In support of Ben Quilty on the free of fees athletes at the Australian Institute of Sport

Australia's great artist, Ben Quilty, has spoken up and out to-day.  Australians are known around the world as being sports mad - and it is not just a bottom up thing.  It also runs from the top down with the government allowing sportsmen and sportswomen to attend the Australian Institute of Sport without incurring a HECS (Higher Education Contribution Scheme) debt.

Ben Quilty is not the first to raise this anomaly - this free gift to sport.  It has been an issue since the introduction of HECS and is part of the fall-out of Australia's poor swim medal performance in the Montreal Olympics of 1976.  Australia felt shamed and the poor showing in the swim medal tally has continued to haunt Australian sport since so reference to 1976 emerges from the shadows with some regularity in Australia.  Out of the ashes of our great medal lack came the Australian Institute of Sport and special support for our athletes.  

The result has been that Australia has been well rewarded for its investment - except the swimming performance at the London Olympics is being questioned thoroughly.  Under the review spotlight, poor behaviour by leading male swimmers has come into view.  Shame for Australia once again - and once again it is members of the swim team. 

Some graduate swimmers have done well financially and established successful post-swimming careers - notable among these has been Ian Thorpe.

So why shouldn't people query the free ride given to AIS athletes - when other tertiary graduates, especially those who deliver great service in important and significant professions, have to pay.

My own view is that tertiary education for all should be free as it was in the Whitlam years - and those who make big dollars further along in their careers should pay through a progressive taxation system which is not afraid to tax high income earners. 

I hope more voices join Ben Quilty in supporting HECS payments for AIS athletes.

Australia in the Asian Century? with Professor Joseph Camilleri

This information has come via Dale Hess:

This year Professor Joseph Camilleri is offering a new and exciting professional development course Australia in the Asian Century?

The course addresses the unprecedented transformation occurring within Asia, and its implications for Australia and the world. It explores the economic, cultural, political and historical significance of the Asian Century, providing participants with the knowledge and depth of understanding they need to navigate this unique moment of immense challenge and opportunity.

The course will run over ten (10) consecutive Wednesday evenings from 1 May to 3 July 2013 in the beautiful complex provided us by St Michael’s in Collins Street. It is designed for those working in business, government, education, media, the professions, and community organisations. It will be of interest to anyone wanting to know more about Asia’s transformation – its economies and cultures, its political systems and business environments. Professor Camilleri will be assisted by an experienced team of educators and joined by prominent guest experts, including former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans.

Attached is the course brochure giving full details of the course.

We would like to invite you to apply to participate in Australia in the Asian Century?. Course online applications are now open and can be found at https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=KAP2pxDLZC74eww7d3mQ7g.

Applications close on April 18 2013.

For any further information, please visit www.mire.org.au or email dialogue@latrobe.edu.au.

Please pass on this information to all those among your contacts or networks who may be interested to hear of this significant initiative.

With best wishes.

On behalf of the Centre for Dialogue

and the other sponsoring organisations

The 15th Mullum Mullum Festival - 20 & 21 and 27 & 28 April

Mullum Mullum Festival PO Box 173 Mitcham 3132 http://mullummmullumfestival.org

The 15^th Mullum Mullum Festival will be held on 20 & 21 and 27 & 28 April 2013

Make sure to reserve these dates in your diary!!

Starting off with an evening of Astronomy on Saturday the 20^th April, the Festival will be officially opened on Sunday the 21^st April by well-known local naturalist, educator and environmental advocate Cecily Falkingham at the Yarran Dheran Reserve, Mitcham.

The opening day festivities will include a variety of events and performances from the Aboriginal community as well as walks & talks and workshops for both adults and children and damper platters provided by Australia’s

leading gumleaf player and damper maker extraordinaire, Uncle Herb Patten.

The Festival will continue on Saturday the 27^th and Sunday the 28^th April with a bike ride, walks & talks

and presentations at various locations throughout the Mullum Mullum Valley,

as well as environmental walks & talks and presentations at Currawong Bush Park, Warrandyte

A full program will be sent out via email/snail-mail closer to the dates. In the meanwhile keep your eyes on our website http://mullummmullumfestival.org for information and updates.

We would very much appreciate for MMF supporters to assist with the distribution of the hard copies of brochures to various locations. If you would like to help us distribute the brochures in the week starting the 9^th of March we would love to hear from you!  

If you have suggestions for places to leave brochures we would also like to hear from you.

To receive a hard copy of the program, to organise media interviews or for any other enquiries,

contact Monique on decortis@bigpond.net.au ph 9719 7661 or David on mob 0409 519 829

United Nations World Harmony Week Celebrations - Ballarat - Thursday 7 February 2013

Stan Deutscher of the Ballarat Interfaith Network

with

Councillor Belinda Coates of the City of Ballarat

prepare to hoist the Ballarat Interfaith Network flag

on Thursday February 2013

For more photographs of 

United Nations World Harmony Week celebrations in Ballarat

please go here

Welcoming speech by Margaret Lenan Ellis of  the Ballarat Interfaith Network

Arlo Guthrie in Australia - check here for details

On Thursday March 7, Arlo Guthrie - son of the immortal Woody Guthrie - will be singing his songs of protest and social justice at 7:30pm. National Theatre, 20 Carlisle St, St Kilda. For more info please go here.

