Issue 90.3

APR 202 2 90.3

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CONTENTS

Editorial 7

State of the Union 8 SRC President’s Report 10 Vox? Pop! 12 Editors’ Pick - Book Recommendations

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Left Right Centre 16 Sustainabili-Dit 18

CONTEN

Econ-Dit 20 Systematic Review 22

Club Spotlight 24

Articles and Creative Writing Over in a Flash: the SA State Election at a Glance

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CONNECT - Rapid HIV Testing Program

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CONTENTS

In Defence of Medea 32 Sonnet of Eve & Untold 34 Gig Review - Everyday Apathy 36 Learning About the Far-Right With Help From the Far-Left

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Gender and Name Changes Need to be Accessible

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Film Review - The Lost Daughter

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‘Nice Guys Aren’t Nice’ - Follow-up

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CONTENTS

Why Should We Care About the Ukraine-Russia War?

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Overtone 50 Beyond the Clouds 51 The Federal Election: How Will it Play Out in SA?

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First Impressions of Radelaide 56 Chelsea Watago - No Room at the Inn & Another Day in the Colony 57

CONTENTS

CREDITS

Grace Atta Habibha Jaghoori Chanel Trezise Jenny Surim Jung

Editors

CREDITS

Ria Sharma ‘Drift’

Cover Art

Graphic Design

Jenny Surim Jung

Louise Jackson Aryaman Mehta Kyle Scott George Young Maxim Buckley Sabrina Donato Annabel Fedcesin Jack Mencel Ollie Patterson Skye Xie Beck Rowse Jiamai Tan Raphail Spartalis Jasyjot Singh Khanduja Sebastian Andrew

CREDITS

Contributors & Sub-Editors (in order of appearance)

REDITS

Reading Feminism (@readingfeminism21)

CREDIT

We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Kaurna people and their elders past, present and future as the traditional custodians of the land on which the University of Adelaide stands. We acknowledge that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.

EDI T

ORIAL

I have always been a naive person. Not out of purposeful ignorance but out of confusion and personal doubt. So, it comes as no surprise that I began my ‘political journey’ in parallel with my naivety’s demise.

There’s usually a moment (or many moments) in one’s life when things are thrown on their head. For me, that moment was born from the wreckage of capitalism and the bad people it makes.

The truths of the world were cruel - too cruel to preserve my naivety.

I had uncovered that in light of the cruelty of the system(s), the only important choices I should make are those guided by empathy. Of course, however, there are limitations to that, and I am not holier than thou.

However, I think willful ignorance for a privileged person like myself is a moral choice. If you have the time, the strength, and the ability to choose to help others and contribute to change, you should make the moral choice to do so.

Similarly, journalism and its media act as a vessel of morality. Journalism, as a communication tool wielded to shed light, stirs change and guides discourse. Journalists, such as the editors of this magazine, are faced constantly with the option to make a moral choice. Thus, when I became an editor for this magazine, I wanted to make… well, moral choices; choices that will help students understand the systems of the world which work against them. Choices that will shed light on oppression and bad people.

While there are limitations to the effect On Dit has on this world, it gives me hope that students such as yourself are reading this.

So, I want to pivot this editorial as a call to action. You can choose to be ignorant just as you can choose to learn more about the world you live in.

Therefore, dear reader, I believe in your ability to make the world a better place! You are so much more capable than what you’ve been led to believe.

You are more than an ignorant cog.

As Angela Davis once said, ‘You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world.’ Reader- you are mighty; you are a force of change!

So here is your call to action; go forth and transform the world, go forth and relinquish naivety!

Love, Chanel 7

Ong o a i Sh nt Z r a Osc Preside AUU

state of the union.

I hope you are enjoying your semester so far! We still have got a lot in store for your campus experience for the rest of the year!

Another fantastic service that we run are events, including O’Week! I have a deep passion in ensuring you get the best students experience; this is why I have helped increasing the amount of events (with free food of course) through the AUU and the university.

Your AUU membership also helps you gain exclusive excess and extra freebies in some of our events too! (Haven’t got a membership? Just visit one of our friendly student ambassadors in the hub!)

As we are funded by your money (SSAF), listening to your voices, we have tailored our events just the way you like it. I am really excited for the new series of events we are doing this year (the first being Experience New Things at the Barr Smith Lawnswhich I hope you enjoyed)! Make sure you check out our events calendar too and mark down the dates in your diary (auu.org.au/events)!

On a more serious note, your safety off-campus and on the way to campus has always been one of my main priorities, this is why I helped move back the security office from the Oliphant building (I am sure most of the students won’t know where this is) to a much more visible and accessible location- beside the hub! To ensure training is provided to student leaders to deal with disclosures, another important initiative I introduced was the compulsory disclosure training for all student leaders, including the club’s executive.

The results of the National Students Safety Survey, which I worked on last year will be released by the time this Issue of On Dit is published. The survey results will be an important indication of the progress of implementation of important initiatives of the university to prevent sexual violence in university communities and better support those who have been affected. I will be working my absolute hardest to make sure the university implements all the recommendations of the report and continually improve its efforts in preventing sexual violence and supporting the victims.

If this has raised any issues for you please contact: Lifeline: 13 11 14; Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636; Sexual Assault Hotline: 1800 737 732 Yarrow Place Rape & Sexual Assault Services: 1800 817 421; 1800 Respect: 1800 737 732 Safer Campus Community: https:// www.adelaide.edu.au/safer-campuscommunity/ Questions/suggestions about the AUU/university? You are always welcome to email me or send me a message through social media!

Oscar Zi Shao Ong AUU President oscarzishao.ong@adelaide.edu. au Facebook/WeChat ID: oscarong1997

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SRC SRC PRESIDENT’S PRESIDENT’S REPORT. REPORT. From climate change, inflation, a global pandemic and war, the world is in crisis.

And the halls of power, from parliament or the university council that rules UoA, are so alienated from ordinary people’s control it’s no surprise that workers and students feel impotent to change things.

But we know from history that organising collectively is how we build our power, and begin to push back against an appalling status quo.

At UoA, socialists in the SRC were elected to kick up a fuss against undemocratic cuts on campus and build a campaign to challenge management’s power. A key plank of our fightback was organising a student general meeting for all affected to have their say and directly vote on motions important to them – a welcome alternative to the closeddoor, unaccountable decision making of the Adelaide Uni council.

Last Thursday, the Adelaide Uni’s first official student general meeting in approximately 25 years took place.

Meeting on the Barr Smith Lawns, angry and passionate students voted on motions ranging from condemnation of faculty mergers, to demands for immediate divestment from 10

fossil fuels by uni administration.

We achieved the 150 student quorum for the meeting to be considered “official” and binding on the SRC. A huge congratulations to all 169 students who participated in this brilliant, democratic intervention into the way campus run.

Motions passed unanimously are below. I think they show that ordinary people could run the university and right-wing Adelaide University Union in a more just and righteous way than the corporate heads and conservatives in control today.

Students unanimously voted to: 1) Express opposition to university management’s proposed faculty mergers, staff sackings, and course cuts.

2) Pass a motion of no confidence in ViceChancellor Peter Høj and the University Council.

3) Defend student democracy: demand direct funding for the democratically-elected Student Representative Council.

4a) This Student General Meeting demands that the AUU grant full registration to the

WORDS BY ANA OBRADOVIC SRC PRESIDENT

occult club at the next clubs committee meeting and, 4b) Censure the AUU for exploiting the power of the Union to restrict student democracy & censor views opposing that of the governing progress-liberal coalition, as it has done by: - refusing to affiliate the Women’s Collective - defunding the SRC - prohibiting On Dit from criticising the AUU - refusing to affiliate the pro-choice club; and - not re-affiliating the Occult Club

with sanctions anymore just for practicing basic rights of any and all media institutions for simply practicing a media release.

5d) AUU Board President Oscar Ong takes a class on how to respect women.

6) Denounce the University management’s casual wage theft and demanding making the processes that make this possible publicly accountable.

7) Demand the university divest immediately from the fossil fuel industry.

5a) The AUU give back the funding it has stripped off On Dit for printing and social events including rejecting the requested honorarium of $6000 which is still below average for student press director instead of reducing the already set amount of $5000 to $4500.

5b) The AUU reverse their amendment in the student media rules of clause 10.4 which enables the ‘Independent Committee’ to employ any methods of inflicting punishments on the On Dit editors outside of official jurisdiction.

5c) The AUU Student Media Chair Director Oliver Douglas does not threaten On Dit 11

1. WHAT SONG HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO ON REPEAT? 2. THE BEST ELECTIVE YOU’VE TAKEN SO FAR AND WHY?

? ?

X X O V VO

Felix Eldridge

Theo Goldsworthy-Hess

4th Year | B. Int. Rel/Economics 1. Arabesque - Lily Chou Chou 2. I guess Asian film studies which I’ve only just started this semester actually. We pretty much just watch Wang Kar-Wai films and then talk about them which I’m all down for.

3. Probably one thing is having a more set in stone degree structure.

I’m always unsure whether I’m doing the right courses or not since the degree structure changes every year.

B. Laws/International Relations 1. Party Like a Russian.

2.While not the easiest law course, nor covering one of my academic interests, I have benefited the most from Clinical Legal Education (CLE) because it gives law students hands on practical experience dealing with real people and real issues under the direct supervision of a lawyer.

3. Aside from a lack of electives for later years of the degree, one of the biggest problems that graduates raise is that that Law School has not adequately prepared them for the real world and that more practical training and experience within the undergraduate program is needed.

4. Hands down Peter Mali.

4. Mali daddy 12

P PO OP P!!

Clinton Nitschke

B. Laws/Criminology 1. All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) — obviously.

2. So far I’ve only taken two electives (finished one, currently taking another). The best elective (almost by default) would be Public Scandals and Moral Panics, because it’s always fun to critique the narrative presented to us by society and big media.

3. Perhaps my degree could have been rearranged to have more electives upfront and less core subjects early on. Being a first year and having to do three law subjects in my first semester is pretty intense.

4. Would definitely have to go with my boy Peter — have you seen those abs?

3. ONE WAY YOUR DEGREE COULD BE IMPROVED? 4. PETER MALINAUSKAS MP VS ROBERT SIMMS MLC: WHO IS THE HOTTER OF THE TWO?

Luka Krivokapić B. Arts

1.I’ve been getting around Blue Monday

by New Order recently, something about it gives off Trainspotting vibes and I’m here for it.

2. It’s got to be Tourism and Environment, it really encouraged me to think with a different mindset to what I was used to and it was just very interesting.

3. I think that my degree could be improved by opening up the elective spaces to reduce the reliance on major and minor streams and bring it more in line with Arts Advanced.

4. I mean, I’ve got to go to with Peter. We all know the election was won based on the aquatic centre photoshoot.

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GRACE’S PICK

Maya Angelou: The Complete Poetry, Maya Angelou

You can tell a lot about a person and their life by reading their poetry. Angelou’s collection is no exception to this. Vulnerable, layered, witty, humorous, gut-wrenching, wise, multidimensional. Adjectives that don’t just describe the poetry enclosed in this book, but undoubtedly Maya Angelou herself. Outside of the well-known classics, They Went Home, Alone, and Human Family are a few of my favourites.

JENNY’S PICK

Pachinko, Min Jin Lee

A glimpse into the generational trauma suffered by Koreans during the forced Japanese occupation. It is a heart-wrenching story with rich insight into the brutalities of imperialism, immigrant identity, and familial bond. I cried a lot. Extra recommended for Korean Australians feeling a disconnect to their Korean identity and heritage.

editors’ picks

book recommendations

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HABIBAH’S PICK

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, Adrienne Maree Brown This is way out of scope from my normal type of reading. I was lent this book when I went to visit two of my badass friends that had just had a baby. We were talking about doing things just for the pleasure of it and BAM I was introduced to this piece of literature. It blew my mind.

I’ve never thought about activism in the way this book presents it. All from the perspectives and experiences of radical feminist activists.

Learning to feel love and pleasure and not feel guilty is wayyyy more radical than I had thought.

The book opened me to new horizons and I’m so grateful to have read it.

CHANEL’S PICK

The Dawn of Everything, David Graeber & David Wengrow This book really challenged my perception of history and the imperialist narratives which permeate it. I found it really insightful.

Part of the blurb reads, ‘For generations, our remote ancestors have been cast as primitive and childlike - either free and equal, or thuggish and warlike. Civilization, we are told, could be achieved only by sacrificing those original freedoms or, alternatively, by taming our baser instincts. David Graeber and David Wengrow show how such theories first emerged in the eighteenth century as a conservative reaction to powerful critiques of European society posed by Indigenous observers and intellectuals.’

