Peace song - World Can't Wait - Jordan Page

Fenya --- A Christmas Truce from the Veterans for Peace UK

FENYA - CHRISTMAS TRUCE 

Anti-War Christmas single by Veterans For Peace UK and Firebrand Records

Posted by Veterans For Peace UK on Friday, 18 December 2015

Celebrating Humanity on Eureka Day, 2015 t Bakery Hill - St Paul's, 305 Humffray Street - 5.30 to 7pm - an afterwork venue

We are celebrating at Saint Paul's, Bakery Hill in #Ballarat this evening. To-day, December 3, is the day we celebrate...
Posted by Brigid O'Carroll Walsh on Wednesday, 2 December 2015

x

Move over, John Farnham : You're the Voice: Our Anthem from Women for climate action and hope for all

YOU'RE THE VOICE - an anthem from women for climate action and...

You're the Voice: Our Anthem from Women for climate action and hope for all. #LoveEarth #IMTHEVOICE Be inspired, sing with us, join us and use your voice to share it widely. www.voice.1millionwomen.com.au

Paul Joseph, Aquarius Songman - "Longtime Sunshine"

Vale Aquarius Songman. Sympathies to Graeme Dunstan and family. The song lives on.

My Aquarian brother Paul Joseph died yesterday morning. A media call alerted me. Paul had been critically ill for some...
Posted by Graeme Dunstan on Tuesday, 27 October 2015

Victorian Trades Hall Choir will be performing at #BallaratTradesHall - 7 November @ 7.30pm. Tix on sale now!

On Saturday 7th November at 7:30pm VTHC Choir will be performing 'I'll Be There' - songs and stories of solidarity. Tickets are on sale now for a fantastic night at the Hall. http://www.trybooking.com/IWNU
Posted by Ballarat Trades Hall on Wednesday, 23 September 2015

Kalumburu Kids - all of them - with Be Strong, Smart, Safe and Caring

Big thanks to Noelene Gration for posting this on LinkedIn.

Shane Howard stands on Solid Rock

An Open Letter to 'Reclaim Australia' 

It was brought to my attention that recent Reclaim Australia rallies had been...
Posted by Shane Howard on Thursday, 23 July 2015

Ballarat Friends of West Papua meet Thursday 9 July 6pm - Ballarat Trades Hall

West Papua is little more than a good swim away from northern Australia. 

It is the scene of a prolonged struggle for independence by its indigenous inhabitants. 

It is the scene of ethnic cleansing by the colonizing, power Indonesia. 

It is the scene of abhorrent practices by international mining corporations.

Please help in building friendships with the West Papuan people

under the flag of the Morning Star

Picture below from here

Ballarat Friends of West Papua  

Next meeting - Thursday 9th July at 6pm - Ballarat Trades Hall. 

All welcome and encouraged to attend.
Posted by Ballarat Trades Hall on Sunday, 5 July 2015

Picture below from here

The Billy-Lids Song : a project of the Grandmothers Against the Detention of Refugee Children - Melbourne Ports

Great song. See who you can recognise. To me, Margaret Roadnight's voice is instantly recognisable.Thanks to Brigid Walsh for introducing me to this group of Artists.
Posted by Denis Wilson on Tuesday, 23 June 2015

And there is another interesting site for the song here

TREATY YEAR! BE WATCHING #NITV TONIGHT AS JEFF MCMULLEN LEADS AN ALL FEMALE PANEL

The Redfern Community Centre in Sydney brought straight to your living room. 

Don't miss this important discussion about #Treaty.Opinion Piece | NITV (Ch 34) 7.30PM
Posted by NITV on Thursday, 26 March 2015

Treaty, yeah! Change the last letter and remove the punctuation

and it could read 

TREATY YEAR. 

Much discussion is about Recognise and hats off to those involved. However, the Recognise campaign is putting the cart before the horse in a major way. 

Because the Abbott Government are actively promoting this it becomes, on reflection, evidence that Recognise may not be a positive thing ---- but a palm off. You see, what needs to happen and what, so it seems, our politicians refuse to deal with is the question of ‪#‎Sovereignty‬.

Our governments, ourselves - new and old settlers - need to acknowledge that we stole land from people who were sovereign self-governing nations. And how do sovereign self-governing nations settle their affairs - particularly after wars of which there were plenty in the whitefella's time even up to modern times? They sit down and discuss a treaty. 

This has never happened on this country, in this country. 

