My politics? I am not a member of political party anymore ....

From the concern of the men who thought the war might end before they got there - to the sensibilities of early 20th century women

Does it occur to Networkers how tired we might get of the story of the First World War as we commemorate its centenary?  I am not complaining ... yet.  

So far I have noted with quiet pleasure that people are giving accounts of other lives than glorious, tragic ANZACS and the tragedy of the Western Front.  

We are getting to hear something of the German experience in Australia; of Australians and New Zealanders taking charge of the German colonies in the Pacific.  The doubtful glories of war are what usually take up the broadcast space so it is most welcome to hear of other events, of our social history under the impact of war, of the contradictions of an Australia that twice voted against conscription but seemed eager to embrace a far away war.  

What is going to provide some relief in all this, I feel, is the work of Geraldine Robertson who seems to be in the mould of the feminists and peace lovers of a century ago.  

You too, dear Networker, can get on Geraldine's mailing list to get the gems of her research and knowledge.

~~~~~~~~~

READ AND TAKE COURAGE -
Once a week from now till the end of 2019 I will pass on to you something women working for peace thought and did about the first world war.

 

4/11 August 1914, Vida Goldstein from the Women’s Political Association in Melbourne, Australia -

continued:

‘The food supplies of the world must cease when the hands that reap and sow are occupied in the work of slaying men ...

Let us not be blinded by the excuse that this is a war for liberty.

We shall curb on one autocracy only to give power to another, still more dangerous,

and we are fastening upon all the European workers a debt of countless millions,

and a burden of famine and disease which war brings in its train ...

It is my earnest hope that women in all parts of the world will stand together,

demanding a more reasonable and civilised way of dealing with international disputes.’

Geraldine Robertson
wmnsweb@iprimus.com.au

Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions
www.womensweb.com.au  

Women Working Together suffrage and onwards
www.womenworkingtogether.com.au 

Prejudice and Reason
www.prejudiceandreason.com.au

The United States of America - almost permanently at war. The Land of the Free never free of war?

Morwell - in our midst, a portent of what may yet come to many places and peoples.

CommunityRun.org

http://goo.gl/8yPdel

It's taken 45 days for the fire raging through Hazelwood Mine's open-cut brown coal fields to be declared "safe". But that's 45 days too many for Morwell residents who've been breathing air full of carbon monoxide, carcinogens and other toxic fumes.

Now the whole town is suffering. Men, women and children complain of headaches, bleeding noses and bloody eyes, coughing, breathing difficulties, insomnia, lethargy, skin irritations, throat, eye and ear infections, depression, agitation and anxiety. The list goes on.

Community worker Tracie talks to Morwell residents every day about what effect the toxic air is having on their physical and mental health. That's why, this week, she decided to start a campaign on CommunityRun calling for an inquiry into the health impacts of the fire on the people of Morwell.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer, Rosemary Lester, is already considering an inquiry into the long-term health effects on the town's residents but hasn't made up her mind if it's in the best interest of the community.

A public outcry right now could help her make up her mind and end the uncertainty felt by Morwell's 14,000 residents.

Help bring Tracie's campaign to Ms Lester's attention by signing the petition now.

"We're calling for an inquiry because there's no existing health information about this. Unless an inquiry happens now, Morwell residents won't get the health information they need to prepare themselves for any long-term effects of the Hazelwood mine fire." - Tracie, community worker in Morwell

When Tracie speaks with Morwell residents, she hears the same questions every time: Am I going to get sicker? Is something bad going to happen? Will my kids be alright? Am I going to be around to see them grow up?

Tracie knows it isn't the symptoms Morwell residents are suffering from right now that worry them most. Their biggest fear is about the long-term health problems they don't yet know about and the future health of their families.

This week Tracie's going door-knocking and flyering shop windows around Morwell to get the message out about her campaign. But to get the number of signatures she needs to put pressure on Ms Lester to announce an inquiry, Tracie needs our help too.

Can you let Tracie know she has your support? 

Click here to sign Tracie's petition now

Tracie's fighting hard for an inquiry because she knows it means the difference between Morwell residents living in fear about what's to come or having the ability to move on from this tragedy and regain control of their lives.

