Issues news

How gorgeous is this shot? Alethea Gold - a renowned International stylist who specialises in children's wear - recently spent over a year gathering images like the one above; all of which have been compiled into her magical book, "Children of China". Featuring littl'uns from Hong Kong to Tibet, "Children of China" is not only a beautiful window to another culture and a reminder of the universal language of youth but 100% of the net profits from the sale of the book will be donated to the Chi Heng Foundation to support children orphaned or affected by AIDS. Aids is a massive problem in China where the disease exploded in the 90's (due to black market drug sales) and was exacerbated by the recent earthquake. "Children of China" would make an awesome and heartwarming gift to yourself or someone else so email here for personal orders or here to order in bulk .

In an age where physical perfection appears to be prized above all else and overly airbrushed images are the new reality, the number of people with eating disorders continues to rise. It is estimated that around 2-3% of Australians identify as having an eating disorder and it's not unusual to see children as young as seven presenting with symptoms of this often fatal condition.
As we all know, a picture paints a thousand words and Art exposing eating disorders is a unique opportunity for all those budding artists out there to express their opinion on the issue of body image within society.
This issue affects each and every one of us. We are calling on you to tell us how you feel. The exhibition will involve works from sufferers of eating disorders and their loved ones so if you have any experience with this or simply have something to say on this important topic now is the time to get involved.
The exhibition will take place at the Stephen Mori Gallery in Darling Harbour. The gallery has the ability to display all types of media, so get creative. Sculptures, videos and recordings will be accepted along with the more traditional paintings and drawings.
Funds raised from the sale of specified paintings will be donated to CEDD which is a foundation in NSW which supports sufferers and funds treatment and support programs for those whose lives are affected by eating disorders.
Entries for the exhibition close on July 18 so if you would like to be a part of this fantastic project then please send the following information to here
Name-
Age-
Title of piece (can be untitled)-
Media/Materials-
Estimated size of piece-
Brief Description (optional)-
Piece to anonymous or name displayed?
To be sold?
Any further technical information required for the appropriate display or sale of your piece.

Brrrr!—It’s getting chilly out there. Shouldn’t you put on a sweater? But before you go looking for something wooly to wear, consider this: Do you really want to put on something that itches, smells (think musty mothballs and wet dog), and causes sheep pain, misery and death? We didn’t think so.

From having huge chunks of their backsides hacked off in a gruesome procedure called “mulesing ” to being shipped to the Middle East to be turned into kebobs, the Australian wool industry is a bloody business full of pain and suffering. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to find sheep-friendly fabrics like polyester fleece, acrylic, cotton flannel, Gore-Tex, Thermolite, and Thinsulate at most mainstream merchandisers.

Want to help sheep? Boycott Australian wool and tell all of your Little Bo “Peeps” to do the same. Join our Activist Network to get active for sheep today!

The often volatile relationship between women and alcohol is once again in the spotlight with a report stating that the number of young women hospitalised after binge drinking has doubled in less than a decade. Published today, the report highlights a rapid ascent in the number of females aged 18-24 being hospitilized after one - or ten - too many; rising from six people out of 10,000 in 1999 to 14.6 in 2006. While I've never been hospitalized, I often - as I'm sure many of my peers do - wonder whether the amount of alcohol I consume on the average week is safe. I'm of an age where a beer is highly appropriate in most situations and also work in an industry where attending booze-soaked events is almost a job requirement. That being said though, I'm a bit of a nanna and am I think kept my dignity (and liver) by the fact I'm usually the first one home for a cup of tea and an episode of Ladette to Lady. Once again, alcopops are baring the brunt of these findings - but (as akin to stomach acid as I find them) does the answer really lie in continually hiking up the price of them? Won't teenagers just start turning to cheap beer and goon? Perhaps the incedents of young women - and young people in general- drinking more correlates with the increased social pressures on those of Gen Y? Perhaps for women in particular it stems from low self-esteem or maybe a post-feminist desire to 'keep up with the boys"? Maybe social networking sites have made us so bad at communicating face-to-face that we feel the need to get sloshed to do so? So many factors that go beyond the price of Bacardi Breezers. Hmm.

This is sick. Police shot dead a beautiful polar bear in Iceland. Why? Because they didn't have tranquillisers. Go here to read about this callous act of cruelty. Sometimes I really dislike the human race.

Winter Soldier is an event which gives U.S marines and soldiers the opportunity to express their stories from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Its origins stem from 1971, when Vietnam war veterans gathered to talk about what really happened during the war.
Today, former marines and soldiers testified in a public hearing before a panel of lawmakers from the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPG) in a bid to convince U.S. Congress to stop the war and stop sending troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Ex-Marine Corps rifleman, Vincent Emanuele, told those present at the public hearing about the extent of the cruelty inflicted towards Iraqi civilians detained by U.S. troops.
"Our unit engaged in punching, kicking, butt stroking, or generally harassing and abusing these very prisoners until the point at which our unit would take them in the middle of the desert, miles from their respective homes, and at times throw them out of the back of our Humvees," revealed Emanuele.
Former Marine sniper, Sergio Koechergin, was another who added to the argument and spoke about the hardships faced by those returning from the present war.
"When we all come back from Iraq and we seek help from our command, they call us 'weak' and 'cowards'. The lines for a psychologist are almost a year long, and the only thing that can help us is the alcohol and the prescription pills they’re giving out to us like candy... We lost numerous people from failing drug tests. They either want to get out, or they’re just so messed up, and the only one thing that can help them to escape is the drugs," said Koechergin.
The transition for those coming back to the real world from such a twisted reality is not only an issue of the present, it is a problem that continues from previous wars as well.
Dr Michael McKinley is from the Australian National University. He is an expert on issues surrounding political science and internation relations.
"War veterans in the United States have been treated very poorly in the past, even after the Gulf War, with many of them becoming drug addicts," said McKinley.
I don't know about you, but the fact that these people have been placed within a system which allows them to act in such barbaric ways really worries me. These are only two, out hundreds of thousands of troops, who have been sent to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. I only hope that the Winter Soldier hearings in the U.S. give Australian troops the hope of expressing themselves freely so they too can contribute to the progression of society, not only in Australia but throughout the world.
Photo by Iraq Veterans Against War (IVAW)

Pop quiz: what causes twenty percent of all cancers and is also the world's largest preventable cause of death? Why smoking of course! While ground had been made in reducing cigarette consumption in Australia (smoking numbers are decreasing thanks to factors like increased prices and the indoor ban), tobacco companies are still fighting to keep their current addicts - and recruit new ones. May 31 is World No Tobacco Day and in 2008 the emphasis lies on tobacco-free youth. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance and child and adolescent experimentation can easily lead to a lifetime of tobacco dependence; particular in the developing countries the tobacco giants are now aggressively targeting. So if you are fond of a cancer stick then perhaps use May 31 as an incentive to quit.