Peter Boyle
Green Left Weekly is facing a serious financial crisis. Last year we finished with a $35,000 deficit and so far this year are almost $65,000 down — that's a combined shortfall of $100,000! We have borrowed to keep going, but if this trend continues we can't go on. It's as simple as that.
The main reason for this financial crisis is that the core of activists who fund Green Left Weekly — through paper and subscription sales, organising fundraising events and soliciting and making regular donations — have been extraordinarily stretched over the last two years. Many have been heavily involved in reinvigorating the trade union movement, keeping alive the anti-war and other social movements and building left regroupment through the Socialist Alliance.
And the last two years have been hard for the progressive movements. The retreat of the huge global anti-war movement after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the re-election of PM John Howard's Coalition government have left their mark. Yet Green Left Weekly kept coming out, week after week.
"I'm glad you people are still keeping up the fight", has been the spirit-lifting comment heard by many a Green Left Weekly street seller in the last period. However, Green Left Weekly cannot be produced on lifted spirits alone. We need some serious financial assistance from our readers and supporters over the next three months.
Each week we will publish a progress report on the campaign and a few ideas on how readers can help.
If you would like to discuss helping us out, please give me a call on (02) 9690 1230 or send an email to <peterb@greenleft.org.au> or donate online at via secure pay by clicking here.
From Green Left Weekly, July 20, 2005.
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