My speech on 5 February - Kashmir Solidarity Day It is good to be together on Kashmir Solidarity Day - a day when we can amplify our voices for the rights of the people of Kashmir. This is a tough struggle. It will be a long struggle. We need to be well organised and united. … Continue reading To win support for the right of Kashmiris to determine their own future we need to build awareness of what is happening in India
Palestinian National Day – Sydney speech
I acknowledge traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay tribute to their history, their culture and their ongoing fights for justice. Thank you to the organisers for the invitation to join you tonight - the General Union of Palestinian Workers, the Australian Palestinian Club and Australia Palestinian Graduates Association I appreciate … Continue reading Palestinian National Day – Sydney speech
Taking on coal exports – the fault line in the climate movement
A major fault line in the movement for climate action centres around one’s response to coal exports. Should we be calling for an end to coal* exports or not? Australia is the world’s largest exporter of coal. This industry brings in more than $60 billion annually in export earnings. As the United Nations’ Framework Convention … Continue reading Taking on coal exports – the fault line in the climate movement
Is building world peace compatible with capitalism?
Below is my speech at the Raising the Peace event held on 20 September 2020. You can listen to the speech here (at about the 54th minute). I do acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay tribute to their history, their culture and their ongoing struggles for justice in … Continue reading Is building world peace compatible with capitalism?
Webinar – Year of abuse in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir
My speech to the 5 August 2020 Webinar - Year of abuse in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. I acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which all meet. Today I am on the land of the Gadigal people and pay tribute to their history, their culture and their ongoing struggles for justice. … Continue reading Webinar – Year of abuse in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir
ScoMo Has One Rule For China, Another For India On Abuse Of Muslim Minorities
Published by New Matilda. While the Australian Government has ramped up its rhetoric and aggression towards China, its silence on human rights abuses in India remains deafening. Lee Rhiannon explains. The virtual summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, held in early June, had a largely militaristic outcome and … Continue reading ScoMo Has One Rule For China, Another For India On Abuse Of Muslim Minorities
ROUNDTABLE – Assessing the Accord and Labour’s Role in Neoliberalism
I recently participated in a Roundtable on “Assessing the Accord and Labour’s Role in Neoliberalism” - along with Sarah Gregson, Labour History Deputy Editor; Frank Bongiorno, ANU Professor of History; and Ian Hampson, Honorary Professor at Centre for Workforce Futures, Macquarie University. The aim was to air a diversity of views on the Accord period. … Continue reading ROUNDTABLE – Assessing the Accord and Labour’s Role in Neoliberalism
Jack Mundey: why the inspiration lives on
In the early 1970s Jack Mundey led a union of builders labourers that took strike action and imposed bans on developments that were then worth around $5 billion. At the time, Jack and his union, the Builders Labourers Federation, were intensely vilified. Death threats were common. The BLF were challenging the power of developers, a … Continue reading Jack Mundey: why the inspiration lives on
11th anniversary of massacre of Tamils – some of the worst crimes ever committed
Due to the COVID-19 lockdown the Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day ceremony was held on line. The occasion was very moving. This is my speech to mark the occasion. -------------- Today, May 18, is a most significant date for Tamils in Sri Lanka and the diaspora Tamil community scattered around the world. Today is the … Continue reading 11th anniversary of massacre of Tamils – some of the worst crimes ever committed
Turkish political prisoners at COVID-19 risk — Prime Minister Erdogan’s dangerous move
Are the Turkish authorities using the COVID-19 crisis to kill off those who oppose their rule? This might seem to be an extreme proposition but it is a fair conclusion in light of recent actions of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that leaves thousands of his opponents locked in gaols where they are exposed to … Continue reading Turkish political prisoners at COVID-19 risk — Prime Minister Erdogan’s dangerous move
