Saturday, 26 October 2013

Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka - M.A.D.E. - and films of Human Rights struggles and solutions

Miss Eagle went to see the first of the movies in this series last night.

It was Praying the devil back to hell.

Women in Liberia, after decades of civil war,

took up the cudgels of protest against both sides.

Organising major protest against self-seeking politicians?

Take lessons from these Christian & Muslim women.

M.A.D.E for Movies

M.A.D.E WILL BE SCREENING FOUR AWARD WINNING AND THOUGHT PROVOKING DOCUMENTARIES, THESE SESSIONS ARE PRESENTED BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS ARTS AND FILM FESTIVAL.

See below for session times and links to view trailers.

Bookings Essential - Call: 1800 287 113

ONLINE BOOKING AVAILABLE click on the relevant links below

TICKETS $10 CONC $7 PER SESSION

PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL (72 MINUTES)

SUN 27th OCT 11.30am

https://register.eventarc.com/19007/pray-the-devil-back-to-hell-27-oct

SUN 3rd NOV 2pm

https://register.eventarc.com/19008/pray-the-devil-back-to-hell-3-nov

Director: Gini Reticker/ USA/ 2008 / Documentary

Tribeca Film Festival ‐ Best Documentary Feature

Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country.

Thousands of women — ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim — came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they demanded a resolution to the country’s civil war. Their actions were a critical element in bringing about an agreement during the stalled peace talks.

A story of sacrifice, unity and transcendence, Pray the Devil Back to Hell honours the strength and perseverance of the women of Liberia. Inspiring, uplifting, and most of all motivating, it is a compelling testimony of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uon9CcoHgwA

WORDS OF WITNESS (68 MINUTES)

SAT 26th OCT 7.30pm(one screening only)

https://register.eventarc.com/19009/words-of-witness-26-oct

Director: Mai Iskander / Egypt and USA / 2012 / English and Arabic with English subtitles / Documentary

Berlinale, 2012, One World Film Festival, 2012 – Best of the Festival Jury Award

During the Egyptian uprising, social media was the weapon of choice for a new generation. In Words of Witness, filmmaker Mai Iskander follows Heba Afify, a budding online journalist reporting from the frontline of the revolution. Heba's attempts toreport are continually compromised by the restrictions she faces as a young woman in Egyptian society – in particular, by her mother's incessant reminders that, whilst a journalist, she is above all 'a girl'. As the country begins the transition towards democracy, Heba starts to understand that this hard-fought revolution may in fact not yet be over. Exploring the personal and political in equal measure, Words of Witness is a timely glimpse into post-revolution Egypt today.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjgin_7xpb8

TAXI SISTER + RED WEDDING - 2 DOCUMENTARIES COMBINED AS ONE SESSION (1HR 45 INCLUDING 15MINUTE INTERMISSION)

SUN 27th OCT 1.30pm

https://register.eventarc.com/19010/taxi-sister-and-red-wedding-130pm-27-oct

SUN 27th OCT 5.00pm

https://register.eventarc.com/19011/taxi-sister-and-red-wedding-5pm-27-oct

FRI 1st NOV 7.30pm

https://register.eventarc.com/19012/taxi-sister-and-red-wedding-730pm-1-nov

Two women, two astonishing documentaries: one a Senegalese taxi driver, the other a rice farmer from rural Cambodia. M.A.D.E is honoured to present these two remarkable films about strong women, the obstacles they take on, and the profound changes they make.

TAXI SISTER (30 MINUTES)

Director: Theresa Traore Dahlberg/ Senegal / 2011 / Wolof and French with English subtitles /Documentary

There are 15,000 taxi drivers in Senegal; only 15 of them are women. Taxi Sister follows one of them. As Boury speeds around Dakar transporting tourists and locals to their destinations, she must defend herself against the social taboos that define driving as a male profession. An energetic peek into urban West Africa, Taxi Sister revels in the solidarity of a small group of women as they accelerate change.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGf6pVRRui0

RED WEDDING (58 MINUTES)

Directors: Lida Chan &Guillaume Suon / Cambodia and France / 2012 / Khmer with English subtitles /Documentary

