Where has the year gone? It feels like 2013 has rushed past like the high-speed train we still don't have in wealthy 21st century Australia.
And now, with just a month to go, we have the urgent task of catching up with the Green Left Fighting Fund. Our target for the year is $250,000, but so far only $160,338 has been raised. We will need some generous donations from our supporters to help us get there over the next four weeks.
Also, all around the country we have organised various end-of-year functions to get supporters together to celebrate another year of struggle for justice and ecological sustainability — and raise some money for the Fighting Fund. Please look at the calendar on page 23 for the nearest such event and come along with your friends and family.
I was looking back through my political photo albums for this year and noticed I have 137 albums, three times as many as last year. That's a probably the number of demonstrations and other political events I attended this year and photographed for GLW. And I probably missed a few actions.
Apart from revealing my happy-snappy nature, it does show that even in a rich and relatively politically passive Australia, people are still empowered to take political action for change. I have joined many of these people in action and developed a strong respect for them — especially for their tenacity.
The most dangerous weapon of the rich and powerful minority is its power to convince the majority that resistance is futile. And it works — most of the time on most of the people. This makes tenacious activists all the more valuable.
One of the important roles of GLW is to link up tenacious activists for change to strengthen their impact and spread their tenacity for change.
So please dig deep into your pockets this week and help us top up our 2013 Fighting Fund.
You can do this by by taking out a Solidarity Subscription or making a donation online to our fighting fund. Direct deposits can also be made to Greenleft, Commonwealth Bank, BSB 062-006, Account No. 00901992. Otherwise, you can send a cheque or money order to PO Box 515, Broadway NSW 2007 or donate on the toll-free line at 1800 634 206 (within Australia).