here's a video from Propaganda & his friends - he's been in a couple of the online MLA courses I've done. I really like it - the message, the music, the whole thing!!

it's on http://postmoderntimes.com also - which is also a great video / online magazine

here's the blurb from youtube about it :

episode features four underground hip hop artists -- Naada, Propaganda Anonymous, 2HL, and iLL SpoKKinN -- and producer euphAmism in an animated music video packing lyrical and graphical punch in a call for global awakening.

Please go to www.iclips.net/2012 to see the rest of the episodes (more)

Video makers, media activists, software developers and artists from 15 countries across the Asia-Pacific will be gathering in Sukabumi, West Java from May 19-25 for an online video skills camp. The goal of the camp is to bring together open source software programmers, video makers and media activists to develop the strategic use of online video distribution for social justice and media democracy.

TX-AP is a joint initiative between media activists in Australia and Indonesia. It is organised collaboratively by EngageMedia (Australia), a video sharing website and free software development, training and networking project and Ruangrupa (Indonesia) a non-profit artist initiative supporting the development of art in the cultural context through events, exhibitions, research and documentation. 50 specially invited media activists and artists will be coming to Indonesia to attend the workshop and share their skills and ideas.

The camp will provide a unique opportunity for artists, video makers, software developers and activists to collaborate and share skills in a global context where on-line video communication skills have become an increasingly important strategy for activists.

Read more for details or visit http://transmission.cc/txap

The Actv website (actv.co.il) is an independent digital content library , offering video footage on a variety of subjects: Civil and Social issues including: human rights, animal rights, video activism, environmental issues etc; Cultural content e.g.: music videos, short movies, documentaries, independent VJ shows, theatre footage, animated shorts , dance, art, poetry readings and independent films.

Salon Mazal was established in 2001, in Tel Aviv, Israel, by a group of social-environmental activists. Salon Mazal is a non-for-profit registered charity that serves as an information distribution center for social, environmental and political change The place functions as a store (including books, magazines and fair-trade products), a lending library, an artist gallery, a vegetarian bar and a community center where movie screenings, lectures, workshops and meetings take place.

The place is run in line with anarchist ideology and values, which encourage an egalitarian, non-hierarchical community. Salon Mazal is run by a group of volunteers. Consensus decision-making is used to promote the expression of individual voices within the group in daily meetings.

The eighth edition of the Renewing the Anarchist Tradition (RAT) conference, sponsored by the Institute for Anarchist Studies, once again aims to provide a participatory and scholarly space in which to reexamine, reinvigorate, and make relevant the social and political tradition of anarchism.

At previous conferences, presenters have proposed topics that ranged from the character of social change to the ongoing relevance of categories such as class, community, and labor; from the changing shape of the state and capital to emergent forms of both domination and resistance in a globalizing world; from the character of twenty-
first-century technology to the functions and potentials of anti-authoritarian art and propaganda; and from anarchism's relation to geopolitical concerns such as terrorism and war to its ability to grapple with issues of identity such as race, gender, and sexuality.

Read more for the Calls for Proposals or visit http://anarchiststudies.org/node/146 for more details. http://www.homemadejam.org/renew has archives of previous year's conferences.

Four Eyed Monsters + Caliblog have created a video on the Net Neutrality issue happening in the USA. let's hope the telco's plan to control the internet is squashed quickly and cleanly. pass on the movie - see below.

http://blip.tv/file/103105

Click To Play

There's so many crazy things in the papers here in Delhi, and then there's so many that don't make the papers or are buried so deeply that people probably don't find them. Luckily I came across the independent paper Tehelka whilst staying in the other hotel on my last trip. The articles in this paper were heart wrenching. Most of the time I kept thinking, what year is this? how can these things be happening in this day and age. Here's an example - this notice arrived via the sarai reader list (www.sarai.net)

[quote]
National Association For Social Action (NASAindia) in collaboration with National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR) is organising a protest programme and will pay tribute by lighiting 1000 lights of Dignity to demand justice for the Bhotmange Family and for entire dalit community. i am inviting you in the said programme. please be there to raise the voice of justice and light a candle in favor of justice. there will be more than 5000 activists from all over india will be there.

