Signal Boost: women being prosecuted for retracting domestic violence allegations
From Destroy the Joint, a call for action at NSW state level: call upon the Attorney General Greg Smith to issue a direction to the NSW DPP under the Director of Public Prosecutions Act to ensure that no one is prosecuted solely for retracting an allegation of domestic or sexual violence without the approval of a senior lawyer within the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Update: Attorney-General Greg Smith has made a statement that he has no plans to revise the existing laws relating to this matter. Now is the time to up the pressure.
5 years since the Apology
Link round up for the 5th Anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generation [edited ~M]
Thoughts on Australia Day / Invasion Day
Wesley Enoch, Artistic Director of the Queensland Theatre Company, and always a wise voice from the Aboriginal community, wrote this about the significance of what we have chosen to commemorate today. I found it both insightful and moving, and (with his permission) wanted to share it:
Friday Hoyden: Sekai Holland
The current Zimbabwean Minister for Reconciliation, Healing and Integration has a long history with Australia, going back to her days as a university student. Sekai was here this week to accept the Sydney Peace prize, and give its associated lecture.
Marking twenty years since the Mabo decision
Today, it is twenty years since since native title was first recognised in Australia and the doctrine of terra nullius was rejected by the High Court.
A poster appearing around Brisbane
Text from the spoof newspaper article poster that has started anonymously appearing around Brisbane, Queensland: DEMOLITION WILL HONOUR SIR JOH BEJELKE-PETERSEN An unnamed source within the Brisbane electorate today accused Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s LNP government of secretly planning the demolition of the new Cloudland. The destruction of this venue would be seen by [...]
“Pardon me for being born into a nation of racists”
An iconic image showing Aboriginal rights activist, Gary Foley with a placard reading, “Pardon me for being born into a nation of racists”. It was part of a protest against the South African Springboks rugby tour of Australia in 1971 during apartheid.
Hating Australia Day from afar
Today is the second Australia Day since I moved to the United States. One of the most surprising things for me to experience out of Australia was people saying–even in the American South!–Australia’s really racist, isn’t it? And personally, I hate that. I hate that there is such a strong implicit idea of who an Australian “is,” and how racist and dependent on assimilation that is. I hate the way that is enforced with violence and ugly rhetoric, and I hate the policies that our country mobilises against Aboriginal communities and refugees.
And yet. For all that I hate what Australia Day represents, I am more homesick than usual today.
2012 Australian Women Writers Challenge Review: Carpentaria by Alexis Wright
Jo Tamar’s first review for the 2012 Australian Women Writer’s Challenge – Carpentaria by Alexis Wright.
Sunday Singalong: Violeta Parra
OK, this one is Violeta Parra, an incredibly haunting Chilean folk singer who saw folk music as a “weapon against oppression”. Yeah which revolutionary didn’t? She and her children became the song-writers of the left-wing political movement of her country. Not only that, Parra went to huge lengths to archive and legitimise Chilean folk music [...]
Do you see Indigenous men as role models?
Aboriginal and Islander men, so readily demonised in Australia, held a march last Saturday in Melbourne in the name of reclaiming, respecting and protecting themselves and their communities.
Rarely used laws? Depends who you ask
“Rarely-used” is not synonymous with “rarely-used against me and people like me”.
Friday Hoyden Quicklink: Dr Auntie Ruby Langford Ginibi 1934-2011
We lost a great Australian on October 1st, 2011.
Recent Comments
Lauredhel, tigtog
Feminist Avatar, Orlando, Feminist Avatar, The Kittehs' Unpaid Help, Mindy, tigtog [...]
fmark
cady, cady, angharad, Mindy, The Kittehs' Unpaid Help, Mindy [...]
Gayle Kennedy, Mindy, Gayle Kennedy, Jo, Lauredhel
David, AMM, angharad, angie_b, Chris, angharad [...]
Chris, Mary, Chris, tigtog, Mary, Chris [...]
Sharon M, Chris, Helen, Chris, Helen, Helen [...]
tigtog, Orlando
Aqua, of the Questioners, tigtog, David, Mindy, tigtog, Mindy [...]
Perla Buttons, The Amazing Kim, Mindy
Helen, tigtog, Chally, tigtog, Chris, TimT [...]