For Arlo's website which has all sorts of info including stuff about Woody and Arlo's Australian tour: please go here.

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar - 2013-02-27

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar

February 27, 2013

Fight for your rights! Socialist Alliance International Women's Day breakfast Saturday, March 9, 10am Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). Breakfast, speakers, music then take part in rally at State Library at 1pm. Presented by Socialist Alliance & Green Left Weekly. For more info ph 9639 8622. International Women's Day 2013 Unite to stop attacks on women Saturday, March 9, 1pm.. State Library, cnr Swanston & La Trobe Sts, City. Demands: re-instate the sole parent pension; end mandatory detention of asylum seekers; more funding for domestic violence and sexual assault services; end violence and sexual harassment against woment and girls.

Public meeting Feminism & socialism discussion Wednesday, March 13, 6:30pm (meal from 6pm). Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). Have you ever wondered why violence against women is so widespread or why women in Australia earn nearly 20% less than men. Why is it that women still do most of the unpaid work? Has sexism always existed? Is it genetic? What can we do about it? We will discuss all these questions and many more. Organised by Socialist Alliance. For more info ph 9639 8622.

Red Cinema Pink Saris Friday, March 22, 7pm (meal from 6:30pm). Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). 2010 documentary by Kim Longinotto about the Indian feminist 'Gulabi gang' and its inspirational leader Sampat Pal Devi which fights widespread domestic abuse and other violence against women. Run time 96 min. Followed by discussion. $10/$5. Presented by Socialist Alliance & Green Left Weekly. For more info ph 9639 8622.

Film screenings Underground: The Julian Assange Story Each screening will be introduced by the director Robert Connolly with a discussion to follow with special guests. Before WikiLeaks, before the internet even existed, Julian Assange was a teenage computer hacker in Melbourne. This is his story. Sunday, March 17, 6:30pm. Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon St, Carlton. For more info ph 9347 5331. Tuesday, March 19, 6:45pm. Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon St, Carlton. For more info ph 9347 5331. Wednesday, March 20, 6:45pm. Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon St, Carlton. For more info ph 9347 5331. Thursday, March 21, 6:45pm. Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon St, Carlton. For more info ph 9347 5331. Friday, March 22, 6:45pm. Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon St, Carlton. For more info ph 9347 5331. Sunday, March 24, 4pm. Palace Brighton Bay, 294 Bay St, Brighton. For more info ph 9596 3590.

This is the regular Melbourne activist calendar compiled by Green Left Weekly. Emailed to subscribers each Wednesday fortnight, it is a one-stop listing of the main left and progressive events in Melbourne and Geelong. Since it began in early 1991, Green Left Weekly has offered an indispensable alternative to the lies of the big-business media and has helped build the various movements for social change. To subscribe to Green Left Weekly, visit our secure online website for rates and payment at Green Left Weekly or call our national hotline on 1800 634 206. You can also contact us at the Resistance Centre, 5th floor, 407 Swanston St, City; ph 9639 8622. In Geelong we are at the Activist Centre, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St (opening hours: Mon 2-4.30pm, Fri 10am-4.30pm); ph 5222 6900. New email address? Not already receiving this calendar regularly? Want to subscribe someone else? Let us know at Greenleft Melbourne.

Other coming events

Wednesday, February 27

Dinner: Western Sahara National Day celebration. Guest speaker: Arnold Zable (author & human rights advocate). Lomond Hotel, 225 Nicholson St, Brunswick East (cnr Blyth St; last stop 96 tram). 6:30pm (for 7pm start). Bookings: 0425 702 975 or email Australia West Sahara Association.

Concert: Flogging Molly. The Irish/American punk band released their fifth studio album, Speed of Darkness in 2011, that takes on the situation facing US working people. (see United States: Economy floundering, resistance begins.) With The Lawrence Arms and Lucero. 8pm. Palace Theatre, 20-30 Bourke St, City.

Thursday, February 28

Public meeting: Imagine a city that feeds itself? Guest speaker: Roberto Pérez, Cuba’s sustainable agriculture pioneer. Featured in the acclaimed film, The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, will bring all his passion, flair and expertise to tell the 20 year story of how hungry Havanans learned to grow over half of their fruit and vegetables in the city after Cuba's oil and fertilizer supplies were cut by 90%. Roberto will also talk about the key role permaculture played in the Cuban experience and hold a discussion about urban agriculture in Melbourne. Roberto Pérez Rivero is the Environmental Education and Biodiversity Conservation program director of the Cuban NGO, the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity. 7pm. Ceres Fair Food, 6/198 Beavers Rd, Brunswick East. Gold coin donation. Tea, coffee & cake provided. Deano from the Good Brew Company will be in attendance with his ice cold sustainably brewed beer & soft drinks for purchase. Presented by CERES Fair Food and Cultivating Community. For more info email Peta.

Friday, March 1

Rally: Nuclear Free & Independent Pacific Day. Marks the anniversary of the US 'Bravo' nuclear bomb detonation at Bikini Atoll in 1954. The explosion gouged out a crater more than 200 feet deep and a mile across, melting huge quantities of coral which were sucked up into the atmosphere together with vast volumes of seawater. The resulting fallout caused widespread contamination in the Pacific. The people in the Marshall Islands, and elsewhere in the Pacific, were used as human guinea pigs in an obscene racist experiment to 'progress' the insane pursuit of nuclear weapons supremacy. We will be marking this day in with a peaceful picket outside the French Consulate in Melbourne and will be presenting a letter to the consul stating our support for the re-inscription of Tahiti on the UN Decolonisation List and for justice for all the victims of nuclear testing in the Pacific. 10am. French Consulate, 342A St Kilda Rd, St Kilda.

