Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
We can all do something – however small – to welcome refugees. Here are some ideas. 1. Take action All countries should do their bit to protect refugees, but in reality many countries – including Australia – do very little. To play its part in making our world a better place, Australia must have a …
Continue reading “Five things you can do to welcome refugees”
I have just spent a week in Greece and Italy — two countries that have become the gateways to Europe for refugees and people seeking asylum. What I and other members of Amnesty’s delegation witnessed was not for the faint-hearted. On Lesbos we saw thousands and thousands of life jackets, many of which were fake, …
Continue reading “Shining a light on the best and worst of humanity”
It’s no secret that ongoing dispossession and racism contribute to huge gaps in the health, life expectancy and imprisonment rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. At a time when states and territories across Australia are locking up kids as young as 10, it’s more important than ever that our schools recognise the diversity, …
Continue reading “5 things about Indigenous history you probably didn’t learn in school”
As Australians around the country await the results of the marriage equality survey, due to be announced on 15 November, Professor Mark McMillan explains why marriage equality matters to him, his family and his community. Society can change I am a proud Wiradjuri man and I come from a line of strong, sovereign Wiradjuri women. …
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Following the formal closure of the Manus Island detention centre, Imran Mohammad, a 23-year-old Rohingya from Myanmar, describes its impact on the people detained there. Making a bad situation worse The refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island are at the lowest point of their lives. There are no words to describe the pressure the …
Continue reading “Closing Manus Island: an inside perspective”
In Australia, the definition of marriage has changed 20 times. On average, that’s an amendment to the Commonwealth Marriage Act nearly every three years. Without exception, changes to marriage that we now take for granted were controversial at the time. Change is usually incremental and lagging behind the currently accepted societal norms. But we change …
Continue reading “Seven times marriage changed and the world didn’t end”
In 2017 it is disheartening to see that young women, the world over, are still subjected to the influence of the hyperfeminine stereotype. From the sexualised variants found in advertising, to the comical and submissive supporting roles on television and film, hyperfemininity – which portrays women as passive, naive, soft, graceful, and nurturing – has …
Continue reading “Five heroines to celebrate in young adult fiction”
Ever wondered what it’s really like to be a volunteer for Amnesty International? Amnesty Australia Community Organiser Amanda Atlee gives a rundown of what you can expect as a new volunteer in the charity sector. 1. It’s a whole new world Beginning a new volunteer role is equal parts exciting and terrifying. You have no …
With people all around the country posting their marriage equality voting forms, psychiatrist and father Dr Matthew Roberts believes marriage equality for all will have a positive effect on the mental health of our children and society as a whole. On the fence? You’ll want to vote yes after reading this. Relationships and wellbeing Every …
Continue reading “Vote yes to marriage equality – for all our kids”
This week marks one month since the recent crisis began in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, forcing 430,000 Rohingya people to flee their homes. So who are the Rohingya? And how did they come to be one of the most persecuted minorities on Earth? Who are the Rohingya? Three years ago, religious and ethnic tensions between the Rohingya Muslims …
Continue reading “Who are the Rohingya and what is happening in Myanmar?”