As the Monsoon season draws near, post-earthquake recovery in Indonesia is increasingly urgent.

Indonesian Solidarity and Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA invite Australian artists to use their talents to make a real difference.

ARTQUAKE: An art auction fundraiser at Eastside Arts, Paddington, 7 October 2006.

In December '05, six anti-war activist friends made the 3,000 km long trek through the Austalian Outback to the secret Pine Gap NSA Base near Alice Springs in the Northern Terrirory. They transported themselves in a van converted to run on recyled fish and chip oil. They had written to a number outback fish and chip shops and asked them to save them their used oil, some did! The six also wrote to the Australian Minister of Defence Phillip Ruddock and told him they were going to carry out a citizen's inspection of the joint facility hi tech base providing targetting information for U.S. bombing raids in Iraq. The Defense Minister wrote back threatening seven years imprisonment if they carried out the inspection. They also wrote to the head of Alice Springs police and informed him they would inspect the base on December 9th. 2005. In response police, both Commonwealth and State, were mobilised from several states, to secure the base and stop the six accessing one of the most secure military sites in Australia.

John Howard and Industry want to expand the Nuclear Industry in Oz. Protest his report November 14

Stand up for a Nuclear Free Australia

On June 6 John Howard appointed a task force to review uranium mining, processing and nuclear energy in Australia headed by ex Telstra CEO Ziggy Switkowski. The inquiry would seem to be little more than a Trojan horse for the Government and Industry.

The Howard Government is raising the sceptre of nuclear power plants and generating fear in the community. This is simply political game playing. Ian Lowe, emeritus professor of science at Griffith University and president of the Australian Conservation Foundation stated in a recent interview that he suspects that "when the inquiry concludes that Nuclear power plants will only happen if there were massive government subsidies, people will be so relieved that we aren’t having nuclear power stations that they will be more accepting of an expansion of uranium exports, and possibly more accepting of the argument that we should put public money into enriching uranium on the grounds that this produces a value-added product. Then, of course, the government will run the argument, as they have sotto voce for a few years, that as a massive uranium exporter we have a moral responsibility to accept the waste back".

4TH LATIN AMERICA SOLIDARITY CONFERENCE
VENEZUELA, CUBA & THE REBELLION IN THE AMERICAS
 Although US imperialism today is immensely powerful, it is facing some severe challenges.

Unable to subjugate the people of Iraq despite a brutal invasion and occupation, the US empire also faces a continent-wide rebellion against neo-liberal capitalism in its own "backyard" Latin America.
SAT 30 SEPTEMBER
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY
Speakers include: Nelson Davila - charge de affaires, Venezuelan Embassy, Nelida Hernades - Cuban Consul, Sylvia Hale - Greens MLC, Keysar Trad - Islamic Friendship Association, John Cleary -ETU and more!

Police drug sniffer dogs and lies

Police drug sniffer dogs operate to catch commercially motivated suppliers of drugs. They cut drug use, promote drug harm minimisation, and there are safeguards in the legislation to protect the unnecessary collection of personal data of those that are innocent. It is cost-effective, and it makes the public feel safer. Where a false sniffs occur, it’s because people have been in the immediate vicinity of people who have been smoking cannabis. Lies, lies, lies – all lies.

The long awaited NSW Ombudsman’s Review of the Police Powers (Drug Detection Dogs) Act 2001 [1] was made public on September 14.

The aim of the legislation was to crack down on the suppliers of illegal drugs.[2] However, the Report concludes that the drug dog regime has failed.

The use of drug dogs on the streets of NSW led to “unprecedented community interest”[3] and has been taken up by the Greens and the NSW Council for Civil Liberties as key civil rights issue. During the campaign against the use of sniffer dogs, the Council and Redfern Legal Centre received significant media attention when they set up a free mobile telephone text-messaging service designed to alert subscribers to the presence of sniffer dogs.

Although one of the stated reasons for the legislation was catching drug dealers, the Report says that “the use of drug detection dogs has proven to be an ineffective tool for detecting drug dealers. Overwhelmingly, the use of drug detection dogs has led to public searches of individuals in which no drugs were found, or to the detection of (mostly young) adults in possession of very small amounts of cannabis for personal use.”