Film screening: Free West Papua: The Resistance Steps Up. For 40 years, Western countries such as Australia have been complicit in Indonesia's brutal occupation of West Papua. The harsh regime has helped facilitate the exploitation of the area’s riches in natural resources by Western and Indonesian companies. Guest speaker: Rev Peter Woods. 7:30pm. Kindness House, 288 Brunswick St, Fitzroy (near cnr Johnson St). $5. Funds to political prisoners. For more info ph Ricky Rumbiak 0434 026 875.

Saturday, March 2

Bill Gluyas memorial gathering. Anyone wanting to bring photos or other paraphernalia/ memorabilia are requested to contact organiser on email address below. Contributions towards the funeral fund are warmly welcomed. Food & drink available. 1-4pm (main event 2:30pm). Open microphone. Sunshine Cricket Clubrooms, JR Parsons Reserve, Stanford St, Sunshine (off Wright St, Sunshine). RSVP ASAP.

Rally: Defend the Fertility Control Clinic. 9:30am. Fertility Control Clinic, 118 Wellington Pde, East Melbourne.

Rally: The Hills march against Maccas. Tecoma (population 2189) is a peaceful village in the Dandenong Ranges. McDonalds lodged a planning application which met with over 1100 objections relating to traffic, litter, noise and local amenity issues. The Shire of Yarra Ranges council agreed and UNANIMOUSLY rejected the proposal. McDonalds took the application to VCAT. Despite over 300 local residents putting forward detailed objections, VCAT ruled in McDonalds' favour and granted them planning permission for a 24-hour drive through 'restaurant'. 12 noon. Starts in Belgrave (carpark between Cameo & La Collina Pizzeria) then march to Tecoma Primary School. Speakers, musicians, BBQ, kids activities. For more info visit Burger Off!.

Rally: Protest in solidarity with Palestinian hunger strikers held in Israeli jails. Join the James Connolly Association in a rally in support of Palestinian hunger strikers unjustly imprisoned without charge or trial. Israel currently holds 178 Palestinians in administrative detention (held indefinitely without charges or a trial). Four of these detainees are on hunger strike, taking only water. One man, Samer Issawi has been on hunger strike for over 200 days and his condition is now critical. 2pm. State Library, cnr La Trobe & Swanston Sts, City.

Saturday, March 2- Thursday, March 7

Fundraiser: The Big Green Hitch. The Big Green Hitch is a 1000 km hitchhiking race from Melbourne to the mouth of the Murray River along the Great Ocean Road from March 2-7. The Big Green Hitch is about promoting a sustainable way of travel, having fun with other hitchhikers, enjoying the Australian landscape and raising some money for Friends of the Earth's Barmah-Millewa Collective. For more info visit The Big Green Hitch.

Wednesday, March 6

Public meeting: Boycott NAPLAN tests. This forum will discuss the impact of testing on education and the possibility of a campaign to boycott the NAPLAN tests. We believe the time has come to seriously challenge the NAPLAN tests and the increasingly negative and discriminatory impact of national testing on both teaching and learning. Speakers: David Hornsby (Say No to Naplan); Mary Merkenich (Teachers & Education Support Alliance); Jorge Jorquera (Popular Education Network Australia). 6:30pm. Room FLB01, Victoria University, 301 Flinders Lane, City.

Thursday, March 7

Concert: Arlo Guthrie. Like his late father, Woody Guthrie, American folk singer Arlo Guthrie is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice. 7:30pm. National Theatre, 20 Carlisle St, St Kilda. For more info visitBookings.

Friday, March 8

Public meeting: Young Women of colour speak out! A 2013 International Women's Day event. Shakti Melbourne is kickstarting our year with a milestone event not to be missed. It is a tribute to the legacy of courageous women of colour, migrants and refugees from across Asia, Africa and Middle East who fight to survive and work towards ending violence against women and girls. Be sure to not miss this powerful herstory-in-the-making moment in the multicultural hub of south-east Melbourne: Dandenong. Entry by donation. 6:30pm. Edinburgh Hall, 1 Edinburgh Road, Springvale. Organised by Shakti Migrant & Refugee Women's Support Group. For more info email Shakti.

Saturday, March 9

Rally: Defend the Fertility Control Clinic. 9:30am. Fertility Control Clinic, 118 Wellington Pde, East Melbourne.

Socialist Alliance International Women's Day breakfast: Fight for your rights! 10am. Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). Presented by Socialist Alliance & Green Left Weekly. For more info ph 9639 8622.

Rally: International Women's Day 2013: Unite to stop attacks on women. Demands: re-instate the sole parent pension; end mandatory detention of asylum seekers; more funding for domestic violence and sexual assault services; end violence and sexual harassment against woment and girls. 1pm. State Library, cnr Swanston & La Trobe Sts, City.

