This piece by Luke Bretherton was first published on ABC Religion & Ethics on Tuesday 15 October 2019. When we say the word “democracy” what do we mean? My hunch is that most people immediately think of voting, party politics and perhaps the rule of law. Few, if any, think about the relational practices through which we …
Violent crackdown by China could trigger Hong Kong migration
This article by Samantha Dick first appeared in The New Daily on the 9th of October. The threat of Chinese military intervention in Hong Kong could spur locals to seek a new life in nearby countries – and Australia is among their most likely destinations. Academics watching the progress of an uprising in Hong Kong …
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OPINION: A Possible New Script for Hong Kong Protesters
This article by Amanda Tattersall first appeared in The Conversation. It has been reposted by The News Lens. Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and protesters in Hong Kong upstaged Beijing’s celebrations. They wanted to build on the global solidarity protests from the past weekend, staged in …
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With no end in sight and the world losing interest, the Hong Kong protesters need a new script
This article by Amanda Tattersall first appeared in The Conversation on 1 October 2019. Today is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and protesters in Hong Kong intend to upstage Beijing’s celebrations. They will build on the global solidarity protests from the past weekend, staged in 60 cities across the world, …
Hong Kong we have a problem. Understanding the way forward
This article first appeared on miragenews.com on the 1st of October. Today is China’s National Day and it marks a significant milestone for the People’s Republic of China- and the Hong Kong protesters and administration know it. The ChangeMakers podcast’s latest series features never-heard-before interviews with survivors of the Tiananmen Square protests, casting new light …
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Like ‘shooting water’: why the Hong Kong government must accept that compromise is the only way forward
This piece by Amanda Tattersall first appeared in The Conversation on 27 August 2019. The Hong Kong protest movement is not deescalating – nor will it. Having battled for 12 weeks, this multi-million-person movement has lasted much longer than the unsuccessful 79-day Umbrella protests in 2014. This is because protesters believe this is their last chance …
The Hong Kong protesters have turned militant and more strategic – and this unnerves Beijing
This article by Amanda Tattersall first appeared in The Conversation on 2 August 2019. The past few weeks has seen a drastic escalation in violence on the streets of Hong Kong. On Tuesday night, a police officer aimed a shotgun at protesters who had gathered outside a police station, while a car launched fireworks into the crowd. …
What Happened In Australia’s Election, And Why It Matters
People’s distrust of politicians is at an all time high. Australia is just the most recent clarion call for us all to build a more connected political life. This article by Amanda Tattersall was first published in The Huffington Post on 20 May 2019. Two days before the Australia’s federal election, former prime minister Bob …
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New minister for public spaces is welcome – now here are ten priorities for action
This article by Kurt Iveson was first published in The Conversation on April 15, 2019. With the re-election of the Berejiklian government, New South Wales now has a minister for public spaces, Rob Stokes. This portfolio was first mooted in February, when the premier announced one of the new minister’s tasks would be to identify and …
Why the creeping sell-off of public space for private ads is so wrong
By Kurt Iveson, first published in the Sydney Morning Herald on October 9 2018. Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s intervention to insist the Sydney Opera House allow blatant Racing NSW advertising on its sails is objectionable for many reasons. Most worryingly, it signals a new intensification of the ongoing privatisation of our public spaces through advertising. The …
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