civil society
Starting in 1998, a UWS research project has been in progress on the geography of racism in NSW. * While racism is quite prevalent in Australian society its occurrences differ from place to place. * These variations have been largely overlooked by anti-racism campaigns in Australia. * Most Australians recognise that racism is
civil society
Yesterday in New South Wales there was a major shift in the state's political landscape. We saw a significant shift in voting with enormous swings against the ALP across the state and especially in traditional heartland seats. The Liberals won seats in which they'd never imagined
civil society
Historian Niall Ferguson, in his Civilization: The West and the Rest, notes that: "For 500 years the West patented six killer applications that set it apart. The first to download them was Japan. Over the last century, one Asian country after another has downloaded these killer apps — competition, modern
gender & sexism
It is International Women's Day again and surveying the scene here in Australia for women I find much to celebrate. Yet there remains much work to do for the women of Australia. Here we see, for the first time, a crop of women in senior political leadership positions.
civil society
I was completely appalled to hear how a well known radio personality in Sydney spoke to the Prime Minister of Australia on air. The details are outlined well by Barrie Cassidy on The Drum in Liar, liar, shock jocks on fire; and you can listen to the entire interview here.
civil society
Even though it was once said ironically, it has always seemed to me that Australia really is the lucky country. Our national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, sums it up: We've golden soil and wealth for toil... Our land abounds in nature's gifts... We've boundless
civil society
A friend invited me along to his citizenship ceremony the other day. He's terribly excited about becoming an Aussie after living here for a number of years. We went to the newly refurbished Sydney Town Hall and the Lord Mayor, wearing her Lord Mayoral bling, gave a lovely
gender & sexism
The fight for women to get the vote was a monument to cooperation, ingenuity and collaboration on the part of many women in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These women educated themselves and their peers about women's issues and agitated for women's rights. And
ideas
I contemplate the year past and the year to come and think on how I want my life to be. What do I want my life to stand for? Not clamour for power or wealth; not hunger for praise or admiration; not frenzied desire for new and thrilling experiences. What
ideas
Recently I visited the site in Flanders where John McCrae wrote the famouns pomen In Flanders Fields. It is at the Essex Farm Aid Station only a few kilometres from Ieper (aka Ypres). I visited on a cold, muddy and miserable day. The concrete bunker where the medicos triaged the
ideas
I have taken some time out from business meetings in Europe to make something of a personal pilgrimage in the steps of my ANZAC ancestors. It has been a very moving and very sombre experience. To see the tiny spaces of land fought over in World War 1 that resulted
ideas
Since I am traveling around there is not always the time or the internet access to blog as often as I would like. Instead I'm sharing links to resources that are guiding my journey via Pearltrees: http://cdn.pearltrees.com/s/embed/getApp