There can only be true, honest and clear recognition in Australia's constitution after treaty and all the discussion and actions that go with it. So please let us postpone the ‪#‎Recognition‬ effort and put our energies, intellects, and fellow-felling into a Treaty process. 

It will take a long time - particularly if we use Aboriginal methodology. And what is Aboriginal methodology? It means sitting down with, speaking with, every one who needs to be spoken with. The talking takes as long as it needs to take. It's not a rushed whitefella meeting with a limited agenda, time allocated to each bullet point, and an ayes and nays vote which can sometimes, even in white society, result in some people feeling left out, gob-smacked, puzzled and dissatisfied. It certainly would not be carried out in the fashion as both Lib Nat and Labor Governments conducted discussions with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory regarding the NT Intervention. 

So get out the Yothu Yindi music and go for it 

#War, #Peace, and #Poppies

Another cross-posting from Advocacy @ St Paul's

Picture below from here

To-day is Remembrance Day in Australia. At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the nation falls silent for two minutes. Red poppies are in lapels and in the laid wreaths at shrines, cenotaphs and memorials across the country. Red poppies are massed against the names of the war dead at the Australian War Memorial in the national capital, Canberra.

There are news reports to-day that the print media reporting on Remembrance Day is muted compared to that of previous years.  Why is this so?  Is this because Australia is immersing itself in military action at this time in the Middle East?

If we mute our response to Remembrance Day and its memory of "the war to end all wars", is it time to ask the penetrating questions?

• Do we put the same financial, acquisitive, organisational, and human effort into waging peace as we do to waging war?  

• Are we prepared to stand up and say to our government that we want it to pay as much attention to training for peace, preparedness for peace, arming for peace, strengthening the ramparts of peace as we do for training for war, preparing for war, arming for war, strengthening the ramparts of war?

One of the most interesting bodies of literary work in English in the 20th century is the "Testament" series by Vera Brittain - Testament of Youth, Testament of Friendship, Testament of Experience. The experience/s that impacted Brittain's life in World War 1 made her a lifelong pacifist and fighter for peace.  Between the two world wars, she was active in the establishment and the promotion of the League of Nations. She also became a member of the Peace Pledge Union and its offshoot, the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship. The secretary of the Australian chapter of the latter, is Bishop Philip Huggins.

The Peace Pledge Union is notable for its White Poppy campaign.  Many people in Britain wear two poppies - the red for remembrance, the white for peace.

