Bruce Duncan. Myanmar’s neighbours were watching closely the Pope’s visit, worried that the shocking treatment of the Rohingya Muslims could inflame inter-religious conflicts throughout the region. Francis has intervened personally to promote deeper mutual understanding among the major religions, urging them to draw from their traditions to protect those in distress and promote social inclusion […]
Bill Frilay. I use that heading, because I do not know the answer, and wish world leaders did. All I know is that the likelihood of using nuclear weapons is greater than at any time since the 1962 Cuban crisis. We have Kim Jong Un, belligerent, young, but not to be underestimated. Seemingly prepared to […]
Henry Reynolds Delivered this International Day of Peace Lecture at St John’s Cathedral Brisbane on 21 September 2017. It is republished from John Menadue’s blog 26 October 2017. In a letter written in August 1855 to his colleague John Bright, the great free trade liberal, Richard Cobden, expressed his hostility to Britain’s involvement in the Crimean War. “And […]
Bill Frilay. What is ICAN? It is a coalition of non-governmental organisations in one hundred countries seeking the elimination of nuclear weapons. While it is an international organisation, ICAN’s first office was established here in Melbourne in 2007. So there’s justified local pride in its achievement. Its main office (albeit very small) is in Geneva. […]
Brian Johnstone CSsR US President Trump’s threat to “totally destroy” North Korea can be taken to mean totally destroy the North Korean government, writes Greg Sheridan in the Australian on 21 September. Is this what Trump really meant? How could a nuclear attack be so precisely targeted that it would destroy only the North Korean […]
Joseph A Camilleri In the vain hope of minimising the catastrophic consequences of America’s 16-year-long military intervention, Donald Trump has just announced yet another surge in its military presence in Afghanistan. Australia, like other allies, will also be asked to do more, and will almost certainly agree to the request. This is part of the […]
John Menadue Through its support of extremist Wahhabism, the Saudi government has been promoting radical Islam around the world. Its influence has included funding schools, universities, and mosques, in over 80 countries. But, like the issue of the burqa, few Australians want to discuss the highly dangerous activities of the Saudi government. In previous posts […]
Bruce Duncan. Report of a conversation with Anglican priest Peter Woods and human rights advocate Louise Byrne. Human rights abuses in West Papua are causing Melanesian and Polynesian countries throughout the Pacific to voice increasing alarm in international forums, and to call for genuine self-determination for West Papuans. Speaking at the SPC forum on 2 […]
Bishop Vincent Long launches Bonded through Tragedy, United in Hope; the Catholic Church & East Timor’s Struggle for Independence. A Memoir, by Hilton Deakin with Therese & Jim D’Orsa More than 200 people at the Knox Centre in Melbourne on 1 June heard Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, now of Parramatta Diocese, launch this striking […]
Bonded through tragedy united in hope: The Catholic Church & East Timor’s struggle for independence, a memoir, by Hilton Deakin with Jim and Therese D’Orsa (Melbourne: Garratt Publishing 2017). Reviewed by Rowan Ireland. Australian Catholic bishop, Hilton Deakin, now aged 84, has given us a remarkable memoir. It was produced over several years, with the […]
