Sue Olney
In the Indian Sundarbans, like in many places of the world, the climate crisis is a current reality. In this ‘age of adaptation’, climate change is not a future possibility – it is a present threat. In this post, Annabel Dulhunty (@AnnabelDulhunty) from the Crawford School of Public Policy discusses how Australia needs to convert rhetoric into reality when it comes to climate change, through meaningful emission reduction and increased aid for communities most impacted.
Read MoreAshlea Coen (@ashlea_coen) analyses LinkedIn’s “career break” interaction design and critiques how the language points to the devaluing of caring as a job in society. Ashlea is a researcher focused on the intersection of design, technology and sociology.
Read MoreMarch and April of this year saw a spate of stories about animal cruelty reported across Australian news media. In today’s article, Serrin Rutledge-Prior (@serrinrp) from the Crawford School of Public Policy reviews prosecutions brought under animal welfare legislation across Australia, arguing that the treatment of non-human animals under Australian law is both inconsistent and insufficient in terms of delivering justice to victims of neglect and abuse.
Read MoreWe know that alcohol, gambling, tobacco and ultra-processed food products can harm health. But how much do we know about the industry associations representing their interests? In today’s piece, VicHealth (@VicHealth) Research Fellow Jennifer Lacy-Nichols (@JLacyNichols), MPH student Naomi Carr and MPH student Cara Platts (all of the University of Melbourne) discuss some of their research on harmful industry associations.
Read MoreThe social determinants of health is a concept that is widely understood in public health circles – access to education, housing, healthcare and income can have a profound impact on the health of individual and societies. But what are commercial determinants of health? In today’s piece, VicHealth (@VicHealth) Research Fellows Alexandra Chung (@Chung_Alexandra) of Monash University, Florentine Martino (@fp_martino) of Deakin University, and Jennifer Lacy-Nichols (@JLacyNichols) of the University of Melbourne explain how commercial actors influence health and argue for prioritisation of health over profits.
Read MoreGood nutrition is a requisite for good health; examining the systems that enable some populations to eat well while others struggle has traditionally been examined using a social determinants of health lens. In today’s post, VicHealth postdoctoral researcher Christina Zorbas (@CZ_Christina) of Deakin University (@IHT_Deakin) teams up with Chat GPT to propose how power theories may illuminate inequities in food access and nutrition.
Read MoreMeasurement culture is becoming increasingly necessary for organisations striving to maximise their social impact. Dr Rhiannon Parker examines why this is important for helping the for-purpose sector stay relevant and effective in a rapidly changing landscape
Read MoreVulnerable populations face significant challenges in achieving community wellbeing. Dr. Rhiannon Parker shares insights into the critical elements necessary for building thriving communities and promoting positive change.
Read MoreThe announcement, which fulfils a Labor election commitment, brings much-needed certainty to around 20,000 people who were found to be refugees or at risk of serious human rights violations. This article was first published on The Conversation.
Read MoreIit may be too far a stretch to suggest we can we turn our employment services into a laughter factory but we can at least stop them from being houses of misery.
Read MoreThe consensus from the UN, UNICEF and the WHO is that there is a fundamental relationship between human rights and mental health. Importantly, the UN has recognised that young people are often forgotten in the human rights framework and specific approaches should be used to ensure their rights are upheld because they differ significantly from those of younger children. They advocate that the most effective human-rights approach to young people’s mental health care should be based on public health and psychosocial support rather than overmedicalization and institutionalization.
Read MoreMy first experiences of co-production were in the national youth charity Woodcraft Folk (WCF). An organisation founded on principles of co-operation and youth empowerment whose trustee board has included a majority of young people for more than 20 years [1] [2] [3]. From joining, age 8, I was given responsibilities which contributed to collective aims. Co-producing events and campaigns with my peers in the self-organising 16-20 year old section were formative experiences [4]. Age 22, I began working at the head office as a youth empowerment development officer. My role was to support a steering group of young(er) people to run leadership training, improve representation in the organisation, and to have fun (allegedly then the only big lottery funded youth programme using ‘fun’ as an outcome measure!). Of course, it wasn’t perfect co-production - the holy grail – but, in these roles I witnessed the ‘magic’ and ‘electricity’ often spoken about in relation to co-production.
Read MoreAs the inquiry into Robodebt reveals the depth of Australia’s shame over its treatment of welfare recipients, Dr Tjanara Goreng Goreng, Wakka Wakka Wulli Wulli woman, academic, unionist, former public servant and proud grandmother, answers the question: ‘What opportunities and challenges does a universal basic income (UBI) present for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities?
Read MoreAboriginal academic Dr Sharynne Hamilton describes how her research co-partnership with Elders in the Perth Aboriginal community has lead to a clear path of action to achieve justice in child protection grounded in respect, and commnunity control.
Read MoreToday’s post is from Megan Beatrice (@megbeatrice), who is pursuing her PhD in Law at RMIT. Using the lens of intersectionality, Megan urges us to go beyond bail reform and think about how we can address the deep colonial practices embedded within the criminal justice system.
Read More2022 saw a lot of movement in the policy space, including a change in the Federal government and the largest number of independent candidates elected to office. There are many policy-related issues that are currently in flux, as indicated by royal commissions, law suits, the question of Indigenous Voice to Parliament, responses to climate change, continued management of COVID-19 and the economic reset that it caused, inflation, reforming the safety net, and fundamental questions about how government governs and is held accountable.
Read MoreIn today’s analysis, Phoebe Nagorcka-Smith (@PNagorckaSmith) of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@GoodShepANZ) uses evidence from their recent ‘Safety net for sale’ report to explore how Buy Now Pay Later is used to trap family violence victim-survivors in debt, and why regulation is key to preventing it.
Read MoreIn today’s analysis, Megan Elias discusses the impact of recent reforms to abortion law in Western Australia. Megan is a women’s and sexual health professional based in Boorloo, working across government and the not-for-profit sector. Megan is WA representative and Secretary for the Australian Women’s Health Network (@AusWomensHealth).
Read More
