Veterans of the Peace Movement, groups like ICAN, Rotary and Quakers, and young activists gathered for a Peace Symposium in Katoomba in the 80th year since the US obliterated the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima with nuclear weapons.The event included internationally renowned speakers Robert Tickner AO, the Ambassador for ICAN, and Dr Siswo Pramono, Indonesian Ambassador, as well as Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman and the Mayor of the Blue Mountains, Mark Greenhill.As the event drew to a close, MC Nick Franklin asked these speakers what they would like to see people take away from the event and what they can do as individuals.Also mentioned by Robert Tickner AO, was the Justice Reform Initiative.This episode was recorded at the Planetary Health Initiative Katoomba on Saturday 2nd August 2025.If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can leave an audio comment about our show, which may be added to one of our podcasts.Apply to be a guest on our radio show, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via rbm.org.au.Join a union - 1300 486 466 or join online. Join BMUC.Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community.
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12:28
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12:28
John Ellison tribute - artist and founder of the Winter Magic Festival
This interview with the late John Ellison was recorded at nolan on lovel gallery on June 20th 2025 by Merran Maclaren and played the same day on the Rights, Rorts and Rants radio show. The interview was recorded during 'Flexing', an exhibition of John's watercolour paintings. The paintings in the exhibition are discussed first then Merran asks John about the history of The Winter Magic Festival which John founded in 1994 and which ran for 25 years in its original format. John's concept behind The Winter Magic Festival was in John's words "to celebrate your own brand of magic."As John sadly passed away after this interview was recorded this podcast is a tribute to John Ellison from BMUC and Rights, Rorts and Rants.Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.The show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 20 June 2025 and will be replayed on 5th September 2025 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community and presented by Merran Maclaren. The podcast produced by Ann-Maree McEwan If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can leave an audio comment about our show, which may be added to one of our podcasts.Apply to be a guest on our radio show, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via rbm.org.au.Join a union - 1300 486 466 or join online. Join BMUC.Authorised by D Smith, Management Committee, Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc, 52-52A Great Western Hwy, Mount Victoria, NSW.
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11:06
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11:06
Global Trade and How to Rig It
Global trade could be all about solidarity and meeting human needs. Instead it's a game of bullies, billionaires, bullets, and embargoes. How do we stand up - as nations, as people - for something better?Latin America has decades of experience of US interference in their economies and governments that the rest of the world can learn from.Dr Rodrigo Acuña - journalist, filmmaker, teacher, Latin America expert - spoke about the Latin American experience on Cuban National Rebellion Day.This episode was recorded at the Family Hotel, Katoomba during "Politics in the Pub" on 26th July 2025.If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can leave an audio comment about our show, which may be added to one of our podcasts.Apply to be a guest on our radio show, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via rbm.org.au.Join a union - 1300 486 466 or join online. Join BMUC.Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community. Image credit: 'Trump' by Isaszas CCO 1.0
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56:53
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56:53
Paul Robeson - The Last Tour by Ann Curthoys
"Paul Robeson was once the most famous African American in the world."Historian and author Ann Curthoys has written a book "The Last Tour" about the 1960 tour of Australia by singer Paul Robeson and his wife Eslande. Many Australians know about Robeson's performance of "Ol' Man River" on the construction site of the Sydney Opera House but his other activities during that tour are worthy of being remembered, although they may be less well known.In this episode of Rights, Rorts and Rants, Ann Curthoys talks to Nick Franklin and Deb Smith about Robeson's Australian tour.CONTENT WARNING - Discussion of attempted suicide. You can talk to Lifeline 131114 or TEXT 0477 131114 for help.The show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 8th August 2025 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community.If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can leave an audio comment about our show, which may be added to one of our podcasts.Apply to be a guest on our radio show, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via rbm.org.au.Join a union - 1300 486 466 or join online. Join BMUC.Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community.
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30:44
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30:44
The look of Katoomba - with Jim Angel
Think about your list of the 10 best things about Katoomba. It's not hard to fill the list with World Heritage Listing, Scenic World, Echo Point, Garguree (The Gully) and the Cultural Centre at the top of the list. But the problem of derelict buildings and empty shopfronts brought into focus by the state of the Paragon Cafe cannot be ignored. In this interview on Rights, Rorts and Rants presenters Nick Franklin and Peter Lammiman talk with Jim Angel a former mayor who worked on a revitalisation of Katoomba including building the Cultural Centre about looking for solutions for Katoomba. Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.The show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 23 May 2025 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community and presented by Nick Franklin and Peter Lammiman. If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can leave an audio comment about our show, which may be added to one of our podcasts.Apply to be a guest on our radio show, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via rbm.org.au.Join a union - 1300 486 466 or join online. Join BMUC.Authorised by D Smith, Management Committee, Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc, 52-52A Great Western Hwy, Mount Victoria, NSW.Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community.
Selected content from Rights, Rorts and Rants broadcast weekly on Friday from 4pm to 6pm on community Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM or live streamed from rbm.org.au/. Hosted by Blue Mountains Unions & Community (Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc). Views expressed on our show and in our podcasts are not necessarily endorsed by BMUC.
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