Drumming
For my Australian readers' benefit "drumming" is the word I will use in place of the word campaigning. I am trying to drum up support for men of colour all over the world, and in particular for the much maligned African-American man.
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Should an environmental and social impact study be carried out before Australia signs any treaty coming out of the Uruguay Round of the GATT "free trade" agreements? This idea was raised by Greenpeace Australia spokesperson Noni
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MOSCOW — Following on its suppression of the parliament-sponsored newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the regime of President Boris Yeltsin on October 4 suspended publication of a long series of opposition journals. At the same
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The war against democracy, which replaced the cold war, had a notable success in Moscow this week. The promoters of the totalitarian "market" accelerated their assault on the lives of millions of ordinary people with the
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MOSCOW — The full-scale military attack on the White House (October 4), ordered by Yeltsin, and taking a terrible toll of some 500 deaths, is by all accounts the opening chapter of a dictatorship along the lines that
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Cargo cult Is Sydney 2000 the ultimate in cargo cults? You can feel (and hear) the anticipation that riches and honours will fall out of the sky on us — when the only assured reality so far is a 2 or 3 billion dollar bill and a lowering of the
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The Wilderness Society has concluded a peaceful blockade of forestry operations in compartment 1402 of the Nalbaugh State Forest. The blockade followed a denial by State Forests Inc (formerly the Forestry
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A woman's right to choose when, if and how to have children is at the core of the women's movement. And yet increasingly, as concern grows about the scarcity of resources and the poverty here in the US and in Third World
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Transport plan for Melbourne northern suburbsMELBOURNE — A draft plan for public transport in the northern suburbs prepared by the Upgrade Upfield Coordinating Committee is a response to "the prevailing view of both
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Troops beat demonstrators outside parliamentMOSCOW — Protesters against the coup d'etat by Boris Yeltsin suffered vicious beatings on the night of September 28, as club-wielding police drove them away from the building
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BRISBANE — Sydney lesbian and gay rights activist Cath Phillips was guest speaker at the annual general meeting of the Gay and Lesbian Welfare Association here on September 23rd. Much of the theoretical basis for her talk,
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Unions plan struggle to defend wagesMOSCOW — Defying heavy government pressure, Russia's main union body went ahead on September 28 with a conference that had been intended to map out a campaign of
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CANBERRA — More than 600 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders arrived at Boomanulla Oval in south Canberra on September 26 for a three-day conference aimed at formulating a national response to the High
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Academic defends group named as cultHow free should academics be to lend the authority of their positions to doctrines which have not been subject to academic evaluation? The question arises in regard to the group Kenja,
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MOSCOW — A group of Russian academics and political activists has called for the formation of a new bloc of democratic opposition to the regime of President Boris Yeltsin. A statement released by the group begins by
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Democrats arrested, beatenMOSCOW — Three leaders of the Party of Labour were arrested and savagely beaten as the regime of Boris Yeltsin moved to suppress the democratic opposition. Around 11 p.m. on October 3,
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After the onslaught on parliament Yeltsin is in a formal position of absolute power, as all other major political players at the centre are either dissolved, suspended or banned. The phoney elections in December are
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Victorian mining bill a disasterMELBOURNE — Mining legislation introduced into the Victorian parliament by the state government last month disregards environmental safeguards and could lead to disastrous and
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Great original concept! — A recent addition to the Sydney Morning Herald's pink guide is a column entitled "Radio Highlights". It seems the concept behind the SMH's RH column is to inform readers about particular radio programs of particular
News
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Compensation sought for wrongful jailingBRISBANE — Kelvin Condren, who was jailed for seven years for murder, despite confessions by another man that he committed the crime, is claiming more than $1 million in compensation
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MELBOURNE — Some 30,000 people took to the streets of Melbourne on October 6 in what is probably the last anti-Kennett mass rally called by Trades Hall. The demonstration was the high point of Trades Hall's "week of action".
