Italian crisis and proportional representation

[Green Left Weekly, #97, April 28, 1993]

Perhaps other GLW readers have, like me, been fascinated by the recent stream of revelations about massive corruption in Italian public life. It seems that just about the entire ruling "political class" of Christian Democrat and Socialist leaders and MPs have been compromised — or soon will be — by the ever-spreading stain of corruption scandals.

Jim Percy (1948-92)

[This unsigned obituary article first appeared in Green Left Weekly, #76, October 21, 1992. While it was a collective effort, I was assigned to produce the first draft. I especially want to include it here in tribute to the enormous role Jim played in the development of our movement and in the political education of several generations of comrades, myself included.]

Jim Percy, national president of the Democratic Socialist Party, died quietly as a result of cancer, at his home in Sydney on October 12. He was 43 years old and had devoted 27 years of his life to revolutionary socialist politics.

The unity we need

[Green Left Weekly, #73, September 30, 1992. This is the text of a talk presented to a meeting sponsored by the electoral coalition Independent Action in Melbourne on September 16.]

These elections are marked by the record field of 182 candidates running independently of the major parties. And while the precise figures vary, all the polls indicate that collectively they enjoy substantial support.

Bosnia: Can there ever be peace?

[Green Left Weekly, #71, September 16, 1992]

For some months now, the nightly television news has been dominated by coverage of Somalia and Bosnia. The famine in the impoverished east African country and the fighting in the former Yugoslav republic have provided viewers with any number of haunting and deeply disturbing images.

Croatians rally for refugees

[Green Left Weekly, #50, April 1, 1992]

MELBOURNE — Some 5000 supporters of Croatian independence gathered here on March 22. Footscray Park on a wonderfully sunny Sunday afternoon was the scene for the very relaxed and successful picnic-rally.

Melbourne forum hears Croatian case

[Green Left Weekly, #37, November 27, 1991]

MELBOURNE — A well-attended meeting on November 21 heard a panel of speakers forcefully argue the case for supporting Croatia's struggle for independence. The forum at the Celtic Club registered a growing support in the progressive movement and the wider Australian community for the cause of Croatia.

Croatian nationalism & the fight for socialism

[Report adopted by the National Committee of the Socialist Workers Party, June 12, 1983. For more information see the booklet Croatian Nationalism & the Fight for Socialism.]

The general background to this report is the growing involvement of the party with a whole number of migrant communities. This involvement takes the form of general political relations — solidarity work, political discussions, etc. — and also of contact in the workplace, where comrades work alongside people from just about every migrant community.