Governments sustain power by repeating stories about themselves. In Australia’s federal parliament, a narrow political consensus – marked by conformity, cruelty and evasion – is weakening democratic debate and eroding the principles of human rights and international law.
In the wake of the murders of staff from the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, it's imperative to re-assert the indispensable function of a humour which contributes so much to civility in societies. Sydney Morning Herald cartoonist Sally Wilcox made
Nous Sommes Charlie We are seeing the killers whose balaclava eyes stared like bad breath shared with collaborators, each masturbating anger sufficient only to hear the notes of their Kalashnikovs which they played in defence of their deities, their dogma and themselves. We are mourning cartoonists murdered for laughter, their freedom stifled on the
The death of a 23 year old asylum seeker and injuries to over sixty others on Manus Island are the inevitable consequences of a policy of violence based on bullying and brute force to arrest, detain and humiliate vulnerable and
An Australian professor is at the heart of a Middle East peace conference that has gone largely unreported in the west, writes Nikki Barrowclough. One evening in Doha, in December: Sydney University’s Professor Stuart Rees is standing in the middle of
By Stuart Rees Nelson Mandela has passed away and South Africa and the world are poorer. Stuart Rees, chair of the Sydney Peace Foundation, recalls the life of a great man and his own meeting with Madiba As the leader for a
Sydney Uni academic Jake Lynch has publicly backed the BDS movement – and copped a class action complaint. This is a politically motivated attempt to stifle criticism, writes Stuart Rees It may sound preposterous, but freedom of public debate and the
Refugees who are thankful for small mercies have a lot they can teach to those in a lucky country who might regard them as a threat to their well being, writes Professor Stuart Rees. In spite of the Rudd resurrection, the
By Professor Stuart Rees "ANTI-SEMITE!" "Racist!" "Despicable values!" "Should be sacked!" I received these comments and accusations following an article by Christian Kerr in The Australian on May 14. He correctly quoted me saying Liberal MP Christopher Pyne's support for the London
John Howard's reflections on the war in Iraq have made news lately, with objections dismissed as anti-democratic. We need an inquiry into why Australia supported a disastrous and illegal invasion, writes Stuart Rees Inside the Intercontinental Hotel on Tuesday 9 April,
Sydney Peace Foundation is to award a posthumous Gold Medal to Stéphane Hessel On 2 May, at the Australian Embassy in Paris, the Sydney Peace Foundation will award a posthumous Gold Medal for Human Rights to Stéphane Hessel for his life-long contribution
obituary 6 Mar 2013 By Stuart Rees The man who was to be awarded this year's Sydney Peace Prize died last week. Stephane Hessel inspired the Occupy movement and lived an exceptional life. Stuart Rees on what Hessel might have told Australians On
Much attention has been given to Prisoner X, but far less has been granted to the many Palestinian prisoners who are still suffering in Israeli detention, writes Professor Stuart Rees. Publicity surrounding the mystery of Australian Ben Zygier - Prisoner X
By Professor Stuart Rees In answer to the comment 'Stand up for Human Rights in Sri Lanka', a young man wearing a sombrero and an Australian flag draped around his shoulders, responded, 'Fuck human rights.' It was 10:05 am on Thursday January
Joint statement from Senator Sekai Holland, 2012 Sydney Peace Prize recipient and Co Minister for Reconciliation, Healing & Integration in the Government of Zimbabwe, and Professor Stuart Rees AM Chair of the Sydney Peace Foundation. We make this statement in terms
By Professor Stuart Rees: Ecuador should be congratulated on it's brave and principled stand in giving asylum to Julian Assange. The far larger governments, of the UK, Sweden and the USA should be castigated for their refusal to guarantee any safe passage
The Sydney Peace Foundation thanks the government of Ecuador for giving asylum to Julian Assange. Professor Stuart Rees, chair of the Foundation says, ' Ecuador understands the nature of justice, but it seems that in failing to give assurances about Assange's
By Professor Stuart Rees In international relations, exceptionalism refers to a flouting of the treaties and resolutions to which all countries are expected to adhere. The contagious political disease - exceptionalism - infects many countries, in particular Israel when faced with UN
Being forced to take extraordinary measures by seeking political asylum in Ecuador shows just what a desperate situation Julian Assange has found himself in. Faced with the very real prospect of extradition to the US, once he fronts up in
The Sydney Peace Foundation supports the recent recommendations of a senior UN official that the Australian Government refer its proposals – the Stronger Futures Bill – for an extension of the federal intervention into Northern Territory Aboriginal lands to a