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Cuban doctor speaksBRISBANE — Cuba's unique and revolutionary health care system has faced the challenge of the recent polyneuropathy epidemic — affecting the eyesight of many citizens — by mobilising the country's
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Business maths "Although the details are secret, it is believed [Comalco] uses more than one-quarter of [Tasmania's] power production and provides about 12% of the state Hydro-Electric Commission's revenue." — Bulletin, October 5. Catching
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International workers conferenceMELBOURNE — Twenty-five international guests and 110 Australian-resident workers attended a conference entitled "Workers Change the World" between September 29 and October 3. The
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Rainforest banner a winnerMELBOURNE — Thirty activists from the Boycott Mitsubishi Coalition leafleted the National Basketball League's finals at Flinders Park on October 1. The action was part of the campaign at events
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MELBOURNE — The feminist Belladonna Collective is campaigning for the establishment of a women's director position on the Swinburne University Students Union, but misogynist student politicians have been
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Adelaide rally against racismADELAIDE — As a response to the racist backlash against the High Court decision on native title, a new alliance called People Against Racism (PAR) held a rally on October 1 outside the offices of
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Inside Indonesia turns ten The tenth anniversary of the important Australian publication Inside Indonesia was celebrated in Melbourne on October 3 with the release of issue number 36. The celebration was held together with the opening of an
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ADELAIDE — Around 80 people gathered on the steps of Parliament House on October 2 to protest against Indonesia's occupation of East Timor and demand the release of resistance leader Xanana Gusmao. The demonstration was part of a weekend of
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BRISBANE — The Boycott Mitsubishi Campaign continued on Friday, October 1, as the Rainforest Information Centre, Environmental Youth Alliance and other rainforest activists gathered at Boondal Entertainment Centre for the Mitsubishi-sponsored
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Police blasted for Aidex violence The Commonwealth ombudsman has condemned as "inexcusable" the methods used by Australian Federal Police against protesters during the Aidex demonstration in Canberra in November 1991. A report released by
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In the next few weeks Environmental Youth Alliance activists in cities around Australia will be protesting against the increasing pollution of the environment under the banner "People Against Pollution". The greenhouse
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Socialists announce candidatesADELAIDE — The Democratic Socialists have announced two candidates for the next South Australian elections. A major point in their platform will be greater democracy and the involvement of
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Melbourne — A leaked government report, which was suppressed by both Labor and Liberal state governments, declares Mobil's Williamstown facilities and its controversial expansion plans unsafe. The report, released on
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Workers protest compo cutsMELBOURNE — A rally was held to protest the against changes to workers compensation introduced since last November as part of Victorian Trades Hall Council's week of action against the Kennett
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Good turnout for GLW dinner ADELAIDE — One hundred and seventy people packed into the Eastwood Community Centre for the annual 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly dinner on September 24. Guests were treated to an array of Indonesian and African food, and heard
Analysis
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Ho-hum for the republic Ignoring calls from Prime Minister Paul Keating for an unemotional and non-inflammatory debate on the prospects for a republic as the findings of the government's Republic Advisory Committee were handing down on October
World
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The United States is deploying further troops and armour to Somalia after 12 US troops were killed, and at least one captured, in its October 3-4 attack on Hawiye clan leader, Mohammed Aideed. The attack killed an estimated 500
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The war against the majority This statement was issued by the "North-South Dialogue" sponsored by the World Federation of Democratic Youth in New Delhi, September 22-23. Although the cold war between the USA and the USSR may have finished,
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A convoy of trucks from Britain carrying tonnes of goods and spreading a message of international solidarity has passed through Slovenia on its way to Tuzla in Bosnia. The convoy left the Timex factory in Dundee on August 9. The trucks were sent
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Several Philippine left groups are holding exploratory talks aimed at assessing the possibility of establishing an ongoing united front formation. The talks, which began on September 28, involve the components of Peoples Challenge,
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Sri Lankan workers are suffering badly under the free market policies of the United National Party government, which has ruled the country since 1977. Anton Marcus, joint secretary of the Industrial, Transport and General Workers
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Solidarity theme of North-South dialogueNEW DELHI — A round-table discussion on "North-South dialogue: youth perspectives" was held here September 22-23. Organised by the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), the
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PNG agrees to Bougainville peace talksA military stalemate on Bougainville and mounting international pressure have forced the Papua New Guinea government to announce that it will open Bougainville to independent observers
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JOHANNESBURG — "Anglo American are telling the outside world that there is no apartheid in their company, and that they are opposed to the apartheid system. That is not true. There is a lot of apartheid in this company."
