Human Rights - Writing

Climate Change: It’s a ‘People’ Thing and it Discriminates

Much of our agricultural land is presently straining under the ‘worst drought in living memory’: 80% of Queensland is drought declared. This drought comes upon the heels of the Millennium Drought, the longest drought in the living memory of those who colonised this country. Stocking rates are down and impacts will continue to be felt as any debt to restock will be heavy when it rains. Markets have been distorted. Towns and communities are affected. Nature and humanity are distressed

By Writing|2022-01-22T14:37:41+11:00December 28th, 2021|Environment & Energy, Human Rights|Comments Off

You Do Not Inherit; You Hold On Trust

The concept of sustainability has always been central to indigenous cultures. Native Americans believe that you have to consider the impact of your actions on the next seven generations. And in Australia there is a world view among Indigenous people that says that you do not inherit land, you hold it on trust for future generations

By Writing|2022-01-27T13:33:47+11:00December 16th, 2021|Governance, Human Rights|Comments Off

A Charter of Rights for Australia

There is one measure which, if adopted in Australia, would make an important difference to this flawed democracy of ours: it is a Charter of Rights. The response to the idea of a Charter of Rights is not easily summarised

By Writing|2022-01-28T11:12:11+11:00December 14th, 2021|Governance, Human Rights|Comments Off

Refugees and Human Rights

One of the few philosophical precepts which is practically universal is captured in the Christian teaching: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In its original Biblical expression it says: ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets

By Writing|2022-01-27T12:43:04+11:00December 14th, 2021|Human Rights|Comments Off

The Human Rights of Refugees

It is not difficult to articulate the core elements of any human rights framework: we should acknowledge as inalienable rights those conditions that are generally regarded as indispensable for a decent human existence. Traditionally, human rights have not been seen to depend on, or arise from, membership of a particular society. They arise from the fact of being human

By Writing|2021-12-28T13:17:08+11:00December 14th, 2021|Human Rights|Comments Off

Bioethics

Terri Schiavo, an American woman aged 41 years, was diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state (“brain dead”) and was kept alive by a feeding tube. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, was Terri’s guardian and, after three doctors had testified that she was in an irreversible vegetative state, he asked that the feeding tube be removed and that she be allowed to die

By Writing|2022-01-31T12:28:27+11:00December 14th, 2021|Health, Human Rights|Comments Off

Destination equality!

Gender equality’s great promise is that it benefits all people, children, life partners, workplaces, our economy and democratic culture. This is a story of Australia’s progress on gender equality from the mid 19th century to today. There is much cause for hope in what has been achieved. But there is a fragility or brittleness attached to this scorecard, underlining our need to do much more — with renewed hope, energy and urgency

By Writing|2021-12-29T10:12:00+11:00December 14th, 2021|Human Rights|Comments Off

What Do We Owe to Future Generations?

Although steps have been taken over the past 150 years or so to protect ‘heritage areas’ of great natural beauty, the idea that we have some long-term obligation to future generations has not resonated in the human discourse and is rarely, for example, enshrined in any substantial body of behavior, practice or law

By Writing|2022-01-28T12:08:15+11:00December 14th, 2021|Environment & Energy, Human Rights|Comments Off

Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament

There is no more fundamental human rights issue than a threat to life on this planet as we know it. There are only two such threats that international policy failure can make real. One is global warming, and the other is annihilation by the most destructive and indiscriminately inhumane weapons ever invented. And nuclear weapons can kill us a lot faster than CO2

By Writing|2022-01-22T14:12:34+11:00December 14th, 2021|Governance, Human Rights|Comments Off

The First Aboriginal Land Rights Case

It is 40 years since the first land rights claim by Aboriginal people was instituted in Australia. It was dismissed: Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd (1971) 17FLR 141 (the Nabalco case). This loss was a great disappointment to those who had devoted their lives to claims that Indigenous Australians had land rights at the time of British settlement and that where those rights still existed they should be recognised and the land returned to that community

By Writing|2022-03-01T12:46:11+11:00December 14th, 2021|Governance, Human Rights|Comments Off