Thanks for your support,

Emma and Michael, for CommunityRun.org

PS - CommunityRun is a tool built and powered by GetUp that allows any person to start, run and deliver their own campaign on the issue they care about. To learn more about CommunityRun or start your own campaign visit http://www.communityrun.org

---

CommunityRun is a new online organisation that lets anyone start, run and win their own campaigns. It receives no political party or government funding and is not affiliated with any political party. If you have trouble with any links in this email, please go directly to www.communityrun.org. To unsubscribe from CommunityRun updates, please click here or visit http://www.getup.org.au/unsubscribe?cr=true. To unsubscribe from individual CommunityRun campaigns, please visit www.communityrun.org. Authorised by Sam Mclean, Level 2, 104 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010. 

Crafting a spirit

 

Anna Quindlen’s Short Guide to a Happy Life, a soul-uplifting must-read in its entirety:

 http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/03/11/a-short-guide-to-a-happy-life-anna-quindlen/

A Prince of Peace! Why not a Minister for Peace?

The picture below has come from Geraldine Robertson
wmnsweb@iprimus.com.au 

Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions 
www.womensweb.com.au  
Women Working Together suffrage and onwards
www.womenworkingtogether.com.au 
Prejudice and Reason
www.prejudiceandreason.com.auT

A slogan for International Women's Day 2014? PENALISE - PENALISE - PENALISE

"What's on your mind?" Facebook asks each time I post.  Well, what's on my mind is the dreadful interview with a young-ish woman on ABC TV this morning.  The young-ish woman spoke about why women are not getting a fair go in the workplace and are not well represented in the higher management positions etc ad nauseam.

Picture below is from here

Let me declare my interest.  I am a 1970s-1980s feminist and to see what happens to even the most basic feminist traditions such as IWD makes me ill.

The young-ish woman enunciated a new version of failure to understand or act on the REAL problem by discussing how mentoring of women had failed but this new thing called sponsorship of women would be a huge success. 

What absolute garbage!!!  The problem no longer lies with women - except perhaps those women who are unable or unwilling to study and work hard to progress.  A lot of women prefer stasis to playing boy's games or suffering  under boys' bias.  

But let's take a look at what women can do.  Work hard? See Gail Kelly, CEO of Westpac.  Manage family responsibilities - even multiple births?  See Gail Kelly! Extend your education in a new direction? See Gail Kelly.  Improve the company's bottom line? See Gail Kelly.    

Gail Kelly is not alone in managing all this.  She is merely (?) the most public face of what a lot of women are doing, have done, and will continue to do.

In 1984 Australia legislated the Sex Discrimination Act which in recent years has been revised without doing what needs to be done.  Discrimination of any type can be difficult to prove.  Discrimination on the basis of gender is particularly difficult.  Penalties for such discrimination either at business/corporate level or the individual level have been, more often than not, the equivalent of being well and truly beaten with a feather duster.  

The problem, in the main, is no longer a problem of women and their abilities and education.  Women - generally speaking - have never been more well-educated, well-qualified, and able.  

The problem lies where it has always lain - with men.  The problem lies even in the second-highest office in the land - the Prime Minister's office. The problem lies, currently, in the civil discourse established by Australia's current prime minister to defeat one particular woman - but also women within his own party.  What is the punishment for the Prime Minister's vilification of women?  Success - that's what.  He got there.  His cronies got there.  The media he favoured got there.  

What will the young-ish woman do about that?  What will the ABC Breakfast Show do about that?  What will the Sex Discrimination Act do about that?  What will that joke of a government bureaucracy titled the Workplace Gender Equality Agency or EOWA do about that?

Men are rewarded with real status and meaningful incomes while women are given useless legislation, a very dim government bureaucracy, a lot of lip service.  

Saturday 8 March is International Women's Day.  Are you spending it in a meaningful way or just going to one of the frippery type events.  I suggest that there be a one word message for this year's IWD - PENALISE!

Sustain Ability Links

Beware of Australian mining corporations doing international business

Update - 3 July 2015

Still awaiting the High Court's decision. 