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LRC 90.3

1. It’s federal election season, so go on - give us your associated party’s elevator pitch. What 3 things will you do for young people / students and Australia as a whole?

2. Do you think poverty and wealth inequality is increasing or decreasing?

Why do you think that is?

3. With the recent spike in gas/petrol prices and rumours on the ‘inevitable’ spike in prices of coffee and wheat, what demands should Australians be having from their government to address this issue?

Greens Club 1. The global pandemic presented 3. Where fuel for vehicles is concerned, Australia with a chance to solve long-term problems. Instead, inequality has skyrocketed and the climate crisis has gotten worse. As Australians struggled to keep their head above water, billionaires and big corporations received massive taxpayer handouts and made record profits. Billionaires and big corporations have too much power, and the Liberal and Labor parties can’t tackle these long-term problems because they rely on millions in donations from them. The Greens offer real progressive politics by refusing to take dirty money from oligarchical corporations and bringing real action to issues the Liberal and Labor parties refuse to adequately address. We need urgent action to address the rampant crises in Australia such as the housing and inequality crises, the climate crises, and the increasingly inaccessible right to education.

These policies represent Greens values of equality, the public interest and services for everyone.

2. In a wealthy country like ours, everyone who wants a decent job should get one and no one should live in poverty. Instead, unemployment is high, insecure work is out of control, around 20% of our population are receiving payments that aren’t enough to survive on, and 1 in 6 kids are living in poverty. Meanwhile, 1 in 3 big corporations pay no tax, and Australia’s top ten billionaires increased their wealth by 68% during the pandemic.

Corporations received billions of dollars of public money and some funnelled it into profits and executive bonuses. It is time to make the billionaires and the big corporations pay their fair share. Through this, we can give a job to everyone who wants one on nation-building, planet-saving government projects.

By adopting a national job and a liveable income guarantee, raising every income support payment above the poverty line to $88 a day and abolishing mutual obligations, our wages will begin to rise again, further boosting economic recovery.

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we now have no choice. Over the next decade, we need to rapidly transition to renewable vehicles instead of hindering their research and adoption. Nevertheless, this is an opportunity to take the Greens plan for 700% renewables seriously. This would mean not only replacing coal and gas power stations but switching transport and industry to clean energy too, as well as becoming a renewables superpower, exporting our renewable energy to the rest of the world through renewable hydrogen, solar electricity and green metals. This clean energy revolution will create hundreds of thousands of well-paid, long-term jobs, enabling workers in fossil fuel industries to transition and farmers to be paid to farm carbon and protect the land. Liberal and Labor are holding back this brighter future because they want to protect their political donations from the billionaires and big corporations that mine and burn coal and gas. But with the Greens in shared power, we will be able to set a goal of 700% renewable energy and have a government-led clean energy revolution over the next decade to fight the climate emergency.

Socialist Alternative 1. Despite living in a representative democracy, the parliamentary system does not give the vast majority of people the ability to enact large-scale positive change, especially when it comes to crises like war, disease or environmental catastrophe.

The Liberals are the party of the rich and powerful of Australia but the Labor party provides no meaningful alternative.

It is only through mass collective action

that we have won things like the eight hour work day and the ability to vote in said parliamentary system. Large socialist organisation is the only definite answer in challenging the rich and powerful and ensuring a more egalitarian society.

2. Wealth inequality is not only increasing but increasing exponentially, especially in the last few years. During the pandemic Australia’s billionaires increased their fortunes to the tune of $255 billion, more than that of the poorest 7.7 million people in the country. Yet, wages have stagnated for a decade. Despite there being an abundance of resources for everyone, decades of austerity measures and the quashing of radical collective action in workplaces means that there must always be an army of the unemployed, the starving and the homeless. People forced into exploiting themselves at the behest of the super rich under a system that promotes ruthless competition.

Labor Club

3. We should demand the government introduce price controls and if necessary subsidise the cost of essential goods such as bread. The government should halt stoking the flames of international war. The invasion of Ukraine has caused the disruption of wheat production of which Ukraine and Russia both produce 30 percent of the global supply. The government’s continued investment into military expansion, and its preparations for a future conflict with China, will continue to make the lives of working class people harder. Australians should also demand that the government directly address the fact coffee price increases are directly tied to unprecedented droughts in countries like Brazil or Columbia that are responsible for more than a third of the world’s coffee production. Conditions brought on by a refusal by corporations and governments to cease the continued destruction of the planet causing climate change of which Australia’s corporations and governments are culpable.

Working class people should not have to pay for the crises caused by capitalism and its drive towards war and environmental catastrophe.

1. Labor has made commitments to improve mental health services for students, create more social housing, and reduce emissions 43% by 2030. Malinauskas’ victory in the state election also brings Labor closer to realising their ambition of breathing life back into the healthcare sector. In stark contrast, Scott Morrison is faced with a policy wasteland littered with the victims of Robodebt, “stop the boats”, COVID mismanagement, and piddling natural disaster relief. If you’re reading this and thinking ‘that’s a bit much, isn’t it?’, don’t forget which party spent $3.5 billion on new tanks in February while hundreds were denied hospital beds due to overcrowding.

2. Prior to the pandemic, only one person on Earth was worth $100 billion. Now there are nine, and they’re increasing their wealth at a daily rate of $1.3 billion.

Central banks pump trillions of our tax dollars into financial markets to “save the economy” just for it to end up lining the pockets of billionaires.

Last year’s Jobseeker cuts pushed a further 155,000 people into poverty— including 20,000 children. These same people were likely among the halfmillion lifted out of poverty by the 2020 COVID supplement. Poverty is a government choice.

3. The government hoards $20.8 billion in the petrol and diesel excise—worth about 44 cents per litre—while the war in Ukraine drives up global prices for everything from medicine to groceries. This, after years of wages flatlining and inflation pegged to rise about 5%.

It’s not like the government is helpless to introduce counter-inflationary measures—John Howard froze the excise at 38 cents per litre in 2001. Let’s stop governments from collecting legal bribes from fossil fuel corporations to look the other way while they cling to millions in Russian assets, and transition to clean energy ASAP.

Liberal Club The Liberal Club failed to provide a response.

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econ-dit Words by Kyle Scott and George Young Housing! It seems that the housing crisis has finally come to the forefront of everyday economics. Housing, is essential for any economy to provide a productive and satisfied population, not to even mention the ethical fallout that occurs from a lack of housing. Looking at the current market, it wouldn’t be uncouth to say that Gen Z are faced with a distinct dilemma - how to get on the property ladder when prices only go up and up? How can we expect to own a home like many of our parents when the only people who seem to be able to enter the market are overseas investors and upper-middle class developers?

House prices have been rising abruptly in Australia since 1996, at a rate that’s clearly detached from inflation. But why?

Let’s take it back to supply and demand.

Zoning regulations are controlled by state governments and are crucial for city planning and expansion. Appropriate zoning leads to stronger residential communities and more efficient industrial estates, while also considering the environment (such as the Parklands).

What zoning doesn’t do is allow for property development to expand. Instead, it restricts the supply of new housing at the discretion of local governments. With supply fixed in the short term, how does demand come into play? With interest rates at an all-time low, mortgages are more accessible than ever. This attracts property investors both here and overseas, looking to make a profit in the rising market. Increased house prices make people feel like they are wealthier, so they consider buying another property.

Government stimulus such as the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) puts cash in the hands of first home buyers.

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These factors together increase the demand for homes, but zoning restricts the supply.

Econ 101 lesson 1: If there’s not enough to go around, the price goes up.

In the peak of the pandemic, we are living through an ‘unprecedented’ property market, and despite efforts over the last decade, we aren’t any closer to finding an alternative to affordable housing for the average Australian. In 1990, the average wage in Australia accounted for 14.8% of the average house price, yet using the same benchmarks 31 years later in 2021, the average wage will only account for a mere 6.37% of the average house price.

When nullifying the effects of inflation, we see it is marginally more difficult to own a home in 2021 than it was in 1990, the time of baby boomers snapping up houses left, right, and centre. When the free market fails, domestic economies require the interference of the government to set the market back in the right direction, which both federal and state governments in Australia have attempted, utilising schemes such as the aforementioned FHLDS (federal) and the First Home Owner’s Grant (FHOG) (State).

The FHOG, introduced in the 2000s, was intended to assist young people who would have otherwise never owned their own home. The scheme initially offered a $7,000 grant. In 2022, the FHOG now offers a $10,000 grant, a 42.8% increase from its initial figure which fails to keep up with the average house price rise of 241.7% since 2000. The high prices of housing has significant social ramifications that damage the longevity of the Australian economy. Young people staying at home with their parents for longer, delays them

When will the bubble burst?

Unpacking the housing crisis.

starting their own families and ultimately results in smaller family sizes and a decrease in population growth. With an ageing population, this could have serious longterm ramifications, as young taxpayers are supporting older communities.

The future of the Australian housing market seems relatively uncertain with experts having predicted a “bubble burst” for over a decade now. The war in Ukraine has seen a rise of oil prices, a major factor of production, which coupled with uncertainty in the global market could lead to inflation. The RBA has announced it will increase the cash rate in the next couple of months to help mitigate this risk of further inflation. This in turn will increase the big bank’s interest rates (the cost of borrowing money), thus making it harder and harder to get a home loan.

Econ 101 lesson 2: If no one wants to buy it, the price goes down.

If this occurs and housing prices are driven down, then it will be desirable for you and me, the uni student still living with mum and dad. But how does this affect those who already have mortgages? If house prices decrease then people with mortgages will see their loan become worth more than their house, resulting in a phenomenon called ‘negative equity’. Negative equity is bad news, leading to mortgagees defaulting on their home loans, similar to occurrences of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Mortgage defaults cause houses to go back on the market, leading to…

to increase the supply of residential land, through state governments relaxing their strict zoning laws. This has been seen effective in areas like Mount Barker, and more recently, Virginia.

This would: 1. Increase the supply of housing and 2. Control population density within the city.

In a world full of uncertainty and pessimism, it is difficult to say with certainty whether the current university student can afford buying a house in the near future. But through an increase in interest rates, the availability of new land and appropriate government intervention, we might be alright to live the Australian dream.

Econ 101 lesson 3: If there’s more of it, the price goes down.

One popular method to burst the bubble is 19

sustain abili-dit Words by Aryaman Mehta, Sustainable Finance Project

Despite the fact our awareness of sustainability has been substantially increasing over the years, global warming and climate change still unanimously remain the biggest issues that humanity faces today; the aftermath of which poses a threat to food systems, ecosystems, and the sustenance of effectively all life on Earth.

As this crisis deepens, it is extremely vital and imminent that we look to create a more sustainable future, one which would require an all-hands-on deck approach from most industries, finance being a key player among them.

The finance sector plays an extremely crucial role in raising alertness around issues pertaining to the field of sustainability. This can be in the form of raising money for, and funding the research and development of sustainable alternatives, or by supporting businesses with sustainable practices.

Further, financially investing in those who act ethically in their social inclusions, and fair labour practices or equally, by divesting one’s funds from fossil fuel companies and coal, could make a big difference. In 2012, when the first institutions in the United States publicly committed to divesting from fossil fuels, the idea may have come across as blasphemous and audacious, as divorcing fossil fuels would require society and the ruthless financial institutions to stand abreast. Ten years down the line, this idea of divestment has gained immense popularity and traction, spreading way beyond university endowment funds, and enormous super and pension funds.

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However, taking sustainable factors into account at a macro-level is just not enough.

We can revolutionise the way we approach a sustainable form of life, by an act as simple as students, like yourself, taking environmental factors into account when creating your budget and managing your finances. Even if you are a student who isn’t fully prepared to embrace sustainable alternatives and practices in your life, making small financial changes will play an indispensable role in ensuring that the planet does not end up a smouldering cinder. Whether you are a financially stable individual, or a student living on a budget, taking a green approach towards your personal finances, will ensure that your money isn’t used in a manner that goes against our environmental interests, and will almost certainly offer better financial outcomes for you.

Changing to an environmentally conscious bank Switching banks may be an extremely tedious task; a hassle that not everyone is willing to go through, however, in many cases individuals simply add a bank when they want a new service and end up banking with more than one institution. So, if you are looking to add a new bank or leave your existing one, it is prudent to take the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors into account before making important financial decisions.

This can mean checking if the banks were created for a particular mission, or auditing their records to ensure that they have no recent history of funding fossil fuels. (Market Forces has a concise list of the banks that have no record of funding fossil fuels since

How your financial choices shape the future 2016).

Commercial banks use your deposits to lend money to other customers / consumers, for which they charge a certain fee from these consumers, and you do not get to choose how your specific funds are used or who they are loaned to. In the case of sustainabilityoriented banks, your deposits are used for financing or refinancing those projects that positively contribute to the environment or addressing climate change, and therefore you as a consumer are assured that your funds are doing their part in supporting a brighter and more sustainable future.

