'An incredible experience'

CANBERRA — "Participating in a solidarity brigade to revolutionary Venezuela is an incredible experience", Margaret Allum told the 20 people gathered at the Showcase Gallery on July 10 to hear her report-back on the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network's (AVSN) May Day '08 brigade. "To see people power in action, with so much of the population participating directly in democratic decision-making to shape their communities is remarkable when coming from a country like Australia."

The meeting was introduced by Venezuela's Charge d'Affaires in Australia, Nelson Davila, who showed a film produced by Venezuela's ministry of popular power on Indigenous culture. Davila joined Allum in encouraging everyone present to join the next solidarity brigade, which will coincide with nationwide regional elections in Venezuela. The next brigade will run from November 20-30, 2008. For more information and to register, visit http://www.venezuelasolidarity.org.

From GLW issue 758