Unisuper members need to support divestment in businesses that are complicit in war crimes. Its our money being invested into supporting the killing of innocent people by Elbit Systems!

There is broad-based community alarm and dissent that Port Kembla is being considered as the East Coast base for nuclear submarines as part of the AUKUS agreement. There has been no consultation undertaken or consent given by our community. Port Kembla, as part of Greater Wollongong, was declared a nuclear-free city more than 30 years ago, and its status as a nuclear-free zone was reaffirmed only last year. If a nuclear submarine facility was based in Port Kembla Harbour it would require the acquisition and alienation of a massive part of the harbour and the land around it. Land which is a valuable and vital asset for our existing manufacturing, steel, land transport and maritime industries whose epicentre is Port Kembla. Delaying a decision would prolong and amplify uncertainty over exclusion zones, access to land and waterways for our emerging industries and threaten billions of dollars of investment in renewables making it a job killer. The presence of nuclear attack class submarines in our Ports would make us a nuclear target and pose an unacceptable risk to the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of people given potential exposure to hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium. If its not safe for the people of New York City to have Nuclear submarines in their midst, it's not safe for the people of any city.

Murdoch staff have been hit hard during the COVID-19 crisis: enduring staffing cuts, taking on more work, keeping the lights on for students and the broader community while management are seemingly making decisions that don't improve staff conditions or well-being. A university is a place of ideas. Murdoch's 'tagline' is "A place for free thinking" but sadly free thinking comes at a cost and it is a cost borne disproportionately by staff. With an already lean Bargaining Agreement and no real cost of living relief in sight, it's time to support Murdoch staff in their entrenched right to bargain for a more robust Bargaining Agreement. You need to send a message to management – this isn’t good enough, we can’t afford to keep going backwards, we are struggling with the lack of support, and we demand that they begin bargaining NOW. Click the link to sign the petition - send the message to management that we're ready to bargain NOW!

In the decade since Qatar was awarded the right to host the World Cup, exploitation and abuse of these workers has been rampant, with workers exposed to forced labour, unpaid wages and excessive working hours. At the heart of the abuse faced by migrant workers is Qatar’s ‘Kafala’ system of sponsorship-based employment which legally binds foreign workers to their employers. Other factors linked to the abuse of mi-grant workers are high levels of worker debt caused by illegal and unethical recruitment practices, the late and non-payment of wages, barriers to obtaining justice when rights are violated, the prohibition of trade unions and the failure to enforce labour laws and penalize employers who abuse their workers. In past campaigns, FIFA sponsors have been asked to reconsider their support – with no result. Some of the sponsors, including Coca Cola, have issued statements condoning human rights abuses anywhere in the world and underlined the trust in FIFA in addressing those. One reason brands are unlikely to take drastic action is simply the pay-off from being a World Cup sponsor. Several are also long-term sponsors, with Coke involved with FIFA since 1974. Pressing FIFA on a PR campaign seems like a very soft measure. However, it is a measure that allows sponsors to take action with real impact without compromising their business interests. In Australia alone, Coca Cola employs more than 3.000 workers in 9 manufacturing sites. Since 2018 Coca Cola developed a Human Rights Action Plan and published several Human Slavery Reports. If Coca Cola takes these self-commitments seriously it should take its responsibility as FIFA World Cup sponsor and act now.

2021 marks 100 years since the partition of Ireland. The imposed division of Ireland triggered decades of injustice and conflict, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives. The signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 ended decades of political conflict, and also provided a path for the achievement of Irish national self-determination through peaceful and democratic means. It was endorsed through referendum by an overwhelming majority of the people of Ireland, north and south, and is an internationally binding Treaty that places legal obligations on both the Irish and British Governments to ensure full implementation of all its provisions. The Good Friday Agreement provides for concurrent referenda north and south, to determine any change in the Constitutional status of the north of Ireland. Specifically, the Agreement provides for a poll to be triggered by the British Government. Recent historic political developments in Ireland, including the detrimental impact on Ireland of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, and the failure to provide an all-Ireland response to the global Covid19 Pandemic, have resulted in an unprecedented and building momentum for Constitutional change. The most recent polls have shown that a majority of citizens in the north of Ireland now favour a Referendum being held within the next five years. Recognising that Australia and Ireland have long and deep historic links – with an estimated one-third of today’s Australian population having Irish ancestry – we share many common bonds and democratic values. In this spirit, as part of the Diaspora of generations of Irish people in Australia, we call on the British government to honour the requirement set out in the Good Friday Agreement and to hold a Referendum on Irish Unity. We say – ‘It’s Time’ to let the People decide. I believe its time for the people of Ireland to decide their future

