Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

The whole of Australian society must give space and time for the many remnants of dispossessed, the constant streams of refugees, to express and retain the memories of their pasts. The succeeding generations are mostly made up of people ... who want to move on as swiftly as their minds and hands can carry them. But if we try to suppress or exclude the small, silent treasures borne in the hearts of their parents, we do so at the peril of our own entitlements to citizenship.

If the perceived future possibility of terror attacks was enough to implement a global war to eliminate it, how long will it be before "terrorist friendly" words are forbidden? If the treatment of Parkin and his words is an indicator of a "possible threat" being dealt with badly, what measures are the Government and police prepared to take to correct their ineptitude? How long before authorities come to sites such as Webdiary and begin to censor our words, in the name of saving citizens from being murdered?

"For me this tour of duty is almost done. It is time to hang up these boots, but I am not yet ready to hand in my uniform. My passion to serve this nation burns stronger than before whatever opportunities might arise. I love this country and I believe in its future. I will look for new fields of endeavour and new battles to join in the years to come. There is so much ground for our nation to cover, some territory to win back and so much to do if Australia is to become the nation it can be." Kim Beazley.

What do "ordinary" people think about war and peace? In this article, you are invited to take part in the first-ever global survey of what people think about this crucial question.

With the drought ever deepening I know that many families are facing ruin this summer and will be forced off the land. Many have been there for generations but many of their sons and daughters have already left to seek a more certain future. It is never easy leaving the land and the ultimate pain is the clearing sale when the place itself has gone. I know that pain but one has to try and look on the light side.

In the Future of Schooling in Australia Report, launched by Victorian Premier John Brumby today, the states have for the first time agreed to uniform reporting of school results. It also commits the states to a national curriculum - initially for the core subjects of English, maths and science.

"I don’t feel like fluff anymore, I’ve become an activist again.  Joined a group.  Organise public events to really debate the issues.  I speak about the government's lies at every opportunity I get.  I even went to the APEC protests with a group of very respectable women.  I still throw my slippers and I speak out and I vote! We’ll vote the liar out." Christa Schwoebel

On the signals so far, water is promising to be a major issue for the election campaign. Water will be a conversation around many barbecues, as we confront problems affecting our daily lives. We will have to decide whether we want the confrontational methods of Howard and Costello to come up with solutions, or to trust a federal Labor government to work in harmony with the States.

If we were to be really fair about the citizenship test, all citizens would be made to pass it before they were allowed to vote. As it stands, someone who’s lucky enough to be born in Australia is free to remain blissfully ignorant of how our parliament works, what happened at Gallipoli, and the importance of Donald Bradman to the national psyche.

The giving and receiving of alms is a profound act of adherence to the teachings of Gautama Buddha and among the most meritorious of acts. Only under the most compelling moral circumstances will a monk refuse the alms that have been offered, as to do so is to refuse to acknowledge the alms-giver as a part of the religious community. However, the view of monks in Burma today is that such an extraordinary moment has arrived.

The latest update from the Democratic Audit program at ANU on how our democracy is working.

“India has been planning its nuclear program even before independence period of the 1950’s, after some Indian graduates from Berkeley ordered critical parts to build a cyclotron before they could return home ” said Sreedhar Ramamurthi. And he should know. He was employed as a Scientific Officer with India’s Department of Atomic Energy.

We need a better balance between material goals and the quality of people’s lives. The economy is not all that matters ... we also need a strong intellectual and creative life. We need the time and capacity to enjoy family, friends and recreation. We need to ensure the protection of and enjoyment of our natural environment. We need active engagement of all community members in the development of that community and the enjoyment of our cultural life and heritage. We should remember too, as the unlikely George Soros has warned, that an open society can be threatened by excessive individualism.

Temporary material prosperity is in danger of distracting us from the real and urgent challenge of putting our economy and environment on a secure, sustainable footing. It is time for a profound change in the way public policy is generated in Australia. We need to move from top-down, short-term ad-hoc ‘reforms’ to long-term, systemic renewal based on consistent principles, widespread citizen participation and a realistic understanding of how we live now. (Centre for Policy Development)

Australians should be ashamed of August 2007. That is when our Federal Parliament created its own national emergency by betraying its own people and its own legal and political heritage. It consciously re-embraced legislative racism. In less than a month our fellow citizens have lost their homes, their towns, and their businesses. They have lost their right to free and private assembly. They have lost their right to appeal the decisions of public servants. They have been collectively defamed and condemned as evil, corrupt, ignorant savages! Enough of this nonsense! (Barrister Pat McIntyre speaking at a rally in Darwin on Saturday 15 September 2007).

The Matildas are not just good. They are clearly special. As players and personalities, and as a team, they have that bit of magic which compels one to believe in them. They are the most brilliant role-models for our young girls, and perfect icons for Australian patriotism and pride.

Mr Rudd: "Today I commit to the establishment of a new national institution, Skills Australia, to deal with the nation's critical skills needs." It will be an independent statutory body of seven members who will include: economists, business leaders, academics and training providers. It will be "advising government on the future skills needs of the nation" and also act as "a funnel for research on skills for it to be handed to government."

Hello. Family First is on the ball, and today leads the pack on new policies to ease the costs of bearing and raising children. If only FF would come to its senses and preference other minor parties before either of the majors, there would exciting times ahead in the Senate election. It's a no brainer, in my opinion - getting another minor over the line if their candidate doesn't get up in a State means minor parties - including Family First's Senator Steve Fielding, who is not up for re-election this time, is dealt into play. through jointly holding the balance of power.

“Ok, this is going to be controversial. No, it isn’t, just an old guy blowing off some egotistical steam”. This is part of the internal conversation that I started when Margo asked whether I wanted to present what I regarded as a private/business project as a Webdiary piece. What follows is the story of Roger Fedyk's musical journey and his recent recording of an album of contemporary Christian music.

As another September 11 anniversary comes and goes, a figure purporting to be Osama makes his first appearance in years. Is he real? I was particularly interested in this piece by Ramzy Baroud, enough to write to him and ask if he'd mind us publishing his piece on Webdiary.

How to live? How to die? What's the best way to live? Chris Saliba reviews Pamela Bone's Bad Hair Days, her account of her battle with cancer.

In this address to the Commonwealth Law Conference, The Hon. Justice Michael Kirby examines problems presented to the law by advances in biotechnology and biomedicine with particular reference to demands for (1) intellectual property law protection over genetic data and its applications; (2) the right to procure, and conduct experiments using, embryonic stem cells; (3) access to pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to identify in embryos serious hereditary diseases; and (4)  access to new anti-retroviral therapies essential in treating HIV/AIDS.