IDFA, 2012 – Winner Best Mid-Length Documentary

Thirty years have passed, and on the eve of her son’s wedding, Sochan Pen is finally ready to break her silence. At the age of 16, she was forced to marry a soldier as part of Cambodia's genetic engineering. Juxtaposing haunting archival and present day footage as Sochan confronts the people responsible for her rape and torture, Red Wedding is a land mark exposition of forced marriages under the Khmer Rouge.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBnePP31c04

M.A.D.E to inspire

An exhibition celebrating the Polish Solidarity Movement known as Solidarność will be on display at M.A.D.E

Solidarność

Exhibition runs

Oct 26 - Nov 25

This exhibition was originally curated by the Australian Polish Historical Society to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Solidarność (Solidarity) movement. It recognises the strength and determination of those involved and the important place the Solidarity movement has in the history of democracy.

Come to the Museum and experience these powerful images

Entry to M.A.D.E is free for Ballarat residents.

M.A.D.E (The Museum ofAustralian Democracy at Eureka)
102 Stawell St South,Ballarat, Vic 335

Ph: 1800 287 113

Friday, 25 October 2013

Diary Date - Inglewood Alive is on ... First Saturday in December

It's all happening in Inglewood

December 7

INGLEWOOD ALIVE

Dates: 7 Dec 2013

Address: Brooke Street Traders, Calder Highway, Inglewood, Victoria 3517

Phone: 03 5438 3008

Email: loddonvistorinformation@loddon.vic.gov.au
Web: loddon.vic.gov.au/calendar/calendar.asp?month=12&year=2013&Category_id=

The cries for justice are heard in the land .... but they are ignored

From CorpWatch

JP Morgan to Escape Criminal Charges for $13 Billion

by Pratap Chatterjee
October 22nd, 2013

Home Defenders League protest in Washington DC in 2013. Photo: Stephen Melkisethian. Used under Creative Commons license.

JP Morgan, the Wall Street bank, is expected to announce that it will escape criminal prosecution for its role in the sub-prime mortgage crisis in return for paying the U.S. government roughly $3 billion, plus $6 billion to investors, and another $4 billion to compensate home owners.

The federal government is believed to working on an agreement with the bank to drop several criminal investigations, notably into the sale of shoddy mortgage securities to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the government-controlled mortgage finance companies) by Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual, now owned by JP Morgan.

In simple terms these banks made huge profits lending money to poor people to buy overpriced homes and then packaged up the bad loans, labeling them high quality for sale to the government and overseas investors. When the 2008 economic crisis hit, the house prices crashed and many homeowners lost their jobs, making them unable to repay their loans.

The $13 billion agreement has been trumpeted as the biggest payout levied on a single company, although there is some doubt about the veracity of such a statement.

The $4 billion in payments to struggling homeowners are necessary for the bank, which would otherwise lose even more money if it had to evict borrowers by foreclosing on them. Reuters also reports that JP Morgan could be allowed to get a tax deduction for the fines paid which will reduce its actual cash costs by $4 billion.

Critics say that the government has failed to protect the public interest.

"A settlement of this kind would release JP Morgan and its officers from civil and criminal liability for a wide range of alleged frauds,” writes William Black, a former bank regulator who led investigations of the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. “JP Morgan should pay the damages it caused to others through fraud. In cases where a firm's senior officers engage in a wide range of frauds, the courts should award punitive damages against the officers and the firm.

Not everyone is as upset. The bank enjoys plenty of support in the mainstream media, notably because JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon has “assiduously cultivated a following among financial journalists, who love his comeback-kid life story — after his ouster as heir apparent to Sanford Weill at Citigroup,” says USA Today.

Dimon recently announced that he is not a bit ashamed of his company. "I am so damn proud of this company. That's what I think about when I wake up everyday," Dimon told CNBC. "We’re gaining market share. We're doing great stuff."

Such assertions promoted the Washington Post to accuse the government of “political persecution” of the bank.

Alex Pareene, a writer at Salon, pointed out the irony of praising a bank for making greater profits by comparing the fine to one imposed on a restaurant. "No one would say 'Yeah, but the restaurant's making a lot of money. There's only a little bit of poison in the food,” he said on CNBC.

Senior Wall Street executives are definitely relieved by the deal. After all 25 years ago, some 1,000 bankers were convicted by the Justice Department, for their role in the savings and loans crisis. CEOs like Charles Keating Jr. of Lincoln Savings and Loan and David Paul of Centrust Bank, went to jail for years.