http://savethelowerzambezi.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/still-waiting-zambezi-resources-in.html?view=magazine 

Posted by No Mining in Lower Zambezi National Park on Thursday, 2 July 2015

My memories of the mighty Zambezi are simple.  

In 1985, following the UN Women's Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, 

I took a few days to visit Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  

During my stay, I walked across the bridge built by Cecil Rhodes 

across the Zambezi  

between what is, these days, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  

In Zambia, I found a quiet corner of the Zambezi. 

I sat down and put my feet in its waters

 and transported myself back in time 

to schoolgirl social studies lessons about the Zambezi.

This morning I read of this - mining in a national park, a national park of world significance.  As I read this, I am mindful of what the Liberal and National Parties are doing in relation to intrusive activities in national parks in Australia.  Full scale mining is not yet allowed.  However, the thin edge of the wedge has begun with the Victorian government allowing prospecting in Victorian national parks. 

Australia has a proud record with regard to national parks.  Our history closely follows on the heels of the first national parks in the USA. But, it seems, none of this matters a fig to political parties in Australia - except to some minor players such as The Greens.  There is a continual battle to keep uranium mining out of the much-prized Kakadu.  The Mirrar people have fought valiantly to keep uranium mining at bay and the fight continues to this day.

There is the amazing story of Djok Senior Traditional Owner Jeffrey Lee who could have enriched himself with his land entitlement but who gave the land to be incorporated into Kakadu to keep it safe from uranium mining. 

It appears that the fight to keep the national parks of Australia out of the clutches of miners will never be over.

All this needs to be borne in mind - particularly when Australian mining companies are doing business internationally.  Let me say it bluntly, governments need to be very wary - if not downright hostile - to Australian companies seeking to mine in their nations.  Their track record is poor - even from our biggest and brightest, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.

These major corporations cannot be trusted from A to B - let alone right through to Z.  And these are Australia's major mining corporations.  They attract significant talent and investment to their businesses.  If they prove careless and untrustworthy, how much more should lesser corporations be regarded?  How much red carpet should be rolled out for them? 

When mining corporations have denuded the natural heritage of a nation following the dreams of dollars of struggling economies, are the clean-ups and the litigation and the court cases really worth it?

Further reading
Ok Tedi environmental disaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bougainville Copper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Denying Accountability? Australia’s International Mining Shame by Jane Andrew
Oxfam - Mining
Mining: when will the scandals stop?
El Salvador suffers Australia's maleficent miners

Postscript

Lest people are tempted to accuse the writer of this post of being anti-mining. I am not.  I am currently living in my third Australian mining town.  I love each of these three towns dearly and they have been a formative part of my life.  

However, I have lived around mining companies long enough to understand their secrecy; to understand the cabal of support they attract from governments, civic and business leaders.  I know that if there is a choice between corporate interests and community interests, the corporate interest will be paramount.  

I believe in mining.  It has been part of the human condition for millenia.  Mining, in my view, is a part of the human condition and enterprise.

I believe that communities must be watchful in their own interest in regard to mining activities in their areas - particularly environmentally with regard to water and pollution of soil, air, and water.  

I believe that communities need to safeguard their health and not take the company word as the be all and end all of the story.  

I believe that communities have to demand more from their governments so that political leaders are not resorting to closed door deals, nods and winks with mining corporations.  

I believe that, in the end, human communities are more important than governments and corporations.  Their well-being must prevail.

