Vol 33 No 4

06 March 2023

RELIGION

Catholic, female and struggling: Survey reveals women's desire for Church reform
- David Halliday
- 17 March 2023
8 Comments
Over 17,000 women worldwide have called for Church reform in a newly published survey by Catholic Women Speak Network. Respondents from 104 countries expressed dissatisfaction with a lack of transparency in governance and voiced the need to be seen, heard and valued.
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ENVIRONMENT

Nuclear waste controversy continues in Federal Court
- Michele Madigan
- 16 March 2023
14 Comments
Barngarla traditional owners continue to resist the plan for a nuclear waste facility in Kimba, despite millions spent by successive federal governments, and ongoing unanswered questions about the project's necessity and the risks involved.
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AUSTRALIA

Changing the dial to Catastrophic
- Andrew Hamilton
- 16 March 2023
2 Comments
As the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services updated Australia's fire danger ratings to include 'Catastrophic', it's worth considering other crises that pose a catastrophic threat like climate change, war, diseases, and economic loss, where disadvantaged groups disproportionately suffer.
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AUSTRALIA

Mabo, Keating and a Voice
- Kevin Keeffe
- 16 March 2023
10 Comments
Despite the lack of formal consultation with Indigenous peoples at the time, Paul Keating invested significant political capital in designing the Native Title Act and establishing a comprehensive social justice package. As the debate on the Voice intensifies, Indigenous Australians should be afforded the right to offer their Voice and be heard on issues as fundamental as native title.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Roosevelt's freedoms
- Gillian Bouras
- 15 March 2023
6 Comments
In his 'Four Freedoms' series, iconic artist Norman Rockwell depicted a vision of America where people were free from want and free from fear. But with the threat of nuclear war looming, and arms merchants benefiting from conflict, how far off are we from truly achieving this ideal?
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CARTOON

Black hole
- Glen Le Lievre
- 15 March 2023
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INTERNATIONAL

Happy International Women's Day
- Michele Frankeni
- 15 March 2023
International Women's Day highlighted progress and setbacks for women's rights, with stories of unequal pay, abuse, and education denial. Education and literacy are vital to gender equality, but global access is still limited. As we celebrate the journey towards gender equality, let's remember the distance that remains.
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ECONOMICS

Ballooning risks of finance fictions
- David James
- 14 March 2023
Was Russia's removal from the SWIFT system the moment when the global financial system detached itself from reality? The financial system is at risk from unpayable debt and the delusion that money can be created out of money itself, and wider trust underpinning finance is steadily evaporating.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

The book corner: The Jane Austen Remedy
- Gillian Bouras
- 10 March 2023
1 Comment
It's a truth universally acknowledged that a book can change a life, but can certain books help a reader live more fully at any age? Ruth Wilson, a 90-year-old author, thinks so. Her book, The Jane Austen Remedy, explores the belief that books can cure an ailing soul.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Initiations
- Geoff Page
- 09 March 2023
Filling up the Webster-pak’s / a weekly exercise / designed to keep me vertical / with sparkle in my eyes. Fresh from Chemist Warehouse as / my tempo wanes and waxes / my pills dispel my latest ills — if not quite death and taxes.
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INTERNATIONAL

Who ousted Peru's president of the poor?
- Rodrigo Acuña
- 09 March 2023
4 Comments
The removal of Peru's democratically elected president Pedro Castillo has left the country in turmoil. But what were Castillo's policies that led to his downfall and imprisonment after 495 days in office?
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Artificing intelligence
- Andrew Hamilton
- 09 March 2023
6 Comments
Who will champion humane values, enshrine them in the development and workings of artificial intelligence? This is the question posed by Plato and Socrates to our generation, and one that demands our urgent attention as the line between the artificial and the human becomes increasingly blurred.
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AUSTRALIA

The changing face of Australian homelessness
- Danusia Kaska
- 08 March 2023
3 Comments
Women over 55 are the fastest growing homeless group in Australia. With over 400,000 women at risk of homelessness, it's Indigenous women, women with disabilities, women from migrant or refugee backgrounds, and women with mental illness who are disproportionately vulnerable.
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AUSTRALIA

Death notices
- Julian Butler
- 08 March 2023
From RSL clubs to beloved aunts and uncles, the death notices page is a tapestry of stories. How can we publicly share the death and celebrate the life of those for whom we are responsible, and how do these accounts weave together to form a picture of our community?
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AUSTRALIA

Extinction machines and the religious gut
- Nathan Campbell
- 07 March 2023
1 Comment
The evolution of profit-driven poker machines has sparked a debate over the role of personal beliefs in shaping policies aimed at curbing addiction. As society grapples with the ethical implications of technology designed to maximize addiction, can a policymaker rely on a 'religious gut'?
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ENVIRONMENT

Storm brewing over Pacific nations as climate and debt crises collide
- Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi
- 06 March 2023
4 Comments
Increasingly frequent and severe weather events are leaving Pacific Island nations struggling to rebuild. The region needs nearly US $1 billion per year in financing to adapt to climate change but with lengthy delays and complex grant applications, accessing funds is a challenge.
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Vol 33 No 4