The Obama administration has not been as aggressive in its pursuit of bankers. Just150 have been charged, none of whom are top bosses.

The “too-big-to-jail” approach to bankers and their “too-big-to-fail” banks have been condemned by veteran observers.

“Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission -- have taken a kid-glove approach to the corporate criminal activity that arguably inflicts far more damage on society than all street crime combined,” says Russell Mokhiber, the editor of Corporate Crime Reporter, who recently organized a conference titled titled “Neither Admit Nor Deny: Corporate Crime in the Age of Deferred Prosecutions, Consent Decrees, Whistleblowers & Monitors."

Mike Koehler, a professor at the Southern Illinois School of Law, told the attendees: “DOJ has championed an alternative reality that has become problematic: it sends the message that justice can be bought.”

What does it matter if they die a suffocating death? After all, they are only living, breathing beings.

From The Weekly Times

Cattle suffocates on flight

Rob Harris | October 24, 2013

AUSTRALIAN cattle have suffocated during a flight from Melbourne to Kazakhstan, foreign media reports.

The shipment of 321 purebred Angus and Hereford heifers were on a Boeing 747 cargo flight as part of a breeding Kazakhstan government breeding program, according to Kazakh news service Tengrinews.

The 49 heifers suffocated when the air conditioning system malfunctioned, the Veterinarian Service of the Agricultural Ministry said.

They were found dead when the shipment landed in Almaty following a 17-hour flight which included refuelling in Singapore.

"The airplane carrying the live cargo arrived today during the night. But it was discovered that part of the cattle died along the way,'' he said.

The report suggest the cattle were loaded on to the plane in "a bi-level configuration in special boxes", with those on the lower level surviving.

It is believed the deaths were caused when the cows' natural wastes - ammonia _ became the source of poisonous vapors and they suffocated because of insufficient supply of oxygen, a Kazakh veterinarian said.

The Federal Department of Agriculture confirmed this afternoon it was investigating a "live animal exports reportable mortality incident that occurred onboard a flight to Kazakhstan''.

A spokesman said the exporter loaded breeder cattle onto a flight from Melbourne this week.

"As part of normal processes, the exporter advised the department that the reportable mortality level for cattle during the flight had been exceeded,'' he said.

"The department is investigating the reasons for the mortalities, working with the exporter.''

Garry Robinson, chief executive officer of Western Australian-based Livestock Shipping Services, said he was waiting on a report US-based Atlas Air for more information.

He said the shipment was the first of five in the past month to experience problems taking cattle to Kazakhstan.

Mr Robinson said reports of the deaths were "very puzzling and deeply concerning''.

Thursday, 24 October 2013

Economics meets Ecology - thanks to the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar 2013-10-23


	Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar

	October 23, 2013

Conference: Stand up! Fight back! Ideas to challenge Abbott's agenda

Saturday, November 2. Plenary & workshop topics: Workers, refugees, the environment: In the firing line but fighting back * What kind of feminism are we fighting for? * Beyond market solutions: Fighting for environmental justice * Towards a socialist Australia * No justice, No peace: Uniting to fight racism.Click for detailed agenda. 10am-5pm. Maritime Union of Australia Hall, 46-54 Ireland Street, North Melbourne (5 minute walk from North Melbourne Station). Full day: $15/$8 (Includes morning & afternoon tea); half day: $7/$4 (includes morning or afternoon tea) . Lunch available. Organised by Socialist Alliance. For more info ph 9639 8622.

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 toGreen Left Weekly, visit our secure online website for rates and payment 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.

Wednesday, October 23

Public meeting: Action on air pollution in the Inner West. 21,000 trucks travel inner West streets every day, through Yarraville, Seddon, Footscray, and Kingsville. Diesel trains are also prevalent & set to increase. Find out what diesel pollution means for your health and what we can do to clean up our air. Speakers: 1. Merryn Redenbach (Doctors for the Environment); Richard Di Natale (Greens senator & public health specialist); Samantha McArthur (Maribyrnong Truck Action Group); Colleen Hartland (Greens MP). 6:30pm. Acqua E Vino bar-restaurant, upstairs, 18a Ballarat St, Yarraville.