This can be done by evaluating the firm’s you are interested in, what they stand for as a company, what their ‘green priorities’ are and how the fund does or does not contribute to carbon emissions. Sustainable investing can almost certainly guarantee better financial outcomes, with a report by asset management firm BlackRock stating that 8 out of 10 portfolios which were based on ESG criteria, performed better than those that weren’t.

A few banks and financial institutions also offer the option of socially responsible credit cards. Unlike the standard points that you earn from normal credit cards, green cards can potentially benefit the environment.

With credit cards, like ‘Sustain: The Green Mastercard’, you can convert your points into carbon offsets that can be used to fund environmental initiatives such as rainforest preservation.

In many cases, you might find that going local is the best route. This can be in the form of a credit union or a local bank, because these are often built for communities, with all the money being deposited back into these communities.

Apart from this, acts such as changing your preferred superannuation fund to an ethical one, shopping socially smart or limiting discretionary purchases to set aside funds for purchasing energy efficient, sustainable appliances, may help us take small, but crucial steps towards a sustainable future.

The real impact kicks in when you funnel your investing dollars into environmentally conscious companies.

Whether you call it impact investing or ESG investing, there are now more avenues for putting your funds, where your values are.

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Paul Sigar

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

WORDS BY MAXIM BUCKLEY Me and the law have never had a particularly good relationship, not because I’ve ever been on the wrong side of it, more so because I find it difficult to wrap my head around it. Add the fact that I think Ligertwood is one of the most heinous looking buildings on campus and you really have a recipe for disaster. Despite this, I’ve somehow managed to make a bunch of friends who study law, I’d probably go as far to say that the majority of my university friends hail from the law faculty. However, I only know of one of them completing honours.

Today I’m sitting down with my friend Paul Sigar. Paul completed his Bachelor of Laws with Honours in 2020 and his Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice in 2021 and is currently a practicing lawyer in commercial litigation.

“Essentially, if you’re invited to do honours and you take up that offer, your final year of your undergraduate degree becomes your honours year. So, no matter what, your law degree still takes the same amount of time”.

This format is pretty interesting, especially to me since I already have completed my 22

undergraduate degree and honours, while technically still keeping me as an undergrad, is something extra I decided to do. However, unlike the poor engineers who have to what sounds like fully fledged scientific honours whilst also completing their normal courses, the law honours degree is split into two distinct semesters. “In semester one you’ll start working on your thesis topic, but predominantly your time is still taken up by classwork. These classes are about how to do research in law and how to present your findings. Your second semester is completely dedicated to your thesis” “I can’t remember how many words the thesis is…it’s too many, whatever it is”. Paul is a little unique in my opinion since he didn’t complete a double degree and instead just studied straight law.

“I guess looking back it would have been a smart idea to do a double degree because I have interests in other areas. But I suppose I got this exposure through my electives. The biggest bonus is that I completed my degree in four years as opposed to five”.

Paul’s thesis focused on international law, specifically the destruction of cultural property during war and how effectively that is criminalized under international codes. For those who read my last article, I’m sorry, but I had to ask another stupid question. “Yes and no. Yes, international law is a bit of a joke because no country is enforcing it unless they decide to. An example of that failure is the former president of Sudan Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, who has multiple arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) but despite this has managed to avoid those by running to countries where they won’t uphold those arrest warrants.

However, if countries do enforce these laws then people are tried and charges upheld by the courts” “It all comes down to sovereignty.

Sovereign nations choose to uphold these laws, there’s no institution that forces countries to uphold these laws”. Like Shona Edwards in my previous article, Paul had to come up with his own thesis question which related in general to what an academic in the law faculty focuses on. “You don’t need an exact topic, just a vague idea of what you would like to research.

I knew I wanted to look at international law and investigate something relating to war crimes, so I spoke to my supervisor, and he agreed to supervise me. Once you have a supervisor you can discuss and hone your idea further. Your supervisor is there to point you in the right direction. He thought my initial topic about immunities for war crimes wasn’t really an international law issue and was too philosophical. He brought up this topic of cultural property because there’s a huge debate about it right now. I did some research and read some articles to form an idea and from that, I got my final thesis question”.

Paul described writing a thesis-like playing judge to a hypothetical trial. His question of whether or not current international laws effectively decriminalize the destruction of cultural property and what exactly is constituted as cultural property under these laws is influenced by what decisions have been made up until the point of him writing his thesis. To me, it sounds like conducting a systematic review of all available evidence to elucidate what exactly is true. If cultural property as it is described under the international laws is being destroyed and

and those incidences are being properly convicted, then the laws are working.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. “The definition of cultural property is very expansive in the 1954 Hague Convention however the systematic destruction of culture isn’t properly protected under international law and as such cultural property isn’t properly protected under international law. Basically, if cultures aren’t protected adequately then how could you say that cultural property is”. Paul was a little worried when he started researching his topic because a trial was going on before the ICC that would derail his entire thesis, but fortunately, due to COVID, it was delayed. “I guess that’s a risk, the law is always changing, you just have to go with what you have”.

Paul thinks that the reason why most law students don’t do an honours project is that they’re mostly focused on professional practice rather than research methods, but he sees merit to both approaches. “I guess having honours gave me an edge when applying for jobs. I was more unique”. Paul is considering continuing academia in the future though for now, he’s keen on working. His passion is still for international law, and he dreams of one day working for the ICC or being an ambassador to the UN. . . . . . .

Systematic Review is an ongoing series that I hope will showcase some research from each faculty in a number of disciplines. If you’re keen on having your research featured please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email at maxim. buckley@adelaide.edu.au.

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CLUB SPOTLIGHT CLUB SPOTLIGHT Answers by Ashley Towner, Occult Club President HOW DID THE CLUB COME TO BE? The Occult Club started in November 2020 out of a desire to create a space for witches, Pagans, Satanists and other practitioners of magick and the occult. We chose the word “Occult” because it is broad and inclusive of many religions, practices and belief systems and was the best word to describe our diverse membership.

WHAT EXPERIENCES DOES THE CLUB BRING? The Occult Club is a welcoming and diverse space where you will encounter new and thought-provoking ideas about spirituality, magick and our place in the cosmos. You will be encouraged to share your thoughts in a sincere and open-minded manner and challenge your understanding of the world.

You will also have the opportunity to make new friends, eat good food and develop your personal practices.

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WHO SHOULD JOIN AND WHY? The Occult Club is for you if you practice or are interested in learning about: witchcraft, Wicca, astrology, tarot, Paganism, Satanism, alchemy, chaos magick, Hermeticism, any other form of magick, divination or spirituality.

Joining the occult club provides a community to discuss and learn about these topics and a place to form friendships with like-minded people.

Photo credit: Elena Meneghetti

Occult Club Occult Club WHAT EVENTS DO YOU HOST? Every month, the Occult Club hosts a book club event, where we discuss our thoughts and views on the book that we voted on at the start of the month. We also hold regular discussion groups on specific subjects to develop a deeper understanding and incorporate new ideas into our practices. We also work with other clubs to host broad and open events like our Annual Halloween Party and pumpkin carvings around Halloween.

HOW DO I FIND/ FOLLOW/CONNECT WITH YOU? Currently, the best way to connect with us is over Discord. You can find all our social links, including our Discord, at http://uaoccult.club.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @uaoccult.

Photo credit: Ashley Towner

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The South Australian state election (19th of March) was expected to take days to produce a result. The ABC’s Election Analyst Antony Green called it in a mere two hours. Steven Marshall conceded by 9 pm. Labor had won by a landslide.

Election analysts spent the weeks leading up to the state election predicting a lengthy count. A record number of South Australians voted in advance via post, primarily due to the pandemic. Postal votes can be sent right up till election day, so many are not received until the next week.

Even those received were not set to be counted until the Monday following the election.

Labor was expected to win based on opinion-polling (surveys conducted to determine voter intent) but still faced the possibility of a hung parliament. A hung parliament occurs when the party forming government does not have a clear majority. It normally involves a lot of compromise with independents.

So why was it called so quickly?

Politics is unpredictable! There’s not a clear answer either. Labor turned over far more seats than predicted. Seven seats on the Legislative Assembly (the Lower House of state parliament) were gained by Labor. In comparison, the Liberal Party did not win any new seats, only retaining seats previously held. Even safe Liberal seats (seats that are traditionally guaranteed wins for a party) became marginal, with huge swings to the Labor Party.

It was an election won on health policy.

Six months ago, Marshall and the SA Liberals were practically guaranteed a second term in government. The Omicron variant, reopening of the South Australian border, and ramping crisis changed that. The SA Liberal’s popularity went down as cases arose and the highly effective protesting undertaken by paramedics shed new light on the Marshall government’s failure to improve ramping. The new premier, Peter Malinauskas, ran a campaign based on fixing ramping.

Words by Louise Jackson

OVER IN A FLASH:

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The SA State Election at a Glance

welcome two new female MPs. Labor will enter government with a 50/50 gender split. Malinauskas has hailed ‘a modern Labor Party that reflects our society’.

The SA Liberals have also experienced significant internal problems in recent months. Three members of the Lower House began their terms as Liberals and ended them as independents. Sam Duluk and Frasier Ellis were facing criminal charges (Duluk has been acquitted and Ellis is still awaiting trial) and Dan Cregan jumped ship, dissatisfied with the Party, to then become Speaker of the House. In November, Former Deputy Premier Vickie Chapman resigned her portfolios (though remained in her seat) to face investigation over a possible conflict of interest in her time as Planning Minister.

The Big Changes

The SA Liberals have lost a substantial number of high-profile party members.

Education Minister Rachel Sanderson in the seat of Adelaide and Transport Minister Corey Wingard in the seat of Gibson lost to Labor candidates. Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan lost his seat of Stuart to independent Geoff Brock in one of the more shocking election night calls. Steven Marshall has resigned from the leadership of the SA Liberals.

The big winners of the evening were women. All the seats Labor gained were won by women and the SA Liberals also

It’s safe to say the election did not play out the way that the SA Liberals hoped. As we mark the first defeat of a state government during the pandemic, we enter a new era of politics – one where nothing is guaranteed.

References

Boisvert, E 2022, ‘Labor Premier-elect Peter Malinauskas joined by several new women MPs in SA government ranks’, ABC News, 20 March, viewed 23 March 2022, <https://www. abc.net.au/news/2022-03-20/five-new-laborwomen-in-new-sa-government/100924724> Keane, D 2022, ‘SA election 2022: The Playmander, the Rannslide and the roots of Liberal implosion’, ABC News, 23 March, viewed 23 March 2022, <https://www.abc. net.au/news/2022-03-23/sa-election-theplaymander-and-liberal-defeat/100925228> Keane, D & Puddy, R 2022, ‘SA election 2022 results: Labor secures victory over Liberal government — as it happened’, ABC News, 19 March, viewed 23 March 2022, <https:// www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-19/sa-votessouth-australia-state-election-2022-liveblog/100917538> Shepherd, T 2022, ‘‘Hard to read’: Labor is clear favourite in South Australia’s election – but local issues muddy the waters’, The Guardian, 19 March, viewed 23 March 2022, <https:// www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/ mar/19/hard-to-read-labor-is-clear-favouritein-south-australias-election-but-local-issuesmuddy-the-waters>

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CONNECT :

A Free HIV Self-Testing Project Words by Jenny Jung SAMESH, short for South Australia Mobilisation + Empowerment for Sexual Health, is a partnership program between SHINE SA and Thorne Habour Health. It aims to bridge the concerning gap that exists in SA’s sexual health services, in education, training and advocacy for multi-cultural, gender diverse experiences. HIV has never been more preventable and treatable, and SAMESH is dedicated to delivering these tools so that HIV becomes a thing of the past in SA. Their CONNECT project may be the most innovative cure to the inaccessibility of HIV testing yet.

SAMESH is piloting several vending machines across SA that provides free Atomo HIV Self-Test kits and thus eliminating various barriers to getting tested. Its target groups include gay men and other men who have sex with men, migrants, and international students. Their project has been consulted with a cultural advisory group to ensure that it is culturally sensitive, and even the instructions are available in eight different languages.

Dr Nikki Sullivan, is the project coordinator of the CONNECT program on SAMESH’s end, where in partnership with other service providers and support services, she drives the project. Before coming to SAMESH, Nikki was an academic at the Macquarie University in cultural studies for 25 years, with an expertise in queer culture, and LGBTQI history and practices. She left the university sector to return to Adelaide and work for the history trust of SA. She was first the curator of the Migration Museum, then a manager at the Centre of Democracy. Across all her roles, her main focus - her life focus - has always been inclusivity, and advocating for marginalised groups. She began working with SAMESH as a volunteer when she was offered the role of project coordinator. I met up with Nikki to discuss the CONNECT project and gain some insight into the culture around HIV testing.

