Make a commitment

In the festive season Australians buy more, travel more and eat more than at any other time of the year. This can take a strain not only on our wallets, but also on the environment. Planet Ark again has the 12 dos of Christmas to inspire Aussies to celebrate a Christmas with more joy and less waste.

Dine out and help out

There is still time to take part in the DineSmart initiative. Until 31 December StreetSmart partners with restaurants to ask diners to make a small donation to StreetSmart. Every table is asked to add $2 or more to their bill, not even the price of a coffee. It’s a simple idea that adds up to a big impact on the lives of people who are homeless. 

Banning video games – taking responsibility as a society

Target Australia recently pulled the R-rated video game Grand Theft Auto V from its shelves following feedback about the game's depictions of violence against women. Angela Borbilas says it’s time for the community to come together and recognise that we all have to do our part.

My year of wonder – discovering mindfulness in business

Wonder and amazement can be found in the most unlikely places. Leah Sparkes is observing a mindful revolution in corporate Australia.

What to give a child who can’t read?

The results from the latest NAPLAN show that large numbers of students in Years 3 to 9 in Victoria have profound problems with literacy and numeracy. Jennifer Buckingham says Victorian families deserve much better than what both the Labor and Liberal parties have promised.

Good privacy is good business

Privacy should not be underestimated or taken for granted. Following the Privacy @ Play Summit last month, Malcolm Crompton explains why good privacy is good business.

Corporate Social Responsibility beyond the ethical minimum – start the talking

Corporate Social Responsibility is more than merely fulfilling a legal duty. Wim De Groof says we need ‘management by values’ with a culture of social dialogue empowering the ethical performance of a company.

Standards: paving the way to a better cloud computing future

Concerns over privacy and security risks in cloud computing are still widespread. Malcolm Crompton says a new code of practice for cloud service providers handling personal information could be a game changer.

Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

To you this looks like ordinary Brussels sprouts. To me, it’s karma!

Inspiring our loved ones to eat well is not an easy task. Marla Bozic encourages us to change the world one Brussels sprout at a time.

It’s the people’s turn to judge NDIS trials

The 3^rd December is International Day of People with Disability. Craig Wallace explains how an ambitious grassroots examination puts the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) back in touch with those paying the premium and ordinary people with disabilities.

Proudly Standing Up

How will history judge us and our current response to desperate refugees? Gary Samowitz from Stand Up urges us to show compassion and put humanity at the core of the political debate.