Listen to the song in honour of Vera Brittain

written by Sue Gilmurray

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar - 2014-10-10

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar October 10, 2014 Public meeting: Stopping the East West Link Thursday, October 9, 7pm. Join Moreland Community against the East West Link (MCAT) for a public meeting on the campaign. Speakers: Andrew Herrington (author of East West Link blog and former advisor to the Brumby government); Sue Bolton (a co-convenor of MCAT, Socialist Alliance Councillor for Moreland); Mike Naismith (Tunnel Picket), Lambros Tapinos (mayor of Moreland). 7pm. Coburg Court House, 1A Main St, Coburg. Organised by MCAT. For more info contact Riki 0400 877 819, Michael 0417 354 169 or Sue 0413 377 978.Save Film screening: The Runner Friday, October 10, 6pm. The story of Western Sahara athlete Salah Hmatou Ameidan who became a symbol of the resistance of his country under Moroccan occupation since 1975. 97 mins. 6pm (for 6:30pm start). New Council Chambers, Trades Hall, Lygon St, Carlton South. $15 solidarity, $12 full, $8 concession. Presented by Australia Western Sahara Association. For info visit AWSA. Public meeting: Housing is a human right Thursday, October 16, 6:30pm. Speakers: Donna Bennett (Hope St Youth & Family Services); Fiona Ross (Friends of Public Housing); Sean Brockelhurst (Socialist Alliance); MC: Sue Bolton  (Socialist Alliance councillor for Moreland). 6:30pm. Old Court House, 1A Main St, Coburg (near Bell St). Presented by Socialist Alliance. For more info ph 9639 8622 or 0413 377 978. (PLEASE NOTE: This is the correct date.) 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. Thursday, October 9 Public meeting: Stopping the East West Link. Join Moreland Community against the East West Link (MCAT) for a public meeting on the campaign. Speakers: Andrew Herrington (author of East West Link blog and former advisor to the Brumby government); Sue Bolton (a co-convenor of MCAT, Socialist Alliance Councillor for Moreland); Mike Naismith (Tunnel Picket), Lambros Tapinos (mayor or Moreland). 7pm. Coburg Court House, 1A Main St, Coburg. Organised by MCAT. For more info contact Riki 0400 877 819, Michael 0417 354 169 or Sue 0413 377 978. Friday, October 10 Film screening: The Runner. The story of Western Sahara athlete Salah Hmatou Ameidan who became a symbol of the resistance of his country under Moroccan occupation since 1975. 97 mins. 6pm (for 6:30pm start). New Council Chambers, Trades Hall, Lygon St, Carlton South. $15 solidarity, $12 full, $8 concession. Presented by Australia Western Sahara Association. For info visit AWSA. Concert: Murru: 10 Songs of Freedom for John Pat. A musical tribute to John Pat, a young Yindjibarndi man who died in custody 30 years ago, sparking a royal commission and shining a spotlight on the increasing rates of Indigenous incarceration in our country. Featuring: Big hART, Archie Roach, Lucky Oceans, Emma Donovan, John Bennett and more. 7:30pm. Federation Square, cnr Swanston & Flinders Sts, City. For more info visit Melbourne Festival. Saturday, October 11 Rally: Support reproductive rights. Every year bigots take to the streets, led by Liberal MP Bernie Finn. to protest against our hard-won right to access abortion. These bigots want to see abortion outlawed, a move which would undoubtedly see women die. They want to silence and shame us for exercising our right to choose what happens to our own bodies. 1pm. State Parliament, Spring St, City. Rally: Protest the first anniversary of 'Operation Sovereign Borders'. No tow-backs! No offshore or onshore detention! Process asylum claims for permanent visas! Scrap 'Operation Sovereign Borders'! 2pm. State Library, City. Organised by the Refugee Action Collective. Film screening: Nobody's Child: Waiting to go home. The inspiring and moving  story of five survivors of the Stolen Generations who grew up in children's homes in the Whitehorse area. Jack, Helen, John, Karen and Sharon share memories of the places they, as removed Aboriginal children, called home, of friendships forged as well as the challenges they face as adults. (52 min). 3pm. Yarran Dheran Info Centre, Mitcham (Mel 49 B6). For info ph 9719 7661 or 0409 519 829. Fundraiser: Dinner for Lex Wotton speaking tour. This three-course dinner will cater for varied tastes including meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans, and gluten free. The event will feature a special performance by Ezekiel Ox, entertainer, singer/song writer and founding member of Musicians Against Police Violence. $40 solidarity, $25 waged, $15 unwaged. Bookings essential; to book email Sean Pickard. 7pm. Solidarity Salon, 580 Sydney Rd, Brunswick. Organised by Indigenous Social Justice Association. Wednesday, October 15 2014 transport election: We demand our say! Pro-public transport groups discuss plans for action in the lead-up the state election and beyond. 