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Youth Rock the Block, held in Redfern on October 14, featured young community performers expressing their culture and raising money for a local women and children dance studio. The day included singing in the Indigenous Darug language, original dance pieces, renditions of well-known Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal pop songs and hip-hop.
鈥淚 want to switch the lights on. I want people to see that there is a chance for a change.鈥 This is how Aboriginal rap artist and social justice campaigner Jakalene X-treme describes what she wants to get out of the Socialist Alliance campaign for the March 2007 NSW state election. Jakalene was selected as an upper house candidate at the Socialist Alliance state conference on October 7.
A workshop involving trade unionists from around Australia is being held in Geelong on October 28 from 1pm. Socialist Alliance initiated the workshop because union activists are telling us that there are many issues in the campaign against Work Choices that aren聮t getting discussed.
Peter Bray from Rising Tide has questioned the independence and make-up of the 聯independent expert panel聰 set up to assess the proposed coal export terminal in Newcastle, branding it a 聯coal-dependent export panel聰 designed to ignore climate change.
In October, ALP leader Kim Beazley sent a letter to households that expressed his support for the withdrawal of troops. Below is Beazley's letter and a reply by anti-war campaigner Pip Hinman, who argues that Australian troops shouldn't be taken out of Iraq just to be re-deployed to Afghanistan.
Melbourne聮s public transport system is in crisis 聴 despite a huge increase in subsidies since privatisation. Delays, cancellations and standing room only 聴 this is the reality for passengers across the system. And on top of the bad service, Melbourne has the most expensive fares of any Australian capital city.
Mary River - childhood home
In the Shadow of the Palms
Produced and Directed by Wayne Coles-Janess
In selected cinemas now
Marx鈥檚 Das Kapital: A Biography
By Frances Wheen
Allen & Unwin 2006
130 pages $22.95
In a further assault on the sovereignty of the Solomon Islands, its Australian-appointed police commissioner, Shane Castles, had Solomons immigration minister Peter Shanel arrested on October 17 over the alleged illegal entry of Fiji-born Australian lawyer Julian Moti.
The climate is changing. The time for squabbling and petty excuses is over. Now is the time for governments to take urgent and serious action to reduce greenhouse pollution and create a clean-energy future.
The United Nations Independent Special Commission of Inquiry released its report on October 17 into the violent conflict in April and May in East Timor. The 79-page report found that the 聯frailty of state institutions and the weakness of the rule of law聰 were to blame for the conflict that erupted following the sacking of almost 600 soldiers from the Timorese Defence Force.