Public meetings: Face to Face with Fukushima Australian tour. To commemorate 2 years since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, people directly affected will visit Australia to share their stories of radiation and resilience and see where uranium is mined and exported to Japan. Speakers: Akira Kawasaki (Peace Boat Organisation, Tokyo); Hasegawa Kenichi (a farmer from the Iitate Village, Fukushima); Tomohiro Matsuoka (Japanese for Peace, Melbourne). 1pm. Picnic & talk at Village Green, CERES Community Environment Park, cnr Roberts & Stewart Sts, Brunswick East. Organised by Japanese for Peace. RSVPs to Japanese for Peace.

Public meetings: Face to Face with Fukushima Australian Tour. See entry above for details. 6:30pm. La Notte, 140 Lygon St Carlton. $30. Organised by Medical Association for Prevention of War. RSVP to MAPW.

Monday, March 11

Public meetings: Pussy riot organizing committee. 5:30pm. 3CR, 21 Smith St, Collingwood.

Wednesday, March 13

Public meeting: Feminism & socialism discussion. Have you ever wondered why violence against women is so widespread or why women in Australia earn nearly 20% less than men. Why is it that women still do most of the unpaid work? Has sexism always existed? Is it genetic? What can we do about it? We will discuss all these questions and many more. 6:30pm. Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). Organised by Socialist Alliance. For more info ph 9639 8622.

Thursday-Friday, March 14-15

Conference: Iraq 10 years on. Will review the successes and failures of Australia's role in the war and the tenuous and difficult relationship between the two nations beyond the withdrawal. Deakin University City Centre Campus, L3, 550 Bourke St, Melbourne. Speakers will include Dr Jenny Grounds, president of Medical Association for the Prevention of War. Presented by The Australian Middle East Research Forum (attached to Deakin University's Centre for Citizenship and Globalisation).

Friday, March 15

Film screening: Rachel. It was 10 years ago that Rachel Corrie was killed by an Israeli bulldozer as she tried to stop it crushing a Palestinian home. This is the story of her tragic death and the people she had come to love. The film will be introduced by Michael Shaik who worked with Rachel in the International Solidarity Movement when she was killed. 6:15pm (for 6:30pm sharp). State Library of Victoria, Entry 2, La Trobe St, City. $15 plus booking fee. Only Australian screening. Presented by Australians for Palestine.

Saturday, March 16

Album launch: Free West Papua. Rize of the Morning Star. Featuring a collection of the Pacific's finest musicians drawn from 'Sing Sing' who will gather together to launch the West Papua Tribute album, Rize of the Morning Star (Volume 1). Featuring: George Telek (Papua New Guinea); Tha Feelstyle with Dei Hamo (Samoa); Airileke (Papua New Guinea); Will Hatch (Vanua Balavu, Lau in Fiji); Pius Wasi (Papua New Guinea); Ego Lemos (Timor Leste). 8pm. B-East, 80 Lygon St, Brunswick. $20.

Sunday, March 17-Sunday, March 24

Film screenings: Underground: The Julian Assange Story. See display advertisement above for details.

Tuesday, March 19

Public meeting: Following the US to war: Lessons from Iraq. Most citizens did not approve of Australia joining the disastrous US invasion of Iraq in 2010. Hear expert speakers discuss why we went, the health and humanitarian impacts, the lessons learned, and how we can stop this happening again. Chair is ACTU President Ged Kearney, with Paul Barratt (president, Campaign for an Iraq War Inquiry); Jenny Grounds (president, MAPW); Richard Tanter (leading expert on US military facilities in Australia). 7pm. Melbourne City Conference Centre, 333 Swanston St, City.

Wednesday, March 20

Rally: Campaign launch against BAE systems in RMIT. BAE systems is one of the major companies that supply military equipment to the Israeli army and one of the major sponsors of the RMIT engineering department. One example is the 'head-up' display for F16 fighter aircraft, which have been used to turn Lebanese and Palestinian villages into rubble. 12 noon. State Library, cnr Swanston & La Trobe Sts, City. Organised by Students for Palestine.

Rally: Free Cannabis 4/20 Event. Demand that the Victorian government acknowledge that cannabis prohibition is based in prejudice and begins the process of looking towards legalisation. 2pm. Treasury Gardens.

Public meeting: Persecuted in Sri Lanka, Detained in Australia: The plight of Tamil refugees. The Australian government is deporting hundreds Tamil asylum seekers back to Sri Lanka, claiming that they are 'economic migrants'. Australia is also increasing its collaboration with Sri Lankan intelligence and navy to prevent Tamil asylum seekers from leaving Sri Lanka. This forum will expose the truth about the ongoing state-sponsored persecution of Tamils and critics of the Rajapaksa regime. It will also critique Australian refugee policies which have condemned thousands of asylum seekers to imprisonment indefinitely on the mainland and in its offshore prison camps on Nauru and Manus Island. Speakers: Bruce Haigh (former Australian diplomat to Sri Lanka who has spoken out against Australia's complicity in the oppression of the Tamils); Siva Sivakumar (Communication Officer, Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations); Trevor Grant (a coordinator of the Boycott Sri Lanka Cricket Campaign & a member of RAC). 6:30pm. Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St, City. Hosted by the Refugee Action Collective. For more info visit RAC.