Media Statement

20-9-06

Mayoral Election: Greens Succeed in Implementing Inclusive Sharing Program on Randwick City Council

Last night Greens Councillor Murray Matson was re-elected Deputy Mayor at Randwick City Council's annual Mayoral election meeting.

Left Wing Labor Councillor Paul Tracey was elected unanimously as Mayor by Green, Labor, Liberal and Independent Councillors.

Cr Tracey's uncontested election became inevitable after the Green Councillors stated publicly several months ago that they would back him. (http://www.randwickbotanygreens.org.au/)

The Greens decision was consistent with the inclusive sharing policy adopted by the Randwick-Botany Greens in 2004 as a way of sharing the mayorship amongst the three political parties represented on the Council.

the Cross-Campus Concessions Coalition (CCCC) to request you to help us in our campaign to get transport concessions in the state of NSW.

International students in the states of NSW and Victoria are not granted transport concessions. However, after SUPRA's (Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association) victory against the Ministry of Transport earlier this year (http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/... ), the campaign to get transport concessions for International students in NSW has been the biggest ever. The CCCC has been working day in and day out so that International students are treated equally as their local counterparts in this state and country.

Firstly, I would like to thank-you for the concern you have shown and the support we inmates are receiving from your organisation. (Inmate Emu Plains Prison.)

Hi Friends,

The campaign to return all day visits to Emu Plains women’s prison has achieved its first objective.

Last weekend an invitation was given for “interested parties” including prisoner and visitor representatives to join management on a Visits Committee. Also a Visits Survey was distributed asking for ratings 0-10 on 7 issues including length of visit.

Today we have written to the Minister and the General Manager of Emu Plains congratulating them for their actions.

The University of Sydney has released a report from the Young People on Community Orders Health Survey. NSW Young People on Community Orders Health Survey 2003-2006: Key Findings Report. Dianna Kenny, Paul Nelson, Tony Butler, Chris Lennings, Mark Allerton & Una Champion.

From: "Paul Nelson" Paul.Nelson@djj.nsw.gov.au

The YPoCOHS interviewed and assessed 800 young offenders serving community-based orders in NSW. Led by A/Prof Dianna Kenny, the research was a joint partnership between the NSW Department of Juvenile Justice, Justice Health, and The University of Sydney, supported by a Linkage Grant from the Australian Research Council. It is the first comprehensive profile of the wide-ranging physical and mental health needs of young people serving community based orders, who form the majority of young offenders.

JA put to the workshop that we had a responsibility to get it right and that if our support doubled the number of people in jail or mothers away from their families it was wrong to give it. The workshop ended with Karen Nicholson's comments. JA handed out the Emu Plains leaflets and asked for support in that campaign for the women prisoners who included those from the ACT.

By Justice Action

Hi Friends,

This is the Justice Action report of Day 2 of the ACTCOSS biennial 2006 conference. The conference ran for two days over 17 and 18 August 2006. It was called: Lifting the Chill: Rights and Reform in a Cold Climate.

Singapore has banned 20 NGO delegates, and some NGO organisations from attending the IMF/World Bank meeting during the week of September 14-20, despite these people having formal invitations from the IMF/World Bank. The Singapore Government has announced a hardline policy against outdoor protests during the meeting of the IMF and World Bank.

"Civil society groups worldwide have reacted angrily to the Singaporean government’s ban on up to 20 delegates who plan to attend Bank/Fund annual meetings there next week." said a statement from Friends of the Earth International.

NGOs have also condemned Singapore for applying pressure on the administration of neighbouring Batam, Indonesia, where a major civil society conference will be held. Following an international outcry, Indonesian officials confirmed the conference in Batam can go ahead.

"Singapore is showing its dark side. One that does not respect civil rights, one that treats people like children," said Walden Bello, executive director of the Focus on the Global South, and one of the individuals banned by Singapore from attending along with his organisation, as Space for Dissent Narrows on Eve of Bank/IMF Meet.