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar - 2014-02-05

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar February 5, 2014 Rally: Defend our environment! No dredging in the Great Barrier Reef. Saturday, February 8, 12 noon. Our environment is under attack like never before with forests being logged, large mining companies profiteering off the destruction of bushland and wildlife being culled. Now the Coalition federal government has approved dumping nearly 3 million cubic metres of spoil in an area near the Great Barrier Reef marine park as part of the Abbot Point coal port expansion near Bowen. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. Film screening: John Pilger's 'Utopia' Thursday, February 27, 6:30pm. Examines the worsening oppression of Aboriginal people in Australia.  An epic production by the Emmy and Bafta winning film-maker and journalist John Pilger. Utopia is a vast region in northern Australia and home to the oldest human presence on earth. 'This film is a journey into that secret country,' says Pilger. 'It will describe not only the uniqueness of the first Australians, but their trail of tears and betrayal and resistance —  from one utopia to another.' See trailer here. (WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that the following program may contain images and voices of deceased persons.) Speakers: Vivian Malo (First Nations Liberation); Mick Bull (AMWU organiser who was involved in the 2010 union solidarity brigade that built a protest house in the Ampilatwatja community, a community that features in the film). Maritime Union of Australia Hall, 46–54 Ireland St, West Melbourne (2 min from North Melbourne station). Organised by Green Left Weekly & First Nations Liberation. Entry free, bookings essential. To book: ph 9639 8622 or visit http://www.trybooking.com/EFRC. 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. Ongoing Pickets against the East-West Tunnel take place on most weekday mornings. Join the campaign to stop the East-West Link. For more info txt 'tunnel' to 0432 447 036 to get picket locations via text message. Wednesday, February 5 Rally: For reproductive rights on the second day of parliament for 2014. We plan to show the LNP and Labor that we oppose the repeal of Section 8, and that we won’t have the Vic Liberals selling women’s abortion rights simply so they can stay in power until November. This demo has a double purpose: the anti-choice Helpers of God’s Precious Infants congregate at this very spot every day (all day!) parliament sits throughout the year. They also string their banner, depicting a cross for every foetus aborted since the first day of the year, on the fence outside Parliament House. This year, we plan to arrive first, so it’s us — the pro-choice majority — parliamentarians see as they head in to vote on laws that affect us. 7.30am. MP's carpark entrance, Parliament House, Macarthur St, opposite Women's Suffrage sculpture. Forum: What is the TPPA? Our government is negotiating an international agreement that could have a huge effect on the lives of ordinary people. It’s called the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), and it involves 12 Asian and Pacific-rim countries, including the United States. If it goes ahead, we risk damage to our innovative economy, our pristine environment, our health, and the ability to shape our own future. Speakers: Richard Denniss (executive director, Australia Institute); Deborah Gleeson (convenor, Political Economy of Health Special Interest Group of the Public Health Association of Australia); Angela Daly (2013 auDA Australian Internet Ambassador); Bob Phelps (executive director of Gene Ethics). Places unfortunately are limited so please reserve your free ticket via the ticketing system here: What is the TPPA? 6pm. 251 Queensberry St, Carlton South. AAWL public meeting: Women workers in Asia. 6pm. Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. Thursday, February 6 Moreland Campaign Against the East-West Tunnel (MCAT):  Special organising meeting.  To organise materials for our stalls this coming Saturday; to report back on plans for our community rally on March 30; and to plan how to build the rally. 6:30pm. Temple Park Senior Citizens Centre, Hodgson St, Brunswick. For more info call Sue Bolton on 0413 377 978. Friday, February 7 Rally: For LGBTIQ rights in Russia. Last year the Russian government introduced new laws banning ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations’. These laws essentially outlaw any positive mention of homosexuality. Putin is using these laws to deflect criticism away from his government, scapegoat minorities and cement power. Activists in Russia have called for people around the world to hold protests in front of Russia’s embassies and consulates on the day of the opening of the Olympic Games in Sochi. These Olympics will shine a spotlight not just on Russia and Putin but on the whole question of homophobia and LGBTIQ equality. 12 noon. Russia House, 114 Greeves St, Fitzroy. Organised by the Socialist Party. Rally: Australian and New Zealand march against the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement. 