Condolence messages were sent from Australian parliamentarians and from the President of Australia Western Sahara Association on the passing of Mr Mahfoud Ali Beiba, President of the Saharawi Parliament.
Letters were sent by:

Janelle Saffin MP, Federal Member for Page
on behalf of the Parliamentary Friends of Western Sahara (Saharawi People)
Read letter >>

Maria Vamvakinou, MP
Federal Member for Calwell
Read letter >>

Lyn Allison
President
Australia Western Sahara Association
Read letter >>

Sydney Customs House, Circular Quay
MFPA, CPACS (University of Sydney) and the Sydney Peace Foundation present: “Conflict Resolution in the Struggle for Self-Determination” – Western Sahara and Tamil (LTTE) Case Studies.
Workshop led by Prof. Johan Galtung, & Prof. Stephen Zunes
Intro Prof. Stuart Rees.
Venue: Barnet Long Room, Customs House Circular Quay Sydney
Time:  1800 -2000

Fee $30 includes refreshments All welcome.

More information and bookings at http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/peace_conflict/news/ipra2010.shtml  Note: go to page for full conference booking. Here you can select to book for this single event at Customs House.

guardian.co.uk , Thursday 13 May 2010
Stefan Simonawitz
The world’s most remote film festival takes place in a refugee camp deep in the Algerian desert

Report:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/may/13/desert-film-festival

Reader riposte: Western Sahara
by Guest Blogger - 9 June 2010 10:46AM
A response to Danielle Cave’s recent post on the Western Sahara from Kamal Fadel, the representative to Australia of Polisario, the Western Sahara independence movement:

“I was surprised to read Danielle Cave’s recent article on Western Sahara. It was nice to see a fresh perspective on the plight of my country, a country that struggles to gain and maintain media attention in Australia, and in fact, the coverage it does receive is few and far between…..(cont.)

Read full response >>

A film night about Western Sahara, the former Spanish Sahara, at ACMI presented by Melbourne Filmoteca: Latin American, Spanish & Portuguese Film Group and the Australia Western Sahara Association.
One of the films will take us through the highs and lows of Mariem Hassan’s eventful life to discover her as a courageous and enduring character as we witness her artistic transformation into one of the most charismatic and respected figures of the world music scene.

When: Tuesday 30 March 2010 at 7.30 pm

Where: ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image)
Federation Square, Flinders St, Melbourne
All welcome    Flyer about the event

Tickets: $14, $11 (concession) on sale at box office: (03) 8663 2583
or online at http://www.acmi.net.au/ticketing

Further details: http://www.melbournefilmoteca.org/next.html

Irene Jacob: Valentine Dussaut
“THE RUNNER”  (2010, in-production)

The TRAILER for the long-form documentary, “The Runner” is now on YouTube >>

The story of a World Champion long-distance runner from Africa’s last colony, the Western Sahara:
… As he approached the last 200m in the lead of an 8km race, he pulled out a Sahrawi flag - illegal in Morocco and a symbol of the “Sahrawi Intifada” - and waived it across the finish line. Knowing he would be arrested on arrival in Morocco, he immediately sought political asylum in France and has been there ever since.
(more…)

This excellent UK site, the Free Western Sahara Network, aims to bring together many different groups working for WS around the world.

The official launch of this new network took place on 12th June in the Houses of Parliament preceded by a delegation to 10 Downing Street led by MP’s, MEP’s, representatives of the Polisario Front, campaigners, and supported by High Commissioners and Ambassors from several nations. See The Guardian - Western Sahara’s lingering crisis - 12/6/09 and See USA Today - Delegation to Downing Street - 12/6/09

Since the screening of “Stolen” during the Sydney Film Festival on 11 June 2009, very important issues have come to light.
“Stolen” is seriously misleading in alleging slavery exists in the Saharawi refugee camps and it misuses the story of Fetim Sellami a Saharawi teacher who withdrew her consent, as have most of the other Saharawis who were filmed.
The following are some of the main problems with “Stolen”:
·        Most of the translation Hassania (local language) into English is completely wrong. (more…)

By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU, Associated Press Writer
LAAYOUNE REFUGEE CAMP, Western Sahara (AP)—Marathon runners from more than two dozen countries raced through the rock-strewn desert of Western Sahara on Monday to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the conflict-ridden territory’s call for independence.
(more…)