Posted by: Sarah Hunt
in Arts Blogs on Sep 6, 2010
The Palestinian – Israeli conflict continues to be one of the most highly contested issues of modern geopolitics. In Washington last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas met for the first direct talks about the conflict in nearly two years.
Posted by: Sarah Hunt
in Arts Blogs on Aug 23, 2010
Multi-talented East Timorese artist Ego Lemos was in Australia at the 2010 Darwin Festival last week. Ego is internationally known for his award-winning song, Balibo, which was the soundtrack to the movie of the same name.
Posted by: Andrew Jakubowicz
in Human Rights Blogs on Aug 23, 2010
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Some interesting things happened in this
election, a key one being I guess that the $1.6 million that Maxine McKew had
jimmied out of Gillard for Bennelong to pay for a multicultural food festival
community hall makeover, won’t reappear. It’s also not clear that Richmond (Melbourne)
will get its Vietnamese community arch, promised by Anthony Albanese for
$500,000. Is this a sign of the times, the only two multicultural promises and
the ALP loses both seats?
Posted by: Devaki Monani
in Human Rights Blogs on Aug 17, 2010
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If elected as the prime minister Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will personally decide which asylum seeker boats will be denied entry on Australian shores. "In the end it would fall to the prime minister to make this kind of a call," he told Radio National this morning Clearly this statement is in conflict with a previous statement made by Mr Abbott in July that Navy commanders would decide when to turn boats back.
Politics, Policies and Cultural Diversity
This Federal election has been a round-about of personalities, melodrama and policy parries. There is a real social world out here, where a majority of people live an every-day multiculturalism. For the forty percent or more of Australians who come from non-Anglo backgrounds and the rest who experience its benefits, it’s worth reflecting on what the future might be like if there was a policy debate in which cultural diversity was valued and productive diversity advanced.
Sustainable population – not a debate about who we want here
The debate about a sustainable population for Australia only makes sense if it involves all Australians – as citizens, as producers, and as consumers. So the debate has to make sure everyone feels they have a stake and their input is respected; not only the middle aged, middle class, male and generally White people who dominated Dick Smith’s “population puzzle” video on the ABC last Thursday night, and were barely leavened in the Q and A studio audience by Suvendrini Perera, (Curtin U academic and Fairfax OpEd writer) on the panel, and Tanveer Ahmed and his dad on the floor.
Posted by: Sarah Hunt
in Arts Blogs on Aug 11, 2010
The Trial is one of Melbourne’s most important hidden documentaries. It follows the stories of two accused men in Australia’s biggest terrorism trial, which ran from February to September 2008.
Posted by: Sarah Hunt
in Human Rights Blogs on Aug 10, 2010
Journalism isn't an easy profession - just ask Mark Latham. Recently, however, I met a group of journalists who inspired me to believe that reporters can create social change. The group came from Nepal to Australia through the Australia Pacific Centre of Journalism for a month long work tour, with the goal of empowering the Dalit community of Nepal.
They present a complex picture of the issues facing Nepali society. Most of the journalists belong to the Dalit caste, which makes up about 20 per cent of the population. Dalit are considered untouchable or lowest caste within caste hierarchy. Thus, they experience systematic marginalisation and are excluded from social development and economic life.
Posted by: Sarah Hunt
in Arts Blogs on Aug 4, 2010
Melbourne Sings is no ordinary choir. Launched by talented soprano singer Tania de Jong in 2009, the Melbourne Sings is no ordinary choir. Launched by talented soprano singer Tania de Jong in 2009, the choir has over sixty members who are from a hugely diverse range of cultural, social, age and economic backgrounds.
Tania started Melbourne Sings because she wanted to build a community where music was the uniting focus. Every week the choir meets to sing, eat, chat and make unlikely friendships. Their philosophy is that everyone can sing and everyone should have the opportunity to be a part of a community.
Posted by: Aiman S. Ahmad
in Human Rights Blogs on Jul 29, 2010
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Breaking Down Boundaries
"As a social movement motivated by religious values and the ideals of selfless service, engaged in philanthropic endeavour and active in the civil sphere," argues Greg Barton, a professor at Monash University, Melbourne, "the Gülen hizmet deserves comparison with other such movements around the globe." It challenges "some of the 'us and them' barriers that divide ... east and west, by allowing us to recognise common concerns, values and shared experiences."