10th Nov 2006 at 7:00 pm in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.
[/quote]

For more details on Khairlanji issue please go through following web site.
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main22.asp?filename=Ne111106Dalits_like.asp

The screening of the documentary film, The Last Valley will take place at the Capitol Theatre Melbourne, 113 Swanston St (Opposite Melbourne Town Hall) on Tuesday 14th November 2006 from 8pm. This is the only opportunity to see the film prior to the Victorian state election. ABC have yet to announce a screening date.

The film is about the collapse of the East Gippsland logging industry after 50 years of unsustainable logging and the consequences of that for the local communities and environment. The film includes the controversial attempt by the Victorian government to log the iconic Goolengook valley.

http://www.waitawhilefilms.com.au

click here or on the image to play the quicktime movie

this is one story of the history of modern Australia told in mural format. it's painted on the side of a freeway at the rear carpark of Toombul Shoppingtown in Brisbane, Australia.

music is "The Block" by Morganics featuring the Wilcannia Mob

This article is about MSF (Medecins Sans Frontiers aka Doctors Without Borders) claim that American drug manufacturer Abbott Laboratories are allegedly denying patients in Asia access to an improved version of the AIDS drugs lopinavir and ritonavir. These are apparently "important second-line drugs for people who have been on treatement for several years. The new version of the drug has advantages over the old version, including lower pill count, storage without refrigeration, and no dietary restrictions."

[quote]
"According to MSF, high temperatures and regular power failures are making storage and use of the older drug - the only one available - unreliable. And although the UN recently identified India as the country with the highest number of people liviing with HIV/AIDS in the world, the new version of the drug is not for sale."
[/quote]

According to the article, apparently, it's not for sale as it wasn't registered in 'developing countries' and without being registered, it cannot be sold here. The old version of the drug is not even available in China (or the new version) because the drug company has not marketed to this country. Countries such as Thailand which also has high temperatures (30C most of the year) would also benefit from the new version of the drug. The old version of the drug is no longer available to the US market - MSF Thailand rep calls it a "second-best product" and I can understand his point. The drug company IS distributing the new version of the drug in Africa, but it seems that this only happened after a time consuming set of procedures were followed.

I took a look on the MSF website for more info and found a few articles here, here and here but I couldn't find specific information about it's release in India but there was an article about the drugs not being released in Thailand anytime soon so that's bad enough in itself. most of the MSF articles were about African countries. so perhaps India isn't counted as one of the 'developing countries'. still I think if the drugs were not available here and they obviously need to be, then they should be!

Over the last week there have been a couple of articles speaking about AIDS in India - one said that India has the largest population of people outside of Africa infected with HIV/AIDS. I read in one of the Sarai Readers that many people here have not even heard of AIDS so they are trying to educate more people. on the tv the other night was an ad for the Heroes Project in Delhi / India. from their media campaign page :

[quote]
Media Campaign

The Mass Media Campaign seeks to create widespread awareness on HIV/AIDS, promote positive attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS, and influence groups to change high risk behavior that make them vulnerable to the infection. It will use a series of public service announcements (PSA), online and print content, television and radio programming as well as several educational events to do this. In order to best address HIV/AIDS through the various mass media, Heroes Project has developed a strategic communications approach to address diverse groups such as sexually active men, married women and youth across all levels of society.

One of the main objectives during the course of the mass media initiative is to expand and coordinate the campaign with a range of media partners. Areas of association and activities within these partnerships include amongst others:

* Pledging airtime/space for release of PSAs, which will be available rights-free to all.
* Developing original programming formats.
* Incorporation of HIV/AIDS storylines into existing programs such as serials, reality shows and documentaries.
* Support for journalist programs and enhanced news and editorial coverage - employee sensitization.
* Orientation workshops for creative content development.