Friday, March 22

Red Cinema: Pink Saris. 2010 documentary by Kim Longinotto about the Indian feminist 'Gulabi gang' and its inspirational leader Sampat Pal Devi which fights widespread domestic abuse and other violence against women. Run time 96 min. Followed by discussion. 7pm (meal from 6:30pm). Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). $10/$5. Presented by Socialist Alliance & Green Left Weekly. For more info ph 9639 8622.

Fundraiser: For National Refugee Convergence. See April entry below. 6pm. The Brunswick Hotel, 140 Sydney Road, Brunswick. $20/15. Organised by Melbourne University campus refugee group.

Sunday, March 24

Rally: Save public housing open space from state Liberal privatisation plans. Rally was called at a campaign organising meeting of public housing residents held at the Fitzroy estate. Today's meeting also nominated a delegation of public housing residents to meet with building industry unions seeking their support. Residents will ask building industry unions to support their call for more public housing on vacant government land, not on kids parks! MC: Corinne Grant. 2pm. Atherton Gardens, 125 Napier St, Fitzroy.

Monday, March 25

Concert: Manu Chao. Manu Chao are a amazing politico band who write songs like 'clandestini' about refugees and aysylum seekers. However, their music is also a riot of latino, samba, ska, reggae rythms, a bit of europop and the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure. They use their success to support many radical causes around the world. 8pm. Palace Theatre, 20-30 Bourke St, City. To book visit Ticketek.

Thursday, March 28-Sunday, March 31

Conference: Marxism 2013: Ideas to challenge the system. Presented by Socialist Alternative. Sponsored by Socialist Alliance and Green Left Weekly. Melbourne University. For more info and bookings visit Marxism 2013.

Friday, March 29-Sunday, April 7

Friends of the Earth's Radioactive Exposure Tour to South Australian outback. From Melbourne via Adelaide. For more info ph Gem 0421 955 066, email Radioactive Exposure Tour or visit FoE.

Friday, April 12

Red Cinema: Silenced Voices. Beate Arnestad's 2012 documentary on the repression of journalists by the Rajapaksa regime in Sri Lanka. (Run time 60mins.) Presented by Socialist Alliance. 7pm (meal from 6:30pm). $10/$5. Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). For more info ph 9639 8622.

Sunday, April 14

Fundraiser: These Machines Cut Razor Wire 2013. Massive rootsy line-up including Chris Wilson, Charles Jenkins, Les Thomas, Suzannah Espie, The Stillsons (duo), Jed Rowe, Beautiful Change and more to be announced. We'll be raising our voices and much-needed funds for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. 2:30pm (doors open 2pm). The Thornbury Theatre, 859 High St, Thornbury. $25 (children under 12 free). For more info visit The Thornbury Theatre or ph 9484 9831. Bookings Oztix. Presented by Unpaved/Les Thomas/3CR.

Wednesday, April 17

Matt Grantham: Poli-Waffle. Internationally acclaimed comedian Matt Grantham returns to Melbourne following the success of last year's hit show How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? He gives a non-core promise to deliver more of the same comedy gold in this year’s antidote to political correctness. A fundraiser for Green Left Weekly. 7:20pm. Fad Gallery, 14 Corrs Lane, City. $20/$15. Bookings only from Green Left Weekly: call 9639 8622.

Thursday, April 25-Sunday, April 28

Refugee rights national convergence in Northam, WA. Refugee rights groups around the country will be converging on Yongah Hill Detention Centre on the Anzac weekend, 2013, to protest against the mandatory detention of asylum seekers.

Conference: Edufactory, Disassembling the Neoliberal University. The second EduFactory conference is being held on Gadigal country at the University of Sydney over the ANZAC Day long weekend. EduFactory aims to bring together radical education activists from around the country for a weekend of political discussion, skill sharing, and debates on the future of national education activism. This is also an opportunity to organize for the upcoming year's campaigns and develop activist networks. For more info visit Edufactory.

Sunday, May 6

Socialist Alliance May Day Toast: Fight for your rights! 10am. Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston st, City (opposite RMIT). Presented by Socialist Alliance & Green Left Weekly. For more info ph 9639 8622.

Rally: May Day march. 1pm. Trades hall, cnr Victoria & Lygon Sts, Carlton South.

Friday, May 10

Green Left Weekly Comedy Debate 2013: Gina and Clive should run the country! Forget Julia and Tony . . . Gina and Clive (and Twiggy et al) should run the country! After all, they are digging up so much of it! See two teams of comedians grapple with this vexed question and spread enlightenment in all directions. A sparkling night of progressive comedy. 6:30pm (for 8pm start). Coburg Town Hall, 90 Bell St, Coburg. Master of ceremonies: Rod Quantock. Bookings essential. Bar and dinner available. Tickets: $40 Solidarity, $25 waged, $12 concession. A fundraiser to help keep Green Left Weekly going. For bookings or info ph 9639 8622.

Saturday, May 11

Rally: Equal Love Rally for Marriage Equality. 1pm. State Library, cnr La Trobe & Swanston sts, City.

Geelong & regional Victoria

Wednesday, March 6

Rally: Victorian health unions are protesting cuts to patient care. 400 beds closed, over 3,000 elective surgery procedures cancelled, paramedics ramping at hospitals, cuts to mental health and privatising medical services. Tell Ted Baillieu that it's not good enough. Join us to protect health care in Victoria. 12 noon. Barwon Health, Bellerine St, Geelong.

