Tag Archives: human rights

Burmese days – Is the Golden Land on the cusp of a new era?

by on 07. Feb, 2012 in Asia, Culture, Human rights, Migration, Multiculturalism, My life, Photography, Politics, Refugees, Travel

  There are some special places on earth which lure you such that you make damn sure you visit and once you get there, become hooked and vow to return.  Such is my experience with the magical land of Burma. Probably my earliest exposure to Burma was when I worked at Lonely Planet. As a [...]

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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 [...]

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How about a Universal Declaration of Earth Rights?

by on 14. Apr, 2011 in Culture, Environment, Human rights, Politics

In my last post I talked about the promotion and protection of South African people’s rights through the country’s post-apartheid Constitution.  If you thought that was impressive, try this… Bolivia is set to pass bold new laws protecting the rights of the environment.  ’The Law of Mother Earth’ as it is felicitously named will enshrine [...]

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South Africa – the positive and negative legacies of apartheid

by on 11. Apr, 2011 in Africa, Art, Culture, Ethnicity, Human rights, Migration, Multiculturalism, Photography, Politics

If I was lucky enough to be in New York over coming months, I would be dedicating an afternoon to visit MoMA and the exhibition Impressions from South Africa, 1965 to Now.  This unique exhibition charts the social turmoil which has defined the country over recent decades, and looks to contain an impressive collection of [...]

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