All ethics articles

Towards inclusive growth

SJECThink18 — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 01:20:27 +0000

Tim Costello

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 spring 2013

Around the world we are seeing a deep sense of discontent among the citizens of democratic and non-democratic, high-income and low-income countries alike, worked out via cynicism and disengagement at one end of the scale, and mass street protests at the other.

Governments are struggling to deal with deep divides between society’s haves and have-nots at a time when average citizens are deeply dissatisfied with traditional policy approaches, and are voicing a growing impatience with what they see as elite excess.

References/footnotes:

Tim Costello is the CEO of World Vision Australia and chairs Australia’s C20 Steering Committee

Supporting the ethics centre

SJECThink18 — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 01:10:46 +0000

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 spring 2013

Around the world, the increasing need for charitable giving has coincided with significant change in the way funds are generated in the not-for-profit sector and how communication with supporters occurs. New fundraising models combined with emerging technology platforms provide many new options for engagement and participation.

On asylum

SJECThink18 — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 01:03:02 +0000

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 spring 2013

It is late September 2013 as I write this article. I do so from the comfort of my seat aboard an A380, heading home from Europe, well cared for and safe at 39,000 feet above sea level. It is impossible not to be struck by how my fortunate circumstances stand in stark and awful contrast to those drowned, just days ago, when making their way to Australia in a vessel that never should have put to sea.

Media misdirection

SJECThink18 — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 00:54:09 +0000

Mark Pearson

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 spring 2013

While these documents differ widely in their wording, they espouse common values of truth, accuracy, fairness and the public’s right to information. They disapprove of invasions of privacy, disclosure of confidential sources, discriminatory language, subterfuge, deception, plagiarism and conflicts of interest.

Mark Pearson is Professor of Journalism and Social Media at Griffith University and co-author (with Mark Polden) of The Journalist’s Guide to Media Law (Allen & Unwin, 2011).

Julia Gillard did not lie

SJECThink18 — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 00:47:40 +0000

Hugh MacKay

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 spring 2013

Politicians throughout history have appealed to voters to trust them, so issues of trust are never far from the surface in an election campaign. Leaving aside the vacuous claim that ‘we don’t trust any politicians’, it’s obvious that we must trust our politicians—what choice do we have?

Hugh Mackay is a social researcher, author and founding member of St James Ethics Centre. His latest book is The Good Life, published by Macmillan

How do you get your good name back?

SJECThink18 — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 00:09:47 +0000

John Taylor

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 spring 2013

What if you have been falsely accused? Perhaps this is by way of a complaint to your employer, a ‘leak’ to the media or even mentioned under the privilege of Parliament. Leaks and personal attacks are often used to discredit someone who is seen as challenging an organisation or its leadership.

How do you redress this wrong? How do you get your good name back? Do you remain silent hoping that it will all go away, or do you seek redress? It may be more than just damaging your reputation. What if it destroys your future job prospects?

References/footnotes:

1 Victorian Ombudsman, Investigation into an allegation about Victoria Police crime statistics, June 2011 page 15
2 Office of Police Integrity Annual Report 2010-2011 page 14
3 Office of Police Integrity, Crossing the Line, October 2011

John Taylor is the Deputy Ombudsman of Victoria ombudsman.vic.gov.au

History, diplomacy and realpolitik clash in debate over the U.S. Alliance

SJECThink18 — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 00:01:55 +0000

Sam Murray

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 spring 2013

In August 2013, an ambassador, a writer, a professor and a former Major-General debated the merits of Australia’s strategic defence alliance with the United States of America.

Sam Murray is a writer for Obiter Journal, an independent, student-run law journal distributed in seven universities around Australia obiterjournal.org

The IQ2 debate on the topic: The US Alliance is Our Best Defence was held at Angel Place Sydney on 1 August 2013. Find out about upcoming debates at iq2oz.com

Greed is not good

SJECThink18 — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 23:52:59 +0000

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 spring 2013

In the movie Wall Street, the anti-hero, Gordon Gekko, preaches to an enraptured room that, ‘Greed is good’. However, it seems that the opposite is true. Greed is a big reason why the wealthier you are, the more unethically you behave. And that’s bad.

A few thousand years ago, the Greek thinkers Plato and Aristotle believed that greed, and desires for material wealth, would come at the expense of one’s ethics—and that, ‘Greed would be at the root of personal immorality’.

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM is the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at Sydney University. He is also an author, broadcaster and science writer dedicated to spreading the good word about science and its benefits. Dr Karl has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery. His new book, Game of Knowns, will be published soon. This piece was published by ABC Online in October as part of Dr Karl’s Great moments in science series abc.net.au/science

Enriching our democracy

SJECThink18 — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 23:44:51 +0000

Nick Rowley

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 spring 2013

Working for two years at 10 Downing Street advising then Prime Minister Tony Blair on sustainability and climate change rarely allowed the time and space to consider questions relating to effective democratic engagement. There was simply too much work to do.

Nick Rowley is a former advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at Sydney University’s new Institute for Democracy and Human Rights. For the past year he has been working on a project centring on how to achieve a new approach to Prime Ministerial debates in Australia.

Defying conventions

SJECThink18 — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 23:38:26 +0000

Ben Saul

This article was published in Living Ethics: issue 93 2013

In August 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Committee found that Australia’s indefinite detention of refugees alleged to pose security risks was contrary to Australia’s international human rights obligations. Despite this finding, Australia continues to unlawfully detain the refugees.

The dismissal of the UN findings raises grave ethical questions about Australia’s commitment to its own legal promises, its standing as a good international citizen, and its moral authority to influence human rights in other countries.

Ben Saul is Professor of International Law at the University of Sydney and acted as counsel for 51 refugees in three formal complaints against Australia under the First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.