While the culture has shifted to being more sex-positive and encouraging of STI testing, HIV testing is often overlooked, feared, or brushed off as irrelevant. How do you think this approach came to be, and how relevant do you think HIV testing is for the young people here at university?

I think that from the beginning of the epidemic, really, there’s been this association of HIV with particular groups of people. So initially, back in the 80s, they used to talk about the 4 H’s: Homosexuals, Haemophiliacs, Heroin users, and Haitians. So basically, it was racist.

- It was like ‘these are the 4 groups of people who are most likely to get HIV and they’re all people we don’t care about’. I think what has stuck from those years is the association of HIV with gay men and with intravenous drug 28

users. So I think people who don’t identify as gay men or don’t use intravenous drugs, think; ‘It’s not something I’m going to get’. But actually that’s not the case at all.

If you look at the different situations in African countries you’ll see they are very different to the situation in Australia, where historically it has been that gay men have been much more likely to become positive than heterosexual people. What we now see in some

states in Australia, is that the positive cases are becoming more common for heterosexual people than they are for gay men. That still isn’t the case in SA yet, but it’s definitely something that people need to be aware of. People often think, ‘HIV - that happened a long time ago to gay people’. Well, no, it’s still happening to all kinds of people right now.

How did the CONNECT program come to be?

It came about in response to the federal strategy that was attempting to address blood-borne viruses and STIs. As a part of that, there was a pot of money there that organisations like ours could apply to tackle any of those issues. So, SAMESH is kind of like the child of two parent organisations - SHINE SA and Thornhabour Health, which used to be the Victorian AIDs council. Basically, those organisations applied for this money to run this program.

International students are stressed as your target demographic for this project. How can international students in particular benefit from the HIV self-testing kits?

The reason that we are trying to engage the constituencies we’re trying to engage is because what the research shows - whilst transmission rates are relatively stable amongst Australiaborn or long-term Australian residents, they’re on the rise amongst people who are here on temporary visas. In particular, people from South East Asia and the Sub Saharan African regions. The research identifies those groups as particularly vulnerable. There is a lot of research that shows that international students often find themselves in a culturally very different context, in which sex might be something that’s much more openly engaged in.

They may not have had a whole lot of sexual health literacy and therefore they may engage in practices that are not particularly safe. There’s lots of reasons why these particular demographics are perhaps more vulnerable than others.

Another thing is that there’s a lot of barriers for testing, particularly for international students. International students are not eligible for Medicare, which means that if you want to go get a test, you charge it to your private health insurance - which may be connected to your parents private health insurance. That’s a big deal, nobody wants their parents to know they’re getting an HIV test or an STI test. People often just don’t have the money to pay upfront. There’s lots of stigma, and there’s also people that maybe come from cultures where these things are less openly discussed. For anyone, actually going and saying to somebody ‘I want to test for an STI/HIV’, may be just too difficult. These pilots using vending machines have been run in the US, UK and NZ, and what they show is that they overcame some of these barriers; they overcame the cost barrier, the time barrier - students are studying and working, when do they get time to go to clinics? - it overcame the fear of having to engage with somebody because you can just go and get it without talking to anyone. You can take it home, you can do it in your own time.

Do you believe that there is a significant gap in the conventional sex education curriculum of today in terms of sexual/gender/ cultural diversity?

I think it depends on where your education comes from. I think increasingly, in Australia, if you’re not in a religious-based school, you are likely to have had some sex education - it’s often not great, though. I think that oftentimes people, particularly young people don’t have the confidence to talk honestly even amongst themselves. Oftentimes, amongst your friends there’s a bit of bravado, or you don’t want to appear like you don’t know something. This is an interesting initiative because it isn’t just about getting people to do this one test. It’s about trying to educate people such that regular screening becomes part 29

of the whole thing - You don’t just test when you think you might have something, you should actually be screening on a regular basis and practicing safe sex. So you can have a healthy sex life and stay healthy as a person.

So it’s like, by people seeing these machines pop up, and people start testing more regularly, it initiates a cultural shift as well, not just targeting certain demographics.

Yeah, it’s not like, ‘these are just walk-in clinics because that’s where you go’. It’s like ‘No, these are out in the open because this is part of our everyday life’. Just like how we go buy drinks because we all need to drink liquid.

We don’t all have sex, but a lot of people do this is just part of that. Making them available freely is really important because of course, cost itself is a big barrier for people.

Up until the end of last year, the only way you could really get them was online and they cost you $25 plus postage. Then at the end of last year, the Therapeutics Goods Administration changed the regulations around self-test kits.

There’s only one that they recognise, which is the one that we use. Since then, they’ve become available in some chemists, but if you go into a chemist and buy one I think they cost you about $25. But also, there’s no support network around that. So what we do, is to not just give out the packs, but provide a whole range of information about what to do when you get a positive result - it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are positive, you can get a false positive result - what to do if the kit doesn’t work, what to do if you get a negative result - which is great but you should do it again in another 3 months time.

To wrap up, can you tell our readers how they can access the HIV self-testing kits on campus, and how it works?

There’s two vendors available on campus at Adelaide Uni - one on level 2 and one on level 3 of the Hub. One is in a much more open area by all of the other vending machines, and one is in an all-gender bathroom - that’s completely private if you don’t want anyone to see that you’re getting one. When you see the posters or an ad in the paper or on a bus, you scan the QR code - or, you might be walking past the machines, and you can scan the QR code on the machine. You’ll get taken to a web app which will say to you: ‘This is the CONNECT program, we give out free HIV test kits. Do you want one?’. Then, if you say yes, it will ask you four questions: Country of birth, age, have you ever tested before, and sexuality. You have to supply a mobile phone number, but the really important thing to stress here is that for us, those numbers are not traceable to anybody.

All the data that is collected is stored in accordance with all the privacy laws they’re never going to be able to connect it to you.

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Then, it sends you a 4 digit code that you put into the web app. It goes ‘right, we recognise you now, you’re registered’. If you are near the vending machine, then just go scan the QR code. If you’re not near the vending machine, you can close that on your phone, and the next time you find yourself near the vending machine, you can scan the QR code and then it will vend out the kit for you.

You can go to any of the machines. While there are two here, there’s also one at the City West UniSA campus in the student lounge, there’s also one at UniSA Mawson campus in their student lounge. There’s one at Pulteney Sauna, which is a men’s sauna on Pulteney street.

If you want more than one kit, you just scan a second time - you don’t have to register all over again, once you’ve registered it will recognise your phone number. You can do that up to about 7 times. One of the things we learned from one of the pilots that was carried out in the UK is that if you don’t put a limit on the number of kits you can get, what can happen is that you have this informal kind of distribution network.

You might have friends who are like ‘I want to test, but I really don’t want to be seen going to get one’. So you can say ‘Well, I’m going to get one, how about I get one for you as well?’. We want that to be able to happen. The other thing is, you might get a kit, then you might go home and feel a bit lacking in confidence when it comes to doing it and you might want to go back and get another one.

It’s a really easy process, then 7 days after your first registration, you’ll get a follow up SMS asking if you’ve gone and collected the kit and used it. If you have, there’s a URL to a follow up survey, but you’re not obligated to fill out the survey. If you are willing then that’s fantastic, because then we can collect data. Not that it’s identifiable but what we want to know is how easy it was for people to use, would they use it again or recommend it to people, and if they want to see this project ongoing. We need that data because we will report back to the Commonwealth at the end of the project and we will be making recommendations for continued use if these prove to be useful for people.

Do you have any other comments for our readers?

Anybody that has unprotected sex, anybody who uses needles, is vulnerable. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just in the same way how now we are all testing for COVID - I think this is just going to become a part of life. We will have much more agency when it comes to our own health. It’s a great initiative - please use it! Don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed. If anyone has any questions, we have a website with lots of information on it.

Visit SAMESH’s website for more information on CONNECT, as well as their services. www.samesh.org.au www.samesh.org.au/connect-free-hiv-kits/

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The cruelty of marble is its echo, an equal to inflexibility.

She is bound by her flesh.

Then, fury.

–

in defence of medea Words by Sabrina Donato @ssabrinasays

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The marble receives her footsteps quietly, intimately, as a mother might caress the cheek of their child. Cut from the earth, hardened by steel, both she and the walls are born of the same heat. Now grown, the stone long set in darkness, her soles cannot cool.

The sculptor who softens earth into flesh has not visited Medea.

To him, she was only a weapon.

She knows the rise of his chest too well. She has not woken him, though from where she stands his every scar is distinguishable.

He stirs and it stings. The parting of his lips, her son’s. The curl on his cheek, her daughter’s. She would run her hand through that obsidian mane, but that it caught between her fingers made her sick. And there, his greatest joy: more of himself. She bears the sight of them only if she imagines those parts of him buried. Disease belonged to the dirt.

There is ugliness in them both.

Unblinking eyes of the night visitor carve the length of his arms to the figure they fortify. But where the desire to lie beside him once resided is an inferno. Burnt, irredeemable.

True, she is drawn to silver, a fine metal enough. But gold. She knew she was nothing less than gilded. Soon, the bards will sing of a woman wreathed in the sun’s rays.

Soon.

No – I love them, too. They are mine, too.

Furrowed brow and unyielding jaw; his dreaming self awaits her arrival.

And behind those eyes, a nightmare that she has written. To gaze upon his naked fear, bare of artificial tenderness, callous arrogance, it is for this reason she has made her visit.

That, and another.

Why does she forget?

The weight of the blade is equal in her palm and mind – light, familiar. A comfort, greater than he had been. The blade is worthy of legend, not the hero.

She weaves a well-worn thread. Terror, despair, death – these are horrors the blade endures. Hope, love, life – these are realities the blade ensures. It is the blade that separates flesh. It is the blade that brings blood. But blood often stains, she turns the metal in her hands. And new blades may be forged.

Knuckles white around death, she does not reach for his neck. Too easy, Charon’s passage. Too gentle, those eternal fields.

A phantom with his face rises from the bed. Mother and father meet eyes. All that you have, I gave, he says. All that you are, I am greater. With the teethbearing grin of her eldest – All that will remain of you, mine.

Those who slight Medea do not know slumber for many, many years.

May his entire line vanish.

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Sonnet of Eve Words by Annabel Fedcesin

In evergreen undergrowth I open.

The world swirling in ember and cobalt, I rest my head and let my hands with pen Trace the sky until it falls, leaving salt.

And shrivelling beauty cured by stone Will leave fleeting streaks of fluorescent light.

I will sit upon my wattle bloom throne Wonder if there is body to this sight.

Sudden visions of someone else in tow Leave longing in my fingertips for soul.

Flowers plucked abruptly and tied by bow.

Unturned earth exposing sickening coal.

In this bleak world that I cannot escape My self grows an unfamiliar shape.

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Untold Words by Annabel Fedcesin There is a place below the sea Where eyes sting red and teary.

Butterfly fish kiss lonesome foreheads And algae flowers sway, their pollen bled.

From in my castle, high and bright Looking down on alleyways devoid of light I spot a soul, decrepit and old Longing for a story told.

There they sit mumbling songs.

The history of all their wrongs.

Each passing citizen hearing But further away they keep steering.

Only us, above all below Peer out our window Stop and listen to the song bounce up Between the walls of the buttercup The blooming bell of the building Water bleached and petal gilding Distracts the eyes of passers-by Away from the lonely sigh.

Yet up here we sit and listen Unmoved by the wall’s glisten That melody for fish and heart Of lovers torn worlds apart.

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GIG REVIEW:

EVERYDAY APATHY

@ENIGMA BAR Words and photos by Jenny Jung

When I met up with Everyday Apathy (EA) at their first headlining gig as a local band at Enigma Bar, there wasn’t a hint of nervousness in their expressions. Rather, they were as I had always known them – laid-back, warm, and a hell of a crowd to hang out with. They’d been moshing, they said as we headed downstairs for some air, that’s why they were so sweaty.

Everyday Apathy is a 5-piece indie band from right here in quaint little Adelaide, but their stage presence and energy does not give that away.

Fronted by Julian Renner on vocals, EA consists of two guitarists – Max Docherty-Kenny and Jeremy Wojak – a bassist, Rafael Aquino, and drummer Jay Helbers. They all went to the same high school, all with an affinity to playing music and a love for the indie rock scene. Perhaps it is this closeness and long history that allows them to play all together with great chemistry. You can tell that they’ve become more acquainted with playing gigs — this is their third one, with some more locked down — and their ability to engage an audience and get them jumping around is impressive. I think that part of what generates this level of excitement in the audience (apart from the fact that the bar is 10 feet away from the stage) is the sincerity and intensity with which they play.

