The open letter below was originally published at the ABC's The Drum Unleashed.
864
statement, December 7.
Defend Wikileaks and Julian Assange!
Australia should break the military alliance with US!
鈥淭he Australian government should defend and support Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange, and their efforts to expose the lies, duplicities and outright crimes of the US government and its allies鈥, said Peter Boyle, national convener of the Socialist Alliance.
鈥淲e condemn the Australian government for collaborating with the American government in hunting Julian Assange down.
Iniyan and Ravi (names have been changed to protect their identities) are Tamil asylum seekers currently imprisoned at Villawood detention centre. Both detainees use art to show the oppression of Tamils in their homeland of Sri Lanka.
In May 2009, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were defeated by the Sri Lankan army. Though the war is ended the persecution of Tamils continues. Iniyan and Ravi fled for their lives as they were being hunted by Sri Lankan government forces and paramilitaries, for suspicion of supporting the LTTE.
John Pilger was interviewed by ABC Radio Australia on December 3 & 6.
Pilger鈥檚 latest documentary The War You Don鈥橳 See, on the role of the media to be released soon, will also feature an interview with Assange. Visit www.johnpilger.com for more information.
Despite efforts by teachers, the Australian Education Union (AEU) leadership prevented a motion in support of Melbourne鈥檚 only Aboriginal school from being put to the AEU state council. A speaker from the College was also denied the opportunity to address AEU Council.
AEU councilor Mary Merkenich said she was disappointed that AEU councilors didn鈥檛 get a chance to hear that the Ballerrt Mooroop College in Glenroy is under threat and why its school community has been organising a community sit-in in the school gymnasium.
Laurel Walker and Vanna Lockwood, teachers at St Peters Community Preschool, are involved in the Independent Education Union's campaign for pay parity for early childhood teachers.
Lockwood told 91自拍论坛 Weekly: "Current scientific research on the development of the brain advocates the importance of a child's early years. Four-year university trained teachers are choosing not to work in early childhood because of the low pay and low status of the profession.
The streets of Ayala, Manila, were taken over by about 5000 people on November 25 in a protest against the growing use of contract labour.
The first Union and Community Summer School (UCSS) will take place at Melbourne Trades Hall over December 10-11.
The UCSS will bring together a wide range of left, progressive and socialist organisations and unionists. It is an experiment in finding practical unity.
Those who counselled against holding a national election in Haiti in the midst of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis will take no comfort in the debacle it became.
Our thoughts rest squarely with the tens of thousands of people afflicted with cholera, or the hundreds of thousands of earthquake victims still without shelter, clean water and hope. How much suffering could have been alleviated with the tens of million of dollars spent on a wasted electoral exercise?
NOTE:: The previous ad on this page had incorrect details for Lowkey鈥檚 Australian tour. The new ad has the right details.
London-based rapper Lowkey has worked with hip-hop acts Immortal Technique, Dead Prez and Canibus, and is touring Australia as part of his 鈥淪oundtrack to the Struggle鈥 world tour.
Lowkey is renowned for his overtly political songs, denouncing imperialism and corporate domination.
About 100,000 people took over the streets of Dublin on November 27 to protest the Irish government鈥檚 鈥渂ailout package鈥 from the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank, and the savage austerity accompanying the loans, the Morning Star said on November 28.
The government formalised the loans, worth 鈧85 billion, on November 29. Loan conditions include the government spending cuts over four years to reduce its deficit. The 2011 budget will contain 鈧4.7 billion in cuts and 鈧1.5 billion in new taxes, the Morning Star said.
A successful 2010 Southeast Asia Socialism and Feminism conference was held at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Metro Manila over November 27 and 28.
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