Australian Women Online on ISP Filtering Debate

In recent days Deborah Robinson, founder and editor of Australian Women Online, has been dragged back into the torrent of debate about the Government’s plan to introduce ISP filtering.

Unlike a number of others talking about this issue, Australian Women Online does not have a broader agenda. We are not part of the civil libertarian, freedom of speech, pro-porn or conspiracy theorist movements, nor are we part of an anti-porn lobby, “family-values” or religious group.

Our motivation in being part of the debate is simply to say that we believe that as the internet is a shared space, what goes on in this space needs to be negotiated. Read more

Patients must not go it alone in hospital: Expert reveals

Patients going into hospital should be vigilant in ensuring their own safety, an academic will told the National Forum on Safety and Quality in Health Care in Adelaide when today.

Director of the Institute of Health Innovation at the University of New South Wales Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite says 10 per cent of people admitted to hospital end up being harmed during their stay.

Professor Braithwaite says patients must realise it’s partly their responsibility to advocate for themselves and monitor their situation while in hospital. Read more

Authors, Publishers, and Google Reach Landmark Settlement

The Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers (AAP), and Google announced a groundbreaking settlement agreement on behalf of a broad class of authors and publishers worldwide that would expand online access to millions of in-copyright books and other written materials in the U.S. from the collections of a number of major U.S. libraries participating in Google Book Search. 

The agreement, reached after two years of negotiations, promises to benefit readers and researchers and enhance the ability of authors and publishers to distribute their content in digital form. This is to be achieved by significantly expanding online access to works through Google Book Search, an ambitious effort to make millions of books searchable via the Web. Read more

18 weeks paid maternity leave for all council employees

The period of paid maternity leave for NSW local government employees is set to be doubled to 18 weeks setting a new standard for employment conditions in Australia says the United Services Union.

The motion to increase paid maternity leave for council employees from 9 to 18 weeks was agreed to at the LGA Annual Conference. Read more

Australian Youth Alarmed About Obesity and Depression

A group of teenagers has condemned the proliferation of TV advertising, video games and sedentary lifestyles, naming obesity as the biggest threat to the health of future generations.

Francesca Dudas from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Grammar School – named today as the first national Research Australia Youth Ambassador for Health and Medical Research – and state winners from across Australia, said urgent action needs to be taken to head off a growing crisis in the health of young Australians.

“The massive increase in child weight gain is primarily due to our more sedentary lifestyle,” Ms Dudas said.

“Whether children sit in front of the television – where they are exposed to countless junk food ads – or a computer, the physically active time in their life is quashed significantly. It is vital that we give each child a decent chance in life by teaching them to watch their diet and by promoting an interest in activities that will reduce the number of hours spent sitting in front of a screen,” she said. Read more

Only 30 days remaining to Say NO to Violence Against Women

More than 375,000 individuals have given their names to UNIFEM to be counted in the Say NO to Violence against Women campaign, helping to break the silence and give voice to women and girls who have experienced violence. Although encouraging, the number of signatures collected thus far does fall short of UNIFEM’s target of one million signatures.

If you would like to support this worthwhile initiative to deliver one million signatures to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 25 November 2008, please sign the petition at the website www.saynotoviolence.org today.

ANZ puts profits over people in the Philippines

A report released on Saturday, 25 October by international aid agency Oxfam shows that cyanide-laden spillages from a mine financed by ANZ in the Philippines has devastated communities dependent on fishing for their livelihoods.

Oxfam Australia’s Mining Ombudsman Shanta Martin said ANZ had some good social and environmental
policies but had not demonstrated an ability to put these policies into practice.

“Unfortunately, this case demonstrates there is sometimes an enormous gap between what a company says and what it does, which underlines the need for regulation,” Ms Martin said. Read more

Airline Passengers told to belt up and listen

Airline passengers are being warned to keep their seatbelts fastened and pay attention to important
safety briefings. The warning from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority comes following an incident on a Qantas flight earlier this month more than 70 passengers were injured – some seriously – following a sudden loss of altitude.

While the investigation into the incident by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is continuing, evidence suggests many of the injured passengers were not wearing seatbelts at the time. Read more

World Teachers Day – Inspirational Teachers Matter

World Teachers Day will take place on Friday, 31 October 2008. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established World Teachers’ Day in 1994 to celebrate the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development.

To coincide with Australia’s celebration of World Teachers’ Day, NEiTA (National Excellence in Teaching Awards) and the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) have announced the names of the 60 Australian teachers to receive recognition through NEiTA’s inaugural 2008 ASG Inspirational Teacher State and Territory Awards. Read more

Surviving Breast Cancer

Clytie Williams (pictured with her grandson James) was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. Now 53, Clytie has been chosen as a National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) ambassador for the Pink Ribbon Breakfast to be hosted by Tip Top Sunblest® this morning in Federation Square, Melbourne.

When asked to comment on being chosen as a NBCF ambassador, Clytie Williams said, “I’m proud to have survived breast cancer and am pleased I am able to give back, through my knowledge and understanding of the illness. It’s important for sufferers and their families to be able to share what they are going through and to know there are people that can help.” Read more

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