Friday, October 25

Memorial meeting for Doug Lorimer. Commemorating the life of a longtime socialist who died earlier this year. 6:30pm (for 7pm start). Upstairs, Bar Centrale, 162 Lygon St, Carlton.

Fundraiser: Rock for Refugees. This will be a very special night of music, dancing, sharing stories and most of all information about how you can get involved with grassroots refugee struggles. Featuring: New dub city; Flybz; Birdz. 7:30pm. Bar 303, 303 High St, Northcote. $8/$10 (solidarity). This is a fundraiser for RISE (Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees).

Saturday, October 26

Rally: Defend the Fertility Control Clinic. The anti-abortionists '40 Days for Life' continues until November 3, and the Fertility Control Clinic is its chief Melbourne target. October 26 is also the anti-abortion zealots' monthly 'Rosary Parade'. In September, the prospect of a large defence scared them away. 9:30 am. 118 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne.

Sunday, October 27

Planning meeting: Stop the theft of public housing. Planning meeting and workshop for the November 9 'Stop the theft of public housing' street meeting at the State Library.1-4pm. Jika Jika Community Centre, cnr Plant & Union Sts, Northcote.

Monday, October 28

Planning meeting: Stop the East-West Tunnel: Recruiting other groups to the campaign.6pm. Elderly Citizenship Centre, Eddy Court, Collingwood. (Melway ref: 2C, 10H) Adjacent to Collingwood Station. Sponsored by VITAL (Victorian Integrated Transport Alliance). Please RSVP to Freda Watkin, Secretary, Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport (YCAT) on 0422 650 936 or emailFreda.

Tuesday, October 29

Conscience on Collins: 'I have a dream . . .' In honour of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s famous speech, Collins Street Baptist Church and Urban Seed have invited the speakers to share their dream for this city and society: Adam Bandt (Greens federal MP); Jessie Taylor (barrister & refugee advocate); Bob Maguire (‘Larrikin priest’ & social activist). $5/$10 (in support of Urban Seed).6pm. Baptist Church, 174 Collins St , City.

Public meeting: Australia & the nuclear umbrella: absurd, immoral & reckless. Speaker: Richard Tanter (Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability). Dyason House, 124 Jolimont Rd, East Melbourne. 6pm. For more information visit AIIN.

Wednesday, October 30

Rally: Abbott get your hands off our education and student unions. Student action against Abbott and Pyne’s ‘inquiry’ into higher education. We will assemble at Parliament House and then march to the Liberal Party HQ on Exhibition St. Stand up and fight back for your right to a fair and equal tertiary education. 12:30pm. Parliament, Spring St, City.

Friday, November 1

Film screening: Fallout. Documentary that explores the iconic filming of Nevil Shute's novel On The Beach in Melbourne in the late 1950s. Shute’s novel depicts the last huddle of humanity preparing to die as a cloud of nuclear fallout drifts towards Australia. 6:30pm. Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon St, Carlton. Presented by ICAN (International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons). For more info visit ICAN.

Saturday, November 2

Conference: Stand up! Fight back! Ideas to challenge Abbott's agenda. Plenary & workshop topics on: Workers, refugees, the environment: In the firing line but fighting back * What kind of feminism are we fighting for? * Beyond market solutions: Fighting for environmental justice * Towards a socialist Australia * No justice, No peace: Uniting to fight racism. Click for detailed agenda. 10am-5pm. Maritime Union of Australia Hall, 46-54 Ireland St, North Melbourne (5-minute walk from North Melbourne Station). Full day: $15/$8 (includes morning & afternoon tea); half day: $7/$4 (includes morning or afternoon tea) . Lunch available. Organised by Socialist Alliance. For more info ph 9639 8622.

Sunday, November 3

Film screening: Mary Meets Mohammad. Tasmania’s first detention centre opens and local knitting club member Mary, a staunchly Christian pensioner, is not welcoming of the 400 male asylum seekers mostly from Afghanistan. Mohammad is a 26 year old Muslim asylum seeker detained inside the centre and an unlikely friendship develops between Mary and Mohammad after her knitting club donates woollen beanies to the asylum seekers. Mary finds many of her prior beliefs are challenged as her relationship with Mohammad deepens. 6:30pm. Premiere + filmmaker Q & A. (Then sessions twice day from November 7-13.) Kino Cinema, 45 Collins St, City. To book ph 9650 2100 or visit Mary meets Mohammad.

