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News briefs

Rally against university cuts
A student protest against staff cuts at the University of Sydney last week attracted two thousand rallyers.

The demonstration on Wednesday, April 4 was in reaction to the institution’s announcement of 340 job cuts last November and the recent issuance of redundancy letters to academic staff.

The university plans to axe 150 academic and 190 general staff positions in the near future.
Student activist Freya Bundey said the job slashes will be accompanied by $28 million in non-salary cuts which could result in the cancellation of arts and science classes.

She said the refugee language program, which helps newly landed migrants to learn English, is in jeopardy.

In emailed letters to students, the Vice Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence said there were two reasons for the cuts.

“They’re saying the projected revenue from international students is less than what they projected,” Ms Bundey said.

The department has also invoked retrospective research criteria as a justification for cutting employees, implying that some academics are not producing enough published research.

After the rally, about 300 students also entered the Dean of Arts office to stage an occupation and drive home an ultimatum.
The protestors promised to escalate the campaign to direct action if cuts were not retracted by Sunday, April 15.

At a recent staff meeting, the 2000 attendees voted against the cuts and expressed their non-confidence in the department’s leadership.

Book bash in Glebe
On Friday, April 20, the Glebe Library will celebrate its 15th birthday with a soiree. Sponsored by the City of Sydney, the evening will feature jazz musician Barry Canham, historian Max Solling and storytellers COWbelles.

The event will be held a month after the library’s team leader, Margaret Whittaker stepped down to retire after 15 years of service.

Letter to the editor

I write to alert readers to an important human rights issue our government is reviewing right now. The Federal Government now has 3 bills before the Senate comprising its “Stronger Futures” plan, one of which extends elements of the federal intervention in Aboriginal communities for a further 10 years.

Over 33,000 people have signed a petition led by the Stand for Freedom movement, which protests key actions under the intervention.

A Senate Inquiry is now scheduled to investigate this. In direct irony is the fact that the government is, at the same time proposing to amend the Australian constitution to include Aboriginal people.

Freedom from discrimination is enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which Australia supported at its birth in 1948. It is also written into various Australian anti-discrimination laws. Few people may be aware that the Racial Discrimination Act was in fact suspended from 2007 until 2010 to allow the federal intervention in Aboriginal communities. So how safe are human rights in Australia, when a government can just suspend laws when it feels like it?

Australia is the only western democracy that does not have a human rights act. The United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay sharply criticised our performance in the areas of detainment of refugees and our treatment of Aboriginal people in May 2011.

Ms Pillay also asked why our government does not support a human rights act? I asked John Howard when he was Prime Minister and was told that it was best that politicians held this power rather than courts. Given some of the government’s antics how can we trust them to protect our rights?

The only protection is to know your human rights and educate others. If you don’t know them, you don’t know when they are being abused.

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights is simply explained at www.youthforhumanrights.org. There are booklets, DVDs and teaching plans all available free as a community service sponsored by the Church of Scientology Human Rights Department. Pass them round to everyone you know.

Nigel Mannock
Youth for Human Rights Australia
Dundas

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