The dark side of van life

Living in a campervan or caravan is a fashionable option for grey nomads or backpackers, but many people are forced into mobile living by a lack of money, rather than a sense of adventure.

The opiate of the people

For better or worse, religion remains a pervasive influence on human society around the world, but a strict separation between religion and politics is in the best interest of believers and non-believers alike.

Australia needs a civics lesson

Although the law will compel them to vote, young people remain ill-equipped to participate in Australian democracy.

Counterpoint by Mark Nicol – What matters and what matters not

Important as they are, society’s vexed debates about social and justice issues shouldn’t blind us to the wider questions, including the future of life on this increasingly polluted and over-populated planet.

The Rise of a CANZUK Trading Bloc

The rise of the CANZUK concept coincides with recent global events such as Brexit and the protectionist Buy America policy. Political elites from potential member states are far from dismissing the concept, which might bring into being a powerful economic bloc rivalling the European Union, China, and the United States.

Holocaust education in Australia

The study of the Holocaust as the ultimate example of genocide allows teachers to raise the universal message of human rights abuses and mass violence.

The genius of this nation

January 26 marks the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival in Sydney in 1788 but also offers a starting point for conversations about moving forward into the future.

Counterpoint by Mark Nicol – The law unto itself

The law should protect the weak from the strong, but all too often the opposite is the case, benefitting those who practice the law rather than those it should protect. If we truly believe in justice, it’s time for a radical overhaul.

An indigenous voice in the constitution

As a ‘Voice’ that would allow Indigenous Australians to have a say in parliamentary and government decisions that affect them takes shape, it is vital it be enshrined in our Constitution.

Rethinking urbanity

The bushfires and pandemic which marked 2020 raise wider issues of the way we relate to our cities and each other.

Tabi on racial matters: Black African communities have deeper connections to Australia’s history than we realise

Many Black Africans came to Australia to complete their prison sentences and to work in the colony and were amongst the first convict labourers of the country that we know today.

Whose Australia day?

Australia will not be comfortable celebrating its national day until we have greater racial understanding, based on truthful retelling of history, but we can be encouraged by our growing multicultural cohesion.