctic regions around the world called on the EU to do more to fight global warming and to consider giving aid to their peoples. Associated Press reported that

Marx for middle-class radicals

Why Read Marx Today?By Jonathan WolffOxford University Press, 2002136 pages, $26.95 (pb) REVIEW BY ALEX MILLER This book is intended to be both an introduction to the main lines of Marx's thought and also an answer to critics of Marx who question

PM abandons guarantee that no worker will be worse off

Sue Bolton, Melbourne The federal Coalition government's announcement on May 26 of its new draconian anti-worker legislation has resulted in an avalanche of calls to union offices and ALP offices. Perhaps Prime Minister John Howard has been

Union defence committee launched

SYDNEY — At a May 10 Defend Our Unions public forum at the Gaelic Club in Sydney, attended by 60 people, it was unanimously decided to launch a cross-union defence committee to oppose the federal Coalition government's anti-union laws. The public

Union unity beats Alcoa

Barry Healy, Perth Unity among rank-and-file members of different unions has beaten back an attempt by contractors hired by Alcoa to prevent unions from organising on the job. One of the activists involved told Green Left Weekly that the Alcoa

INDONESIA: Workers strike against maker of US designer brands

On May 14, at least 2500 workers employed by Katexindo Citra Mandiri, went on strike to protest ill-treatment and unpaid overtime. Katexindo is an Indonesian-owned garment factory licensed to produce clothing for several famous US designer brands,

Eyewitness report on Galloway win

Graham Matthews, Sydney "Blair was elected on 36% of the vote, with a voter turnout of just 61%, giving him the support of just 22% of the voting population", began David Golan, introducing his report on George Galloway's electoral breakthrough for

Challenging our "democracy"

The Wages of SpinWith David Williams, Stephen Klinder & Deborah PollardPerformance Space, Sydney, until June 5$25/$20/$15. Bookings (02) 9698 7235The Street Theatre, Canberra, July 20-30$29/$24. Bookings (02) 6247 1223. REVIEW BY SARAH STEPHEN &

NEPAL: 10,000 demand restoration of democracy

At least 10,000 pro-democracy protesters defied heavily armed Nepalese security forces on May 23 to support a seven-party alliance's call for the complete restoration of democracy by jamming the central Kathmandu market of Ason. The protesters,

MAURITIUS: Lalit's struggle for 'equality, liberty, humanity'

Norm Dixon "Equality, liberty, humanity, feminism, ecology" are the watchwords of Lalit, the revolutionary socialist party active in the Indian Ocean state of Mauritius. "Lalit nurtures a love of and respect for ordinary people, and gives value to