By Wesa Chau*
 Melbourne - It may be entirely coincidental that the Hales Institute, the latest private college to head into receivership, specialised in cooking and hairdressing training – the very coursesthe Federal Government removed from its priority list last month.
 
The Hales collapse, however, has placed another 1,000 thousand students in limbo and the Government needs to take care not to strangle Australia’s fourth largest foreign currency earner after coal, iron ore and gold.
 

Wesa Chau
 
Melbourne - It’s a tragedy that international students are being killed on our streets – but it will become a scandal if Governments don’t act swiftly to protect them and the $15 billion industry they sustain.
 
Thursday’s high-profile police operation in Melbourne’s western suburbs is a good start and should be maintained. 
It shows authorities can act on the ground to protect the community against thugs like those who killed graduating Indian international student Nitin Garg.  This kind of active policing is to be applauded and encouraged.  However, it cannot end there.
 

By Nosrat Hosseini
Iranian Women’s Association 
 Melbourne - “Dialogue of Civilisations” is the theme for former Iranian president Mohammed Khatami’s talks in Australia, sponsored by La Trobe University’s Centre for Dialogue.

By Ayan Shirwa     

 MELBOURNE - “Excuse me”, the woman whispers. I smile politely at her, wondering what she wants. “That thing on your head, you know you don’t have to wear it," she tells me.

I glance around the crowded bus. My critic speaks not just to me but the other passengers as well.  The woman is smiling, seemingly oblivious that maybe, just maybe, she should not be critiquing a stranger's choice of religious dress. "You're a pretty girl. You shouldn’t hide behind that head wrap.”

By Nyadol Nyuon

  Melbourne - The question “to be or not to be” can be answered only when I know what, or who, I need or ought to be.

By Viriana Zeneli

 Melbourne - My name is Viriana Zeneli, I'm 19 years old. My family and I came to Melbourne in 1994. I am currently studying film and animation at RMIT university. I am interested in film culture, 20th century cinema and avantgarde art.

By Ramla Hashi

 MELBOURNE - I was young, naïve and I still feared the wrath of my mother.

I had two things working against me that year:  Firstly, I had come straight from an Islamic school after knowing nothing else. Secondly, I was starting High School -- not any high school but Northcote High! And, just when I was finally getting used to the utter and complete lack of Islamic teaching in school, is when it happened.