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Solidarity toast hails Venezuela revolution

Bill Mason, Brisbane Chants of "Viva Venezuela", and "Viva Chavez" accompanied a toast to the Venezuelan revolution at the Activist Centre on April 16. The evening featured screenings of Tommy Goes Caracas, about the solidarity visit by Scottish

VENEZUELA: Visit to Women's Bank project

Katrina Heckendorf, Puerto Ordaz The third Global Encounter in Solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution, held April 13 16, provided foreign participants with an opportunity to learn about local social projects. In the south-eastern city of Puerto

BRITAIN: Students stop deportations

Teachers, students and trade unionists have got together to launch a declaration against the deportation of young people and children from Britain, following the success of several spontaneous student protests. In October, when 15-year-old Lorin

SCOTLAND: 'Make capitalism history'

Alex Miller On April 18 in Glasgow, the Scottish Socialist Party launched its 57-page manifesto for the British general election, scheduled for May 5, with a pledge to build the mass movement against global capitalism. The manifesto states: "The

Socialist Alliance reaffirms opposition to rail closure

Daniel Gregory, Sydney The April 16 NSW state conference of the Socialist Alliance reaffirmed its policy of opposition to the planned closure of the Newcastle Rail line. The conference unanimously adopted a resolution put by Newcastle Socialist

Ratzinger: the Rottweiler as Pope

Barry Healy The election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI spells the end of the hope that the Catholic Church may become more liberal. Catholic progressives look back longingly on the era initiated by the 1965 Vatican II Council,

Calls for a NSW union defence coalition

Susan Price, Sydney Since PM John Howard came to power in 1996, many successful coalitions against injustice have formed — for refugee rights, against the war on Iraq, in opposition to Australia's theft of East Timor's oil, for gay and lesbian

All unions must protest Howard's attacks

Sue Bolton, Melbourne Since the re-election of Prime Minister John Howard's Coalition government there has been a debate in the union movement about how best to respond to Howard's plan to crack down on the right of workers to organise in unions.

Staff stage strike at Ballarat University

Sue Bull, Ballarat If the Howard government thinks it can pick off workers in regional Australia, then staff at the University of Ballarat showed on April 19 that the government may be in for a fight. Four campuses had picket lines and the fifth

Socialists plan fightback against Howard

Graham Matthews, Sydney "Building the fightback against Howard's agenda" was the theme of the Socialist Alliance's NSW state conference held at the Newton Neighbourhood Centre on April 16. Ninety members and supporters of the Socialist Alliance

Is blood thicker than water?

Two BrothersBy Hannie RaysonMelbourne Theatre CompanyWith Gary McDonald, Nicholas Eadie, Laura Lattuada, Diane Craig, Rodney AfifAt the PlayhouseUntil May 14 REVIEW BY VANNESSA HEARMAN What do two brothers do when they can't stand each other's

Generations of Resistance celebrated

Bill Mason, Brisbane Representatives of the old and new generations of Resistance members combined to celebrate the Brisbane launch on April 16 of a new book on the history of Australia's longest existing socialist youth organisation —