Call for Global Actions Against IMF/World Bank |
Activists to mount global protests versus IMF-WB

More Information:

• Target: WTO
• Focus on the Global South
• Jubilee South
• Mobilization for Global Justice
• FOEI: Trade, Environment and Sustainability campaign
• Melbourne IMC Anti-corporate features

Stop Bush! Stop APEC!

Protests planned

11 Sept 2006. For immediate release.

The Stop the War Coalition has announced plans for broadly based protest actions when George Bush and other APEC leaders meet in Sydney next September.

“John Howard has announced that there will be a public holiday next year during the APEC leaders meeting,” said Stop the War Coalition member Alex Bainbridge.

“His real plan is to lock down the city so that protesters can be contained,” said Bainbridge.

“Howard and Bush have to meet behind giant security barriers and an army of riot police because their anti-people, anti-environment agenda does not have popular support,” said Bainbridge.

The Hon. PETER BREEN [5.19 p.m.]: I take this opportunity to bring to the attention of the House the difficulties faced by prisoners in New South Wales as a result of staff shortages and inadequate funding. New South Wales has an incarceration rate per head of population double that of Victoria because we lack the imagination to devise diversionary programs and the political will to help our prisoners recover their lives. The prison population has been increasing at around 400 prisoners annually, which means that we need to build one gaol each year just to keep pace with the increase. Needless to say, we cannot afford capital works on such a scale so we make cuts elsewhere in order to cope with the expanding prison population. Inevitably, it is the prisoners who bear the brunt of cuts, with more lockdowns, fewer education and training programs, and tighter restrictions on out-of-cell activities.

via - http://www.linux.org.au/ 

As the sun rises on the third annual Software Freedom Day (Saturday 16 September) 15 teams around Australia are set to celebrate in style. This is more teams than any other country in the world and with over 70 countries participating and 180 teams, that's no small achievement. All around the world these teams are in the final planning stages of their Software Freedom Day activities, so look for an event near you to drop in.

"The explosion of wikis and blogging has added greatly to a shared sense of connection between organisers this year." said Pia Waugh, President of Software Freedom International.

"You just need to Google the blogosphere to get a taste of the growing excitement across the planet. From Kenya, to Canada, to Malaysia, users, enthusiasts and supporters will be out in force sharing what they know and giving away goodies such as Free Software."

Waugh goes on to say "we really feel that Software Freedom is a celebration of the core values of our entire community, and the average person is also starting to understand why Software Freedom is as important as our other basic freedoms and human rights."

Events in Australia are being staged everywhere from Darwin to Devonport, Tasmania, and range in size from a simple bbq lunch, through to what is essentially a one day conference on the importance of Software Freedom.

For more information about events that may be in your area, please visit http://www.softwarefreedomday.org/teams/oceania/au

A loose collective of organised and spontaneous artists are coming to Sydney to present a four day DIY exhibition entitled WAKING TWO in late September.

The costs of exhibiting and lack of opportunities for unknown and young artists are common barriers that stop the vital process of making art and then sharing it. This exhibition is fuelled with the fire of DIY, having an idea and just figuring out a way to make it happen and doing it.

With the success of WAKING, an exhibition of 16 artists in a Melbournian wharehouse in July, we have decided to push this thing further. Take another step. Or a few. Thousand steps. and come up to Sydney to share art with you.

This is an arts funding free event, happening completely on the fly with the change that we have in our pockets, because we believe in sharing art with other humans. And we believe in the exhibition process of a reason to create, getting feedback and pushing an idea further. A reason. A momentum.

Our aim with waking two, is to emulate what we presented in melbourne - an exhibition of many artists creating what they need to create, tied together with a common thread of the word 'waking' and whatever that means to them. To emulate the vibe of our first exhibition, grounded, beautiful, dynamic, supportive and exciting, But taking it a step further.

Waking up out of our waking, and having courage to create what we need to. All artists will be presenting new work made specifically for Waking Two. Some will follow on what they started in the first show and others change their direction and try new things. Mediums include drawing, painting photography, transfers, sculpture, installation, word, sound, and performance.

The exhibition opens on Thursday 21 September at Wolf Manor, a three storey terrace house in Surry Hills (located at 289 Riley Street), from 5pm until 8p. All artwork will be for sale and at very affordable. Own art, it enrichs yours daily living.