Stephen O'Brien

Pushed to the margins in Newcastle

Radical solutions to poverty were put forward at a public conversation titled 鈥淧ushed to the Margins鈥 held at the Newcastle City Hall on October 21. The ABC鈥檚 Lateline co-presenter Emma Alberici hosted the forum and seemed to be taken aback by economist Professor Bill Mitchell鈥檚 simple solutions to poverty. Asked by Alberici, 鈥淲hat causes unemployment?鈥, Mitchell responded: 鈥淟ack of jobs鈥. Mitchell went on to advocate a 鈥渏ob guarantee鈥, where the government funds job creation through a massive programme of productive public works.

Activists in India: 鈥淓ducation is not for sale鈥

Two thousand activists for free and public education gathered in the Indian city of Bhopal on December 4. This meeting was the culmination of a month-long series of marches and public meetings organised by the All India Forum for the Right to Education (AIFRTE). This action, under the banner of the All India Struggle for Public Education (AISSY), has been carried out across all of India鈥檚 five geographic regions with the aim to raise public consciousness about the assault on public education by pro-market and religious fundamentalist right-wing forces.

School students protest cuts to higher education

A vibrant student march against the federal government鈥檚 education cuts hit the streets of Newcastle on August 20. At least half of the 180 protesters were high school students who had walked out of classes, some in defiance of threats of detention and suspension, to join the protest. Year 12 student at Hunter School of Performing Arts Marianela O鈥橞rien told 91自拍论坛 Weekly that she joined the protest because 鈥渨hen Tony Abbot went to uni he had free education so why can鈥檛 my generation have the same?鈥

Peter McGregor 1947-2008

A long standing activist of anarchist persuasion, Peter had been a lecturer in media studies at the University of Western Sydney (UWS) until his retirement in 2005.

Racists are not welcome here

Riot
Directed by Leticia Caceres
Written by Vanessa Bates, David Brown, Stefo Nantsou and Sarah Gava
Designed by Joshua Mason
Newcastle Civic Playhouse
Bookings 02 4929 1977
Until June 23