Ada Lee

Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) volunteers stood at the City2Surf starting line and called on Westpac to pre-emptively declare it will not fund the Abbot Point-X coal port expansion in the Great Barrier Reef.

Traditionally, the stereotype of social justice action portrays angry placard holders shouting slogans of condemnation at institutions. However, an Australian environmental youth organisation has taken a different approach and it has proven successful.

Two months before Barry O’Farrell announced the ‘one punch’ laws, he passed a different law that expands police powers to arrest without warrant. Like the ‘one punch’ laws, the arrest laws have been met with controversy, with some South Sydney community groups fearing the expanded arrest powers will reduce in-depth investigation and leave vulnerable people more exposed to abuse.

Leticia comes from a small rural town called Oliveira in Brazil. She left there when she was 16 years old to go to a selective school in the city before starting a mechanical engineering degree at Universidade Estadual de Campinas.

In 1983, Redfern residents created the iconic 40,000 years mural. Thirty years later, the paint is peeling and graffiti blemishes the cracking wall. But recently, residents have united in a movement to rejuvenate the historical artwork.

“Growing up in the Virgin Islands, I was told that I could never be a basketball player,” said Leon Trimmingham, Sydney Kings basketball legend. It is this kind of negative message that a new partnership between Sydney Kings and the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) seeks to challenge by opening doorways for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to pursue their dreams.

July 25 marked the 40th anniversary of the Aboriginal Housing Company and its long-term commitment to the provision of affordable housing for Aboriginal people.

KINGS CROSS: Demand on youth services in Kings Cross is growing as more young people drift into the area.

With over 1,100 lives lost, the Bangladesh factory tragedy has placed a magnifying glass over the issue of labour exploitation. From beneath the rubble, stories of survival and loss emerge – the faces behind the fashion tags.With over 1,100 lives lost, the Bangladesh factory tragedy has placed a magnifying glass over the issue of labour exploitation. From beneath the rubble, stories of survival and loss emerge – the faces behind the fashion tags.

REDFERN: Denise Clark goes through Redfern Station once a week. Every time, it is “a nightmare,” she said. Five years ago, a slight kneecap injury spiralled into disaster after a surgeon made a mistake. Now, Ms Clark struggles to walk steadily with a severed nerve, a rectangular machine fastened to her leg and four artificial ligaments and a screw installed in her knee.

Throughout Australian history, the government has often been accused of paternalism, of imposing policy in respect of Aboriginal entities. A contemporary equivalent can be found in the scrutiny exercised towards Howard’s NT Intervention, now Labor’s Stronger Futures legislation.

In recent years, however, the All Blacks have been struggling to maintain a strong presence in the South Sydney Junior District Rugby League competition. “Due to...

BROADWAY: On March 21, Labor was put under intense scrutiny – and not just for its infighting. National Close the Gap Day saw nearly 100 protesters voice their frustration over Labor’s continuation of “top-down” policies in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities. Blocking the Broadway footpath outside Labor MP Tanya Plibersek’s office, campaigners not only called for the repeal of Stronger Futures but also for the protection of suburbs like Bankstown from being swallowed into the system.

On March 21, Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney (STICS) plans to rally outside Tanya Plibersek’s office in protest against Labor’s Stronger Futures legislation and the expansion of income management.

On January 26, Survival Day, over 10,000 people united at Victoria Park to celebrate Australia’s Aboriginal heritage. Yabun is the biggest one-day Aboriginal festival in Australia and it proved the best place to be for the national holiday.

REDFERN: Community groups have been asked to leave their home of 13 years to make room for church growth. On January 9, community groups farewelled the Redfern Centre, located at St Saviour’s Anglican Church. The old church hall came alive with around 64 friends reminiscing over their treasured experiences with the Redfern Centre.