Wednesday, November 6

Public meeting: Workers power and international action. AAWL co-ordinator Pier Moro reports on his recent visit to India and the struggles of car workers at Maruti Suzuki. 6pm. Evatt Room, Trades Hall. Organised by Australia Asia Worker Links.

Thursday, November 7

Rally: Defend women's birthing rights. In defence of women's right to choose where and how to give birth — a core reproductive right. In Australia and around the world, women are denied this choice: women who assert this right and midwives who support them are threatened and punished with severe legal penalties. 10am. Women's Hospital, cnr Grattan St & Flemington Rd, Parkville. Organised by Campaign for Women's Reproductive Rights.

Saturday, November 9

Street meeting: Stop the theft of public housing. Both major parties want to privatise public housing, that is part of the National Affordable Housing Agreement of 2009 to which all states have signed up. But Australia has a housing crisis and public housing is a large part of the solution to that. The privatisation madness must stop. 1pm. Gather underneath statue of St Joan in front of the State Library, Swanston St.

Protest: No coal port for Victoria, no port expansion for Hastings. Brown coal export ports have been proposed for Hastings, the Ninety Mile Beach and Corner Inlet. Gippsland communities concerned with the same threat will attend this action. It is supported by Quit Coal. 2pm. Fred Smith Reserve, Hastings foreshore. For more info visit WPPC

Public meeting: Trade unionist refugee activist strategy meeting. The aim of this meeting is to discuss how to build more effective networks between unionists and refugee activists in order to build greater support for the refugee campaign. Speakers: Kevin Bracken (MUA Victorian branch secretary); Jeannie Rea (NTEU national president). 1pm. ANF house, 540 Elizabeth St, City. Organised by Refugee Action Collective.

Tuesday, November 12

Public meeting: 17,300 nuclear weapons. Screening Maralinga Pieces, Genie in a bottle: Unleashedand The War Game. Speakers: Dimity Hawkins, Tim Wright (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) and Gisela Gardener. 7pm. Longplay Bar and Cinema, 318 St Georges Rd, North Fitzroy. Hosted by the ACE Collective.

Sunday, November 17

Rally: National day of climate action. 11am. Treasury Place, City. Organised by GetUp. For more info visit GetUp.

Monday, November 18

Rally: Canberra convergence to demand a fair go for refugees & asylum seekers. It's time to tell our parliamentarians to stop violating human rights and adopt compassionate policies that protect asylum seekers. Parliament House, Canberra. To join the bus from Melbourne, emailtrconcepts@netspace.net.au or ph 0409 252 673. Organised by Refugee Action Network.

Friday, November 22

Rod Quantock: Forty-five and counting. A walk down Memory Tollway (Rod remembers when it was a Lane) as Australia’s most seriously funny comedian reveals the things that have made him laugh for the last 45 years and sets a course for the next 45. Doors open 7pm (for 7:30pm start). To book visitTicketek.

Saturday, November 23

Rally: Equal marriage rights now. 1pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City.

Tuesday, November 26

Public meeting: Muckaty & radioactive waste. Screening Muckaty Voices and Into Eternity.Speaker: Dave Sweeney (Australian Conservation Foundation). 7pm. Longplay Bar and Cinema, 318 St Georges Rd, North Fitzroy. Hosted by the ACE Collective.

Friday, December 13-Sunday, December 15

Conference: How to make a revolution. Ideas for socialist youth. For young people across Australia and the world, these are difficult times. The newly elected Coalition led by the bigot Tony Abbott is rolling out a wave of cuts and attacks against young people, students, the LGBTIQ community, women, indigenous people, workers and refugees, while around the world governments and the ruling elite attempt to hold onto power against a rising tide of furious and marginalised young people.This is a conference to help young people who are ready and willing to challenge the system to develop a political understanding of the oppressive system we live under and a clear analysis of how to change it. Brisbane Activist Centre, 74b Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley. Organ ised by Resistance & Socialist Alliance. For more info ph 9639 8622.

Thursday, October 31

Warragul Public meeting: CSG information night. Speakers include: Mark Ogge (Australia Institute). 7pm. Warragul Community House, 138 Normanby St, Warragul. For more info ph Cathy or Judy on 5623 6032.