Scott Morrison’s visa system favours big businesses at the expense of working people. There are workers who have lived in this country for years, who have families and communities here, and every day do the work that keeps our country running - but who are stuck in limbo from temporary visa to temporary visa. Meanwhile, the government has enabled exploitative employers to churn through a vulnerable temporary migrant workforce with limited rights. We need a fair visa system that puts workers over profit, and that gives every worker a fair chance - no matter where we come from.

In a region rife with conflicts, and now battling the health and socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19, UNRWA stands as a vital source of regional stability. UNRWA has been recognised as a major contributor in the containment of the COVID-19 virus, particularly in preventing its spread through densely populated Palestinian refugee camps in the region. Australia has a long history of support to the Palestinian people. Australian aid to UNRWA is a practical and genuine demonstration of our long-standing support for the Middle East peace process. This support provides basic services (education and health), livelihood opportunities and protection for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Syrian, Lebanon and Jordan. We call on the Australian Government to restore funding for UNRWA and uphold its commitment to Palestinian refugees and peace in the Middle East.

International Students alongside domestic students at Flinders University matter as we continue contributing to enriching the cultural environment, academic fields and economic development of Australia and the world. By supporting International students and standing in solidarity with us, Flinders University not only demonstrates to the State, the country and the world its pioneer and leading responsibility for International communities, but the university will also continue sustaining academically and socially its reputation as the most desirable destination for international students in the world. As an International Students Collective, we need immediate actions to support our fellows and we can do it!

There is unprecedented international funding for public health programs. In countries where asbestos is still used, health infrastructure such as hospitals or clinics built to respond to the Covid 19 crisis may contain asbestos building materials. Economic stimulus around the world is injecting money into infrastructure and construction and in countries that still use asbestos this will result in a boost to the asbestos industry and a toxic health legacy for decades to come. Unless we act to win safe, sustainable and just health and economic stimulus spending then corporations and industry lobbies will take advantage of this moment to advance their own interests. The scale of funding is huge. The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and other multilateral development banks have announced tens of billions of dollars in grants and additional ‘concessional’ credit to the world’s poorest countries. To match the unprecedented responses by international organisations and governments across the world, we can take a bold step by committing that no recovery or health stimulus funds will be used to purchase asbestos building products. Join this campaign and make sure that the asbestos industry doesn’t profit from this health crisis.

Importantly, online learning does not favour the majority of students for a number of reasons. Our zooms have been crashing, many of our seminars and tutorials are reduced to online forums, attendance is low, and pracs and labs can't take place. Simply, we aren't receiving the same level of education - how can we be expected to receive the same grades? Although no one could have foreseen COVID-19 occurring, La Trobe University need to account for the difficult circumstances we now find ourselves in. We need fair policies regarding WAM and grading - and we need them now!

The loss of these skills will be detrimental to the future of the Deakin as the COVID - 19 pandemic subsides. This is a once in a lifetime event and requires a once in a generation level courage and imagination to support those who make Deakin Worldly .

Aside from the massive economic contribution they make to Australia, International Students are part of the fabric of the Australian community. They are students, neighbours, friends and colleagues. Many face the additional barrier of being new to Australia and not being familiar with its language or institutions. It is beyond heartless that government assistance has not already been extended to these people who work hard and contribute so much to this country. It is unacceptable that they are being abandoned in this way. Something must be done. Not in a week or a month, but now.