In our 鈥淎 World to Win鈥 series, Resistance: Young Socialist Alliance seeks to give voice to the ideas and demands of radical young people involved in the struggle to make the world a better place.
This week, Leela Ford discusses why education should be free.
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The right to education is inscribed in the United Nations' Universal Declaration on Human Rights. It states that primary, secondary and university education should be as accessible as possible to all human beings.
Leela Ford
Rallies calling for marriage equality were held in major cities across Australia over the past few weekends. The turnout was large, with numbers reaching the thousands. The overwhelming presence of youth was particularly noticeable.
In many areas of the LGBTI struggle today, youth are helping lead the charge. Opinion polls conducted by Australian Marriage Equality found that 80% of those under 24 support equal marriage, the highest percentage for any demographic group.
The increasing lack of job opportunities and job security for those wishing to enter the workforce is a barrier for young people seeking employment.
There is an expanding list of experience required to increase employability and get the 鈥渃ompetitive edge鈥 that capitalists love to talk about.
Undertaking an internship or traineeship after finishing a degree is a popular method of gaining experience and increasing employability.
Rallies have been called in response to the federal government鈥檚 attack on education funding in the upcoming budget, and a big one is planned for Sydney on budget day, May 12.
Although Christopher Pyne鈥檚 education policies have been repeatedly defeated in the Senate, he is determined to continue to try to 鈥渇ix鈥 the education system by reducing governmental funding and pushing for fee deregulation. The next chance he will have to do this is with mass education spending cutbacks in the budget.
Selma
Directed by Ava DuVernay
Starring David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo & Common
In cinemas now
The release of Selma could not be better suited to the current US political climate. Following the events in Ferguson last year, and many other tragic instances of police murdering and brutalising African American youth, a large anti-police brutality and anti-racism movement has arisen that is shaking the US.
A recent decision by the organisers of one of Australia's largest pop culture conventions has sparked controversy in the fan community.
A has been created to have the organisers of Supanova pop-culture expo revoke their invitation to Firefly actor Adam Baldwin. The US actor is due to appear at their Sydney and Perth conventions later this year.
About 100 people gathered outside the Queensland state government鈥檚 executive building on February 1 to voice concerns over the coal industry鈥檚 destruction of the Great Barrier Reef.
The rally was organised under Greenpeace's Save the Reef campaign. It was supported by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Friends of the Earth and Beyond Zero Emissions.