254

African blues or the blues in Africa?

Radio MaliAli Farka ToureWorld Circuit through FestivalReviewed by Norm Dixon When Ali Farka Toure's sublime music first became widely available outside his west African homeland of Mali, in the late 1980s, it created quite a stir among blues freaks.

Brisbane coalition calls national day of action

After organising a very successful rally of 5000 people on November 2, the Brisbane Anti-Racist Campaign (ARC) has called for a national day of action against racism on November 23. Roberto Jorquera told Green Left Weekly that the call came from

Gross distortions of reality

Pathways to AsiaEdited by Richard RobisonAllen and Unwin, 1996, $24.95Reviewed by James Goodman Beginning in the mid-1980s, "looking north to Asia" emerged as the official Australian answer to intensified globalisation. Australian living standards

Latin American solidarity activists meet

By Marg Gleeson SYDNEY — Activists from around Australia met here on November 3 for the annual national consultation of the Committees in Solidarity with Latin America and the Caribbean (CISLAC). The consultation was preceded by a public seminar

Right to choose victory in South Africa

By Norm Dixon The South African parliament has overwhelmingly passed a new law that entrenches the right of women to free, safe abortion. The Termination of Pregnancy Bill has been hailed as one of the best reproductive rights laws in the world.

and ain't i a woman?: Chipping away at women's rights

There was little surprise in the announcement on October 29 that the Affirmative Action Agency's already limited ability to tackle discrimination in employment and education was to be weakened even further. The agency, which implements the 1986

La Trobe Valley workers unite to save hospitals

By Kim Linden MELBOURNE — Workers in the La Trobe Valley took united strike action on November 7 against the state government's decimation of health services. Power station workers, bus drivers, teachers and health staff at both the Moe and

Conference on East Timor attacked

By Max Lane On November 9, the second Asia Pacific Conference on East Timor (APCET II) opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in defiance of calls by the Malaysian government not to proceed. On November 7, the government took its first action to prevent

Greens sound alarm on secondary boycotts

By Jennifer Thompson Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown has raised the alarm over the so-called exemptions for environmental and consumer actions from being defined as "illegal" under the Coalition-Democrat amendments to the Workplace Relations

Life of Riley: Self-evident truths

Politicians have talked about democracy for 300 years and now people have come to expect it. Ask any American and they'll tell you that democracy is a self-evident truth. It's even written down somewhere. The authority of the state is so tarnished

Living wage case: Too little, too late

By James Vassilopoulos Is the ACTU's living wage case a salvation for the growing number of working poor, or is it merely a public relations stunt to make the ACTU appear relevant to workers? The ACTU has lodged a claim before the Australian

Action updates

Telstra sell-off condemned BRISBANE — Members of the Community and Public Sector Union gathered outside Telstra House on November 6 for a lunchtime picket to oppose government plans to privatise the country's telecommunications giant.