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Bosnia: Tulzla the 'unknown workers' capital of Europe' Why does Bosnia-Herzegovina inspire so little interest and curiosity in the media and the political class when, on the contrary, Ukraine is front-page news, . In recent weeks, this country has also risen in revolt against injustice and poverty, and expressed their desire for change. Palestine: Anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism
All political forces in Spain are now straining to adjust to the huge 1 million to 2 million-strong March for Dignity demonstration in Madrid. On March 22, the march greeted the protest columns that had converged on Spain's capital from 12 outlying cities and towns over the previous week. The enormous success of this initiative is still sinking in. How come an initiative that began outside the mainstream union confederations, the Workers Commissions (CCOO) and the General Workers Union (UGT), could mobilise so many people and eventually force them to declare their support?
The United Nations general assembly voted on March 27 鈥 with 100 votes for, 11 against and 58 abstentions 鈥 to not recognise the results of the March 16 referendum in Crimea. In the poll, most voted for the territory to leave Ukraine and join Russia. The resolution was put by Ukraine and sponsored by the United States, the European Union and other Western powers, including Australia.
Brothers Part One: Gallipoli 1915 By John Tognolini 163pp $20 paperback, $5 ebook www.writersandebooks.com
Cuba & Its Neighbours: Democracy in Motion By Arnold August Fernwood Publishing January 2013 288pp, C$29.95 Surrounded by emerging participatory democracies unshackling themselves from US hegemony, Arnold August writes that Cuba is a laboratory for people-powered politics.
The Venezuelan opposition and much of the media use the term 鈥減eaceful protests鈥 to distinguish gatherings of protesting students and other young people from the more violent actions by opponents of President Nicolas Maduro's government -- including vandalism and shootings carried out by those outside of the university community. 鈥淧eaceful protests鈥, however, is a loaded term that serves to plant doubts about the intentions of the Maduro-led Chavista government.
These are dark times, so we should celebrate what victories come the way of working people facing the brunt of the Abbott gang's 鈥渒ick everyone and their dog鈥 strategy. And so we should celebrate the big win for workers' rights with media star, would-be politician and part-time Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes' announcing his resignation from the union movement.
Over the past year, Geelong has been hit hard by job cuts at Ford, Alcoa, Target, Holden, Toyota and Avalon Airport, as well as state and federal government departments. Geelong Trades Hall has organised a rally on April 7, calling for more manufacturing jobs in the region.
A public meeting organised by the Queensland Civil Liberties Network was held at Brisbane City Hall on March 24, the second anniversary of the election of the Queensland Liberal National government. Speakers included Indigenous elder and long-term activist Sam Watson; union and community activist Bob Carnegie; QLD President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance Michelle James; Sisters Inside activist Debbie Kilroy; Queensland Council of Unions president John Battams and Civil Liberties Council spokesperson Terry O鈥橤orman.
PRIME MINISTER TONY Abbott introduced a 鈥渞ed tape repeal day鈥 on March 26. About 9500 regulations contained in more than 50,000 pages of legislation and related documents got the chop. One of the 鈥渞ed tape regulations鈥 that will be scrapped is the Commonwealth Cleaning Services Guidelines, which apply to cleaners employed on government contracts.
University students and staff protested proposed cuts to tertiary education in Sydney鈥檚 CBD on March 26. The event involved about 200 people from various faculties, who marched against the proposed $2.3 billion dollar cuts to their universities. Students from as far away as the University of Newcastle, gathered outside the University of Technology Sydney Broadway campus.
"We'll win this, because we'll stick together", Barney Gardner, a long-time resident of the Millers Point public housing area in inner-city Sydney, told a rally of several hundred at Argyle Place on March 25. The rally heard a variety of speakers condemn the Barry O'Farrell NSW government for its decision to sell-off 293 public properties in the historic heartland of Sydney, following a march organised by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) from the Kent Street Fire Station.