6pm. Multicultural Hub, Elizabeth St, City. Public meeting: Climate change: Risks & opportunities.  Speakers: Rob Gell (Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society & former TV presenter); David Karoly (University of Melbourne climate scientist), Kirsty Albion (Australian Youth Climate Coalition, via video); Jennifer Lauber Patterson (Yarra Energy/Frontier Carbon). 7:30pm. Brighton Secondary College, 120 Marriage Road, Brighton East. RSVP:Eventbrite. Gold coin donation at the door. Presented by Bayside Climate Change Action Group and Brighton Secondary College  Facebook event Thursday, October 16 Rally: Say no to $100,000 degrees. October 16 marks the first day of the senate inquiry into the Abbott government's budget. Students and young people are some of the worst hit by the budget and we have been protesting all year to stop its passage. 1pm. Bowen Lane, RMIT University (just behind Swanston St). Organised by National Union of Students. Rally & stop work:  Keep Community Health healthy. Your local Community Health Centre plays an essential role in Victoria’s healthcare system, taking the pressure of the over-worked hospital system. The centres urgently need an injection of funding to continue to provide essential services to communities across the state. Support your local Community Health professionals in their campaign to keep Community Health Centers healthy. 1:30pm. Parliament House, Spring St, City. Public meeting: Housing is a human right. Speakers: Donna Bennett (Hope St Youth & Family Services); Fiona Ross (Friends of Public Housing); Sean Brockelhurst (Socialist Alliance); MC: Sue Bolton  (Socialist Alliance councillor for Moreland). 6:30pm. Old Court House, 1A Main St, Coburg (near Bell St). Presented by Socialist Alliance. For more info ph 9639 8622 or 0413 377 978. (PLEASE NOTE: This is the correct date.) Friday, October 17 Concert: Outright. Melb LP launch, Free World, Old Love, Vicious Cycle, Aggressor. Celebrating the release of their new socially conscious LP Avalanche, Outright are heading out on tour and sharing the party with some special friends. Come and be a part of something real and inclusive, something meaningful, and most importantly, fun. 8pm. Bendigo Hotel, 125 Johnston St, Collingwood. Saturday, October 18 New International Bookshop one-day fair. 10am-4pm. NIBS, 54 Victoria St, Carlton. All books $1or $2 + bulk bargains. Rally: Reclaim the night 2014. 7pm. Protest violence and harassment against women. Brunswick Town Hall, Sydney Rd, Brunswick. All welcome. Sunday, October 19 Rally: Stop Abbott's attacks on Muslims. No to the anti-terror laws, no to attacks on civil liberties. 1pm.State Library  City. Rally: Free Cannabis Victoria 420 Picnic. Bring your glass, your goodies, munchies, friends and most importantly a smile! Meet like minded people and get even more like minded. 2-6pm. Flagstaff Gardens, 309-311 William St, City. Monday, October 20 Forum: The new era of climate activism.  Speakers: David Spratt (author & climate activist), Paul Gilding (author), Mark Wakeham (Environment Victoria). 6:30pm. RMIT University, Building 80, Theatre 80.02.007, 445 Swanston St, City. Entry free. Please register your attendance online at Breakthrough. Presented by Environment Victoria and Sustainable Living Foundation. Public meeting: Invasion to federation, Indigenous peoples, convicts & empire. Speakers: Henry Reynolds, Anna Clark (co-author History Wars). Panel discussion follows featuring Clare Land & Tony Moore. 7:30pm. Unitarian Peace Memorial Church, 110 Grey St, East Melbourne. Presented by the ANZAC Centenary Peace Coalition. To book visit Peace Forum. Wednesday, October 22 Protest: Fluro Fightback. Rally to fight against casualisation and insecure work. 8:30am. Southern Cross Station, City. Organised by NUW. Forum: A night with the Pacific Climate Warriors. Australia's fossil fuels are destroying the Pacific.RMIT Cinema, Level 1, Room 002, 445 Swanston St, City. For more info visit Pacific Warriors. Thursday, October 23 Rally: National Day of Support for Ms Dhu and to Stop Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.  Julieka Dhu was a  22-year-old Yamatji Woman who died in police custody in WA on August 4 this year. 12:30pm. Old GPO, cnr Bourke & Elizabeth Sts, City. Organised by Indigenous Social Justice Association and First Nations Liberation.  Saturday, October 25 Rally: Walk Together. A celebration of diversity to present a picture to our leaders and media of the Australia that is possible, an Australia that recognises in its public debate, media conversation and legislation that we are all common people with common dreams, equally deserving of freedom, fairness, opportunity to contribute, welcome and belonging. 1pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. The walk will end at Treasury Gardens. Friday, October 31  Concert: Les Thomas. Performance by the Melbourne singer-songwriter and activist who follows in the same tradition as Joe Hill and Woody Guthrie. His songs are pointed and passionate, addressing matters both personal and political. 8pm. Some Velvet Morning, 123 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill. For more info visit Les Thomas Music. Saturday, November 8 Rally: Equal Love Marriage Equality. 1pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. Saturday, November 15 Rally: Stop the East-West Link! Rip up the contracts! Invest in public transport! 1pm. Flinders St Station, City. December 2 - 13, 2014 2014 Australian solidarity tour to Venezuela will be a unique an opportunity to observe first-hand, learn about and be inspired by a grassroots movement that is transforming not only Venezuela, but all of Latin America, and is challenging the greed and destructiveness of global capitalism by showing that a better world is possible. The registration deadline is October 3, 2014. For more info visit Venezuela Solidarity. Thursday, October 9 BENDIGO  Rally: Save jobs at La Trobe Uni. A group of La Trobe University students in Bendigo will hold a protest next week to express their concern for impending staff cuts. Protest organiser Natasha Joyce said she hoped about 100 students from different departments would attend the demonstration. 11am. La Trobe University, Bendigo campus. For more info see Bendigo Advertiser. Saturday, October 25 GEELONG Rally: Walk Together. A celebration of diversity to present a picture to our leaders and media of the Australia that is possible, an Australia that recognises in its public debate, media conversation and legislation that we are all common people with common dreams, equally deserving of freedom, fairness, opportunity to contribute, welcome and belonging. 1pm. The Pulse, 68-70 Little Ryrie St, Geelong. Walk to Johnstone Park, 28 Gheringhap St. Wednesday, October 29 GEELONG Trivia night: Socialist Alliance Election campaign fundraiser. Support Sarah Hathway for Geelong! 6:30pm. Downstairs, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St, Geelong. For more info ph 5222 6900. Saturday, November 1 ALBURY Rally: Rainbow Pride Day. A peaceful walk down Dean Street showing off your rainbow colours, a gathering in QEII Square featuring speakers, music, performers and stalls and a BBQ. Dean Street, Albury. Australian West Papua Association (AWPA). Struggles against the Indonesian occupation of West Papua and against environmental destruction and resource theft. For info 9510 2193 or email AWPA. 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. 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 or go to Facebook. Yarra Campaign for Action on Transport (YCAT). For information on the campaign against the East-West Tunnel (pickets, meetings, info) visit YCAT. Timor Sea Justice Campaign. For info visit TSJC, email Tom Clarke or ph 0422 545 763. Recent articles from Green Left Weekly Glenn Greenwald: Abbott exploits terrorism to seize new powers Civil rights lawyer: Terror raids are 'political theatre' Kobane: Heroic defence resists ‘Islamic State’ assault Climate vs capitalism -- Klein's five key lessons for the left Check out Green Left TV: See Ten years of campaigning for marriage equality in Australia 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. Venezuela: Chavista leader Robert Serra assassinated in likely right-wing terror attack Eyewitness Hong Kong: The 'Umbrella Revolution' unfurls Kobanê: Heroic defence resists ‘Islamic State’ assault; 'Kobanê will be a grave for IS' India: Eyewitness account, images of Kolkata’s huge movement for gender justice 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: Socialist Alliance: Solidarity with Rojava revolution! West prefers IS killers to humane, pro-woman, democratic revolution Socialist Alliance: No Australian military involvement in Iraq We are all Muslim. Defend civil liberties! 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. Resistance Bookshop Christianity, Islam and Atheism: Reflections on religion, society and politics Indian-born and Catholic-educated, author Michael Cooke migrated to Australia in his teens. He moved away from religion and towards the political left. In this stimulating new work he focuses on issues where religion intersects with the secular society. He engages variously with the Catholic George Pell and the Muslim Waleed Aly. He also takes issue with Richard Dawkins and the so-called ‘New Athesists’. 124pp, $15. Available from Resistance Bookshop, Level 5, 407 Swanston St, City or online from Resistance Books.