Saturday, November 9

Benalla Public meeting: Stop the boats, burn the boats or welcome the boats? Speakers: Julian Burnside & Pamela Curr (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre). This public forum will discuss the current political and social implications of seeking asylum in Australia and ways in which we might respond to the need for safe refuge in Australia. 6pm. FCJ College, Wedge St, Benalla.

Beyond Zero Emissions Melbourne branch. We meet on the third Monday of every month at Level 2, Kindness House, 288 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. For more info email Chitra Perez or ph 0401 087 085.

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

Indigenous Social Justice Association. The Indigenous Social Justice Association was established in January 2005 campaigns to permanently stop Aboriginal deaths in custody. During 2013, ISJA will meet the first Thursday of every month. For more info visit ISJA.

Melbourne Feminist Action Group. 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. For more info ph 0438 869 790 or email us.

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 email us.

Refugee Action Collective. 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. 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 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 visit WSN.

Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport: Stop the East-West Link – Support Doncaster Rail. For all information on the campaign against the East-West Tunnel (pickets, meetings, info) visit YCAT.

SAVING BALLARAT'S CIVIC HALL

This picture is from here.

There are more pix there as well as + an article by Jon Stanger

21 October 2013

New Group will Save Civic Hall

Around 200 people spilled out of the Ballarat Library meeting room on Sunday, forming a group to save the Civic Hall from demolition as currently proposed by the City of Ballarat.

Participants agreed on the beginnings of an alternative vision for Ballarat Civic Hall, which was unanimously decided should remain primarily for the use and benefit of the community.

The meeting was chaired by Jon Stanger. Speakers included historians, planners, academics, professionals and writers. Anne Beggs-Sunter talked about the heritage value of the Civic Hall and the long history of Council’s various decisions, commissioned plans and reports on the Civic Hall.

Michael Wilson, President of the Ballarat Residents and Ratepayers Association Inc informed the meeting that BRRA is willing to auspice the new group. Mr Wilson outlined the major concerns of BRRA, including the failure of Council to listen to the community.

Ailsa Brackley du Bois reported on a recent forum HeritageConservation as Environmental Conservation sponsored by University of Melbourne & the Heritage Council of Victoria.

“The most contemporary, cutting edge and common sense approach is to make the most of the existing building stock we already have,” said Ms Brackley du Bois. “Environmentally and economically this is the smartest thing to do.”

Ms Brackley du Bois said adaptive re-use was the popular approach around the world and the key message was to find “new tricks with old bricks”.

Former senior officer at Ballarat City Council Ron Egeberg encouraged people to sign the petition at savecivichall.com and urged more people to become involved.

The group was reminded by Jonathan Halls that Council’s actions over the Civic Hall are not compatible with democratic or local government principles.

At the 2 ½ hour meeting many sub-groups were formed to discuss and plan further action in the areas of activation of the Civic Hall, adaptive reuse and alternatives, tourism, governance, communications /media, fundraising, indigenous and youth involvement.

A committee was formed to coordinate ongoing activities, including leaders of the various sub-groups. The committee will meet again this week and all residents are encouraged to get involved by signing the petition at savecivichall.com

______________________________________________________________________

For additional information or images please contact:
Merle Hathaway
0419 324042
merle.hathaway@bigpond.com

Dale Hess Calendar 13-10-21

Tuesday 22 October, 7 pm sharp: Climate Change vs. Nukes: Screening Climate of Hope andWomen of Fukushima. Discussion with Jim Green, Friends of the Earth. Free event. Venue: Longplay Bar and Cinema, 318 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy. Full program and more details at the Facebook event here.

Wednesday 23 October, 9.30 am – 11.30 am: Linking Asylum Seekers with Volunteering Opportunities. MORELAND CITY COUNCIL, 90 Bell Street, Coburg ( Concert Hall, entry from Council foyer) parking off Urquhart St. - Mel ref: 17 J12. Contact: Anne Gedye, Community Strengthening Officer, Moreland City Council, agedye@moreland.vic.gov.au or phone: 9240 2367

From Fear to Freedom - Ending Violence Against Women from Deb Bergeron on Vimeo.