6pm. City Square, 44-86 Swanston St, City. For information about the TPP please visit this website:www.tppaustralia.org. Saturday, February 8 Rally: Defend our environment! No dredging in the Great Barrier Reef. Our environment is under attack like never before with forests being logged, large mining companies profiteering off the destruction of bushland and wildlife being culled. Now the Coalition federal government has approved dumping nearly 3 million cubic metres of spoil in an area near the Great Barrier Reef marine park as part of the Abbot Point coal port expansion near Bowen. 12pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. Public meeting: The origins of homophobia and the struggle for LGBTI liberation. What are the origins of homophobia in society? How is it maintained? How can we win real human liberation? 2pm. Resistance Centre, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). Organised by Socialist Alliance. For more info ph 9639 8622 or 0435 934 199. Sunday, February 9 Anatolian Peace & friendship festival. Live bands; traditional dances & foods; rides for children; art & craft stalls. 11am-6pm. Coburg Lake Reserve. Festival of the photocopier: Annual zine fair. Sticky Institute presents their annual zine fair, as part of the Festival of the Photocopier 2014. The event includes over 100 zine stalls, live music, the launch of this year's Feed the Animals fundraiser, and a guided tour of the fair by zine academic Dr Anna Polettil. 12-4pm. Melbourne Town Hall, cnr Swanston & Collins Sts, City. Full program atwww.stickyinstitute.com. Political Asylum: ABC Pty Ltd edition. Topical standup comedy. Now with commercial breaks! Featuring: Mathew Kenneally (MC), Toby Halligan, Stella Young, Dilruk Jayisuran, Tegan Marie Higginbotham & Nelly Thomas! 5:30pm. The Brunswick Green, 313 Sydney Rd, Brunswick. Sponsored by the Royal Australian Navy. $10/$5. Wednesday, February 12 Rally: Abortion speakout outside Geoff Shaw’s office. We don’t like Geoff Shaw’s right-wing bigotry or his corruption. And we don’t appreciate the support he gets from the Liberal Party generally, or the premier’s office specifically — such as the help he’s getting from Denis Napthine to draft his private member’s bill that will curb our right to access abortion. We say: Doctors and politicians can keep their morals to themselves. Our bodies, our right to decide! 12pm. Geoff Shaw’s office, 140 Young St, Frankston. Public meeting: Black and proud — racism in sport. On April 17, 1993, Indigenous AFL player Nicky Winmar raised his St Kilda jersey and pointed out the colour of his skin to the Collingwood fans that had taunted him throughout the match. That photograph, and his accompanying statement, 'I’m black and I’m proud to be black,' became an iconic moment in AFL history, forcing many in the sporting arena to analyse their attitude towards race. Author Gary Osmond assesses the legacy of this photograph in his book Black and Proud. Osmond examines what has changed, with a panel including Sean Gorman from the Centre for Aboriginal Studies, and host Angela Pippos. 6:15pm. The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale St, City. Thursday, February 13 Concert: Apology Day anniversary. Celebrate the anniversary of the apology to Australia’s Stolen Generations. Indigenous and non-Indigenous performers come together in a shared vision of unity for all Australians. Featuring: Blue King Brown; Archie Roach, Tim Rogers, Claire Bowditch, Christine Anu, Thelma Plumb, Horrorshow & Jimblah. 6-10pm. Sidney Myer Music Bowl, 21 Linlithgow Ave, City. Entry free. Friday, February 14 Rally: National Dingo Day. Rally to stop killing of dingoes and to ban the use of 1080 poison baits in Australia. 12 noon. State Parliament, Spring Street, City. Sustainable Living Festival’s great debate: Environmentalism is in denial. Are green groups are avoiding complete honesty about the extent to which climate change will affect human populations and other species? Do they lack the courage to tackle this giant challenge, fearing political isolation and the difficulty of the task of selling an unpalatable message to the public? Is the environment movement to blame for the inadequacy of the solutions currently being advocated? With video introduction by Bill McKibben. Speakers: Christine Milne, Clive Hamilton, Amanda McKenzie, Philip Sutton, Mark O'Connor and Drew Hutton. 7pm. Deakin Edge, Federation Square. $25/$20. Book tickets here. Saturday, February 15 Rally: Our wombs are not for sale, defend Section 8. We are opposed to the repeal of Section 8, or any rolling back of current Victorian abortion law (as touted by Geoff Shaw, and supported by the Liberal Party), and we want to make this loud and clear before a vote in parliament. We have heard that Geoff Shaw will try to introduce his Private Member’s Bill, repealing Section 8 of the Victorian abortion law (at the very least!), in one of the February sittings of parliament. This repeal means that if a doctor doesn’t 'believe in' abortion, they won’t have to refer women to doctors who will perform the procedure. They also won’t have to perform emergency abortions to save a woman’s life. 1pm. State Library, cnr Swanston & La Trobe Sts, City. Tuesday, February 18 Rally: Stop Napthine's silencing act. Speak up Victoria, while you still can! Oppose Napthine’s new draconian anti-right-to-protest laws! The government's new bill: (1) Removes protection for peaceful assembly; (2) Provides up to two years imprisonment for persons returning to a banned protest or picket; (3) Gives police and PSOs discretion to 'move on' protests. 