They start off their set with their first and newest single, Heavens Gate, a title which apparently takes inspiration from the infamous cult of the same name. The riff is punchy and coy, reminiscent of the Strokes’ earlier tracks, namely Trying your Luck and its moody minor melody. But it’s not completely derivative either, and their contemporary indie pop influence is also noticeable alongside this obvious homage to the Strokes, particularly in the structure of the song. For a debut single of a local band with no industry connection or recording expertise, Heavens Gate is truly an impressive effort - and I think this is the perfect time to say that EA is one of those bands that are better live, which in fairness owes to the limited resources for recording and mixing their very first track. Despite this newness, you can tell that they’re seasoned players of their respective instruments. Heavens Gate lacks the messy self-indulgence that is characteristic of any artist’s first public release. Instead, the arrangement feels sleek and intentional; packed with riffs, exciting

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ventures in lead guitar fills and a catchy chorus that I found myself singing along to after just a couple of listens.

The rest of the set is mostly originals, sprinkled with the occasional cover. If you’re not an indie scene veteran and only recognized I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor out of the 3 covers they did (guilty as charged), you would have believed it if you were told they were all EA original songs – that is, their originals were of comparable quality to the songs of the seasoned indie masters.

Everyone left sweaty, exclaiming how amazing the gig was, and disappointed when the set ended.

Everyday Apathy is a truly promising indie outfit that I would be proud to have hailed from the same small, ‘nothing-going-on’ town as, and that is saying a lot. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

INTERVIEW WITH EVERYDAY APATHY I know you guys all went to the same school, but what brought you all together to start Everyday Apathy?

JULIAN: The band was originally called Blimp On The Floor when we started the band in year 12. It started when Jay and Jeremy wanted to perform at Infinite Echo which is like a school concert sort of thing, which we were involved in because we did music. Max was too but he was in a different friendship group at the time and in a different band with the current singer from Overdue Fiction.

JEREMY: Julian offered to take singing lessons in order to front the band and then we set about finding a bass player. Raf knew how to sort of play guitar which is basically the same thing as bass so he joined. Max joined later after we played a few small gigs at school and at my house and once Julian gave up on trying to play both guitar and sing he could just focus on one.

Everyday Apathy – who came up with that name? Did it take a lot of convincing to get everyone on board?

JULIAN: Finding a name is the biggest challenge we’ve ever faced as a band I would say, as we didn’t like our original name. So we just ended up sticking with a name that someone suggested that no one said no to, one that we were all sorta apathetic to. But we had a lot of alternate suggestions spanning years, some that I prefer but others don’t and that’s fine, it’s a democracy whatever I’m not hurt.

What inspired you to write Heavens Gate?

MAX: I came up with the riff and progression a few months ago, but it took a while until Julian and I put it together with a chorus we were happy with. We spent a long time trying to get this circle of fifths thing to work for the chorus but it sounded way too corny so we ended up changing it to the one we have now.

JULIAN: Inspiration is a weird thing, I’d say most of our songs just come from the desire to write songs, we’re always coming up with riffs and chord progressions that we can later use in songs which is sorta what happened with this one. It went through a few iterations like we had the verse 37

done and we were super happy with it, well at least I was, and then we left it for a while, came back to it to try a chorus, didn’t like it and then ended up settling on this one months later. The lyrics always come from different places, I’d say with this one it was latching onto that first verse and trying to pull a story out of that. A sort of feeling like you’ve done a hard day’s work which ended up turning into a revenge story weirdly enough. I’d say there are lots of different interpretations I think, because I never really write about just one thing. Is it weird that I’m reading my own lyrics right now and I have no idea what on earth I was on about?

As a small band just starting out, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced in getting yourself out there?

RAFAEL: Finding the impetus to reach out to all the small venues in Adelaide and organise gigs. Also staying consistent with our output on social media to make sure people still remember we exist.

JEREMY: Trying to consistently practise and improve amid all the covid restrictions was a real challenge. Since we are all students and have jobs, finding a regular time we’re all free to practice has been difficult. The restrictions also prevented us from throwing more gigs and sharing the music we’ve been working on.

Who is the biggest influence on your band’s sound and songwriting?

MAX: The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys are our biggest influences, but we also love post-punk bands like Joy Division and The Cure, and Japanese rock like No Buses. We’re essentially creating Post-dance-punk-indie-alternative-revival rock or whatever will get us the most adjectives.

JULIAN: I’d say what we are really trying to write is our own style of indie rock danceable music, the sorta stuff I know I grew up listening to like The Wombats, Vampire Weekend as well as the ones Max said but like drawing inspiration from so many places from rap to rock to dance as well as that fast paced post punk sorta stuff. A lot of it comes from whatever we’re listening to at the time and in the end I think we’re still finding our sound even if we’ve hit a place where I’m pretty solidly happy with the songs we’re writing right now. I’d say the only thing we try to hold ourselves to right now is grounding ourselves in guitar based music, writing for the band so we don’t have to pay for a keyboardist. Maybe in the future or if someone wants to play keyboard for free.

A song recommendation from each of you for our readers?

MAX: Secrecy Is Incredibly Important to the Both of Them - Yves Tumor JULIEN: Number Four or Five - No Buses JEREMY: Bougainvillea - Sly Withers RAF: Tricks - Stella Donnelly JAY: Tidal Wave - Tom Misch, Yussef Dayes

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learning about the

far-right with help from the far-left Words by Jack Mencel It starts with a small group of individuals feeling angry and disenfranchised.

They meet in private to discuss their ideas in an echo-chamber, knowing full well that their true beliefs are too extreme for public pronouncement.

To spread their message incognito, they plaster their political slogans all over the city, with posters and stickers criticising democracy and calling for revolution.

They go to events where popular causes are being expressed, and through polite and inquisitive conversation, they draw moderates into their fold. ‘Don’t you see that elections are rigged? Democracy is a sham controlled by the elites.’

Exploiting popular grievances, they encourage this anger and point it towards the group they suppose is to blame. When asked, they gently present their extreme ideology as the solution that can solve everything.

Then, when they are confident enough, and have gained enough followers, they mobilise in the streets, waving banners and chanting. It is

now that they openly incite the action they want to see: their enemies ‘smashed’ and ‘destroyed’ in a revolution to replace Australia’s democracy. There is no grievance that this revolution won’t fix, if only you let them implement their plan: the abolition of the liberal-democratic system and its replacement with an apparatus based in centralised party control. This party, of course, is their own.

These are the strategies of the farright; extremists whose illiberal ideas are on the rise. I learnt about their playbook while attending the SRC’s event ‘Understanding the New Far-Right and How To Fight It’. It is difficult to properly summarise the informative speeches given by the event’s three panellists, though I took away a key message from each.

Lecturer Gareth Pritchard spoke about the importance of building a ‘unity’ against fascism and the farright; an insight he gained during his involvement in the Anti-Nazi League.

Pritchard stated that this united stand must comprise of anti-fascists from across the political spectrum: 39

‘socialists, trade unionists… [even] actual members of the Liberal Party, it doesn’t matter’ (which I found most reassuring).

Socialist Alternative’s website, as Obradovic is president of their AU branch. Here is a portion from their Statement of Principles:

Associate Professor Tim Legrand spoke of the way the far-right works to erode trust in liberaldemocratic institutions to create a void in faith that they can fill. He also spoke about the importance of grievance narratives to the farright’s recruitment strategy, as by saying that ‘you are not to blame for your problems’, they can encourage that anger be channelled towards an external enemy.

‘Only the revolutionary overthrow of the existing order and the smashing of the capitalist state apparatus can defeat the capitalist class and permanently end its rule. A successful revolution will involve workers taking control of their workplaces, dismantling existing state institutions (parliaments, courts, the armed forces and police) and replacing them with an entirely new state based on genuinely democratic control by the working class.’

Ana Obradovic, President of the SRC and the Socialist Alternative gave a ‘left-wing analysis of what fascism actually is,’ and argued that the recent growth in support for the farright and fascism is a product of an ailing capitalist system. She said that ‘The everyday functioning of liberalcapitalism feeds the far-right,’ and as such, ‘the centre is no answer.’ She concluded that ‘Therefore, we can’t get rid of fascism until we get rid of this system.’

As I reflected, I couldn’t help but feel Obradovic’s statements were rather strange within the broader context of the event that she herself had organised. Isn’t an indictment against liberalism and a call to replace it the very thing we were told to expect from the far-right? Also, if Obradovic wants us to ‘get rid of this system,’ what does she want us to replace it with?

To find out, I had a look at the 40

Well, this certainly sounds extreme, but at least they want democracy?

Well actually, this is democracy for the ‘working class’, who in Australia is estimated to be about a quarter of the population. This presumably means that Obradovic would like to see a drastic reduction of suffrage within Australia. After all, Australia’s liberal-democratic system, which already allows all Australians over the age of 18 to vote in free and fair elections, is the very system Obradovic wants replaced.

Even this interpretation is charitable, as it assumes such a revolution would follow through on its promises.

Despite commitments to a ‘workers democracy’ being common to nearly all Marxist revolutions, few if any have granted legitimate voting rights to anyone outside the party elite.

Every Marxist revolution has resulted in a despotic nightmare, so why does she think her revolution will be any

different? Obradovic is clearly intelligent; I struggle to believe she is that naïve.

Simply put, I can’t understand why Obradovic wants us to celebrate the Red Guard’s March on Petrograd in October 1917, but decry the Brownshirt’s March on Rome in October 1922. Both events brought decades-long totalitarian dictatorships that stripped citizens of their rights, freedom and dignity.

Path and even the Chinese Communist Party all started as student discussion groups before going on atrocities in history.

Learning about the far-right it becomes obvious that any revolution by them would be horrific.

Certainly, we would not tolerate a ‘fascist club’ or any far-right group on campus calling for revolution.

Why then do we tolerate a far-left group that does the same?

Sure, fascism is a ‘Mass movement whose core-base is the middleclass’, while Marxism is a ‘Mass movement whose core-base is the working-class,’ to use Obradovic’s descriptions. However, for a civilian with a gun to their head, it is little consolation to know that power is being held by a member of the ‘working-class’ instead of somebody else.

Right now, the Socialist Alternative’s ‘revolutionary’ pastimes consist of holding meetings, circulating propaganda and larping as Bolsheviks. A glance at their history suggests that thankfully, this will likely remain their pattern of behaviour.

However, their approach aligns almost exactly with the far-right tactics listed at the start of this piece. As Pritchard reminded us in his speech, we should never underestimate the potential for hate-filled extremist groups to turn from grievance-rhetoric to physical violence. In the case of the far-left, we should remember that the Khmer Rouge, the Shining 41

Gender Gender and name Genderand andname name changes changes need to be changesneed needto tobe be accessible. accessible. accessible.

Words by Ollie Patterson (they/them)

Currently there are two significant barriers when it comes to the physical needs of trans people being met; cost and requirement of clinical treatment.

Legally, updating one’s gender and name change is necessary in order to keep the government records and paperwork accurate.

It is SO important for a lot of people to be able to say “This is my name according to the government. It is on my ID and all of my documents.”

Everyone should be able to have their paperwork correctly up to date. Additionally, government documents uphold and use the correct name / gender, it makes it more likely that people in professional, legal, and medical environments will respect and use the real name and gender of the person.

Before I changed my name and gender, I was called the wrong name on all of my ID and paperwork, which made it difficult to: - Use ID (especially after my voice broke — I had people laugh in my face) - Hand in assignments (saying they were authored by someone I was not) - Being disrespected by doctors and medical practitioners (which was the most awful experience to go through) I made the change to my name and gender marker after spending time in a hospital where my name and pronouns were not respected. I was referred to with the wrong name and as a woman by the very people who were supposed to be caring for me and my health. My life was in the hands by people who wouldn’t even call me by my own name. It was incredibly painful and made me not care if I got out of the hospital alive. There are no words for how awful it felt that I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

But I knew it was not a once off — in fact, most trans people I’ve discussed it with have had similar experiences. That is an absolute atrocity and should be an extreme embarrassment to anyone working with or in health sector.

After a few months of my recovery, I finally got my name legally changed. The next time I was in hospital, they used my real name and it encouraged me to keep persisting in life.

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The reasons I did not and could not legally change my name sooner were because of the two very unnecessary barriers.

Firstly, there is a fee just to apply for a change of name and/or gender identity. It might not sound like a big number, but to anybody on Centrelink (possibly because getting a job with a mismatching legal name can be very difficult, for example) it’s actually a lot of money. Especially given that there are already many unthought of costs for being transgender in a CIS normative society.

It costs $113 to register your gender, $270 to change your name, or $327 to do both at the same time.

