Vol 34 No 17

26 August 2024

AUSTRALIA

The silent epidemic: Our hidden child abuse crisis
- Smeeta Singh
- 06 September 2024
Australia is quietly confronting a national crisis: one in every four Australian children has been a victim of child sexual abuse, but you would never guess the scale of this crisis, given the lack of urgency from our national discourse.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

The way we lived then
- Ken Haley
- 06 September 2024
When we look back a decade hence on the way we lived in 2020, Shirley is going to serve as a literary time capsule. If you’re in search of a visceral feel for what it’s like to live in a specific place at a specific time — namely Melbourne in 2020, as the first pandemic in a century casts a pall over the zest for life itself — this book is a must read.
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AUSTRALIA

Curbing the electric mayhem
- Andrew Hamilton
- 05 September 2024
Electric scooters have become a flashpoint in Australian cities, pitting residents against local councils. While some embrace scooters as convenient and eco-friendly, others raise valid concerns about safety and regulation. As cities grapple with these issues, the broader question is, how can we effectively balance individual freedoms with community wellbeing?
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MEDIA

The new shiny thing
- Michele Frankeni
- 05 September 2024
With all attention focused on the newsworthy candidate, it seems in this 2024 presidential election, the media is playing the same game as it did in 2016. It's about novelty rather than interrogating relevant issues in any depth.
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INTERNATIONAL

Pope takes refugee concerns on the road
- Robin Osborne
- 05 September 2024
Pope Francis has frequently voiced sympathy for refugee concerns and before leaving on this trip, he reaffirmed his call for safe migration pathways for people fleeing their own countries for fear of persecution, describing any refusal to harbour asylum seekers as a ‘grave sin’.
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RELIGION

Francis’ Church may be more transparent and accountable, but don’t call it democratic
- Bill Uren
- 04 September 2024
The Synod on Synodality begins its second session in October. And while the synodal process may involve consultation, Pope Francis is keen to remind those hoping for reform that teaching authority remains with the Pope and bishops. As the Pope has insisted on a number of occasions, the Church is not a democracy, and the synod is not a parliament.
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AUSTRALIA

What does Tickle vs. Giggle mean for single-sex spaces?
- Erica Cervini
- 04 September 2024
While women-only spaces have long been seen as essential, the verdict raises questions about inclusivity and the potential for compromise. Is it possible to balance gender equality with the need for safe, exclusive spaces?
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AUSTRALIA

International student caps: The end of the education gold rush?
- Binoy Kampmark
- 03 September 2024
The government has imposed a cap on enrolments, sparking controversy among universities. Critics argue this will harm the education sector and exploit foreign students, while supporters believe it will protect the integrity of Australia's education system and address concerns about over-reliance on international student fees.
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ENVIRONMENT

The reef doctor
- Michele Gierck
- 31 August 2024
As rising sea temperatures trigger widespread coral bleaching across the Great Barrier Reef, marine scientists explore the devastating effects and do what they can to restore these vital ecosystems.
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AUSTRALIA

Before Hollywood, there was the Salvation Army
- Barry Gittins
- 29 August 2024
In the early 20th century, the Salvation Army emerged as a dominant player in the nascent film industry. From pioneering filmmaking techniques to navigating the first moral dilemmas around film censorship, their cinematic journey is a fascinating, often-forgotten chapter in film history.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

TV cops and cop-outs
- Juliette Hughes
- 29 August 2024
With contemporary crime dramas increasingly suffused with a sense of grim fatalism, The Rookie stands out for its optimism, a refreshing throwback to the days when crime series used to be about the mostly goodies chasing the mostly baddies.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

The contours of exile: The poetry of Derek Walcott
- Peter Steele
- 29 August 2024
Good poetry stops us in our tracks, visited as we are by whatever it is that has stopped the poet in his tracks. This agency may properly be, as in Walcott's case, something stemming from cultural marginality, from a fascination with the dramatic, from an equipoise between the lyrical and the epical, or from the interweaving of all these. (From the Eureka Street archives)
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AUSTRALIA

A national declaration of dignity
- Joseph Camilleri
- 28 August 2024
As Australia faces numerous moral crises from domestic inequality to global militarization, a proposed national charter of principles could to reshape our society and redefine our global role. This declaration would acknowledge Indigenous dispossession, prioritize human rights, and shift focus from military alliances to human security.
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RELIGION

When the Pope drops by
- Andrew Hamilton
- 28 August 2024
As Pope Francis embarks on a demanding tour, skipping Australia to visit smaller marginalised Catholic communities in Indonesia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, he is demonstrating the priority of the Church in reaching out to those on the margins.
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INTERNATIONAL

In an unjust world, can war ever be just?
- Daniel Nellor
- 27 August 2024
Amidst the conflict in Gaza, can ancient moral frameworks guide modern warfare? Nigel Biggar's recent analysis invokes 'Just War Theory', sparking debate on the ethics of Israel's response to Hamas. As casualties rise, questions of proportionality and 'just cause' take on a new significance, challenging leaders and citizens alike to navigate the fraught intersection of security, morality, and human dignity.
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RELIGION

Gerry O'Collins: Seeking the good, true and beautiful
- Julian Butler
- 26 August 2024
Gerry had a wonderful way of making people feel welcome. He wanted to see people at their best and his company allowed others to be so. Gerry’s life was peopled by some of the most significant figures in the global Church, and in political and cultural society more broadly, but he wore those connections lightly.
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AUSTRALIA

Australia's autism strategy is a test of national empathy
- Anthony N Castle
- 04 July 2024
The National Autism Strategy is the first coordinated national approach designed to support autistic people at each stage of life. But the draft strategy’s lack of conclusions has provoked some frustration and unless more autistic people are truly heard we won’t arrive at the practical solutions they need.
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Vol 34 No 17