eBulletin #11 April 2007

Dear Friends,

Hello and welcome to the Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice's 11th eBulletin

Contents:

   1. Second forum for 2007: Current State of Community Media in Australia
   2. Community Responses to the Howard Catastrophe
   3. ACDJ Endorse the Melbourne Social Forum
   4. Membership
   5. T Shirts Now on sale!
   6. Other organisation's events

1. Forum Current State of Community Media in Australia

The second forum in our Community Media series looks at the current state of community media in Australia, the challenges it faces and the place it needs to have in the mediascape. This especially relevant given the recent changes to media ownership laws as well as the coming of the digital spectrum.

Community Media is the space where a huge diversity of voices can be heard. The arena where community represents itself and has a genuine impact. For a just and democratic society, communities must control their own destiny. Community media can play an active role in this empowering of communities through engagement, interaction, exposure to new ideas and by providing a space for discussion and debates about local issues. Community media provides a space for the grassroots to speak and contribute in the increasingly economically rationalised media.

When: 6:30 for 7pm start Tuesday 17 April
Where: Stork Hotel [504 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne]
Cost: $5 (free for ACDJ members)
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details

Speakers:

* Peter Lane has worked in community media for 30 years. He is committed to media as a tool for community development and individual growth, and to civil access to information and communications technologies. Peter works in training, project development and management, and production, and is currently Chair of Channel 31 Melbourne.
* Moderated by Terry Johal, ACDJ director and lecturer in the communications faculty at RMIT

This is the second in a series of three forums on Community Media that ACDJ will be running.

The 3rd forum looks at the “future” of community media and its relevance if any but also looking at the offer that social networking and globalisation bring.

More details to follow.

2. ACDJ Endorse: Community Responses to the Howard Catastrophe

The Melbourne Social Forum's (www.melbournesocialforum.org) Friday's (April 20th) opening night is entitled "Community Responses to the Howard Catastrophe". This public forum will feature inspiring speakers at RMIT's Storey Hall, a discussion to envision a just and sustainable Australia after Howard. Speakers for this include:

- Helena Norberg-Hodge - International Society for Ecology and Culture
- Stephen Mayne - Founder of Crikey.com.au, an online independent news service
- Aunty Sue Rankin - a Kulin Nation Woman, Mother, Grandmother and Elder
- Verity Burgmann - Professor of Political Science at the University of Melbourne

6:15 - 7:00: Music and culture sponsored by the Latin American Solidarity Network
7:00 - 8:30: Speakers
8:30 - 8:45: A raffle, including subscriptions to New Internationalist, DVDs, books and other goods (every ticket to Friday night includes entry into the raffle)
8:45 - 9:15: Laughter for World Peace and Wellbeing by facilitator Cris Popp

3. ACDJ Endorse the Melbourne Social Forum

The Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice have endorsed the 2007 Melbourne Social Forum (www.melbournesocialforum.org) which will be held at CERES Environment Park on April 21 and 22.

We are encouraging everyone in Melbourne to get down and participate this fantastic event.

Keep an eye out for our workshop on Lobbyocracy: the hypocrisy of democracy.

4. Membership - SPECIAL OFFER

Thanks to our friends at Ocean Press and Husta La Victoria St Bookshop we have 20 copies of The Emerging Police State by William Kunstler to give to the next 20 people that join up as members of the Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice. This book, valued at $23 is available to memberships which start from as low as $20 a year.

Our Membership scheme is three tiered, with students/concessions being $20, full price/waged $40, solidarity/household/organisation $100.

OurCommunity.com.au kindly processes our memberships and you can sign up at their site: http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/membership/membership_details.form?membershipId=715

Alternatively you can print out a membership form at: http://www.democracyandjustice.org/images/Membership%20form.pdf and send it back to us.

Donations can also be made through the OurCommunity.com.au site at:
http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/acdj.

5. Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice T-Shirts now on Sale!

Sick of being a walking billboard for a nasty multinational corporation? Sick of wearing clothing made in conditions that constitute human rights abuses? Stuck for ideas for Christmas presents and don't want to give all your hard earned dollars to corporate bully boys that hardly need more money? Concerned about how attractive you are?

We've just the thing for you. Stylish, no-sweat, Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice T-Shirts. For a meager $25 (inc Postage and Handling) you can be the hippest person on the block and all money made goes straight to your favorite non-profit: The Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice.

Order forms are available at:
http://www.democracyandjustice.org/images/tshirts.pdf or just send us an email and we'll fix you up.

6. Other events and ideas

If you have any ideas for things that you would like to see the Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice do or forums you'd like to see us run then please don't hesitate to contact us. We're always looking for new ideas and new people to get involved in our work.

If you’d like your event included in this list please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with “eBulletin” in the subject.