Articles - TheVocalMinority

Humanitarian

Surviving in the Australian bush

As the rental crisis deepens, news is surfacing of our own version of Nomadland. Homeless people are forced into remote campsites and mixing in with the grey nomad crowd who are facing – once again – COVID border closures. The call of the Australian outback is real for many but does reality match up?

thevocalminority
June 11, 2021

Environment

Healthy ecosystems = happy planet

World Environment Day 2021 is calling for urgent action to revive damaged ecosystems. From forests to wetlands to coasts, healthy ecosystems are crucial to our wellbeing. Now, global restoration is on the cards – and it’s being tackled on a massive scale. Here’s what to expect…

thevocalminority
June 9, 2021

Humanitarian

No freedom for refugees

The budget just allocated billions more to immigration detention. A few days ago, new legislation was passed that could see refugees detained indefinitely. All that comes among reports that some refugees have been waiting many years for their claims to be asylum cases to be decided. What will happen to them now?

thevocalminority
May 21, 2021

Environment

World forging ahead on climate action

The government may be hellbent on backing coal and gas projects, but there is plenty of positive environment news. Australia’s largest companies have joined forces to fight the war on plastic while Tesla is going hard on Bitcoin. And did you know our planet is home to 50 billion birds?

thevocalminority
May 21, 2021

Humanitarian

Australia’s foreign aid spend lowest it’s ever been

Australia’s foreign aid as a share of national income has hit an all-time low. Right now, we are investing the least ever in overseas aid. With the ongoing pandemic wrecking the lives of millions in India alone, shouldn’t we be increasing our spend to help vulnerable countries deal with COVID?

thevocalminority
May 11, 2021

Humanitarian

Adversity setting up kids for hardship

Most children can name 10 letters by the time they’re five. Now, a new study shows that a proportion of Australian kids don’t have the skills they need to learn to read, setting them behind before they even enter primary school. Why is this and what can be done

thevocalminority
May 3, 2021

Environment

Aim high, go fast

Australia must triple its emissions cuts within the next decade to protect us from the impacts of climate change finds a new Climate Council report. Scientists have warned about rising emissions for decades and it has now come to a point where inaction is no longer an option.

thevocalminority
April 23, 2021

Humanitarian

Ending Aboriginal deaths in custody

Three decades on from the royal commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the situation has worsened. Since the report’s findings were originally handed down in 1991, a further 474 Indigenous Australians have been killed in custody – five of those occurring last month. Here, we look at the full picture…

thevocalminority
April 16, 2021

Humanitarian

Pay gap unlikely to close soon

We know that women retire with 45% less super than men on average. Now, findings of a seven-year study shows the pay gap in Australia is unlikely to close for another 26 years due to current workplace attitudes. Here’s how we can get there quicker.

thevocalminority
March 29, 2021

Humanitarian

How to help the flood victims

New South Wales and Queensland are coming to terms with an extreme flooding event. After a week of torrential rain, homes all up and down the coast are damaged, and thousands of people are struggling to clean up their properties and replace what was lost. Here’s how you can help.

thevocalminority
March 26, 2021

Humanitarian

Girls drop out of school because of COVID

UNESCO estimates 1.2 million girls in south-east Asia and the Pacific could drop out of school due to the effects of COVID. It suggests the pandemic will exacerbate existing gender inequalities and have long-term implications for girls and their communities

thevocalminority
March 23, 2021

Environment

Renewables key to net-zero target

Australia is inching closer to a clean future with new research showing the uptake of renewables is key to net-zero emissions by 2040. That’s right: we can wipe out fossil fuel emissions in two decades by doubling the pace at which solar and wind power is being rolled out.

thevocalminority
March 22, 2021