NUS affiliation at University of QueenslandBRISBANE — A referendum on whether to affiliate to the National Union of Students will be held on the University of Queensland from May 26 to 30. Over the past week of
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The Howard government has moved to increase censorship, in the name of "protecting" women, children and families from the horrors of family breakdown, suicide, youth homelessness and unemployment. Sections of the media and "morals
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MELBOURNE — The May 8-9 occupation of the Melbourne University administration building was very successful. It has drawn dozens of new activists into the campaign, energised older activists and focused media,
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Action Against Racism PERTH — After giving Pauline Hanson "the worst 24 hours" of her life, the Action Against Racism coalition has organised a speak-out against racism. Spokesperson Ana Kailis commented that PM John Howard had clearly
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SYDNEY — On May 8, more than 700 high school students here walked out of their schools to protest against the expected 23% funding cut to the education system and cuts to Austudy. MELANIE BULL interviewed LOU PASTRO and AARON BENEDEK from the
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Support for those withoutSupport for those without By Brandon Astor Jones "[Be] like a tree grown in a meadow.It greens, it doubles its yield,It stands in front of its lord.Its fruit is sweet, its shade delightful." — Amenemope (c.
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A one notion nationl = A one notion nation CHAIRSHEEP: Fellow ruminants! When I look out upon so many upturned faces I'm proud of what I am. I'm a sheep, godamit! A ram! A ewe! A hogget! A two-tooth! I'm a little lamb gambolling in the
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SYDNEY — Jenny Munro, chairperson of the Metropolitan Lands Council, traces the reconciliation process back to one of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody. "It was one of the first things
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While electioneering in January 1996. John Howard pledged that his government would "make the largest commitment to environmental action by any national government in Australia's history". Howard was, of course, indulging in
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Justice before reconciliation Where is the dispute over native title heading, and where does it leave the reconciliation process? һƷ̽ Weekly spoke, separately, by phone to Les Malezer, executive director of the Foundation for
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Left On-line 9point = The Satire Workshop — һƷ̽ Weekly's resident scallywag, Dave Riley, has established a presence on the Web. You can catch up with some of the best Life of Riley columns and enrol in his new satire project. With
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Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Thursday, 10pm, and Saturday, 7pm. 9point = Access News —
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"We are starting the second phase of our revolution — the reconstruction phase", announced the foreign minister in the new government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bizima Karaha, on May 21. Immediately after
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Fascists harass CPA ADELAIDE — The fascist organisation National Action has been stepping up its attacks on progressive political activists here. In the latest incident, NA leader Michael Brander and half a dozen thugs turned up at the Platon
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The politics of healthThe politics of health May 28 is the International Day of Action for Women's Health, first marked in 1987. This year's demand — to stop the privatisation of health care — is being raised by hundreds of women's
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The Shell oil corporation has blood on its hands, and a worldwide boycott of Shell products is under way. Two recent reports on the Shell subsidiary in Nigeria have documented massive environmental destruction in the Niger River delta region, where
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Last week federal cabinet approved a 6000 cut in the migrant intake for 1997-98. While the number of refugee and humanitarian places will stay at 12,000, the number of non-humanitarian places will fall from 74,000 to 68,000.
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HOBART — In April the government's regional forest agreement (RFA) options paper was released. The agreement is to be signed on June 30, handing control of Tasmania's forests to the state government for the next 20 years. The 1992
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Reconciliation 'past its use-by date' PERTH — John Howard's "Ten Commandments" regarding the Wik judgment "are just 10 ways of saying 'no' to Aboriginal Australia", says Yaluritja (Clarrie Isaacs). The well-known anti-racist activist
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Here we go again. For the second time this year, business, media and politicians are bombarding us with propaganda for tax "reform". The word has to be put in inverted commas, because they don't really mean reform — i.e.,
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HOBART — Since the 3000-strong protest here that caused Pauline Hanson to cancel her public meeting, local Hansonites have thrown up their arms at the "anti-democratic rabble". Likewise, "respectable" commentators have
News
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PERTH The first public meeting of the anti-racist national Justice Tour by Yaluritja (Clarrie Isaacs) and Reihana Mohideen was held here on May 22. The meeting was attended by more than 60 people, who reacted warmly to the
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Second anti-Hanson protest in GeelongGEELONG One hundred protesters gathered to show their opposition to the second attempt to set up a branch of Pauline Hanson's One Nation party on May 19. Hanson
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Transport unions uniteBRISBANE — Transport unions in Queensland have formed an alliance to launch an industrial campaign to fight anticipated tougher workplace laws in the state. Transport Workers Union state secretary
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Phew! "I don't think you'd find, after 13 years' experience in government, that the Labor Party intends to produce soviet Australia." — ALP leader Kim Beazley, arguing that it isn't really necessary to remove the word "socialism" from the
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Aborigines occupy Lee PointDARWIN — On May 12, homeless Aboriginal people here reoccupied Lee Point, a camp site in Darwin's northern suburbs. The group erected a large sign saying: "We need shelter, water, not games —
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ERA pushes uranium mine The chief executive of uranium mining company Energy Resources of Australia said last week that the company will push ahead with plans for a mine at Jabiluka in the Kakadu region despite traditional owners' opposition.