Thursday 24 October, 5.30 pm for 6 pm start: Film screening of 'From Fear to Freedom: Ending Violence Against Women'. The film will be followed by a public forum on how to address this global epidemic. Panelists: Stephen Fontana, Assistant Commissioner, Victoria Police; Roscel Diego, Gender Advisor, International Programs, World Vision; Murray McInnis, Director and Lead Ambassador (Legal Sector), White Ribbon; Fran O’Toole, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director of Services, Berry Street; Facilitator: Professor Jacqui True, Professor of Politics & International Relations, Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Arts, Monash University. Deakin Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne. Free event. RSVP essential. REGISTER ONLINE NOW

Friday 25 October, 2 pm – 3 pm: Wurundjeri Stories Event. Reconciliation and landcare supporters, as well as local residents, community groups, churches and schools are warmly invited to join the Wurundjeri Elders at a very special ceremonial event at the Bukkertilibul Dreaming Site at Wittons Reserve in Wonga Park. The site is known as a sacred women's space and ancient dreaming site, and is possibly the most significant Aboriginal site in the area. The ceremony will involve a welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, and a cleansing ceremony, dance and song performed by the Wurundjeri women, who will share their connection to this sacred space to help build knowledge and future care for this sacred site, 'Bukkertilibul'. Please join us to support and celebrate our unique Wurundjeri cultural heritage at Wittons Reserve, Reserve Road, Wonga Park. This is a free event, no bookings required.

Monday 28 October, 7 pm – 8 pm: Webinar on Renewables. Things are unfolding fast in the renewables campaigning world, and it is high time we got together for an update on the priorities for 100% and Solar Citizens. Low down from 100% Renewable National Director,Lindsay Soutar, and update on next steps for 100% and Solar Citizens. Register:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5266473034304243969

Friday 1 November, 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm: ICAN film screening: FALLOUT. FALLOUT is the documentary that explores the iconic filming of Nevil Shute's novel 'On The Beach' in Melbourne in the late 50s. Shute’s novel depicts the last huddle of humanity preparing to die as a cloud of nuclear fallout drifts towards Australia. World leaders instructed each other to read it, and Hollywood liberal Stanley Kramer headed to Melbourne to make a star-studded film of it which staring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins. Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon Street, Carlton.

Sunday 3 November, 6.30 pm: Premier of film: Mary Meets Mohammad. This film follows the arrival of Tasmania’s first detention centre through the eyes of local Christian woman and knitting club member Mary and Muslim Afghan Hazara asylum seeker Mohammad, who is detained inside the centre, as they connect through the gift of a knitted beanie. Venue: Kino at45 Collins Street with a filmmaker Q&A after the screening. On Thursday 7 November, 7 pm: Special Q&A after; screening with film composer David Bridie & Filmmaker. On Friday 8November, 7 pm: Q&A after screening with QC Julian Burnside & filmmaker. Please book, limited seats, & encourages more sessions to be scheduled! Phone (03) 9650 2100 to book tickets or go online here:
http://www.palacecinemas.com.au/movies/marymeetsmohammad/

Tuesday 12 November, 7 pm sharp: 17,300 Nuclear Weapons: Screening Maralinga Pieces, Genie in a bottle: Unleashed and The War Game. Discussion with Dimity Hawkins, Tim Wright (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) and Gisela Gardener. Free event. Venue: Longplay Bar and Cinema, 318 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy. Full program and more details at the Facebook eventhere.

Wednesday 13 November, 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm: Human Rights Under Threat in Australia? Spirit of Eureka (Melbourne) together with Rob Stary & Associates are organising a public forum. Speakers so far include: Ged Kearney, ACTU President; David Manne, Human Rights Lawyer, Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre; Humphrey McQueen, activist historian. Invitations to speak have also been sent to Julian Burnside and Robert Richter. The forum will be chaired by Rob Stary, democratic rights lawyer. The forum has been endorsed by Liberty Victoria, IPAN, and several other community organisations. The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Further info:Shirley 0417 456 001.

Tuesday 26 November, 7 pm sharp: Muckaty and Radioactive Waste: Screening Muckaty Voicesand Into Eternity. Discussion with Dave Sweeney, Australian Conservation Foundation. Free event. Venue: Longplay Bar and Cinema, 318 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy. Full program and more details at the Facebook event here.

The Network