Tag Archives: Australia

Exploitation or empowerment? The maid debate

by on 01. Aug, 2011 in Africa, Aid and development, Australia, Culture, Migration, My life, Photography, Social enterprise

For many years I have deliberated the ethics of hiring someone to clean my house.   With a mother who takes immense pride in her home yet believes it’s a plain waste of money to outsource cleaning, I grew up believing that only the very richest people had cleaners.   My early travels to Asia [...]

Read full story • Comments { 3 }

Using celebrities to promote a cause – damned if you don’t, damned if you do?

by on 06. Jun, 2011 in Australia, Culture, Environment, My life, Politics

My past week has been a very colourful one at work with the launch of our big campaign supporting a price on carbon pollution, particularly with the media furor surrounding Cate Blanchett‘s participation in our television ad: Valiantly led by a number of News Ltd newspapers, the media who were reporting on the launch of [...]

Read full story • Comments { 2 }

The selective nature of our religious tolerance

by on 27. May, 2011 in Australia, Culture, Human rights, Politics, Religion

XNYRK87XA2C4 Ask many left-leaning, well informed Australians what they think about France’s ban on wearing the burqa in public and you’ll typically hear cries of dissent and disgust at this violation of human rights and attack on religious freedom.  However, talk to the same people about a topical issue involving Christians or the church in [...]

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Vilifying the most vulnerable

by on 28. Apr, 2011 in Ethnicity, Local community, Migration, Multiculturalism, My life, Politics, Refugees

The most disappointing news and news reporting I’ve seen this week is around a beauty pageant in Melbourne turning really ugly. The violence and brawls actually happened at pageant after-parties, involving scores of young men and leaving at least one man unconscious. It’s disappointing not least for the serious injuries sustained by some of the people [...]

Read full story • Comments { 0 }
Older Entries »