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MELBOURNE — On May 7, two fire emergency vehicles raced through rain and peak hour traffic to the inner suburb of Carnegie, where a semi-trailer had reportedly overturned, trapping its driver. Finding nothing, the crews
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SRC sabotages Tas Uni picketHOBART — Tasmania University students picketed a meeting of the university council on May 23 to protest against university cutbacks. Unfortunately, the ALP-dominated students representative
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CRA hunts for uraniumBRISBANE — Mining giant CRA is prospecting near the Century Zinc deposit in north-west Queensland, opening the possibility of the first uranium mine in the state since the closure of the Mary Kathleen
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Release Mordechai Vanunu!The Australian Campaign to Free Vanunu, part of an international campaign for the freedom of Israeli anti-nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu, has proposed an international monthly faxing
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Teachers demand new pay offerBRISBANE — Around 120 angry teachers marched on the Broadbeach office of Queensland education minister Bob Quinn on May 21, as thousands of Gold Coast teachers held a 24-hour stoppage to demand
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Correction Due to an editing error, the article titled "Internet industry jitters over government bill" printed in GLW #271 mistakenly reported that legislation passed in the senate in late March exempts businesses from time-charged local data
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Motorway protest in SydneySYDNEY — On May 18 about 60 people from Freeway Busters and the Coalition of Transport Action Groups staged a demonstration at the community open day of the M2 motorway. The open day was held to
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TAFE students organise against restructuringHOBART — Students opposed to restructuring recommended in a recent education review have called for the resignation of the state education and vocational training minister.
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Latin American solidarity BRISBANE — More than 50 people attended a forum titled "What Alternative for Latin America?" at the Resistance Centre on May 17. Keynote speaker Stephen O'Brien, who has recently returned from four years working with
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A bonus for racists contained in the recent federal budget is the savaging of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, which will lose 40% of its funding over two years. The commission has been a strong
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PERTH — Anyone driving down Harvest Terrace past WA's parliament lately has been greeted by a blaze of light and colour. Day and night there is movement and activity, music, people talking, a welcoming fire against the cold
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Fire blight scare spreadsADELAIDE — The SA government announced on May 22 that it would quarantine the Adelaide Botanic Gardens after it was confirmed that specimens taken from trees were infected with the fire blight
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Pro-diversity festival in ManlySYDNEY — A 2000-strong Pro-Diversity Cultural Festival, organised by Residents Defending Diversity, was held at the Manly Amphitheatre on May 18. The festival was a response to the setting up
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Construction bosses renege on agreementsMELBOURNE — A mass meeting of all CFMEU construction workers on May 20 discussed the Master Builders' Association's (MBA) reneging on a deal struck between unions and employers more
Analysis
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Justice means compensation @box text intro = The Howard government's response to the final report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families is further evidence, if any was
World
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Iraq regime executes political prisoners According to the Worker-Communist Party of Iraq (WCPI), the ruling Ba'ath regime of Iraq has started mass executions of political prisoners. More than 260 political prisoners — most of them in Abu
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PORT MORESBY — Police who raided non-governmental organisations on May 5, 6 and 12 targeted a Pacific-wide communications network and sensitive electronic mail files, say activists. The files dealt with issues such as the
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Disney Company rips-off Haitian workers PORT-AU-PRINCE — Fourteen factories in Haiti produce garments and toys under for various Disney labels. Workers are paid just half of the minimum living wage in Haiti. Salaries range from US$0.28c to
