We largely ignore the thoughts and ideas of children, when they are active participants in their cities and towns. Children have their own culture, and histories. They have more time to observe, make lateral connections, and have a heightened sensory perception. They have such valuable input and are shamefully undervalued in conversations, which have a direct impact on their environment. I fear that the absence of their voices in the planning and analysis of our social infrastructure is to our detriment as a society.
As a first world country, Australians experience a high quality of life. Yet everybody suffers and hurts, and could our experience of suffering, through illness, abuse, loss, break-up, poverty, discrimination, fear etc be put into a different framework where it is recognised for what it can bring and enable, individually and on a bigger scale? The biggest national identities of white Australia seem to be based on and through hardship and suffering.
Endometriosis and related conditions are VERY expensive to treat and go hand in hand with not being able to work so women and girls cannot move out, gain employment and are stuck in a hideously painful rut. The medical profession can be woefully uneducated about women’s health and more drugs need to be on the PBS. I pay about $200 a month for mine!
Society places great importance on good grades for a good future, but the reality after university looks bleak for so many students – especially Bachelor of Arts students. Even those graduating from top universities struggle to find work in their field. Why has university undergraduate degrees become obsolete? Why is my cohort filled with bitterness and disappointment at the end of their studies, rather than hope for the future?
The recent discovery of water on Mars has brought into perspective that a manned mission may contaminate the results of any discovery of life. Perchlorates and cosmic radiation are still barriers to a lengthy mission. Is it more important to have realistic expectations of Mars or a vision of solving problems to which we do not yet have answers?