The Mingling Waters Music Festival at Nowa Nowa in East Gippsland - 18, 19 January 2014

This post has been taken from Cam Walker's marvellous blog, Mountain Journal

From the organisers:

Mingling Waters Music Festival is a small, grass-roots, high quality, well-organised, community-focused, family-friendly music event, supporting local artists and business, promoting Nowa Nowa as a special place to visit.

We plan to bring new and interesting artists in from the wider community.

We aim to create a scene that brings people together to talk, listen, play, and dance and celebrate together, in a beautiful natural environment!

It is a high priority to pay and look after all the participating artists as best we can.

We hope to do well enough to donate to two local charities, The East Gippsland Rail Trail and Melon’s Cottage.

There will be a small market, including food stalls, a bar, workshops, children’s activities and FINE MUSIC!

Check here for details on the artists.

Check here for details on tickets, accommodation, etc.

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar - 2013-09-25

. Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar September 25, 2013 Socialist Alliance Grand Final party Saturday, September 28, from 12 noon (kick off is at 2:30pm). Being an AFL fan is not a prerequisite to come along and enjoy some great company, home fired pizzas, competitions, prizes (oh . . . and the game, of course!).  1 Gilbert St, Coburg. A short walk from Coburg station, just off Reynard/Berry Streets. RSVP for catering purposes to 0400 320 602 or email Susan Price. Rally: 30 years but still no justice! Stop Aboriginal deaths in custody! Saturday, September 28, 12 noon.  Remember John Pat and the hundreds who have died in custody since! State Library of Victoria, 328 Swanston St, City. Organised by Indigenous Social Justice Association. Red Cinema: AZADI: Oppression, detention, asylum, hope, faith, freedom Thursday, October 10, 7pm (meal from 6pm). Every year, thousands of people set sail for Australian shores seeking asylum, seeking protection, seeking freedom. Azadi follows the plight of an Afghani schoolteacher and his asthmatic son, who escape their oppressive homeland only to encounter another kind of persecution upon arrival in Australia. This short film will be introduced by a refugee activist. Afterwards there will be time for a discussion of the refugee policies of the Abbott government afterwards.$10/$6. Resistance Centre, level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT).  For more info ph 9639 8622. Rally: March against Monsanto Saturday, October 12, 2pm. Part of an international day of action. We are marching for: labelling on GM food; long-term health testing of GM food; a halt to GM food approvals; the right to save seeds; sustainable agriculture; transparency and accountability. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. 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 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, September 25 Film screening: The Chikukwa Project. World premiere. Documentary tells the story of an amazing permaculture project which has been working in Zimbabwe for 22 years. Where once the 7000 people of the Chikukwa villages suffered hunger and malnutrition, this community has turned its fortunes around using permaculture farming techniques. Now they have an abundance of food and their degraded landscape has been turned into a lush paradise. Doors open 7pm (for 7:30pm start). CERES Environment Park, cnr Roberts & Stewart Sts, Brunswick East. $20/$15. Thursday, September 26- Saturday, October 5 Comedy: Hunter Smith: Apprentice heterosexual. As a happy gay man, Hunter Smith has become increasingly frustrated by the offensive advice offered up by anti-gay groups to people hoping to 'convert' gay to straight.  What better way to highlight their outrageous advice than to put their tips into practice. Full-time. Join Hunter as he teams up with the Church of Intolerance and becomes the apprentice heterosexual.  9:30pm (Sun 8:30pm). To book visit Melbourne Fringe. Thursday, September 26 Public meeting: Frank Moorhouse on the dark conundrum, a citizen’s guide to ASIO. Award-winning novelist Frank Moorhouse examines the shrouded world of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. 12:45-1:15pm. The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale St, City. This is a free event. Bookings are not required. Saturday, September 28 Rally: Thirty years but still no justice! National day of action to stop Aboriginal deaths in custody.Remember John Pat and the hundreds who have died in custody since! 12pm. State Library of Victoria, 328 Swanston St, City. Organised by Indigenous Social Justice Association. Socialist Alliance Grand Final party. Being an AFL fan is not a prerequisite to come along and enjoy some great company, home fired pizzas, competitions, prizes (oh . . . and the game, of course!). From 12pm (kick off is at 2.30pm) 1 Gilbert St, Coburg. A short walk from Coburg station, just off Reynard/Berry Streets. RSVP for catering purposes to 0400 320 602 or email Susan Price. Sunday, September 29 Fundraiser: Left after breakfast legendary listeners lunch. Every listener counts at 3CR, every listener is a legend, and we’ll be having lunch with some well-known legendary listeners. Come and join us, then you get to have lunch with them too! 12:30pm. Ecocentre, Blessington St, St Kilda. A fundraiser for 3CR. $15 conc, $20 waged & $25 for families. (Special concessions available, just ask.) For more info visit Left After Breakfast. Fundraiser: James Connolly Association. Fundraiser for Northern Ireland prisoners and their families. Come along for the craic, Derry Lad, Marty Kelly will be playing some fine rebel tunes. 