By Sonia Nair At first glance, global hunger appears to be an insurmountable problem, where the insufficiency of food resources lies at its core. However, the right to food – a relatively young right that protects people’s entitlement to feed themselves with dignity – implies otherwise, and expounds that sufficient food is indeed available. The […]
By Sienna Merope In the last fortnight two asylum seeker boats have sunk on their way to Australia, killing more than 90 people. These tragic deaths and the continuing arrival of boats have, unsurprisingly, re-ignited public debate about how to address the “refugee problem”. What has emerged is a disturbing consensus that Australia has an […]
This article has also appeared on The Conversation. There’s a knock on the door. It’s late, and it has been a wild and stormy night. You wonder who could possibly be outside in this weather. Opening the door you find a young man collapsed on your doorstep, soaked and shivering. He wants to come inside, […]
On Wednesday night, 27 June 2012, a Private Member’s Bill to amend the Migration Act proposed by Independent Member of Parliament Rob Oakeshott passed the Lower House of Parliament after an extended and emotional debate. The drama in the House of Representative is the latest in an ongoing story, brought to a head by the news […]
This article is part of our June theme, which focuses on Indigenous People and their human rights. Read our Editorial for more on this theme. Arinya* is a single mother with four children under the age of nine. Although all her children’s births have been registered, only the eldest two have birth certificates as the Registry […]
Twenty years on from the Mabo decision, and fifty since Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people won the right to vote, Right Now is focusing on Indigenous People and their human rights. Our content for this month attempts to strike a delicate balance between the positive and the negative. On the one hand, a simple […]
This article is part of our June theme, which focuses on Indigenous People and their human rights. Read our Editorial for more on this theme. On 26 May 1997 the Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families (Bringing Them Home) was tabled in the Australian […]
This article is part of our June theme, which focuses on Indigenous People and their human rights. Read our Editorial for more on this theme. Comments on the You Me Unity Expert Panel Report on recognising Indigenous Australians in the Constitution. In November 2010, the federal government established an Expert Panel to consider options for amending […]
This article is part of our June theme, which focuses on Indigenous People and their human rights. Read our Editorial for more on this theme. In February, Right Now focused on the topic of prisoners’ rights; an issue notable by its absence from the human rights debate in Australia. Sarah Morgante from Whitelion acknowledged that: “It’s […]
This article is part of our June theme, which focuses on Indigenous People and their human rights. Read our Editorial for more on this theme. When the High Court delivered its judgment in Mabo (No 2) on 3 June 1992, twenty years ago today, I appeared in Canberra for the two remaining plaintiffs, Dave Passi and […]
In the second half of the 1970s, Indonesia’s war against the people of East Timor caused the largest loss of life relative to population since the Holocaust. Reputable and widely used demographic techniques have shown that 30 per cent of East Timor’s population died during the war. What did the Australian Government know about the catastrophe in […]
Today, in an interview with the ABC, US President Barack Obama declared his support for marriage equality – the legality of same-sex marriages. The move, coming six months before he stands for re-election, is the latest in a series of political steps in that direction. Six months ago, late in 2011, witnessed a beginning of […]