by cjharris | | activism, current affairs, history, politics
Thousands of Extinction Rebellion activists took to the streets of Australia’s major cities this week in a display of peaceful civil disobedience. Across my social media feed, I’ve seen countless messages of support… Then there’s the odd comment calling them...
by cjharris | | equality, justice, politics
Two nights ago, I received a notification — from social media of all places — that a Tamil family were being put on a plane and sent back to danger. I follow a Facebook page that is dedicated to aiding their legal case to stay in Australia. I only tuned in just in...
by cjharris | | equality, history, politics
While teaching English in Cairo, I noticed something that happened in my classes each time a discussion arose about the problems in Egypt. The student who brought up an issue was quickly shushed by others around them with the words “Ahsan min musr mafish.” I knew...
by cjharris | | politics, women
I was in my early 20s when a 90-something year old woman asked me to help her die. Her husband was in hospital having a heart bypass operation and if he didn’t make it through the surgery, she didn’t want to go on without him. I’d been her carer for a total of two...
by cjharris | | current affairs, life, politics
Australia has just voted for three more years of climate inaction — the latest country to follow a terrifying global trend. It’s clear that we can’t rely on governments worldwide to take the kind of leadership required to fight climate change. It’s up to us, the...
by cjharris | | current affairs, life, politics
It was my birthday yesterday and a friend called to wish me happiness. Instead I cried on the phone for an hour about all the things I was sad about. The day after the horrific massacre in Christchurch, I just couldn’t muster any capacity for joy. How do we go about...