At dawn on August 20, the offices of Kurdish groups in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne were raided by Australian Federal Police and state police. Police alleged the groups were linked to the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which struggles for self-determination for the oppressed Kurdish minority in Turkey.
The PKK was listed as a 鈥渢errorist organisation鈥 by the Australian government in 2005. Kurdish leaders in Melbourne, along with the association鈥檚 lawyer Chris Ryan, questioned the timing of the raid, coming as it did the day before the federal election.
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Peru鈥檚 Amazonian indigenous people have announced the creation of their own political party and will contest the presidential elections in April 2011.
The indigenous people clashed with Peruvian President Alan Garcia鈥檚 government in 2009 to defend their ancestral lands in the largest indigenous uprising in recent history.
Just three days after the federal election, with the result still in the balance, the Refugee Action Coalition held a protest outside the Sydney law courts in support of a High Court case that is challenging the legality of off-shore processing of asylum seekers.
If the case fails, there will be no further legal barrier to deporting refugees currently held in detention centres.
Safe Climate Perth has called a strategy meeting to plan a grassroots campaign against the new coal-fired power stations approved by the state Liberal government.
The campaign will also take up other proposed developments such as a suggested new coal mine at Margaret River, which has already sparked a dynamic community campaign.
Safe Climate campaigner Kamala Emanuel told 麻豆传媒 Weekly: 鈥淲e are planning a campaign that can win.
鈥淭he first step to getting to a safe climate future is to stop the increase in emissions of greenhouse pollution from new coal power stations.
The death of Lance-Corporal Jared Mackinney in Oruzgan province in Afghanistan on August 25 brought the death toll of Australian soldiers to 21 鈥 10 of whom have died since June. Mackinney was the third Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan in four days.
Rather than giving us the government we deserve, the August 21 federal election delivered an outcome the two old parties deserved.
Because both Labor and the Coalition focused on negative campaigning, sloganeering and scapegoating refugees and other minorities, a large number of voters decided to vote for alternatives with some vision.
A hung parliament with the Greens holding the balance of power in the Senate was only a partial reflection of this growing disenchantment with the two-party system.
Barb Shaw, a well-known Aboriginal activist from Alice Springs鈥 town camps who has campaigned tirelessly against the Northern Territory intervention, doubled the Greens鈥 vote in the huge NT seat of Lingiari. The result damages the government鈥檚 claim that Aboriginal people support the intervention.
The intervention imposes a series of discriminatory measures against Aboriginal people in remote communities. It was launched by the Howard Coalition government in August 2007 and has been extended under Labor.
By denying both the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the the Liberal-National coalition an outright majority in primary votes and in House of Representatives seats, Australian electors voted 鈥渘either of the above鈥 for the traditional parties of government.
This followed an election campaign in which the major parties conducted an ugly race to the right, most notoriously by scapegoating the few thousand desperate refugees who attempt to get to Australia on boats.
Unexpectedly, it seems to me, a great opportunity for social change has emerged. This might seem strange, with another neo-fascist on the verge of becoming Australian Prime Minister. However remember that real change comes from widespread social participation, over longer periods.
Socialist Alliance launch their campaign for the Federal seat of Gellibrand at Maribyrnong Detention Centre with candidate Ben Courtice and Senate candidate Margarita Windisch.
Rally in perth on August 14 as part of a national day of action for equal marriage rights and ending homophobia. In Australia it is illegal for same sex couples to get married. Both the labor and liberal parties have voted against amendments to make it legal for same sex marriage. Features speakers from the greens and the sex party amongst others.
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