Abcmelb's Blog

Upcoming Events

Anarchist Black Cross Cafe
Date and Time:
Sun, 26/07/2009 – 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Location:
Barricade Books, 62 St Georges Rd, Northcote
Website:
http://barricade.org.au/

Come along to an afternoon of letter writing to political prisoners. Some information and addresses of current prisoners will be available along with delish vegan cake, cups of tea and coffee. Feel free to bring along pens, plain paper, postcards, stamps and all ya friends! Presented by Barricade books Anarchist Infoshop living at Melbourne Anarchist Resource Centre (MARC) 62 St Georges Rd, Northcote.

Thursday 5th March, 6pm,
The Centre for the Human Rights of Imprisoned People and the Federation of Community Legal Centres are hosting a public lecture by Phil Scraton from Northern Island on the Violence and Violations of Imprisonment, on Thursday 5th March, 6pm.

Phil Scraton is a Professor of Criminology in the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, School of Law, Queen’s University, Belfast where he iT Director of the Childhood, Transition and Social Justice Initiative. Widely published, his recent books include: Childhood in Crisis?; Hillsborough: The Truth; Beyond September 11; Power, Conflict and Criminalisation.

In this lecture, Phil Scraton will reflect on the recently published collection *The Violence of Incarceration* (co-edited with Jude McCulloch). He proposes that physical and emotional violence are central elements in the incarceration of men, women and children in advanced democratic societies. As prison populations and those held in secure accommodation have expanded well beyond official projections, carceral institutions have produced ever-harsher regimes of containment. In exploring the dynamics of interpersonal violence, institutionalised abuses and incarceration Phil Scraton theorises custodial violence as a continuum. He connects routine, punitive responses, undermining prisoners self-esteem and mental health to the directly brutal and brutalising manifestations of formal and informal punishments. Moreover he considers the culture of impunity that enables harsh regimes to persist and institutionalised human rights violations to be rationalised.

Thursday 5th March, 6pm,
Old Council Chambers, Victorian Trades Hall Council, Cnr Victoria & Lygon Streets Carlton South
Waged: $4, Unwaged: gold coin donation. Funds raised go to the Centre for the Human Rights of Imprisoned People.
For a copy of the presntation slides email Prof Scraton p.scraton@qub.ac.uk
Listen to radio interview
Latenight Live

Indigenous Struggles

Wednesday 18 February 6.30pm
RECEPTION FOR NAHANNI FONTAINE AND LESLIE SPILLETT – MEET TWO INSPIRATIONAL FIRST NATIONS WOMEN
Hear Nahanni Fontaine (Director of Justice for the Southern Chiefs Organization, a political Indigenous body representing 36 Southern First Nations in Manitoba) and Leslie Spillett (one of Winnipeg’s foremost Aboriginal rights advocates, defenders and policy makers) speak about their struggles including campaigns to hold racist cops to account. Solidarity Salon, 580 Sydney Road, Brunswick. 6:30 pm — finger food refreshments and social, 7 pm formal proceedings commence when a panel of “deadly” local women welcome our international sisters, 7:15 pm Nahanni and Leslie will speak, followed by a relaxed social. Information: alison.thorne@ozemail.com.au or call 9388-0062.

Political Prisoners

Saturday, 28 February, 6:30pm
JOINT BENEFIT FOR LEX WOTTON AND GAZA
Brick by brick and wall by wall, political prisoners—let’s free them all! Pay tribute to political prisoners everywhere. Discuss how we all have a stake in freeing them and how we can build a movement to make this a reality.
In a capitalist society, the justice system is anything but just. It is there to protect the rich and maintain the status quo. That’s why people of colour and the poor are over-represented in the prison population. It is why Lex Wotton, a respected Indigenous leader, is currently doing time in the Townsville jail. And why the Cuban Five are still in a U.S. prison for defending their country against terrorism. It’s why the New Jersey 4, a group of young Black lesbians, were jailed for defending themselves against a harasser and why two of the women remain incarcerated. It’s why we are still campaigning to free innocent radical journalist, Mumia Abu-Jamal. Around the world, jails are full of freedom fighters—Palestinians, Kurds and Tamils among them. Iran has union activists on death row and New Zealand used terror laws against the Tuhoe nation and anti-war activists.
The program will feature a panel of speakers from the movements and include video highlights from the campaign to free Mumia Abu-Jamal.
A Middle Eastern dinner will be served at 6:30 pm for a $10 donation. Program commences at 7:30 pm. Entry by gold coin donation.
The event will be held at Solidarity Salon, 580 Sydney Road, Brunswick. Easily accessible by public transport: take the Upfield train to Anstey Station or Tram 19 to Stewart St. There’s also plenty of parking off Staley Street at the rear.
Proceeds from the benefit event will be split between two campaigns. Half will provide assistance to Lex Wotton for phone cards and other necessities to help him keep in touch with family and supporters. The other half will be sent to Gaza via the appeal initiated by the Palestine Community Association (Victoria).
For more information, phone 03-9388-0062 or email
freedom.socialist.party@ozemail.com.au. Everyone is welcome! 1