12pm. The Celtic Club, cnr Queen & La Trobe Sts, City. Public meeting: No Maccas in Tecoma Chicago report back. We have told our story to the world. Its time to regroup and re energise our campaign! hear from our Chicago delegates; legal and union updates; new actions, ideas and events. 3pm. Upwey Community Hall, 1443 Burwood Hwy, Upwey Fundraiser: Friends of the Earth Sunday Sessions. Friends of the Earth Cafe is hosting a rollicking Sunday arvo of beautiful melodies with some of Melbourne's top musicians, songwriters and producers. Friends of the Earth is the world's largest grass roots network, and with an Abbott government, the Melbourne branch needs your support more than ever, to keep fighting to protect the environment. 4pm. FoE, 312 Smith St, Collingwood.  Monday, September 30 Book Launch: Singing Johnny Cash in the Cardiac Ward. A personal story of heart disease and music by John 'Togs' Tognolini. 'The trouble with heart disease is that the first symptom is often hard to deal with — sudden death.' (Dr Michael Phelps) This is a serious attempt to raise awareness about heart disease that kills one Australian every 23 minutes. This book is also a story about music and my relationship with it through 25 years of broadcasting radio. 6:30pm. The Post Office Hotel, 229-231 Sydney Rd, Coburg. Monday, September 30-Tuesday, October 1 The Victorian Trade Union Choir: I'll be there: Songs and stories of solidarity. Created and produced by choir members with award-winning playwright Rebecca Lister and musical director Michael Roper, over an hour of songs and stories gathered from the rich history of the trade union and labour movements and the Victorian Trade Union Choir. 7:30pm. La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St, Carlton. $25/$15. Bookings: La Mama or at the door or ph La Mama 9347 6142. Tuesday, October 1 Comedy: Political Asylum. The satirical wordsmiths from the Political Asylum comedy room return to the Fringe Club for a fifth straight year! Featuring: Mathew Kenneally (Fringe Best Comedy Winner alumni); Stella Young (as seen on ABC's Q&A); Nelly Thomas; Geraldine Hickey; Jon Brooks; Ben Pobjie; Grand Master Rod Quantock (rubber chicken aficionado) and Gypsy Wood (The Gypsy Wood Show). 9.30pm. North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry St  North Melbourne. Entry free. Thursday, October 3 Public meeting: The true story of a people smuggler. The true story of why one man fled Saddam Hussein's regime to become both a refugee and a people smuggler. Speaker: Robin De Crespigny (author of The People Smuggler). 6:30pm. Fitzroy Town Hall, 201 Napier St, Fitzroy. Entry by gold coin donation. Organised by Refugee Action Collective. Public meeting: We won't be silenced! Pro-Palestine activists speakout Speakers: Professor Emeritus Stuart Rees (Director, Sydney Peace Foundation at the University of Sydney); Naomi Farmer (Max Brenner 19); Nada Breik (Palestinian activist, Students for Palestine). 6:30pm. Kaleide Theatre, RMIT, Building 8, 360 Swanston St, City. Entry by donation. Organised by Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid and Students for Palestine. Saturday, October 5 Fundraiser: The Dave O'Neil Spectacular Tecoma 8 Fundraiser. A night of side-splitting laughs as Dave tests your Maccas knowledge with a hilarious quiz (with awesome prizes) followed by his fabulous stand up. Live music by local Blin Vanheems. Food and drinks available for purchase. All proceeds go to the legal fund for the Tecoma 8. $20/$15. Tickets available from Fatspace in Tecoma, Beggars Boutique in Upwey, online via Defend the Tecoma 8 or by calling 0488 619 444. 7pm. Burrinja, 351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey. Sunday, October 6 Fundraiser: Earthworker benefit gig. Come down to the Gasometer to see some sweet bands & raise some moolah for the Earthworker Co-operative — working our way out of the climate crisis by creating jobs in co-operative renewable energy! Featuring: Anna Smyrk & the Appetites; Mick Thomas; Glitter Rats; Heaps Tuff; Apollo Apples. 7pm. The Gasometer Hotel, 484 Smith St, Collingwood. Thursday, October 10 Red Cinema: AZADI: Oppression Detention Asylum Hope Faith Freedom. Every year, thousands of people set sail for Australian shores seeking asylum, seeking protection, seeking freedom. Azadi follows the plight of an Afghani schoolteacher and his asthmatic son, who escape their oppressive homeland only to encounter another kind of persecution upon arrival in Australia. 7pm (cheap meal from 6pm). Resistance Centre, level 5, 407 Swanston St, City (opposite RMIT). $10/$6. This short film will be introduced by a refugee activist. There will be time for a Q&A on the policies of the Abbott government afterwards. For more info ph 9639 8622. 3CR Film Fundraiser: Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer. Five women wearing brightly coloured balaclavas rushed the altar of a Moscow Russian Orthodox Cathedral with microphones, speakers and a guitar and launched into a 'punk prayer' in protest against Vladimir Putin's 'excessive nationalism'. Come to the 3CR film fundraiser and get the real story of what happened next. 6:30pm. Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon St, Carlton. $22/$18. To book visit 3CR. Saturday, October 12 Rally: March against Monsanto. Part of an international day of action. We are marching for: labelling on GM food; long-term health testing of GM food; a halt to GM food approvals; the right to save seeds; sustainable agriculture; transparency and accountability. 2pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. Rally: Protect abortion rights! Don't wait for Abbott to take away our right to choose! On October 12, anti-choice bigots are holding their ‘March for the Babies’, which begins at Treasury Gardens and ends at Parliament House so we are holding a counter-rally on the steps of Parliament House. 12:30pm. State Parliament, Spring St, City. Saturday, October 12- Sunday, October 13 Conference: Psychology for a Safe Climate. How can psychology and the social sciences help us face the reality of climate change? This conference will bring together researchers, practitioners and writers in psychology and the social sciences to examine these issues. The conference will include presentations and networking opportunities, including a dinner on Saturday evening. Community Room, Edinburgh Gardens, North Fitzroy.  Saturday October 12: 9:30am-5:30pm, and Sunday October 13: 10am-3pm. Dinner on Saturday evening at nearby restaurant. Haskins, The North Fitzroy Arms. To book visit Conference (please book by October 6). Thursday, October 17 Public meeting: Henry Reynolds on the 'Forgotten War'. Australia is dotted with memorials to soldiers who fought in wars overseas. Why are there no official memorials or commemorations of the wars that were fought on Australian soil between Aborigines and white colonists? Why is it more controversial to talk about the frontier wars now than it was 100 years ago? 12:45–1:15pm. The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale St, City. This is a free event. Bookings are not required. Friday, October 18 Rally: Every worker counts. Join us in the Fluro Fightback. Stand up for workers trapped in insecure work during Anti-Poverty Week. 8am. Southern Cross Station. For more info visit Jobs you can count on. Saturday, October 19 AAWL open day: A day in solidarity. Meeting and workshop to discuss strategies and future directions in AAWL. Come along and find out more about our campaigns, our organising strategies, and help us build and plan for the next year. 11am-4pm. Fitzroy Library, 128 Moor St, Fitzroy. Rally: Reclaim the Night Melbourne 2013. We will march together calling for justice and full funding of support services for survivors. We call for an end to gender inequalities — the underlying cause of violence against women. We stand together to demand our basic human right to safety and the right to participate in society to the fullest extent, free from harassment, discrimination and violence. 7pm. Brunswick Town Hall, 233 Sydney Rd, Brunswick. Friday, October 25 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 fund-raiser for RISE (Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees). 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. Rally: Equal marriage rights now. 1pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. Wednesday, December 4-Saturday, December 13 Venezuela Solidarity Brigade: Participatory democracy, solidarity & socialism. Witness a people's revolution in the making. The Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network's 14th solidarity brigade to Venezuela this December is a very special opportunity to observe, learn about and be inspired by the Bolivarian revolution that is transforming Latin America and challenging the greed, exploitation and destructiveness of global capitalism by showing that a better world is possible. Bookings close October 1. For bookings or info visit AVSN. 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. For more info ph 9639 8622. Sunday, September 22- Thursday, September 26 Swan Island Peace Convergence 2013. For the fourth year in a row, peace activists are returning to the Swan Island Military Base in Queenscliff Victoria for a week of non-violently resisting the Afghan War and Australia’s role in it through peaceful direct action. Swan Island Military base is a key training facility for the SAS who continue to fight and kill in Afghanistan in Australia’s name. Many of us feel powerless in the face of an unjust war, but this is our chance to get alongside our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan, and learn how we can help and raise our voices. Queenscliff. For more info visit Swan Island. Saturday, October 12 Albury-Wodonga Rally: Equal love now. Speakers: Virginia Mansel Lees (president, National Tertiary Education Union, Victorian Division); Paige Phoenix (transgendered performer); Father Peter (St. Matthew's Church); Stephanie Meachen (Equal Love activist). 1pm. QEII Square, 538 Dean St, Albury. MAPW fundraiser: Another dazzling evening with music from jazz to Gilbert & Sullivan. 7:30pm. Keith Humble Centre, Geelong College, cnr Aphrasia St & Claremont Ave, Geelong. For more info & tickets contact Medical Association for the Prevention of War. 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. Recent articles from Green Left Weekly Abbott’s war on the environment The fight for free information Defqon.1 death shows insanity of war on drugs LA uproar as US denies Venezuelan leader air passage Check out Green Left TV: See Rape Culture, Misogyny and the Fight Against Women's Oppression 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. Syria: West's hypocritical war drive slowed Ecuador: Some observations on the controversary over oil development in Yasuní-ITT Pakistan 'anti-terrorism' court jails left-wing activists for 10 years for protesting Who really benefits from sweatshops? 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: Don't agonise, organise against Abbott's agenda Take back the wealth: Five reasonsto nationalise the mines Climate emergency 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. 2013 © Green Left Weekly Melbourne | PO Box 12427, A'Beckett St, Victoria 8006