Castan Centre for Human Rights Law

Tag: human rights

  • Have You Got That Right?

    Today we are proud to launch an innovative series of videos called Have You Got That Right? As the tag-line says, these videos will answer important human rights questions “quickly, clearly and in a way that won’t put you to sleep”. The project will be broken into a number of 10-episode series, each with a…

  • Commonwealth Games: is it time to stop playing?

    By Paula Gerber Barely six months ago, international anger and calls for a boycott of the Winter Olympics in Russia drew nearly as much news coverage as the games’ sporting achievements. And as the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow get under way, it is worth remembering that although Scotland has nothing to match Russia’s gay propaganda laws, the…

  • Ian Thorpe came out, but not in Australia – a wise decision

    By Paula Gerber Few who watched Ian Thorpe’s “coming out” interview with British interviewer Michael Parkinson on Sunday night could have  failed to be moved by his story. The anxiety and turmoil he felt in telling the world he is gay was apparent for all to see. Thorpe told Parky: I’m ashamed I didn’t come…

  • Deterring and denying asylum seekers in Australia

    By Azadeh Dastyari Australia has long prided itself on its commitment to fairness. It is a signatory to a range of international conventions intended to protect the vulnerable and has in the past provided sanctuary for those seeking refuge, most notably in the wake of the Vietnam War. In recent years, however, successive Australian governments…

  • As region’s homophobia turns deadly, let’s stand up for rights

    By Associate Professor Paula Gerber Although Australia does not yet allow same-sex couples to marry, it is not a country that is generally described as homophobic. The days of it being a crime to be gay here are, thankfully, a relic of a bygone era. By and large, Australian laws protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender…

  • Why Journalists Need Human Rights Training

    By Paula Gerber The United Nations has recently singled out journalists and media professionals as in need of increased education about human rights, as part of the World Programme for Human Rights Education. Its first phase (2005-2009) focused on human rights education within primary and secondary school systems. Educating children about human rights is a logical…