Monday, March 18

Forum: Fukushima two years on. Is nuclear power clean and green? Peter Karamoskos, a nuclear radiologist, and public representative on the Radiation Health Committe of nuclear regulatory body ARPANSA, will speak at an event for Geelong members and supporters, and local medical students and health professionals and interested members of the public. Dr Karamoskos visited the Fukushima area in a 2012 IPPNW medical delegation and has many interesting stories and pictures. He's also very well-versed in the broader issues of nuclear safety. 6:30pm. Venue TBA. Presented by Medical Association for the Prevention of War. For more info email MAPW.

Campaign committees

Beyond Zero Emissions Melbourne branch meetings. BZE's monthly branch meetings are a way for current and prospective BZE volunteers to meet up, get to know each other and discuss upcoming events such as presentations, stalls, film nights and discussion groups. Meets on the third Monday of every month at Level 2, Kindness House, 288 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Active and prospective volunteers welcome. For more info email Vicky Fysh or ph 0401 087 085.

Friends of the Earth's Anti-Nuclear & Clean Energy (ACE) collective meetings. Wednesdays. FoE office, 312 Smith St, Collingwood. For meeting times & more info email Zin.

Melbourne Feminist Action Group. We think it's time to put women's rights back on the public agenda. We've started an open organising group and everyone's invited, from already existing women's rights groups and activist organisations, to women and men who may never have been involved in feminist action in their lives but just want to do something. We want to get together to have that crucial discussion: what can we do, right now, that will give this movement a push? It's open to everyone; anyone who attends can have their say. If you can make it, bring your ideas about what you would like to see happen next. Meets weekly at Trades Hall. For more info ph 0438 869 790 or emailMelbFemAction.

Quit Coal: No New Coal Power for Victoria. A Melbourne-based collective which campaigns against expansion of the coal industry in Victoria. We believe this is important because building new coal infrastructure locks in decades of dirty, old technology, when we should be moving towards clean, renewable energy. Quit Coal meets each Wednesday at 6pm, at FOE, 312 Smith St, Collingwood. For more info visit Quit Coal or call Shaun 0402 337 077.

Refugee Action Collective (RAC). Established in 2000, RAC is a democratic, grassroots activist collective, representing a broad cross section of the community. It aims to mobilise opposition to Australia's inhuman refugee policies. For more info ph 0413 377 978 or visit RAC.

Victorian Climate Action Calendar. For a comprehensive list of climate action events in our state. The VCAC covers events in Victoria and major events elsewhere and is intended to inform, educate and inspire. To subscribe to the calendar email Monique Decortis. Weekly updates are e-mailed out and online updates are available at VCAC. To add an event to the calendar, please download the Event Template from the website. Feel free to forward the VCAC to other interested people.

Workers Solidarity Network. WSN believes that we, as workers, have the power to improve our working conditions and bring about positive social change. WSN believes that our country is not a real democracy unless we have democratic workplaces where workers have a say. WSN believes that the only way to bring about a fairer share of resources in our society in by forming active unions and community organisations to fight for it. For more info visitWSN.

Resources

Recent articles from Green Left Weekly Resisting the EduFactory: Education for liberation 20,000 turn out to save the Kimberley How capitalism is screwing sport Oscar Pistorius and the deadly global system of misogyny Check out Green Left TV. See GREEN LEFT REPORT #12: Ten years since the biggest anti-war protests in history. To subscribe to Green Left Weekly visit our secure online website for rates and payment at Green Left Weeklyor call our national hotline on 1800 634 206. Join us on Facebook. You can also contact us at the Resistance Centre, 5th floor, 407 Swanston St, City; ph 9639 8622. In Geelong: Activist Centre, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St (opening hours: Mon 2-4.30pm, Fri 10am-4.30pm); ph 5222 6900.

Broad, non-sectarian, activist Socialist Alliance Socialist Alliance is a proud supporter of the Green Left Weekly project and contributes a regular column. Socialist Alliance is a broad, non-sectarian socialist coalition, dedicated to bringing together all those who want to resist the capitalist assault on our planet and its people and fight for a socialist society that puts people's needs before business profits. Anyone who agrees with the general approach of our policies is welcome to join and organisations are invited to affiliate. For more information visit Socialist Alliance Victoria. Join us onFacebook. See our recent statements: Socialist Alliance perspectives for 2013 Unifying conference sets plans for 2013 Reverse the attacks on sole parent benefits Get involved Moreland Socialists Following Sue Bolton's election to Moreland Council, Socialist Alliance has taken the initiative to set up the Moreland Socialists. The group is open to anyone (even if you live outside the area) who wants to work constructively to support Sue and use her position to build up a stronger activist left presence in Moreland. In general, we meet monthly on a Saturday afternoon and alternate between Coburg and Fawkner. If you want to get involved in the group, email us at Socialist Alliance or phone Sue on 9639 8622 or 0413 377 978. Contact Socialist Alliance. Join with other socialists in the struggle. Melbourne: Visit us at the Resistance Centre, 5th floor, 407 Swanston St, City; ph 9639 8622. In Melbourne, Socialist Alliance meets on the first Tuesday of each month, 6:30pm, at the Resistance Centre. Geelong: Activist Centre, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St (opening hours: Mon 2-4:30pm, Fri 10am-4:30pm); ph 5222 6900.

The Local Harvest Challenge - get up close and personal to your food, food choices, food sources and food producers

Get connected with your food!

