Perth Indymedia

West Australians for Racial Equality's Suresh Rajan responds to the weekend's march for South African farmers in Perth.

Karun Cowper speaks with anti-nuclear activists Jessica Lawson and Jemila Rushton about the generations of anti-nuclear activists, military whistleblowers, founders of ICAN Australia, the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, and staunch traditional owners whom are all presently participating in the Radioactive Exposure Tour in South Australia.

Karun Cowper speaks with academic and commoner Elsie L’Hullier about power and value in the commons.

Tomorrow is Keep Your Children at Home Day, an initiative organised by the United Voice Union as part of their Big Steps campaign. It aims to highlight the low wages of early childhood educators, who at $21 an hour are paid only around half the average national wage. Alex Whisson caught up this morning with the assistant secretary of United Voice’s WA branch, Karma Lord, and began by asking what life is like on such a low wage for the people doing surely what is one of the most important jobs in the country.

The Tamil Refugee Council has condemned an early morning raid in which a refugee family was given just ten minutes to gather belongings before being flown to Melbourne and detained at the Broadmeadows detention centre (MITA – Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation). Priya, her husband Nadesalingam and their daughters – 9-month-old Dharuniga and 2-year-old Kopiga, born in Australia – were woken at their home in Biloela, central Queensland, by scores of police, Border Force officers and Serco guards. To find out more about the situation Indymedia's Raymond Grenfell spoke to Ben Hillier from the Tamil Refugee Council.

Venezuela is not a country one often sees in the news. When stories do appear, they tend to present a very one dimensional, often lurid picture. Footage of violent anti-government protests, empty supermarket shelves, hyper-inflation, and a President, Nicolas Madura, apparently intent on claiming absolute power over the state. Rarely do we hear the voices of ordinary Venezuelans. Pacha Guzman is an activist with the Ezequiel Zamora National Campesino Front, currently visiting Australia on a speaking tour. Alex Whisson spoke to her via a translator and began by asking what kind of work her organisation is involved in.

Karun Cowper speaks to CEO of Modest Fashion Project Aisha Novakovich about the booming modest fashion market in a time of Islamophobia. The growing demand for modest clothing is not just limited to people of Islamic faith and is estimated to be worth US $368 billion by 2019. Meanwhile former prime minister of Australia Tony Abbott claims support for the industry by the Department of Foreign ­Affairs and Trade for a modest fashion exhibition ignores ‘mainstream Australian values'.

Bugs placed in foreign government offices, withdrawals from international legal obligations, the suppression of witness statements. Sound like the actions of a rogue state? North Korea perhaps? Iran? In fact it describes just part of Australia’s conduct in its efforts to secure an unjust share of revenue from the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field, much of which sits in East Timorese territorial waters. After a long and twisted tale stretching back many years, the two nations are on the verge of announcing a new maritime border agreement, which might finally deliver some justice to the people of East Timor. Alex Whisson spoke to Tom Clarke from the Timor Sea Justice campaign. He started by asking what a fair share of the Greater Sunrise revenue might mean for the future of East Timor.

Karun Cowper speaks with Amanda Cahill, director and founder of the Centre for Social Change about post-capitalism in the here and now. Amanda has spent nearly two decades working on community development projects in countries as diverse as Brazil, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Timor-Leste and Indigenous Australia.

Australian songwriter and accomplished storyteller Carus Thompson live in studio playing his song "Reza Barati" in commemoration of his tragic murder in detention 4 years ago on Manus Island.

Karun Cowper speaks with farmer and community organiser Frank Ashman of the Oakey Coal Action Alliance Inc (OCAA) on "Dining not Mining" opposing coal mine expansion at the Inner Downs in QLD.

Ray Grenfell and Karun Cowper talk to Melbourne activist and funny man Sean Bedlam about his Fringe comedy gig "Death to America"..... "It is 2017. The United States of America has lost its mind. The world looks on as the American Dream becomes a nightmare. Should we let these idiots take us down with them? Obviously the answer is no, but you’ll be surprised to learn the solution includes nuking New Zealand. Come, let comedian-philosopher Sean Bedlam take you on a joke journey (or ‘jokeney’) to a beautiful land beyond the end of the world (obviously not New Zealand because we nuked it. Sorry about that, New Zealanders are really cool. We should stop making jokes about them). Because dreams can come true."

Karun Cowper speaks with urbanist, activist and "Audacities" initiator Sharon Ede on "cosmo-localisation" in the New Economy in Australia and beyond.

Karun Cowper speaks with Nick Everettt, co-convenor of Friends of Palestine WA on Donald Trump "recognising" Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in reversal of decades of US policy and drawing international condemnation.

Karun Cowper speaks with Johnny Windus, national advocacy coordinator of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union which is starting to get moving in Perth.

Lee Carter is a 30-year-old socialist who recently defeated Jackson Miller - the powerful Republican Whip in Virginia's House of Delegates, the state legislature of Virginia. Lee was born into a military family in North Carolina and spent five years in the Marines before moving Virginia, where a workplace accident and subsequent unjust treatment fired his passion for workers' rights and building a better society. Lee's campaign platform was unashamedly left-wing: promoting universal healthcare, free education, collective bargaining, criminal justice reform, and womens' rights. The Republicans' use of 1950s red-baiting scare tactics against Lee fell flat. More and more Americans are rejecting the establishment politics of both major parties and exploring the ideas of workers' power, organised labour, and social democracy. Giovanni Torre and Alex Whisson interviewed him for Indymedia this week.

Recently the Australian government announced they will provide millions in funding for a cutting edge project in the City of Fremantle featuring the use of blockchain-powered distributed energy and water systems. Karun Cowper speaks with Marc Griffiths blockchain developer with Power Ledger on this innovative project and on how blockchain technology can transform our society

Karun Cowper speaks with Brisbane peace activist Robin Taubenfeld about the #PineGapPeacePilgrims currently on trial for breaking the silence around Pine Gap's role in US drone attacks & nuclear warfare.

Karun Cowper speaks with anti-nuclear campaigner from the Conservation Council of WA KA.

Kurdish journalist and detained refugee Behrouz Boochani on conditions inside the besieged Manus Island detention centre.