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Keywords: Purpose

There are more than 200 results, only the first 200 are displayed here.

  • AUSTRALIA

    Why did the referendum fail?

    • Joel Hodge
    • 19 October 2023
    44 Comments

    The Australian Indigenous Voice referendum has been rejected, as anticipated by many, with the meaning and consequences now up for debate. This debate may be as crucial as the referendum debate itself to determining the future of reconciliation and what it means to be Australian in the 21st century.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Can spirituality help assuage the youth mental health crisis?

    • Adrian Rosenfeldt
    • 29 September 2023
    12 Comments

    Amid the rise of 'no religion' among young Australians, there is a nuanced narrative of spirituality with demonstrated potential to alleviate some mental health concerns. With a prominent strain of individualism pervading today's culture, might revisiting spiritual connectedness provide young people with a needed respite?

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  • RELIGION

    The last conclave?

    • Miles Pattenden
    • 06 September 2023
    4 Comments

    In a recent interview, Professor of Church History and conclave expert Alberto Melloni passionately argued that the current conclave system, shrouded in secrecy and absent of clear criteria, might be outdated. With the Catholic Church facing unprecedented scrutiny, and in light of reforms initiated by Pope Francis, is it time for the Vatican to reconsider how its supreme pontiff is chosen?

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The Voice referendum: Bringing the country with us

    • Frank Brennan
    • 01 September 2023
    14 Comments

    As Australia approaches a pivotal referendum, voters face a critical choice: endorse a new chapter in the Constitution providing a 'First Nations Voice' or leave it untouched. Whichever way the vote goes, we will be left with a Constitution not fit for purpose in the 21st century.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The great AI misdirection

    • David James
    • 17 August 2023
    8 Comments

    In a world where words wield power, 'Artificial Intelligence' is a semantic contradiction. As tech leaders sound alarms about AI's potential threats, the reality remains: AI scans data but can't replicate human thought or emotion. Are we, through misleading language, surrendering our humanity to machines?

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The Robodebt reckoning

    • Mark Gaetani
    • 02 August 2023
    5 Comments

    Despite causing despair and even leading to lives lost, those who orchestrated Robodebt from 2015 to 2019 appear unrepentant. Yet one fact remains unchallenged: this scheme lays bare a troubling disregard for the dignity of the most vulnerable in society.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Three steps back and one step forward: Three decades of asylum seekers in Australia

    • Kerry Murphy
    • 28 July 2023

    How has Australia's asylum seeker policy changed over the past thirty years? The approach of every government has reflected the shifting political landscapes and challenging humanitarian issues that have continually shaped Australia's response to those seeking refuge. 

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Undeterred by Kondo, let your library overflow

    • Philip Harvey
    • 20 July 2023
    6 Comments

    It's all very well to remove excess furniture, but furniture is not books. How many chairs does one need? Chairs are not books. To reduce a library as a household expedience is to objectify the books. Their contents are emptied of value, their history relegated to out-of-date. They have no more meaning than books in an Ikea display room. (From 2019)

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  • AUSTRALIA

    State-sanctioned child abuse serves no-one

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 20 July 2023
    1 Comment

    A Supreme Court judge in Western Australia has banned solitary confinement at Banksia Detention Centre, shining a light on the controversial practices within the nation's juvenile justice centres. Yet, public response remains muted despite the troubling revelations, raising concerns about systemic failures, the need for empathy and societal responsibility towards our youth.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Protesting in South Australia: Then and now

    • Michele Madigan
    • 29 June 2023
    2 Comments

    Following a rally by climate action group Extinction Rebellion, anti-protest laws were rushed through the SA lower house, increasing the maximum fines for disruptive protests along with potential jail time. Sadly, SA is not an outlier here, but is rather in step with the rest of the country with similar ‘draconian’ laws regulating protests.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Bridging histories: In conversation with Tony Birch

    • Paul Mitchell
    • 23 June 2023
    1 Comment

    Renowned author and academic Tony Birch is known for his insightful and compelling narrative explorations into societal issues like marginalisation, Aboriginal identity and racial struggles. In conversation with Paul Mitchell, Birch discusses his work, the unique intersection of academia and creative writing, and the profound impact of historical dispossession.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    The disquieting lessons of Ian McEwan

    • Peter Craven
    • 14 June 2023

    Ian McEwan's Lessons marked a sharp twist in a five-decade literary career, and presents an opportunity to reflect on his expansive body of work. The one-time literary rogue and Booker laureate now stands as the unquestioned doyen of modern English fiction, his audacious work perpetually navigating undercurrents of unease.

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