As a student, that amount was impossible! This fee should be waived, especially for anyone experiencing financial hardship and/or unable to find a job or study without updated paperwork. Having up to date paperwork is a necessity in our society.

Allowing this process to be free is an easy solution in making it accessible, especially for a demographic relying on financial support from the Government.

The second barrier is a recurring issue for many trans people — cis normativity expect/demand trans people to go through counselling/psychiatry/therapy just to prove their transness to the world in order to access and have rights to their basic necessities.

The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registrations Act (1996) and its associated regulations require a statement from a medical practitioner to summarise treatment, which has to include at very least 135 minutes of counselling equating to 3 counselling sessions and for the counselling sessions to be spread over a period of 6 months.

In this day and age, that’s ridiculous. Counselling is not at all necessary for a person to know their name and gender. Counselling is financially and emotionally expensive. Being trans is not a negative problem which requires a solution. There are needs — which differ from person to person — which can include legal transition, HRT, surgery, and/or other things. These are not “solutions” so much as necessities for living in our society. Having accurate government records is a necessity for living in this society.

I strongly believe that changing a gender marker should not need the approval of a medical practitioner, nor the current required clinical treatment. Keeping government records and paperwork up to date should not come at such a high cost and with so many barriers.

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“I’m an unnatural mother” This is a line that stuck with me since my first viewing of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Oscar nominated directorial debut, The Lost Daughter.

I have always been fascinated by the concept of motherhood – I’ve always felt that society puts a disproportionate emphasis on the significance of ‘the mother’, not just on the individual level, but on our community – on society. ‘Mother’ is sacred. The invention of the ‘Virgin Mary’ ruined motherhood for all the women and birth givers out there, in my opinion. She is perfect, she birthed Jesus Christ for Christ’s sake, without even sacrificing her chastity.

Mary gave her body and soul for her child - she was the Madonna, weeping as she held the limp, naked body of her dead son. But what about Jesus’ dad?

To quote Laura Dern’s unforgettable character in Marriage Story, “God is the father and God didn’t show up!”. Our system, and the very belief our morality is based on, justifies an absent and neglectful father while setting women up for failure.

contemplating what kind of mother I would make, and if I would ever fill that role. My own mother was not much of a natural, conventional mother either; she’s a complicated woman, like myself and most others.

Perhaps this is why The Lost Daughter struck a chord with me. A Netflix original adaptation of a novel, The Lost Daughter illustrates Leda (Olivia Colman), a 48-year-old professor and mother of two, and her seaside trip to Greece. It is not a relaxing one, as it turns out, as she is joined by a dodgy family from Queens. Out of this group, Leda immediately fixates on Nina (Dakota Johnson), a young mother seemingly struggling to take care of her young daughter, Elena.

The Lost Daugther Film Review

Society wants women to be mothers, and for women to feel solely empowered as a mother – to feel that motherhood gives them self-worth. It’s an ideology that keeps women subservient without necessarily feeling worthless, so there’s no reason to complain. If a woman is satisfied and finds their purpose in simply birthing and raising children, she will lose her appetite for life, for independence and ambition. Women, from their childhood, are groomed into being mothers - a natural mother. Have you ever had a conversation with an older relative perhaps, where you expressed your fear of motherhood and were told not to worry, that you will grow into it? I find that as I start to reach the age my mother was when she had me, her first and only child. I spend more and more time

Words by Jenny Jung

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We soon find out that this gravitation is out of empathy; for Leda herself, as we find out, was a flawed mother – a guilty mother. Society demonises women who aren’t perfect, robotic mothers willing to give their wholeself to raising their children.

Women who have mixed feelings about motherhood. So, you are taken aback as Leda utters bitterly through a smile early into the film; “Children are a crushing responsibility”. You are instantly made aware of your preconceived expectation of Leda, a middle aged, devoted mother (a ‘cool mum’ at that; she teaches Italian literature!) of 2 adult children that find guidance and support in her. And in the dizzying, smothering flashback scenes where Leda is proven otherwise - losing her patience, feeling anxious and honestly neglectful in pursuit of her career ambitions - you see not just

fragments of your own mother, but yourself as well. As a young woman with impossible goals and competing priorities and desires, I admit I can’t imagine myself doing any better parenting than Leda did. In this way, The Lost Daughter reveals a secret that women for generations and centuries have pretended not to exist – a gross taboo, but also a reality. It’s a refreshing portrayal of complicated women and mothers; in films akin to Hereditary, women with a complicated relationship to motherhood are portrayed as psychotic. In The Lost Daughter, Leda is completely humanised, and you can feel her guilt weigh in your heart as she tearfully describes her three years away from her children as “amazing”. It’s relatable in a way you did not know you had in yourself.

Without giving away too much of the plot (because you really, really need to watch this film for yourself), Leda steals Elena’s baby doll – a doll similar to the one she had as a child. Upon my first viewing, I found this subplot confounding and confusing. Leda, who seemingly takes to Nina and wants to help her, steals her daughter’s doll and keeps it despite knowing that this has made life a lot harder for Nina as a mother.

She cleans and clothes the doll, and even falls asleep with it in her arms. After giving myself some time to digest this film and watching it again recently, I see now why Leda attaches so much to the doll. In one of the earlier flashbacks, you see Leda entrusting her daughter with her childhood doll, only for her to destroy it and draw all over it. In a frenzy of frustration, Leda throws the doll out of the window and watches it shatter into pieces.

Seeing a grown woman with her own children become so distraught over a ruined baby doll, you can’t help but feel Leda never outgrew her inner child – she is selfish and throws tantrums when she doesn’t get her way. A complete subversion of how we expect a mother to behave, we realise that the doll is more than just a toy, but a straw at which she grasps in an attempt to not lose herself in the massive shoes of motherhood. She was clearly not ready for children, and the doll is a symbol of her womanhood independent of motherhood. She has lost hers to her children, and so she tries to regain it and nurture it through Elena’s, even if this is at Nina’s detriment.

The ’Daughter’ in the title The Lost Daughter is not just Elena, who literally gets lost on the beach. It is Leda – she does not identify with the role of ‘Mother’, she is still just her own mother’s daughter, lost and alienated.

And I’m not saying Leda is a poor victim, or an admirable person, either - she is a flawed, selfish person, but no one really is perfect. As a society we tend not to forgive mothers for being a flawed person, and this film challenges this perception perfectly.

I think that we can all find bits of ourselves, our deepest-rooted fears, and our mothers in this beautifully made film.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is so successful in adapting this story and generating so much relatability because she is honest in her portrayal of women and this particular taboo.

‘Mother’ is a loaded word. A mother creates life and simultaneously destroys her own.

Mother is a gift and a burden. I often find myself resenting my mother for making me the person that I am today. But The Lost Daughter forces me to forgive her, to look past the ‘mother’ and everything that word represents, and see the troubled, complicated woman she is - to recognise we are both just prisoners of the patriarchy, and to fight it together.

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Words by Annabel Fedcesin

follow-up to

‘Nice Guys Aren’t Nice’ in Elle Dit 2021 Here I am, writing this piece again.

I can’t fucking believe I have to do this.

But we’re in this place. We’re talking about this.

These past 6 months as I’ve been navigating the ins and outs of work, uni, friendships, my relationship, an internship and trying desperately to find a place to live outside of home for a reasonable price, I have been bombarded with people getting too comfortable and familiar with me. I don’t know what it is about me feeling confident in my body and my skin that suddenly pulls all the arsehats out of the cracks.

Now let’s look at the most recent event. A nice guy asks to sit with me in class. Who am I to turn down the offer of a study partner? He sits, we chat. Now all of a sudden, he’s asking what I’m doing after class? What I’m doing on the weekend?

Maybe he just wants a friend, he did say that already when he mentioned to me that he has no friends at uni. No harm, right?

‘I’m bussing up to the Hills to have dinner with my partner’s parents.’ I glow, self-absorbed and feeling the love for my boyfriend and his family.

‘Oh,’ his face falls, ‘you’re engaged?’

I struggle with autism and my biggest issue is trying to understand people’s intentions towards me. In essence, I assume you either want to be my friend or hate me. There’s no inkling of ‘maybe they want to date you’. It’s just not something that occurs to me. So, when I meet new people and go ‘hell yeah, a new friend’ in my head, it doesn’t trigger anything else but a friendship expectation.

46

‘Oh god no! That’s just my self-preserving way of maintaining my bisexuality in my relationship with a straight man!’ I chimed, assuming it was a funny joke that everyone would understand, while also being somewhat truthful. His face lights up again. So I continue the conversation.

‘How about you?’

‘Oh no I’m single. No one to hang out

with after class. I don’t have time for it.

I’m so busy. I’m only looking for casual stuff.’

What?! Did I miss something here or am I going insane? How did it go from what are you doing after class to how invested are you in starting a relationship?

The class goes on, and maybe I should have distanced myself, but I thought, hey, English isn’t his first language, maybe he didn’t quite get that his comment wasn’t a socially acceptable segway. So, we keep chatting. He’s friendly, he wants to study together, and go to the beach, workout.

Lots of proposed hang outs. But before all that, we connected on social media because he said, once again, that he had no friends in Adelaide and wanted to have someone he could contact about uni work. So, I made a mistake. A dumb, pathetic, optimistic mistake. I gave him my phone number so he could text me about class. And the rest of the class is fine. No issues. Some weird moments but I kept giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

I’m on a bus to my partner’s parent’s house and this dude starts texting me.

He starts with a photo he took of me in class together. Which creeped me right out! Next, he texts me calling me a ‘cutie’. Again. I mistake this for language issues and go ‘aha thanks’ and hope he gets that I’m not giving him a compliment back, so therefore I’m not flirting and hence only view this as a friendship. But he keeps going. So, I just stopped responding. No time to be nice if he won’t get the picture.

He texts me the next morning. This is not on. I leave him on seen.

This did not end the man’s interest. At work I received calls and texts that I continued to let go unanswered until I outright blocked the man. The next time I saw him at a lecture, he still tried to talk to me! How many times do I have to make it obvious I don’t want to talk to you without being a bitch? Once again, that god forbidden word! And maybe I made some mistakes in this encounter, but I honestly just thought he wanted a friend and he seemed nice enough for me to want that friendship. But my being nice seems to have been taken by him as a reason to begin a hunt. I don’t want to date you, sir! I’m already in a very happy relationship. I don’t care if you’re some sort of ‘body builder’, or as you told me the ‘10th strongest man in India’. I don’t feel attraction to anyone but my partner! I don’t know how else to tell you that without actively being an arse!

I really hate living with the knowledge that somewhere someone is upset with me. But must men always impede on my status quo to do this shit?

And now I’m left in a very uncertain place.

Can I comfortably attend class knowing he’s there? I already changed class days to get away from him. Is blocking him going to cause him to retaliate more? I’m terrified of the day that someone flips out and I end up as just another case of ‘well she led him on’, as so many people like to argue when women have been mistreated. I’m so sorry to the women that do experience the horrors of interest that are not returned to the sender. And while I have experienced a minor version of this, I still can’t imagine how hard it would be to go through that at the extremes many women face. Do we ever really know how anyone will react? Can I go back to making friends without fear, knowing encounters like these can crop up?

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Why Should We Care About the UkraineRussia War? Words by Skye Xie Yuval Noah Harari has become a household name since the release of his magnum opus, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Recently, following Russia’s shocking military invasion of Ukraine, the historian penned an article for The Guardian titled Why Vladimir Putin has already lost this war, arguing that opposite to Putin’s assumption, this invasion has all but strengthened the national identity of Ukrainians. The article is worth reading, and similarly worth watching is his interview with Bruno Giussani on TED regarding the global impact of this war. Other discussions on the platform surrounding the same topic would further deepen one’s understanding of this event.

From the upending of a world order that we have observed since the end of the Cold War to the possible acceleration in Europe’s transition to renewable energy, Harari and his peers proposed that the impact of this war could travel well beyond the border of the two states.

An Upending World Order In ASPI’s Agenda for change 2022, Michael Shoebridge boldly declared, “Globalisation 1.0…is dead,” alluding to the past decades of unipolar and liberal internationalism.

In recent years, we have witnessed the decoupling of the global economy and an increase in regional political disturbance.

Covid-19 has been a direct factor, but the reasons go deeper than that.

The Ukraine-Russia war reflects this circumstance. We might even say that it nails the coffin of the previous world order. As news reports fervently exclaim, “War has returned to Europe,” thus, a sense of uncertainty rises to haunt us all.

When economic sanctions failed to deter Putin’s army, countries tiptoed around, 48

searching for ways to defuse the situation. Many of them are unwilling to upset Russia. When votes were cast on the UN’s resolution to condemn the invasion, ten Asian countries abstained, including major powers like China and India. Emerging economic powers such as Brazil and Pakistan are not severing their ties to Russia, either.

