BY EMMA CLANCY
PERTH "We want to see more events such as the 200-strong student general meeting held on September 3, which debated issues such as refugees, the looming war on Iraq and Palestine", Fred Fuentes told Green Left Weekly. Fuentes, along with Amie Hamilton, will be running on the No Racism, No War ticket in the University of Western Australia guild elections, to be held September 16-19.
"We want to see a guild which takes the lead in promoting progressive causes and is democratic and accountable", Fuentes continued. "That is why we worked with other refugees' rights activists to build the September 3 meeting. We were the main force doing that, not the STAR-controlled guild."
STAR stands for Student Team About Results. It is the faction currently controlling the guild, and is re-contesting the student elections.
The No Racism, No War ticket is supporting Fuentes, an active member of the UWA Refugee Rights Action Network (RRAN), for Education Council president and a National Union of Student (NUS) delegate position. Hamilton, involved in organising the feminist Reclaim The Night march, is running for women's affairs officer and an NUS delegate position. The ticket is also calling for a vote for Alex Whisson, another member of UWA RRAN, for the student representative position on the University's senate.
The ticket is campaigning to get students involved in supporting refugees' rights and opposing the current war drive of the US and Australian governments against Iraq.
From Green Left Weekly, September 18, 2002.
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