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Plot to assassinate ANC youth leaderSouth African police have uncovered a plot by white right-wingers to murder the president of the African National Congress Youth League, Peter Mokaba. The police, however, have refused to
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The government of Swaziland is reported to be using drought relief aid to lure voters to register under a widely rejected system of elections. Swaziland has had a democracy drought for 20 years after the traditionalist
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Egyptian trials a travesty, says Amnesty Mass trials of civilians in military courts in Egypt are grossly unfair, and many of those being tried have reportedly been tortured to extract confessions, said Amnesty International on September
Culture
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By Bergen O'Brien SYDNEY — "When I paint I am free. My heart bonds with my mind which gives me an eye so keen and a hand so steady — paints a true statement of beauty so totally free", writes Bud Lansdale, an Aboriginal artist, from Long Bay
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Ethan Frome Directed by John Madden At the Kino, Melbourne, from late October Reviewed by Peter Boyle Forbidden passion seems to be a sexy topic among independent and art house cinemas these days — or perhaps it always was. John
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After the Fall By Arthur Miller Directed by Elin O'Connell New Theatre, Newtown (Sydney) Friday-Sunday until November 13 Reviewed by Allen Myers It's hard to find words sufficiently superlative to describe the New Theatre's After the
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Mabo made understandable Mabo — its meaning for Australia A Community Aid Abroad Background Report 30 pp. $8 (plus $2 for postage and packaging) Reviewed by Lachlan Anderson Community Aid Abroad recently released a compilation of
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Shooting at the Moon Shooting at the Moon: Peace Workers in Cambodia Tell Their Stories A photographic exhibition at the Sydney Town Hall October 9-16 and from October 18 in Canberra at Old Parliament House. Heide Smith's photographs
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Breaking the normsADELAIDE — Two short plays by David Paul Jobling, The grip and Grown-up's playroom, were performed together at the Space Theatre from September 21 to 25. The grip, previously performed at the South
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The view from Tralfamadore Fates Worse Than Death — An Autobiographical Collage of the 1980s By Kurt Vonnegut Vintage, 1992. 240 pp. $12.95 Reviewed by Dave Riley Once upon a time artists were people; that is, they were for the
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How Australia won the OlympicsAt 4.20 a.m. on September 24, the secretary of the International Olympic Committee announced that Australia had won the right to host the year 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. It can now be
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Youth Cultural DissentPERTH — For a young person, trying to escape the mainstream culture thrust upon us, is difficult. Now Cultural Dissent has given us a chance to express our own music, literature, poetry, film and
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Emotions so powerful you can taste them Like Water for Chocolate A film by Alfonso Arau Reviewed by Elle Morrell In Mexico, hot chocolate is made with water, not milk. One brings the water to a boil and then adds the cocoa. When someone
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The Wisdom of the Elders By Peter Knudtson and David Suzuki Sydney: Allen and Unwin. 232pp. $19.95. Reviewed by Dave Riley Human history is part of natural history. Human beings arose via their interactions with nature. Human society
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Seizing the nightBRISBANE — Green it Up! presented a special event on September 16. Nineteen women performers demonstrated their talents for an audience of more than 100 people. A mixture of poetry, storytelling and