Weeks before the invasion, Brazilian president Bolsonaro visited Moscow and announced that he is, “In solidarity with Russia,” despite Washington’s warnings. The Prime Minister of Pakistan declared his intention to press ahead with developing Russian-built gas pipelines in his country after the invasion occurred, ignoring the words of the West. What we are seeing is a new world order in which countries may not side entirely with Russia – but more and more of them are no longer echoing the voice of Washington, either.

A Gloomy Forecast An important reason behind this change in political stances is that all countries have to navigate themselves in the upcoming economic turbulence. Even in Australia, we know that the spiking costs of petrol, beer and groceries are painfully draining our wallets. While our country might be tough enough to uphold its values regardless of the cost, many developing countries simply don’t have the resources. Food security comes to mind, as Russia and Ukraine combined take up a quarter of the world’s wheat exports. The International Grains Council’s price index shows an astonishing 28% jump in the price of wheat, so who will suffer the most?

Developing countries in North

Africa and Asia. What impacts us more is the foreseeable climb of the defence budget.

European countries such as Germany have announced plans for an increase in their defence budget in the face of Russia’s threat, and the privilege of a peacetime will soon be gone. They, just like us, are justified in doing so under the current climate. However, as countries enter into a new era of military competition, fewer resources will be allocated to public health, education and social welfare. Such a change in priority will likely be observed in the decades to come.

A Greener Future?

Alas, not all hopes have been lost. To leave on a slightly more positive note, experts state that Russia’s invasion will push the EU to reduce its dependence on Russian energy export by exploring renewable alternatives, “Today climate policy and energy security policy are one.” German energy expert Sascha Müller-Kraenner says, “This transition is likely to be painful and costly, but in the long term, the pros outweigh the cons.”

This will bring new challenges and opportunities to Australia. Historically, Australia’s economy heavily depends on fossil fuels. As this dependence is undermining our ability to meet our 2025 net-zero targets, we must also start to rethink our energy strategies like the European countries.

At this point, we do not know when the fire will cease in Ukraine. But even after normality resumes, many things in the world will not be the same again. We should be cautious of these possibilities, and be ready to take on future challenges as they come.

References 1. Harari, Yuval Noah. “Why Vladimir Putin has already lost this war.” The Guardian, 28 February, 2022.

2. TED. “The War in Ukraine Could Change Everything”, 3 March, 2022. Educational video, 49:38.

3. TED. “What the War in Ukraine means for the world order”, 12 March, 2022. Educational video, 49:13.

4. Savage, Gill et al. “Agenda for change 2022: Shaping a different future for our nation.”

Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 2 February, 2022.

5. Tiezzi, Shannon. “How Did Asian Countries Vote on the UN’s Ukraine Resolution?” The Diplomat, 3 March, 2022.

6. McCoy, Terrence. “Brazil’s Bolsonaro embraced the U.S. under Trump. Now he’s in ‘solidarity’ with Russia.” The Washington Post, 16 February, 2022.

7. Parkin, Benjamin and Bokhari, Farhan.

“Pakistan presses ahead with Russian-built gas pipeline.” Financial Times, 16 March, 2022.

8. Foster, Ally. “Price of some supermarket items could rise by 20 per cent, as petrol, beer cost spikes.” News.com.au., 15 March, 2022.

9. Ubilava, David. “Russia’s war on Ukraine is driving up wheat prices and threatens global supplies of bread, meat and eggs.” The Conversation, 15 March, 2022.

10. Sheahan, Maria and Marsh, Sarah. “Germany to increase defence spending in response to ‘Putin’s war’ – Scholz.” Reuters, 27 February, 2022.

11. Hockenos, Paul. “Will Russia’s War Spur Europe to Move on Green Energy?” YaleEnvironment360, 14 March, 2022.

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Overtone.

Words by Beck Rowse, Jiamai Tan, Raphail Spartalis Woodland breathed on the surrounding mountains. Sweat patched a paper straw to my hand. He traded me a stick of chalk and then used the straw to point to the cave.

Forefinger shaped indents in the rock gave the entrance an appearance of having been punched in by a huge hand.

The man squeezed the straw and out from the tip came a blue origami bird. It entered the cave. Began to glow bright.

Beaconing for me to follow.

The atmosphere within cried neon paint on the rock walls.

The blue glow faded to purple, then to pink before returning to its original hue. The chalk crumbled into sand as it danced in the colours and laid to rest at my feet. My footsteps crumbled and my breath laboured, the origami bird is flying too far ahead.

Dried crackling tears peeled onto the walls as I passed.

Framed with desire, beckoning me to touch them, feel them… to be one with them. My beacon flashed red at the upcoming turn of the cave.

Red is dead. Red is danger.

Danger is up ahead.

Was there ever any other colour? I am surrounded, above and below and before and behind by red. Only red.

The walls scream it as the floors hum it. Veins of deep crimson blend with the faint, glowing ruby of the cavern wall. The ceiling is burnt and dark; the red of blood, days old. Even I am red now.

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Or was I always red? I am red inside. I can feel that as strongly as I can see the red in the air I breathe. My blood has seeped through my veins and organs to soak my bones and cover my skin in rich, regal, roiling red.

But it is heavy. Red, I realise, is a heavy colour.

I always knew that, I think.

Some part of me did, at least. I lay down. I close my eyes. Red. The sound of dripping water wakes me.

But when I open my eyes, there is nothing there.

Nothing but red. Yet the dripping continues, and it’s only getting louder. So loud I feel my ears might explode from the pressure. I follow it to its source: a crack in the wall. Behind the crack is a light. But it isn’t red. It’s blue. I’d all but forgotten what other colours looked like. It’s so beautiful. This blue. This not-red. I cry. My tears look like blood.

I claw at the crack.

I want to be inside it. I want it inside of me. I want the blue light more than I want to breathe. I tear my fingers, cut my hands. When I can no longer claw, I beat my bloody fists against the wall.

The crack is getting wider.

But it isn’t enough. I tear at it with my teeth, cracking and chipping them in the process. I spit blood. I don’t care.

The light is pouring out now, in floods of aqua and teal and cyan and deep, ocean blue. I bathe in it.

The crack is large enough to put my hand through. I keep going. I make it bigger.

When it is large enough to step through, I enter a world of scintillating blue light.

I weep, sprawled out on a floor of glowing sapphire.

Was there ever any other colour but blue?

beyond the clouds Words by Jasyjot Singh Khanduja ‘Why do you trust me, when the only thing I know for certain is uncertainty?’ he asked.

‘Because uncertainty has possibilities.’ she replied.

endless

~~~ Jesse never believed in love at first sight.

In fact, he found it hard to wrap his head around the very concept of love. Beauty was mathematical. It was symmetry and he could see it quite acutely. But he couldn’t understand it as a deciding factor for feelings of affection. Jesse understood science, the complexities of DNA, the difference between ionic and covalent bonds, he loved maths everything from matrices to differential calculus... humans, however, confused him. They were dynamic; he had to simultaneously think about too many variables when conversing with them.

Although people bamboozled Jesse, he nevertheless enjoyed observing their behaviour and listening to their conversations. It was a source of constant amusement.

People’s emotional state fluctuates daily and that leaves others with the difficult, and sometimes awkward task, of judging another’s facial expressions and body language, to figure out how best to interact with them. Humans don’t always get it right. And that’s where the entertainment lies. He was content with being alone. Observing from the outside.

~~~ ‘This narcissistic assumption that we are unique… doesn’t that make us all the same? Aren’t we all alike in this need to be different?’ he asked.

‘Perhaps we are, why does it matter?’ she asked.

‘When people realise that personalities are superficial and just a product of consequence, that we are all the same as individuals, wouldn’t that offer us endless possibilities?’ he asked.

‘Knowing that, don’t you feel different from others?’ she replied.

‘Stunned he said...’I’ll have to think on that. ~~~ Samaira had curly black hair, deep brown eyes and moved her lips to the right when she spoke. She loved philosophy; and could talk about theories of Descartes to Nietzsche like it was her first language.

‘Introduction to Philosophy, a onehour session.’ it read on the university noticeboard and Samaira didn’t need further persuasion to attend.

‘How can we define reality?’ the presenter asked.

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‘Everything we can perceive through our senses.’ said Jesse.

‘Yeah.’ she chuckled.

‘Sure, we’ll eat dinner.’

The presenter nodded in agreement.

‘Anyone else?’ she asked.

‘It’s a figment of our imagination.’ said Samaira.

Jesse turned to his left to look at her.

‘Everyone perceives the world differently; our senses can’t be trusted.’ she added.

Jesse had to catch up to Samaira as she walked briskly towards the bus stop.

‘That was quite interesting, what you said back there.’ Jesse said, trying to keep up with Samaira’s pace.

‘Thanks!’ she replied. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Jesse.’

Jesse looked at the wooden light pendants that spread warm white light across the restaurant. His gaze travelled down to the pale brown wooden table and then to the live band that played every Saturday night.

‘Just give me one thing / That I can hold on to / To believe in this livin’/ Is a hard way to go…’

The song faded.

Samaira entered and looked for Jesse. He waved her over to the corner table lined against the bay windows. It was a cloudy night and a crescent moon could be seen for a few moments before being covered by the clouds again.

‘What does it mean?’

Jesse noticed Samaira’s hair falling on her face as she sat down, quickly brushing the loose strands behind her ear.

‘It means king, but I think that’s a bit narcissistic.’ he smirked.

‘I love that song.’ she said as she adjusted her chair.

‘Isn’t everyone narcissistic?’ she mused.

‘Remind you of simpler times?’ he asked.

‘No such thing.’ she said.

‘What does your name mean?’ he asked.

‘Companion.’

Jesse slowed his pace and looked at her.

Her hair bounced on her shoulders with every step she took, the sunlight washed half her face and made her scrunch her ski slope nose.

‘Would you like to come out for dinner with me?’ he asked.

‘How come?’

‘They’re only simpler in hindsight, like these will be the simpler times in the future.’

‘Would you choose to live a brief moment of perfect happiness if you knew it would lead to perpetual sorrow?’ he asked ‘Yes.’ she said, unhesitant.

‘You do eat, don’t you?’ he asked after 5 seconds of silence.

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‘Why?’

‘Would you live through perpetual sorrow if you knew it would one day lead to a brief moment of perfect happiness?’ she asked.

The clouds floated along and they caught a glimpse of the boat shaped crescent moon.

‘The moon looks beautiful tonight.’ said Samaira.

‘Yes, it does indeed.’ said Jesse.

53

TheFederal FederalElection: Election: The WORDS BY SEBASTIAN ANDREWS A Labor landslide in Western Australia. Revolt against the Liberals from Independents in suburban Melbourne and Sydney. A fight between the parties for the crucial battlegrounds of Tasmania and Queensland. Much of the discussion around the upcoming May election revolves around every state, BUT South Australia. It’s understandable. We’re only 6.6% of the House of Representatives. Most of our electorates are uncompetitive. And despite being home to one of the nation’s most marginal electorates, typically, federal elections are not won or lost in South Australia.

But as South Australians reading this, I believe it is still important for us to be aware of how the federal election will play out in our own state. It may not be as interesting as, for example, 2016 when the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) made SA’s state elections a genuine three-way contest, but there are a few competitive seats that are worth looking at.

BOOTHBY

HELD BY: LIBERAL PARTY (1.4%) Boothby is one of the nation’s most marginal seats, and one Labor MUST flip if it hopes to win government. This seat covers Adelaide’s southern suburbs, from Mitcham and Clarence Gardens to Blackwood and Bedford Park, and along the southern coast from Glenelg to Kingston Park. While historically a guarantee for the Liberals since redistribution in 1949 (minus a few occasions), this safe seat has become marginal in the last few decades, with Labor having come close to flipping it on numerous occasions. After experiencing a swing but falling short in 2019, Labor is confident that Vinnies CEO Louise Miller-Frost will finally flip it.

The seat was held for two terms by MP Nicolle Flint, who announced her resignation early last year. The Liberals would hope that their replacement candidate, healthcare consultant and volunteer Rachel Swift, is seen as less controversial than capital ‘C’ conservative Flint and will be able to retain the seat. But if polls are to be believed (and they should be, I talk about this in my Issue 2 article), the Liberals plan seemingly isn’t working. Labor holds a strong lead in the TPP vote in the state as well as in seat polls, meaning that not even the seat’s historically Liberal lean, and a fresh, noncontroversial candidate will necessarily protect it from a potential flip.

To win, Labor likely needs to flip Liberal-tilting areas in the south such as Oaklands Park, Brighton South, and Bellevue Heights, while cutting into smaller Liberal leads in the west and along the coast.

