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CUBA: Market democracy and fragmented freedom

BY GABRIEL MOLINA HAVANA — A dispatch from the EFE news agency in July confirmed that a new method of producing the UN report on human development has resulted in Cuba being placed "among the world's least democratic countries, comparable with

Student guild approves refugee referendum

BY AMIE HAMILTON PERTH — On September 17, the University of Western Australia Student Guild decided at a special council meeting to hold a referendum on October 22 on whether or not UWA should be declared a refugee safe-haven. The Student

Bush's coming war on Iraq is a war on us all

[The following statement was issued by the national executive of the Socialist Alliance on September 18.] We are approaching the moment when the richest country in the world, with the most powerful armed forces and most destructive arsenal

Refugee activist stands for parliament

BY STEVE CILIA MELBOURNE — The September 16 meeting of the Socialist Alliance's Melbourne branch preselected long-term anti-racist campaigner Arun Pradhan as its candidate for the seat of Melbourne in the next state election. Pradhan

Trade union-backed coalition opposes war

BY DARREN JIGGINS HOBART — Three hundred people participated in a rally demanding “No war on Iraq” on September 21. The rally was organised by Peace Coalition, which met for the first time on September 15. Speakers at the rally included

Sydney Social Forum calls for WTO protests

BY PIP HINMAN SYDNEY — Against the backdrop of a looming US-led war on Iraq, some 300 activists participated in the first Sydney Social Forum on September 20-21. The SSF hosted 65 workshops and six feature panels. Topics discussed included

Anatomy of a corporate media beat up

BY SUE BULL MELBOURNE — Readers of the September 14 Age newspaper may have thought they were about to get a real inside story when they saw the front-page teaser: "Craig Johnston: The Making of a Middle Class Revolutionary". But they would

Western suburbs refugee group launched

MELBOURNE — Fifty people crammed into Hendersons Cafe to launch the West Welcomes Refugees postcard campaign on September 21. The postcards, designed by Viv Mehes and featuring students from Footscray City College, allow Western suburbs

Battle for union democracy hits elections, courts

BY STUART MARTIN MELBOURNE — As the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union's Victorian branch approaches a round of organiser elections, the court case on democracy in the union has continued another week without a decision being made as to who