Following last year’s ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launched a violent attack on Syrian activists who presented similar demands: for economic…
It’s been an extraordinary fortnight for any Australian passionate about questions of gender and equality.The Alan Jones affair. The Brunswick peace march for Jill Meagher. Margie Abbott and the…
When Michael Kirby retired from the High Court in 2009, he was Australia’s longest-serving judge. But it’s not his time on the bench that makes him so beloved; rather it’s his long record of human…
When Michael Kirby retired from the High Court in 2009, he was Australia’s longest-serving judge. But it’s not his time on the bench that makes him so beloved; rather it’s his long record of human…
Left Turn
Event · Thu, 21 Jun 2012
In the Australian election of 2010, hundreds of thousands of voters chose not to cast a ballot. A new book of essays, edited by Jeff Sparrow and Antony Loewenstein, and aimed at engaging the many…
Agitators, as Oscar Wilde observed, are essential to progress. Reforms are more likely to be achieved when sections of a social movement behave badly and demand more than reforms. In this…
Agitators, as Oscar Wilde observed, are essential to progress. Reforms are more likely to be achieved when sections of a social movement behave badly and demand more than reforms. The history of…
Since the end of the Cold War, much international attention has been devoted to building democracies to replace authoritarian regimes. East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq and last year’s Arab Spring are…
If you’ve been reading the Fairfax press (or surfing social media) recently, you’re probably familiar with the debate about writer and activist Melinda Tankard Reist – and whether she has the right t…
Mixed Results
Dailies · Wed, 02 Nov 2011
While Palestinian attempts to secure full membership of the United Nations are still pending, signs have abounded that they will ultimately prove futile. Representatives of the Palestinian…
From the battles for basic civil rights four decades ago, to the overturning of terra nullius and the stolen generations apology, Australian Indigenous activists have achieved much over successive…
Since December of last year, across the Middle East, dictatorial regimes have toppled and people power has triumphed. But what does this much-heralded wave of revolutionary fervour mean in the…
The Monash Israel Oration is presented in partnership between the Wheeler Centre and Monash University’s Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, and under the auspices of the Leon Liberman Chair i…
In a post-conflict society, with a still fragile justice system, establishing respect for human rights is crucial to nation-building and for East Timor’s future. An estimated 10,000 civilians…
Naomi Chazan
Event · Tue, 14 Jun 2011
Naomi Chazan is a senior Israeli academic, an activist for peace and women’s rights, and a former member of the Knesset. In this wide-ranging conversation, she examines the issues facing the region.N…
Gail Dines
Event · Fri, 27 May 2011
Professor Gail Dines is a scholar, activist and social critic. She is also at the forefront of an international conversation about the effects of porn culture on contemporary society. Her book…
Palestinian medical doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish has dedicated his life to peace in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Born and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, he worked…
There are children’s books, and then there are children’s books that make a difference. The Boy and the Crocodile tells the story about East Timor’s national origins that doubles as a fable about…
