Every week hundreds of dedicated activists hit the streets all over Australia to distribute Green Left Weekly.
Whether it's braving chilly mornings outside a train station, windy afternoons on a busy street corner or dodging security guards in a mall, they labour away convincing people to join or support struggles for a better world.
We even have high school students persuading their classmates to buy a GLW, though it might mean a couple of dollars less for lunch or the bus. We have workers who each and every week clandestinely leave a copy of GLW in the tea room, knowing that several colleagues have a read before the supervisor bins it.
Each and every copy distributed is a conversation about the realities we face as a society and the need to pick a side. It might be the racist truth behind the NT intervention, the shocking realisation about laws that treat construction workers like terrorists or exposing the process that's geared child care for profit rather than looking after kids.
Every conversation highlights the critical importance of an independent, alternative and progressive media outlet in this country.
GLW helps break down the massive contradiction between a compliant, pro-corporate media on the one hand, and a social system in chaos on the other.
But maintaining this independent voice is a struggle in itself, especially financially. The few dollars we receive for each sale in the street only covers a small portion of our production and distribution expenses.
The corporate media relies on invasive and obnoxious advertising and sponsorship, which underpins their compliancy and bias towards the corrupt status quo. But we rely solely on our subscribers and supporters for donations and fundraising activities.
Each year we need to raise roughly $250,000 to keep the operation going. This is a drop in the ocean for the big end of town, but a colossal effort for a paper standing up for the poor and marginalised.
So far this year this have raised an impressive $190,247, all of which comes from fundraising activities and donations from the likes of you and me. None of it comes from advertising or sponsorship with strings attached.
That leaves $59,753 to be raised by year's end — just more than a month away. Next time you run into one of the dedicated GLW campaigners on the street, consider throwing in extra for the $5 solidarity price.
Better yet, consider taking out a subscription, ensuring that you receive this valuable resource every week.
To our loyal supporters who already subscribe, why not take up our appeal for a $20 investment in the struggle? Half of it can be used for a seven-issue introductory gift subscription for a friend. Or for a really meaningful Christmas present, why not go further and buy a one-year subscription for a friend or relative?
Every single donation from you is a shot in the arm for us, taking us closer to target and making it easier to get out on the streets next week, regardless of the cold, the wind, or the security guards!
Send your details, or those of the person you would like to give a subscription to, along with your $20 cheque or money order, to Green Left Weekly, PO Box 515, Broadway NSW 2007, or phone it through on the toll-free line at 1800 634 206 (within Australia). You can also make direct deposits into the GLW fighting fund at: Greenleft, Commonwealth Bank, BSB 062-006, Account No. 901992 or donate online at .