O-week launches campaigns
By Amanda Lawrence
CANBERRA—During the recent orientation week at the Australian National University and the University of Canberra, a wide range of political issues and campaigns were initiated.
At the ANU more than 40 students joined the newly formed Students and Academics for Native Title and Reconciliation, which aims to build the campaign in defence of native title amongst students. SANTAR held its first meeting on March 3 and decided to organise a public meeting on campus to be addressed by Aboriginal activist Gordon Briscoe from the ANU's Jabal Centre.
At the University of Canberra, around 60 students joined the Reconciliation On Campus group. ROC is planning to hold its first meeting in conjunction with members of the university's Ngunnawal Centre.
At ANU, more than 20 students joined Action In Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET). The University of Canberra Education Collective was also re-initiated, with more than 60 new members. At the first meeting students discussed tactics to organise and build the April 1 national day of action against cuts to education, and called on ANU activists to attend a meeting of the Cross-Campus Education Network.
Around 30 students on each campus joined the socialist youth organisation Resistance. Resistance members also helped join people to SANTAR, ROC, ASIET and the Education Collective.