10am. Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. March to Parliament House. For more info visit weareunion.org.au Wednesday, February 19 Book launch: A country too far. One of the most hotly debated and pressing moral issues in contemporary Australia surrounds the fate of asylum seekers. A new anthology of work from 27 of the nation’s finest writers examines all aspects of this complex topic. A Country Too Far features fiction, memoir, poetry and essays that provide an indispensable contribution to the national debate. 6:15pm. The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale St, City. This is a free event. Bookings are recommended. Friday, February 21 Fundraiser: Concert for the Tarkine. In 2014, is Australia the sort of country that puts an open-cut mine in a rainforest? It’s time to ramp up the Melbourne campaign to stop mining in the Tarkine. Come along to the launch of Save the Tarkine (Victoria) for a wonderful evening of music, and let us introduce you to the majesty of this remarkable place. Despite its world heritage significance, less than 5% of the Tarkine is protected as a national park and it is currently under attack from open-cut mining activity. 7pm. Thornbury Theatre, 859 High St, Thornbury. Saturday, February 22 Film screening: Dirty Wars.  Pre-DVD release screening for this award-winning documentary. Dirty Wars follows investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill, author of the international bestseller Blackwater, into the heart of America’s covert wars, from Afghanistan to Yemen, Somalia and beyond. 8:45pm. 106 Nicholson St, Coburg. Entry by donation (suggested: $15/$10) to raise money for the 2014 Swan Island Peace Convergence. NB: outdoor screening (BYO rugs, chairs, cushions). Saturday 22 February Concert: Almanac trail tour. In the summer of 1941, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lee Hays and Millard Lampell — The Almanac Singers — embarked on a tour, singing labour songs at union halls in many US cities and towns. Folksingers George Mann and Rik Palieri have just re-enacted that tour, singing the same songs in the same US cities and towns as the 1941 Almanac Singers and they have now released a CD entitled The Almanac Trail. George is now touring Australia, and this is a great opportunity to hear one of the great labour folksingers of our time. In Melbourne, the Victorian Trade Union Choir will perform with George and in Geelong, the Geelong Trades Hall Choir will perform. 7:30pm. Meeting Room 1, ground floor, Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. $10/$5. For more info ph Roger Smith 0438 302 061 or Jeannette Johanson 0400 004 427. Thursday, February 27 Film screening: 'Utopia', John Pilger’s film on Aboriginal Australia. Examines the worsening oppression of Aboriginal people in Australia.  An epic production by the Emmy and Bafta winning film-maker and journalist John Pilger. Utopia is a vast region in northern Australia and home to the oldest human presence on earth. 'This film is a journey into that secret country,' says Pilger. 'It will describe not only the uniqueness of the first Australians, but their trail of tears and betrayal and resistance —  from one utopia to another.' Trailer at: http://johnpilger.com/videos/utopia-trailer. (WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that the following program may contain images and voices of deceased persons.) Speakers: Vivian Malo (First Nations Liberation); Mick Bull (AMWU organiser who was involved in the 2010 union solidarity brigade that built a protest house in the Ampilatwatja community, a community that features in the film). 6:30pm. Maritime Union of Australia Hall, 46–54 Ireland St, West Melbourne (2 min from North Melbourne station). Organised by Green Left Weekly & First Nations Liberation. Entry free, bookings essential. To book: ph 9639 8622 or visithttp://www.trybooking.com/EFRC. Monday, March 3 Forum: Launch of Writers for Refugees. Join us for the launch of Writers for Refugees, a Melbourne-based group of writers, journalists and academics who are committed to standing up for refugee rights under the Abbott government. Speakers and readers include: Arnold Zable, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Abe Ape, Jeff Sparrow and Ali Alizadeh. 6pm. Bella Union Level 1, Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. Entry by gold coin donation. Saturday, March 8 Rally: Celebrate International Womens Day, protest for equal rights. Come out on International Women's Day and continue the fight for equality: demand equal pay; defend our right to abortion. 1pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. Initiated by the National Union of Students. Tuesday, February 18 Forum: 'We are one, but we are many'. Working towards a humane refugee policy. Speakers: Kon Karapanagiotidis (CEO & founder, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre); Vincent Long (auxiliary bishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne & Bishop for the Western Region; a former asylum seeker and refugee); Louise Newman (psychiatrist, Convenor of the Alliance of Health Professions for Asylum Seekers). 7:15pm. Geelong West Town Hall, 153 Pakington St, Geelong West. Organised by the Combined Refugee Action Group. For more info email CRAG. Supported by the City of Greater Geelong. Entry free. Supper provided. Friday, February 21 Red Cinema: Utopia — a film by John Pilger. (WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this program may contain images and voices of deceased persons.) One of the most extraordinary films about Australia. This is Utopia, an epic production by the Emmy and Bafta winning film-maker and journalist John Pilger. Utopia is a vast region in northern Australia and home to the oldest human presence on earth. 'This film is a journey into that secret country,' says Pilger. 'It will describe not only the uniqueness of the first Australians, but their trail of tears and betrayal and resistance —  from one utopia to another.' See trailer here. 6pm. Downstairs, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St, Geelong. Entry free. Presented by Socialist Alliance. For more info phone 5222 6900. Sunday, February 23 Concert: Almanac trail tour. In the summer of 1941, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lee Hays and Millard Lampell — The Almanac Singers — embarked on a tour, singing labour songs at union halls in many US cities and towns. Folksingers George Mann and Rik Palieri have just re-enacted that tour, singing the same songs in the same US cities and towns as the 1941 Almanac Singers and they have now released a CD entitled The Almanac Trail. George is now touring Australia, and this is a great opportunity to hear one of the great labour folksingers of our time. In Geelong, the Geelong Trades Hall Choir will perform with George. 7pm. MUA Hall, 4 Gheringhap St, Geelong. $10/$5. For more info ph Jeannette Johanson 0400 004 427. Saturday, March 22 ALBURY Rally: Equal Love. 1pm. QEII Square, 538 Dean St, Albury 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. Stop the East-West Link: Moreland Campaign Against the East-West Tunnel (MCAT) meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at the Temple Park Senior Citizens Centre, Hodgson St, Brunswick. For information contact Sue Bolton 0413 377 978; Michael Petit 0417 354 169; Riki Lane 0400 877 819. Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport (YCAT). For information on the campaign against the East-West Tunnel (pickets, meetings, info) visit YCAT. Recent articles from Green Left Weekly Victorian 'move on' laws to criminalise protesters Organic farmer Steve Marsh fights the GM monster Graffiti marks genocide on Australia Day How Australia steals East Timor's oil Check out Green Left TV: See Sea Shepherd's Jeff Hansen: Save the sharks! To subscribe to Green Left Weekly visit our secure online website for rates and payment or 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. Links: 'Socialism for the 21st century' Links is an online journal which seeks to provide a forum for open and constructive dialogue between active socialists from different political traditions. It seeks to bring together those in the international left who are opposed to neoliberal economic and social policies, and reject the bureaucratic model of 'socialism' that arose in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Inspired by the unfolding socialist revolution in Venezuela, Links is a journal for 'Socialism of the 21st Century' and the discussions and debates flowing from that powerful example of socialist renewal. How we can use the Transitional Program today: a response to Socialist Alternative Forging a new movement: NUMSA and the shift in South Africa's politics France: Activist pressure forces truce within Front de Gauche Spain: Si, se puede! ‘White tide’ defeats Madrid health privatisation plan Socialist Alliance: Broad, non-sectarian, activist 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 party, 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 or join us on Facebook. See our recent statements: Fight Abbott’s industrial secret police! Fight for land rights and justice for Aboriginal people Australia and other climate rogue states responsible for typhoon deaths 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. Moreland Socialists Moreland Socialists is open to anyone (even if you live outside the area) who wants to work constructively to support Socialist Alliance councillor Sue Bolton and use her position to build up a stronger activist left presence in Moreland. In general, we meet monthly 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. For news and opinion visit Sue's Moreland Report or Facebook.