The seat of Sturt covers Adelaide’s suburbs between the CBD and the Adelaide Hills, south to Beaumont, north to Giles Plains and Holden Hill. This Eastern suburbs seat was once held by the machiavellian Christopher Pyne. With Pyne’s retirement in 2019, it was retained

by Liberal candidate and Steven Marshall’s former chief of staff, James Stevens, with a small swing in the Liberals’ favour.

STURT

HELD BY: LIBERAL

In contrast to his predecessor, Stevens has generally kept a low PARTY (6.9%) profile and is relatively unknown outside of the electorate. His biggest national claim to fame was falling asleep during a voting marathon and nearly derailing Scott Morrison’s religious discrimination legislation. None of which has stuck with him, meaning that this maintained low profile could strengthen his re-election chances, 54

How will it play out in SA? shielding him from electoral backlash against the Morrison government. It could however, equally weaken the incumbency advantage he should hold over his Labor challenger, which is family therapist and counsellor Sonja Baram.

To win, Labor would need to perform well in voting booths around Norwood and up along Payneham Road, flipping booths such as Trinity Gardens, Glynde, and increasing their leads in those that voted Labor in 2019. Additionally, Labor would need to reverse small negative swings in northern suburbs precincts, and cut into strong Liberal margins in booths south of Kensington Road. This seat will be tougher than Boothby for Labor to flip, but the latest state election proves that it is still possible for them to achieve the necessary swings - so this seat should be watched closely.

The rest of South Australia’s electorates are largely uncompetitive. SA’s two other Liberal MP’s, Rowan Ramsey of Grey (rural north/west), and Tony Pasin of Barker (rural south-east) are guaranteed re-election – these seats were narrowly won in 2016 over NXT candidates but since then have reverted to uncompetitive Liberal/Labor matchups, favouring the Liberals. The potential candidacy of Senator Rex Patrick in Grey could make Grey competitive but Ramsey would still be favoured.

OTHER HOUSE RACES

Labor’s four MPs, Steve Georganas of Adelaide (CBD and inner suburbs), Mark Butler of Hindmarsh (Adelaide’s west coast), Tony Zappia of Makin (northern suburbs), and Amanda Rishworth of Kingston (southern beaches and suburbs) are in similarly uncompetitive races. SA’s other Labor electorate, Spence, is being vacated by incumbent MP Nick Champion but this outer-northern suburban seat is the safest for the party, with Transport Workers’ Union organiser/leader Matt Burnell no doubt easily able to retain the seat.

While Rebekha Sharkie of Mayo (Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula, and Kangaroo Island) faces a stronger Liberal candidate in financial professional, Allison Bluck, I still believe Sharkie is strong enough of an incumbent to keep the seat. While Bluck may have local connections, and the seat be held on a margin of 5.1, SA’s current political environment will make it very unlikely for the Liberals to achieve the necessary swing.

THE SENATE Six Senators are up for re-election. Penny Wong and Don Farrell (Labor), Simon Birmingham and Andrew McLachlan (Liberal), Stirling Griff (Centre Alliance), and Rex Patrick (Rex Patrick Team).

Wong, Farrell, Birmingham, and McLachlan are almost guaranteed re-election, as often both major parties gain enough of the vote to take four seats at a minimum. Griff and Patrick are dead on arrival. They were both elected in the double-dissolution election of 2016 when a) the quota was far lower at 7.7% of the vote and b) both were candidates for NXT. Now running on their own merit, and requiring 14.3% of the state-wide, I see no way for either to win, especially now that Xenophon himself is running as an Independent. That leaves Labor, Liberals, Xenophon, and the Greens fighting for the last two seats. Xenophon is a serious contender even with SA-BEST’s collapse at the state election, but as of now I would rate the Greens’ Barbara Pocock and the Liberals’ Kerryn Liddle as most likely to take the final two seats. Despite likely making gains in votes, it’s doubtful Labor will win three seats – as the left vote is more split. Overall, the Senate will likely be three Liberal, two Labor, and one Green. *Note: A marginal seat (and its relative pointing system) refers to a seat that was won by 6% or less.

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Words by Sonya Sandrasenga

first impressions of radelaide 56

Firstly, it was the trees.

Then it was the 110km highway limit.

The blue sky came after that. Where did the clouds go?

But then the tiny parking lanes. Just, why? The great terrain is a tinged valley & a land so flat I can see all of you, in your colossally huge, massive, big city. Why, I can even see a person swimming in the ocean over at Glenelg beach from right here.

My first impression of the great and fantastically best kept secret city of Adelaide was…. Mediocre... Anti-climactic… Solemn…

But hey, I’m just a Melbournian, right? What do I know about a peaceful stroll without a magpie attacking me? I’ve never even sat on a bus without thinking “how lovely and quaint be this bus ride”. You think YOUR eshays are bad?

Come to Melbourne, you’ll soon be sharing a Maccas chip with Josh and his pet pidgin. Then you’ll be singin’ in the rain.

I’m a Melbournian. In case you didn’t know yet. So, naturally, I think the sun shines out of my ass. Even during Covid, it was all about us.

Lockdown this, Dan Andrews that, Brunswick Street this, Oat Latte that. We are the Love Island of Australia, namely the source of trash, class & impending alcoholism. So now you’re probably thinking…. alright, but what about Adelaide? A question I’m sure you areall too familiar with. Yes, this city, no- hang on- this massive suburb – is the reserved student sitting at the back of the classroom. But this kid’s got a lot of things to say. They have some tricks up their sleeves. One of them being, the great Fringe Festival (and equivalents). This magical merry-go-round carnival is a gemstone of bursting talent and never-ending mini bars that, mind you, look so cute sitting in the botanic gardens. Sorry, I’m aware you feel patronised, but fear not, I come from a pothole of bleak and large skyscrapers. So yes, this is all very cute to me.

And you, Adelaideans, keep pulling a bunny out from your hat. Rundle St. Central Market. Glenelg Beach – actually, correction – Henley Beach. Hahndorf. Barossa Valley. Great Ocean Road. Oh oops, wrong state. Okay. Sorry. My point is, that I have only been here for 2 weeks, and you have left me satisfied and thirsty for more. I can even forgive the slight British twang you’ve got going on here. Dah-nce? Plah-nt? Really?

Melbourne and Adelaide. Chalk and cheese. Tom and Jerry. They say you are Melbourne 20 years ago. But the truth is, you are your own paradise.

Like European-style houses. Large, white-sanded beaches without cans and cigarette bums. Affordable housing. No tollways. An abundance of multicultural food. Forgiving traffic. A community oblivious to its unity.

What I’m trying to say, really, is that the kid at the back of the class won’t burn out as quickly as the clowning, rousing kid at the front. I see you. I hope you see me too.

@readingfeminism21 spent February with the work of Chelsea Watego, a Mununjali Yugambeh, South Sea Islander woman and Professor of Indigenous Health. Specifically, we spent time with Watego’s 2021 book Another Day In the Colony, her article in the Sunday Paper called For the Love of Blackfullas, and her guest lecture at the University of Adelaide, No Room at the Inn, presented for the Fay Gale Centre’s annual lecture and hosted by the Academy of Social Sciences Australia.

At the heart of Watego’s work is a fierce and loving dedication to the project of decolonisation, sovereignty, and survival in a place of ongoing colonial violence, silence, and refusal. She asks an important question: How can First Nations peoples survive in socalled Australia, a place where endemic and systemic racism decides the terms of land, knowledge, politics, engagement, health, and living?

Watego’s guest lecture, one she describes as a collection of ‘musings on race in this place,’ imagines the ‘Inn’ as the spaces in which the presence and participation of Aboriginal people are structurally and institutionally blocked; spaces like politics, media, and most importantly and specifically in Watego’s work, academia. She boldly encounters the insidious ways that First Nations people are excluded from academia, exploring how conceptualisations of the Academy as a site of ‘neutral’, ‘apolitical’ intellectual life and knowledge making is constructed by and for white subjects, and thus violently excludes Indigenous voices and knowledges while simultaneously telling racist stories under the guise of objective Truth: ‘At University I learnt many interesting and surprising facts about the Aborigines – facts which bore a striking resemblance to the fictions I had

heard about the Aborigines from teachers, strangers and friends in the outer suburbs where I grew up. The only difference was, at University they were articulated in a far more sophisticated way. Here, these claims were not stereotypes and prejudices, these claims were dressed up as knowledge and truth – objective and scientific.’

The university is no longer a place to find validation. Watego speaks of the university becoming merely ‘the place where I go to work, but not where I measure my success.’

In letting go, Watego doesn’t resolve with ignorance, because letting go of the Academy is more of a way to build endurance against the ways the institution fails and disappoints people in marginalised groups. The university has not done much to recognise the reality of being racialised in a white institution: ‘It is the everydayness of race in being part of the air that we breathe that means it is routinely suffocating, particularly for the racialised as Black and Indigenous in a colonial-settler society.’

Another Day in the Colony is a book about the silences, refusals, and violence of White settlers and their institutions. It is about the effects of ongoing violence and displacement bound to these institutions and their norms. This includes the racist discursive production of Indigenous peoples in the health sciences, to the murderous racism of the police and criminal justice, to the racist distributions of material space (in cities, in offices, in universities), to the racism that all First Nations people experience daily from literature to the media to ‘everyday’ life encounters. It is a book about the ways that Colonisers actively and violently decide the terms of health, knowledge, criminality, law, and living. More than any of these things, this is a book about Black survival, Black

Words by Reading Feminism

Chelsea Watego - No Room

at the Inn & Another Day in the Colony.

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living, ‘the emancipatory possibility of not giving a fuck’, and the profound recognition that ‘when we ask different questions it is amazing what different stories get told’.

Watego dedicates a chapter of her book to the philosophy of ‘fuck hope.’ Giving up on hope may give a false facade of surrender, but it takes one to let go of their pre-existing beliefs on what hope should be to realise what hope is from Watego’s perspective. Hope is complacency. Hope is the false pretence that one day ‘the colonisers will come to their humanity.’ As Watego exposes hope, she gives us faith, for being able to let go of hope is to liberate oneself from living on the terms of others, and to finally start constructing a belief on the terms of oneself and oneself alone. Giving up hope is, therefore, full of joy, peace, justice, and sovereignty.

Her situating of critical race theory within the self is critical and foundational to all her writing; she spoke of critical race theory as ‘a place of death, but too of love and of life.’

There are so many ways to interpret the lace of life and death and love in Watego’s works, but it can begin with a simple understanding: the histories of Indigenous survival and critical race theorising are histories of violence, pain, genocide, death. These histories are also histories of love, resistance, survival, of the joy found in community and thick relationality.

The overlapping inseparability of death, love, life makes possible a particular kind of ethics, a particular kind of living, and a specific way of relating. As Watego writes this ontology of Blackness she writes to First Nations people, specifically. Colonisers and non-Indigenous peoples will not and cannot know this joy, the joy Watego finds in ‘moments of Black radical self-care and love and insistence’, the joy that emerges from and in the ‘embodied sovereignty of Blackfullas as it is exercised every day in the colony.’

We talked about her citational practice in our meeting this month - we were struck by how powerful this practice is. Watego brings Black voices, bodies, knowledges from across time and space to tell stories of violence, racism, resistance, and survival. Watego communes with her ancestors, her father, her grandparents, her Country, her siblings, her 58

mentors and colleagues, her children, Black writers, Black artists, Indigenous academics and critics, Black and women of colour feminists. Another Day in the Colony is explosively alive and the people she writes and cites are explosively alive.

We also found Watego’s focus on strategies over solutions radical as an approach that lessens the fatigue and sense of futility in the face of such consuming issues. We especially loved that she presents telling stories as the way to formulate these strategies. Quite a lot of feminist theory — possibly because the distinction between strategies over solutions is not one we have discussed — is focussed on the conceptual without any accompanying understanding of how to enact the conceptual in the ‘everyday’. This can be demoralising, so the idea of ‘organised public fight’ that forces some accountability really captured our interest.

Watego refuses to tell a story of Aboriginality located in a complete and settled past or in hopeful futures. Instead she tells stories of vitally alive presents. It is a totally embodied, grounded work, ‘this book is a think-out-loud story’, not written for settlers and colonisers, not written for the white gaze, but written for Indigenous peoples: ‘In attending to the needs of Blackfullas, I am speaking of our literary needs. I’m speaking of the texts that must find their way into the hands and bookshelves of Blackfullas - those texts that are bought and borrowed, dogeared, strained and worn because their words were returned to, required and rendered most useful in the living - Black living to be exact …

Black writing must be of and for Black living — a living that exists beyond that of problems and solutions, and most certainly beyond hope.’

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