Join us and the many individuals, households and community groups around Australia who are taking up the Local Harvest Challenge!

It’s one week where we take on the goal of intentionally reclaiming your food choices and decreasing the degrees of separation between us and our food.

Find out resources near you, and put into practice the art of eating locally, supporting local and organic farmers and businesses, and discovering the face behind your food.

Choose your challenge – your level of commitment (bite-sized, meal-sized, or feast sized) – and the activities and events you plan to participate in. Blog your experiences as you make changes both large and small.

You can do the week at any time, however the annual Challenge week is officially the first week of April. You can participate with others close to you and blog your experiences. Register for the challenge week here.

Monday 1st April — Sunday 7th April 2013

Why the Local Harvest challenge?

There are many great reasons to participate in the Local Harvest Challenge. By taking control of your food choices you make a positive impact on yourself, your community and the earth. Here’s some of the many reasons to get involved:

• Discover the local and sustainable food alternatives near you
• Enjoy local, seasonal produce – it’s usually fresher and tasty!
• Support local farmers, producers and businesses (Your dollar is your vote!)
• Reduce food miles. Food miles refers to the distance between where food is grown/produced and where it is consumed. Generally speaking, the more food miles, the more energy used and the greater the carbon footprint.
• Get to know the faces behind your food. It’s an opportunity to engage with your local producers or growers. Ask them questions about their produce and their practices. Find out about their story.
• Connect up with others near you, who also are looking for (and creating) local food alternatives
• Learn to supplement your household food supply by growing your own and making produce

As Jackie French says: “Local food, or food grown with love or cooked with pride and idealism, doesn’t just keep you alive; it keeps you in contact with the earth, the seasons, and your community. It creates a web of friendship. Every mouthful has a story of fulfillment behind it.“

Share with your friends, family and co-workers why you have chosen to take up the Local Harvest Challenge…  and encourage them to do the same!

Dale Hess's Calendar - 2013-02-25

 Monday 4 March and Thursday 7 March: Community Development Course. Learn practical ways of empowering communities; Understand the basic concepts of Community Development; Examine power and change processes; Discuss community development practices; Hold conversations with experienced Community Development workers; Access to further learning resources; Come to understand the field; Use the modes of head (intellect), heart (feelings), hands (practical work with people) and feet (groundedness). Led by Jim Ife,Jacques Boulet and Rob Nabben. Contact: 9819 3239, 2 Minona St, Hawthorn, icd@borderlands.org.au. Cost: $300 full / $250 con. Bookings essential.

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Saturday 9 March, 1 pm to 2.30 pm: Reflections of a Fukushima Farmer- the reality of nuclear meltdowns. Japanese for Peace invites you to bring a picnic lunch (or grab something at CERES), a rug/chair, and come and hear about the current situation for those affected by the catastrophic events two years ago. If you think you may come, please email  info@jfp.org.au to give us an idea of numbers. There will also be an optional tour of Ceres afterwards at 2.30 pm. CERES Community Environment Park,At the Village Green, Cnr Roberts and Stewart Streets, Brunswick East, Victoria (MELWAYS Map 30 B7)

Thursday 14 March, 6 pm to 7.30 pm: Will foreign investment alleviate poverty in Burma? Recent reforms have seen resource rich Burma become an investment haven. Despite serious questions about human rights impact of foreign investment projects, Australia's Foreign Minister Bob Carr has declared that foreign investment will alleviate poverty in Burma. But will it? Hear Naing Htoo (Earthrights International), Seng Maw (Kachin Association Australia) and U Shwe Thein (Land Core Group) answer the question: Will foreign investment alleviate poverty in Burma? Venue:  AMWU Building, 251 Queensberry St, Carlton South, 3053. For more information contact Burma Campaign Australia

on 02 9264 7694 or admin@aucampaignforburma.org.

Friday 15 March, 6.15 pm for 6.30 pm – 9.15 pm: Film Screening:  Rachel.  It was 10 years ago that Rachel was killed by an Israeli bulldozer as she tried to stop it crushing a Palestinian home. This is the story of her tragic death and the people she had come to love. State Library of Victoria, Conference Centre, Entry 2, La Trobe Street, Melbourne. Cost $15 plus booking fee $1.89. Book online: http://www.eventbrite.com.au/event/4361336876?ref=ebtnebtckt#

Saturday 16 March – Sunday 24 March: Cultural Diversity Week. 

For details, see: 

http://www.multicultural.vic.gov.au/projects-and-initiatives/cultural-diversity-week

Tuesday 19 March: Following the US to War: Lessons from Iraq. Speakers will include Paul Barratt (Campaign for an Iraq War Inquiry); Dr Jenny Grounds(MAPW); Professor Richard Tanter; and Maki Yonaha (Japanese for Peace). Venue details soon!  For more read this. Facebook.

Wednesday 20 March & Thursday 21 March, 9 am – 5 pm, lunch and refreshments provided: Anti-racism Workshop.Refugees,Survivors and Ex-Detainees (RISE) is presenting a series of anti-racism workshops for organisations. The online registration form is up and running! Resisting Racism Victoria project, the first of its kind in Victoria, which will see the running of anti-racism workshops in 2013 for staff/volunteers of organisations that service communities of colour. Register online https://docs.google.com/a/riserefugee.org/forms/d/1lR0d5elFUl-zG_eNgMxin_J79thgPk-lY4pLh6xLFE8/viewform. Spaces filling fast! Find out more http://riserefugee.org/what-we-do/anti-racism. Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3HHEbT9djo.Please contact us at resistingracism@riserefugee.org if you have any questions. Later workshops 24 & 25 April, 22 & 23 May and 26 & 27 June. Melbourne CBD.

