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Very quickly the new women's, gay, and black rights and liberation movements became engaged in elaborate reform processes. As they continued with that they became fully involved in social institutions, or they built new institutions. In many cases it was not so much a matter of surrendering radicalism and climbing into a 'right channel', as creating new channels. In most cases this took many years.
The women's movement already had a first wave history and had organisational structures, 22 but the new ideas captured by the term 'women's liberation', and the large numbers of new activists and new groups, 23 swamped the older forms.
Since their mission was to reach out to women, and specifically to provide direct assistance in crisis with advisory and help centres, the second wave went straight to the community. In Brisbane, Children by Choice 24 began in 1971 (under a different name). Women’s House 25 was established in 1973.
Though the histories differed in many ways this pattern is characteristic of the emergence of the other organisations and campaigns that grew out of the ferment that the new left created.
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WWF Peace Committee float during Mayday procession in Brisbane, Australia |
The result was a great fostering of talent and skills that continues to benefit society. As happened with the artistic and counter-cultural individuals in the movement, careers were begun in these reform movements. The channels may have been new but the life cycles being lived out were familiar. The apparent dissipation of the new left was actually a combination of creative growth and inevitable personal choices. |
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Bookshops and bookstalls
The Movement moves off campus
