Vol 33 No 13

10 July 2023

ARTS AND CULTURE

Undeterred by Kondo, let your library overflow
- Philip Harvey
- 20 July 2023
6 Comments
It's all very well to remove excess furniture, but furniture is not books. How many chairs does one need? Chairs are not books. To reduce a library as a household expedience is to objectify the books. Their contents are emptied of value, their history relegated to out-of-date. They have no more meaning than books in an Ikea display room. (From 2019)
READ MORE
RELIGION

Faith in the future as an act of re-membering the past
- Emmanuel Nathan
- 20 July 2023
26 Comments
Digitisation of memory risks erasing historical appreciation of debates around the Second Vatican Council, where binary responses often eclipse the Council's nuanced narrative. To truly understand its impact, we must not outsource memory, but connect personally with this transformative chapter of our faith's history.
READ MORE
AUSTRALIA

State-sanctioned child abuse serves no-one
- Andrew Hamilton
- 20 July 2023
1 Comment
A Supreme Court judge in Western Australia has banned solitary confinement at Banksia Detention Centre, shining a light on the controversial practices within the nation's juvenile justice centres. Yet, public response remains muted despite the troubling revelations, raising concerns about systemic failures, the need for empathy and societal responsibility towards our youth.
READ MORE
AUSTRALIA

Bricks n' Oughta
- John Falzon
- 18 July 2023
5 Comments
Amid Australia's unprecedented housing crisis, there's an urgent need for increases in social housing. However, political wrangling hampers the progress of crucial legislation. With 640,000+ Australians facing housing stress, advocates stress the need for immediate action as a starting point towards comprehensive reform that treats housing as a basic human right.
READ MORE
AUSTRALIA

The cost of automated welfare
- David Halliday
- 17 July 2023
In the aftermath of the Robodebt scandal, an unsettling public apathy has emerged. Beyond exposing the pitfalls of automated welfare and demanding accountability, the response — or lack thereof — spotlights a worrying indifference towards the disenfranchised.
READ MORE
ARTS AND CULTURE

How the road unravelled: In conversation with Kate Holden
- Barry Gittins
- 14 July 2023
2 Comments
Kate Holden’s The Winter Road is a ranging meditation on a 2014 execution-style murder committed on a dirt track in Croppa Creek, in northwest NSW. Barry Gittins speaks to Kate Holden about her prize-winning account of the crime, reminding readers of the uneasy history of predation in this country and the damage it does to the land and to the people on it.
READ MORE
AUSTRALIA

Robodebt: Anatomy of a scandal
- James Massola
- 14 July 2023
5 Comments
Catherine Holmes' Royal Commission report exposes the staggering mismanagement and human cost of Australia's Robodebt scandal. The scheme burdened over 500,000 Australians with non-existent debts and is linked to at least three suicides. This report unravels the culture behind the disaster and the potential repercussions ahead.
READ MORE
INFORMATION

Winter raffle winners announced
- Staff
- 13 July 2023
Society of Jesus in Victoria–Jesuit Communications Winter Raffle 2022. Raffle drawn on Wednesday 12 July 2023 (VIC Permit No 10186/22). All winners have been notified. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who supported our Winter raffle.
READ MORE
AUSTRALIA

Slavery is a growing problem. How should Australia respond?
- Melissa Halliday
- 13 July 2023
4 Comments
A Global Slavery Index report found the number of people living in modern slavery in Australia had more than doubled in the past four years. As incidents rise, so too does the nation's response, evidenced by an increase in reported cases and government funding.
READ MORE
INTERNATIONAL

Letter to a tank commander
- Michele Gierck
- 13 July 2023
3 Comments
In a world coloured in shades of grey, can a fervent peace activist find common ground with a staunch military tank commander? As we navigate the complexities of war, peace, and human connection, how can one reconcile past experiences with the humanity found in unexpected places?
READ MORE
AUSTRALIA

Reading the entrails of Robodebt
- Andrew Hamilton
- 12 July 2023
6 Comments
Navigating the murky waters between legality and morality, Robodebt and the prolonged hotel detention of asylum seekers are both marred by the same neglect of human dignity and ethical responsibility, and should spark urgent discussions about our societal attitudes towards the vulnerable and the dire need for an ethical transformation.
READ MORE
CARTOON

Robodeath
- Glen Le Lievre
- 11 July 2023
READ MORE
ARTS AND CULTURE

Who tells your story?
- Barry Gittins
- 11 July 2023
2 Comments
From our most cherished childhood memories to the hard-won wisdom of our adult years, stories are the threads that bind us together, the tapestries that shape our identities. But who gets to tell these stories, and how are they preserved for future generations?
READ MORE
AUSTRALIA

The Paraball of the Prodigal Son
- Andrew Hamilton
- 10 July 2023
3 Comments
As England dances between thrilling success and staggering defeat in this Ashes series, where the English side has embraced an audacious and spirited playstyle, is the future of cricket in the hands of the stern, traditional Elder Son, or should it embrace the flamboyant daring of the Prodigal?
READ MORE

Subscriber login

Vol 33 No 13