Friday March 29 to Sunday April 7:  Friends of the Earth's Radioactive Exposure Tour.  Register your interest now - places fill fast! These tours have exposed thousands of people first-hand to the realities of 'radioactive racism' and to the environmental impacts of the nuclear industry. After travelling from Melbourne to Adelaide we will head through Port Augusta and visit the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Then we'll travel north to the SA desert, we'll visit BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam uranium mine at Roxby Downs, the largest uranium deposit in the world. While the expansion of Olympic Dam is currently shelved, the mine is still an environmental and social disaster in itself. The costs are: concession $500 ($450 from Adelaide); waged $750; solidarity $950. If cost is a barrier, contact the organisers to discuss funding ideas. If you're interested in joining in the 2013 Radioactive Exposure Tour, contact radexposuretour@gmail.com or call Gem on 0421 955 066. Information on Radioactive Exposure Tours in previous years is posted at www.foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/issues/oz/radtour

Register here- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGxZRUJlZ0xaMkpfU2loYm5INFdBblE6MQ

Friday 5 April and Monday 8 April: Advanced Community Development Course. Feel more confident in practicing community development in your workplace; Examine the issues, challenges and dilemmas of Community Development; Connect theory with practice; Hold conversations with decision makers and other Community Development workers; Access to further learning resources; Use the modes of head (intellect), heart (feelings), hands (practical work with people) and feet (groundedness); Think creatively about your organisational context; Interfacing with the wider context. Led by Jim Ife, Jacques Boulet and Rob Nabben. Contact: 9819 3239, 2 Minona St, Hawthorn, icd@borderlands.org.au. Cost: $350 full / $300 con. Both courses: $600. Bookings essential. 

Friday 19 April, 7 pm to 9 pm; Saturday 20 April – Sunday 21 April, 9 am to 5 pm: Biochar Workshop. As a soil additive, biochar offers numerous benefits. It increases the capacity for soil to hold water & nutrients, greatly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, enhance crop yields and capture and store carbon for the long term. Learn to make and operate a simple biochar reactor; produce a range of different biochars at different temperatures; carry out basic tests on your biochars; make biochar/compost/mineral blends.  Faciltators: Prof Stephen Joseph, University of NSW, Paul Taylor PhD, Author of “The Biochar Revolution”, and Russell Burnet, Biochar Energy Systems. Workshop cost – includes lunch both days & Friday evening intro: $195 before 1st April; $250 regular price. Only $149 for extra family member or partner. Venue: Friday night: Bendigo Bank Theatre at The Capital, 50 View Street, Bendigo; Saturday & Sunday: A1203 Goornong-Mayreef Rd, Elmore. Website: http://kynetontransitionhub.com/home-4/biochar/biochar-workshop/ 

Picture from here

Sunday 21 April – Saturday 27 April: Nonviolent Action from the Strategic to the Prophetic. For young, emerging activists (18-30) who feel deeply that the present order with its emphasis on dominance and economic expansion is unsustainable, and are ready to develop commitment and skills in nonviolent ways to help promote change, this is an opportunity to learn from two very experienced activists, Margaret Pestorius and Simon Reeves.

This course is subsidized and a special application form must be used:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jh2trfcr0dxyn5n/Nonviolent%20action%20%281%29.pdf.  The cost for full board & accommodation, plus materials, is $200. Participants will cover their own travel costs, to and from Silver Wattle Quaker Centre Ltd -1063 Lake Road, Bungendore NSW 2621 Ph: 02 6238 0588 

Saturday 4 May - Tuesday 28 May: The Walkatjurra Walkabout. The walk will continue to be a celebration of Wangkatja country, a testament to the strength of the community who have fought to stop uranium mining at Yeelirrie for over forty years, and a chance to come together and continue to share our commitment to a sustainable future without nuclear.  It is a chance to reconnect with the land, and to revive the tradition of walking for country. Register here to be a part of the walk:http://walkingforcountry.com/registration-to-walk-for-country/

Sunday 12 May – Sunday 19 May: Kanyini Intensive (working with Uncle Bob Randall and his family). 7-day intensive (Sunday to Sunday, plus travel time) retreat located with in the Uluru National Park and surrounds in the Northern Territory. This is a unique opportunity to receive teachings from Bob Randall on the principles of Kanyini and Aboriginal culture. This will be a profound experience towards integrity in cultural counter-flows, a re-alignment of the importance of personal spirituality, and towards acknowledgment of 70,000 years of Aboriginal knowledge and traditions. Uncle Bob will share his wisdom and belief that spirituality is the ultimate answer to reconciliation in Australia. Uncle Bob will share his wisdom on aspects of Kanyini including, connections with the dreaming, place, family relationships and the spirit. Teaching Kanyini and sharing Aboriginal culture, knowledge and spirituality with all Australians and beyond, are an integral part of Bob's vision. Further information: email info@oases.edu.au or call 03 9819 3502.