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Kurdish rebels hit back at Turkey Kurdish fighters were reported on May 19 to have struck back against Turkey's military assault on Kurds in Iraq. The Kurdish rebels struck in south-east Turkey, blocking a highway and attacking government
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As Israeli bulldozers began destroying the wooded hillside of Abu Ghneim mountain, east of Jerusalem, in mid-March to make room for a new Jewish settlement, the Oslo agreements between the Palestine Liberation Organisation
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The following are excerpts from a statement issued by the People's Democratic Party (PRD) after General Syawn Hamid accused it of masterminding rioting during the election campaign. The call for the Mega-Star-People Coalition represents the
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MOSCOW — For most of the world's people, arms manufacturers excepted, the end of the Cold War came as a relief. But for the Reverend Moon Sun Myung, the leader of a Korea-based religious sect, it was a disaster. Citizens of
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While Mumia Abu-Jamal sits on death row, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is considering his application for a new trial. His defence team is turning up more and more evidence that Mumia's original conviction for the 1981 murder of
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Support for 'Mega-Star-People Coalition' growsJAKARTA — The final week of official campaigning for the May 29 Indonesian election has been marked by open defiance of government orders for an end to mass
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By François Vercammen In June, European leaders will meet in Amsterdam to amend the Maastricht Treaty, reform the institutions of the European Union, fix the details of east European membership in the EU and approve steps towards common
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On one of many recent trips to the United States, South African deputy president Thabo Mbeki made it known that his government would welcome Zaire's dictator Mobutu Sese Seko if he wanted to spend the last days of his life in
Culture
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PERTH — More than 600 people turned up at the Ozone Bar on May 16 to a "Rock against Racism" band night organised by һƷ̽ Weekly. The gig featured some of Perth's best bands. The large and diverse crowd helped refute
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Poem: The Fool When I was youngI had a young man's dreams.And they were good dreams,dreams to warm the heartand guide the brain.Now I am no longer youngthose dreams still seem so fine to me.They do not dim,they deepen.They make more sense,take
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TartuffeBy MoliereTranslated by Christopher HamptonDirected by Barrie KoskyThe Sydney Theatre Company with Louise Fox and Jacek KomanDrama Theatre, Sydney Opera House Review by Brendan Doyle When Moliere's Tartuffe or The Hypocrite was first
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Empty ShellsBy Ramez TabitDirected by Patricia CorneliusStarring Nicholas Cassim, Nadia Coreno, Carmelina Di Guglielmo, Senol Mat, Ramez TabitForward Theatre at the Universal Theatre, Melbourne, until June 7 Review by Bronwen Beechey
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Poem: The keys to God The keys to God I walked along the linoWhere the little children trod,I knelt before the statuesThat had found the keys to God,And the statues never answeredBut they looked so cool and wise,And a vacant kind of
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GossamerWritten by John MistoDirected by Crispin TaylorWith Paul Goddard, Betty Lucas, Vic Rooney, William Zappa, Beth Armstrong and Beth DalyEnsemble Theatre, Sydney Review by Mark Stoyich These days, the word "fairy" has lost its original
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Jump the GunDirected by Les BlairWith Michele Burgers, Baby Cele, Lionel Newton, Thalani Nyembe, Rapulana Seiphemo and Danny KeoghScreening at the 44th Sydney Film Festival, June 2-20 Review by Norm Dixon For the past century or so, Johannesburg
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Metal of DishonorEdited by John CatalinottoPublished by Depleted Uranium Education Project $19.95 Review by David Muller A new generation of weapons is in place. These weapons contain a very dense material, depleted uranium. DU weapons give the
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The price of a dream The Story of the Grameen Bank and the Idea That Is Helping the Poor to Change Their LivesUniversity Press Ltd, 1966 Review by Doug Everingham Economics Professor Mohammad Yunus met a Bangladeshi village woman making
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BRUSSELS — Two hundred European parliamentarians, journalists, academics and human rights activists gathered here May 17 at the studios of Med-TV, the Kurdish satellite TV station, to celebrate its second anniversary. Med-TV