Oxfam Australia » Opinion

Timely move to make miners more responsible for damage they cause

mediateam — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:14:04 +0000

THERE is no doubt that mining can stimulate economic growth and bring prosperity. But without a commitment to human rights and sustainability, and without regulation, transparency and accountability, it can also cause people to lose their land and way of life, while irreparably damaging the environment.

Next steps for Australia in tackling climate change at the UN Climate Summit in Durban, South Africa

mediateam — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:57:23 +0000

In Africa, location of this year’s UN Climate Summit, severe climate events are also impacting on people’s ability to grow food. More than 13 million people in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are facing desperate food shortages following the worst drought in 60 years.

Tuvalu plight must be heard at UN Climate Change Negotiations

mediateam — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:53:13 +0000

We are half a world away from the UN Climate Change Negotiations in Durban, but our fate is intertwined with the outcome of this South African meeting.

Compassion should drive military’s rescue role

mediateam — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:35:15 +0000

Australia's narrow foreign policy and security interests can't be the driving force behind its engagement in disaster management.

Asia-Pacific aid boost makes sense

mediateam — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:13:03 +0000

It took the international "summit season", a visit by US President Barack Obama and the prospect of a reversal on our ban on sales of uranium to India to finally put foreign affairs on the national political landscape.

Pricing carbon: domestic policy and international responsibility

mediateam — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:35:07 +0000

As Australians gathered at barbecues, sporting grounds, or in front of television screens across the country for Grand Final weekend, half way across the globe, the latest round of UN climate negotiations got underway without fanfare in Panama.

Land grab gives food for thought

mediateam — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:10:56 +0000

In Australia and around the world, we are observing new global gold rush, but today it is in pursuit of land. Governments and investors are rushing to buy agricultural plots outside their own borders for future food supplies and as investments.

East Africa food crisis was preventable

mediateam — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:39:50 +0000

Today is World Humanitarian Day – a day set aside to honour aid workers who provide help to millions of people around the world. But it's also an opportunity to pause and reflect on the work we do, why we do it and more importantly how our work is changing.

Exploding myths about Australia’s carbon role

mediateam — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 06:56:25 +0000

Everywhere you go, climate change and the Government’s proposal to put a price on carbon pollution is being talked about. There is no doubting this is a significant issue for Australia and the world, however the conversation in Australia is laced with myths.

Exploding myths about Australia's carbon role

mediateam — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 06:56:25 +0000

The winners and losers of the Malaysian solution

mediateam — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:58:34 +0000

Now signed and sealed, the Australia-Malaysia asylum seeker-refugee transfer deal is about to be delivered with the imminent deportation of the first group of asylum seekers from Christmas Island. In the meantime, many are asking whether the agreement will work. The answer to this all depends, of course, on how you frame the problem.

NRL leads effort to close gap

mediateam — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:10:14 +0000

Although Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are less than 3 per cent of Australia's population, they make up more than 10 per cent of current NRL players. But while Aboriginal players are among the NRL's brightest stars, the situation for our people off the field is vastly different.

Humbled by 100km, while starving trek

mediateam — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:57:40 +0000

In just over four weeks, more than 2000 people will gather in Sydney to take part in the Oxfam Trailwalker 100km endurance challenge to raise money for Oxfam's work to fight poverty around the world.

Prevention is better than cure

mediateam — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 06:45:30 +0000

Everyone in Pakistan agrees that better preparation for disasters is a good idea. But making it happen is another matter. It needs money. It needs experts. It needs time between disasters for a country to recover and then plan ahead for the next situation.

Christine Lagarde must empower the voiceless

mediateam — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 05:50:05 +0000

While the process of appointing Christine Lagarde has damaged the IMF's credibility, she now has the power to restore the fund's credibility and transparency.

The politics behind asylum-seekers misses the boat

mediateam — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 05:47:12 +0000

In the wake of World Refugee Week, the recent television phenomenon of the SBS documentary Go Back to Where You Came From and in the year of the 60th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, it is now more timely than ever to reflect on Australia's approach to the treatment of asylum-seekers.

Rising nations challenge aid focus

mediateam — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 05:43:29 +0000

Deciding how and where to deliver aid has always been a tricky business. In Australia, as in other rich countries, politics, national priorities and commercial objectives have frequently jockeyed for influence.

Aid is about listening as well as giving

mediateam — Mon, 23 May 2011 04:47:09 +0000

In the city of Pune in western India more than 6000 families survive on rubbish. They live on the money earned by workers - most of whom are women - who collect, sort and sell waste to scrap traders. Exclusively from low-caste groups, often known as ''untouchables'', these waste pickers are vulnerable to extreme poverty, including disease and hunger.

Aid is just one part of the puzzle to solve poverty

mediateam — Mon, 16 May 2011 03:42:31 +0000

The budget is a win, but other avenues need to be explored.

People power can help close Indigenous health gap

mediateam — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:06:12 +0000

The Close the Gap Campaign aims to close the ten to 17-year life-expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians’ within a generation. Founded in 2006, it marks its fifth anniversary today.