[/quote]

the UN AIDS website released a report - here's a media summary listing some numbers - http://www.unaids.org has the full report and more info.

from http://www.unaids.org/en/Regions_Countries/default.asp

[quote]
Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa has just over 10% of the world’s population, but is home to more than 60% of all people living with HIV—25.8 million.

In 2005, an estimated 3.2 million people in the region became newly infected, while 2.4 million adults and children died of AIDS.
Asia

In 2005, some 8.3 million people were living with HIV in Asia, including 1.1 million people who became newly infected in the past year. AIDS claimed some 520,000 lives in 2005
[/quote]

---
update 10/07/2006

ok, I don't feel as bad now about the decision making policy of the Times newspaper editors on what should be front page news. the front page of the Times International this morning had the article "Latest AIDS treatment is a daily pill" and spoke of the new drug being available in India shortly. I don't think it's the same as the one MSF are referring to, but hopefully it'll be of some help to the people here.

Dear Australian Members,

My apologies if this post seems out of place in this forum, but I think this is an important issue for all Australians. We have tried to reach as many people as possible in the short time that we have, and if you should agree with the message below and any of the information that the web links point you to, then we would be honoured to have you help us in this human endeavour.

The organizers and speakers at EGA believe that information about psychoactive plants and chemicals should be readily available. Also that only through creating such a space, where we can talk freely on such matters, can methods for harm reduction and the true benefits of such substance be explored. Entheogenesis Australis is a collection of thinkers from all walks of life, we come together to share knowledge about sacred plants, chemical alchemy and states of consciousness. We are coming to tune in to the Mother Earth and take her fight back out into the world. We want to share and explore experiences, trance and dance. it is about growth, for the mind and the land.

This experimental workshop is an invitation to those individuals who are interested in the trance dance experience as providing an opportunity for mind/body/spirit/soul development. EGA 2006 will be a unique opportunity for people who are experienced in the dance floor and consciousness development approach to try something new, different, fun and well focused, that is totally aimed at extending the boundaries of each participants current experiential and knowledge paradigms.

Read more for details or visit http://www.entheo.net

Combat Wombat are an outspoken troupe of hip hop punks mainly located in Melbourne. They've just released their second album "Unsound System". Armed with only samplers, mics and turntables, powered by solar energy and an uncompromising belief in Truth over Spin, these desert nomads are the real deal, creating an album that reflects the frontline activism they have become famous for. Unsound System is a bullet to the dark heart of the Australian psyche.

a summary of the Sarai Reader 04 paper called "The Revenge of Lowtech : Autolabs, Telecentros and Tactical Media in Sao Paulo" by Ricardo Rosas.

the freemind mind map tactical_media_in_Brazil.mm is attached - this contains html links or expand / collapse the xhtml version below

Expand - Collapse

• tactical media in Brazil
  
  • http://www.sarai.net/journal/04_pdf/55ricardo.pdf
  • small press
    (imprensa nanica)
    
    • 1970s
      
      • counterculture
    • 1980s
      
      • fan based
      • 1990s
        
        • return to counterculture
  • collectives
    
    • Microphobia
    • Bijari/Antipop
      
      • video art
      • video activism
    • A RevoluÁao Nao Sera Televisionada
      (The Revolution Will Not Be Televised)
      
      • video art
      • video activism
    • Rejeitados
      (The Rejected)
      
      • urban interventions
      • art outside institutions
    • Formigueiro
      (Ant's Nest)
      
      • plagiarism
      • parody
    • Museu da Pessoa
      (Museum of the Person)
      
      • stories and photos of everyday people
    • Anomia
      (Anomy)
      
      • culture-jamming, comics, zines and video, (influenced by psychogeography and sonic shock)
    • A Cria
      (The Baby)
      
      • a 'factory' of fanzines
    • Nomads' Collective
      
      • architecture & popular solutions for living & habitation
    • Projeto Sid Moreira
      
