Keywords: President Obama
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AUSTRALIA
When discussing racism, the response is as important as the
accusation. The slow response
from police and political leaders to the recent spate of
Indian-bashings demonstrates what can occur when racism is tackled
passively.
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AUSTRALIA
Perhaps it's an omen: election day in Somalia, and the first voter to approach the polling station wears an Obama t-shirt. Elections, and the act of voting, are a powerful affirmation of one's ability to stand and be counted. For refugees, it is all the more significant.
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AUSTRALIA
- Antonio Castillo
- 22 April 2009
4 Comments
The Fifth Summit of the Americas will be remembered for Obama's pledge to 'seek a new beginning with Cuba'. He could be the statesman to end the Cuban embargo, the foreign policy blunder that has caused much pain to Cuba and its people.
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AUSTRALIA
- Kimberley Layton
- 03 April 2009
1 Comment
In due course the Taliban problem will be confronted and hopefully
resolved, but not before the internal political
situation stabilises. Patience is a virtue in Pakistan. The situation is not improving quickly, but it does seem to be improving.
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AUSTRALIA
- Rodrigo AcuÑa
- 24 March 2009
1 Comment
US Republicans lobbied President Obama to impose hardships on Salvadorians livingin the US should the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front win last week's election. When the left did triumph, he did the opposite and congratulated the new leader.
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AUSTRALIA
- Peter Kirkwood
- 18 March 2009
3 Comments
When asked if America was winning the war in Afghanistan, Obama answered: 'No'. His call for dialogue with the Taliban reflects a form of inter-religious dialogue that goes beyond a lovey-dovey, 'underneath we're all the same' approach.
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RELIGION
- Andrew Hamilton
- 26 February 2009
22 Comments
The standard by which the most vocal Catholic Bishops judged Obama was his position on abortion, same sex marriages, and on the use of embryos for
research.
Obama has done the churches a favour by stealing their clothing.
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ARTS AND CULTURE
- Bruce Duncan
- 30 January 2009
6 Comments
Obama embraced Christianity because of his involvement with church groups,
sustaining the moral vision of
oppressed blacks. He has sketched a vision of social renewal that overlaps closely with Catholic
and Christian social thought.
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AUSTRALIA
- John Warhurst
- 30 January 2009
7 Comments
Obama's inauguration included official ceremonies, public speeches, street parties and ten presidential balls. Such pomp and ceremony is underrated. If he had been sworn in, Australian-style, it would have been a much duller affair.
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AUSTRALIA
- Brian McCoy
- 23 January 2009
4 Comments
Australia Day comes this year shortly after Obama's entry into the White House. Like the child in Australia — a film that captures something of the mixed history of our Australian footprint — Obama embodies the possibility of
healing across racial and other divides.
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AUSTRALIA
- Dewi Anggraeni
- 22 January 2009
3 Comments
In the big cities in Indonesia, most taxi drivers want to talk about the new president in the USA. Obama lived four years in Indonesia, and the country, the people and the culture left their marks on him, too.
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AUSTRALIA
- Binoy Kampmark
- 21 January 2009
4 Comments
One reporter described the crowd gathered for the inauguration as a 'mass of humanity' with 'children living their history'. How Obama's leadership takes shape will be a point of curiosity and
perhaps a dread. But in searching for consensus, Obama has started well.
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