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Whose 'shame'?

BY RALF SCHARRMAN DARWIN — "Shame — our shame" — these March 7 words, used to describe the behaviour of Aboriginal people by the Northen Territory minister for indigenous affairs, John Ah Kit, in the NT Parliament, have sparked debate in the

Pro-refugee activists step up campaign

BY BILL MASON BRISBANE — On April 4, immigration minister Philip Ruddock named the Meeandah Army Stores site at Pinkenba as the preferred site for a new 200-bed refugee prison. Although he initially claimed the new site would only house

and ain't i a woman?: Sexism and anorexia

Sexism and anorexia “I want to be thin. I want my cheeks to sink and my bones to stick out. I want my skin to sit over my bones like cling-wrap on clay, mimicking every shape. I want to be thinnest... And I want it now.” I wrote

Message from the World Social Forum

Dear friends of the second Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference, the Brazilian organising committee of the World Social Forum wishes that the Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference will succeed in what it is proposing,

CUBA: 'A better world is possible!'

BY FIDEL CASTRO [The following is the text of the speech made by the Cuban President Fidel Castro on March 21 at the International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey, Mexico.] Not everyone here will share my thoughts.

Free the refugees!

BY SEAN VICKERY, GABRIELLE YATES & EMA CORRO The events at Woomera during the Easter weekend have inspired refugees' rights protests across Australia. In Brisbane 40 protesters gathered on the morning of March 30 outside the immigration department

More Ruddock distortions

BY SARAH STEPHEN In a March 30 media conference condemning protesters at Woomera detention centre, immigration minister Philip Ruddock asserted: "The bulk of the detention population in Australia today are not refugees", instead calling them

Palestinians mobilise for justice

BY GRAHAM MATTHEWS MELBOURNE — In a demonstration aimed at "breaking the silence" over Israel's murderous aggression against the Palestinian people, more than 1000 Palestinians and their supporters massed on the steps of Victoria's parliament on

EAST TIMOR: Testing time for East Timor

BY JON LAND Two-and-a half years after East Timor's referendum on independence, the effect of the Indonesian military and militia's post-ballot destructive rampage are painfully apparent. Burnt out shells of buildings stand dotted around the

Building global solidarity

BY MAX LANE The following speech was the opening presentation to the final plenary session of the Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference held in Sydney, March 29-April 1. Max Lane is a member of the national executive of the Democratic

Freedom for Palestine!

1200 join Palestine rally PERTH — About 1200 people attended a rally in Forrest Place on April 6 to protest Israel's war on the Palestinian people. Speakers at the rally included students from the Australian Islamic College, Anthony Benbow from

Woomera and beyond

Woomera and beyond The Easter protest at the Woomera immigration detention centre successfully highlighted the brutality of the Australian government's policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers. It has added momentum to the