      • posters and culture jamming
    • Metafora.org
      (Metaphor)
      
      • recycles old computers for disadvantaged communities
      • and develops wiki-based projects that centre on open publishing and group-based actions like Recicle-1-Politico (Recycle-1- Politician)
    • Rizoma
      
      • practices what they call ‘conceptual engineering’ in order to transform subjectivities by re-combinations of online textual content, in order to arrive at an open sourceinspired treatment of ideas drawn from activism, afrofuturism, and neuropolitics
    • Indymedia Brazil
    • Banda Paralela
      
      • designer & programmers collectives
    • BatukaÁao
      
      • martial art/dance groups
    • LSD Disco
      
      • alternative/experimental or 'home made' music labels
    • Radio Muda
      
      • free radio station
  • Autolabs
    
    • laboratorial prototypes for media literacy, technological experimentation and creativity created with the help of local communities
    • based on 'tactical' concepts
    • use cheap DIY media made accessible by the digital revolution
    • enabling independent media production (by individuals or collectives) using free software/open source operating systems
    • are centres of orientation, documentation and self-education with free and open access to anyone who wants to come and work/play/create in them
    • knowledge is accessed and shared through human mediation, collective work and creative participation
  • references
    
    • A Network of Castles
    • Sarai Reader 04

The Spunk Library collects and distributes literature in electronic format, with an emphasis on anarchism and related issues. For a more complete description of what Spunk is about you can view the Spunk Manifesto.

Bitch | Feminist Response to Pop Culture is a print magazine devoted to incisive commentary on our media-driven world. We feature critiques of TV, movies, magazines, advertising, and more—plus interviews with and profiles of cool, smart women in all areas of pop culture.

Today I read "Grassroots - a field guide for feminist activism" by Jennifer Baumgardner & Amy Richards. It's a DIY feminist activism book that gives examples of how everyday women can perform activist activities without having to be too radical. Examples are from high school, university students, women at work and in their local communities. Baumgardner and Richards speak about and provide contact details for many organisations performing and supporting feminist activism projects. I've included some links in the feminism and activism links on this site if you are interested in finding out more, otherwise track down the book from your local bookstore..

The authors, who also co-wrote "Manifesta", define activism (page xix, Prologue) as:

[quote] ".. consistently expressing one's values with the goal of making the world more just. We use feminism as our philosophy for that value system; that is, we try to take off the cultural lens that sees mostly men and filters out women and replace it with one that sees all people. We ask: "Do our lifestyles reflect our politics?" "How can we make sure that we all receive the same breaks - and basic necessities - traditionally awarded to white males?" An activist is anyone who accesses the resources that he or she has as an individual for the benefit of the common good. With that definition, activism is available to anyone. By asserting that anyone can be an activist, we aren't trying to weaken or water down its power. We believe that activism is by definition profound, a big deal, revolutionary. However, we are challenging the notion that there is one type of person who is an activist - someone serious, rebellious, privileged, and unrealistically heroic." [/quote]

KISSS - Kinship International Strategy on Surveillance and Suppression, is a touring exhibition of products, process and residues from the meta-performance project KISSS. A Conical Exchange Project with Elastic Residency (UK) : Responding to political, social and personal issues around surveillance and suppression, KISSS incorporates the individual and collaborative practices of artists, writers and curators. OPENING FRIDAY 28 from 6 - 8.30pm, KISSS will be held from OCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 13. A free forum will take place on Saturday 29 October with Joanna Callaghan & Deej Fabyc in collaboration with local artists. All welcome. Interested parties are invited to participate - please contact Conical at info@conical.org.au. Read more or visit http://www.elastic.org.uk or http://www.conical.org.au for more information

eco-action.org website contains information on eco-tourism - places to go, squatters resources, gatherings; solidarity south pacific - information about West Papuan ecological and social issues; as well as an online publishing arm - Dead Trees Publishing which aims to produce background information for people doing direct action. The site also has Ecological Direct Action Online Magazines and publications