Australia

Although Australia is known as ‘the lucky country', a United Nations Human Development Report recently found Australia has the fourth highest level of poverty in the developed world and the second highest percentage of people living below half the average income. Over six million people are classified as poor in this country, two millions of them children and are unable to afford basic necessities for modern life in Australia. The poverty line in Australia stands at $452 a week for a family of two adults and two children. This is barley enough to cover rent payments, food, clothing, childcare and other important costs for families.

Australians are considered to be poor when their living standard falls below an overall community standard and if they are unable to participate fully in ordinary activities of society, and there are many Australians living in absolute poverty, lacking the most basic necessities. Australia's social security payments are lower, with fewer people receiving them, than in other developed nations. A Senate Standing Committee Inquiry into Poverty recently found high rates of poverty among indigenous Australians, the unemployed, single parent families, low income workers, people with disabilities, homeless, migrants and refugees.

There have been several campaigns to help put poverty on the government's agenda.
Following the return of the Coalition Government to parliament in November 2004, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and four Australian welfare groups called on the government to commit to a national anti-poverty plan within their first 100 days of government.

For the most part, Australians enjoy a high standard of human rights.

However, there a some issues and according to studies conducted by Australian universities, one in four women between the ages of 18 and 23, reported some experience of domestic violence. Concern about even higher rates of indigenous victims of domestic violence led the Prime Minister of Australia to initiate a consultation process with Aboriginal women’s leaders.

Police departments have been criticized for releasing victims of domestic violence into the care of their de facto violent spouses. In one case, a woman died from her injuries after the husband beat her again as soon as the officers had left.

There are many diverse health problems facing Australia today. Food-born diseases, antimicrobial resistant bacteria, sexually transmitted diseases, vector-borne diseases are becoming increasingly problematic, along with preventable diseases which are contained with vaccines. Emerging diseases such as bat lyssayirus and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are threats to the public. Diseases carried by insects are also common in this climate, including dengue, filariases, Ross River virus and Murray Valley encephalitis. Scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections are present as well, and Japanese encephalitis is present in far northern Australia.

AIDS isn’t as common in Australia as more infected places throughout the world. It is estimated that 15,310 people are living with HIV in Australia currently. It is thought that 1.3 people per 100,000 are infected, the same as the United Kingdom reports, and much lower than the United States. Within the country of Australia, the rates of AIDS diagnoses per million population were highest in the New South Wales (12.7) and Victoria (11.5) territories.

Australia’s natural resources include bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum. However, the country’s increasing environmental problems are creating damaging effects to these resources. Soil erosion from overgrazing, urbanization and industrial development are all contributors. Soil salinity is rising drastically due to the use of poor quality water. Salinisation could devastate up to 12 million hectares of land during the coming century and already costs us at least $500 million a year in Victoria alone.

Desertification and clearing for agricultural purposes threaten the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species throughout the region. Australia’s north-east coast is the home of the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world which is continuously being increasingly threatened by shipping and popularity as a tourist site.

Humans aren’t the only force creating environmental problems throughout Australia. Rabbits are a major cause of land degradation in some regions of the country. The threat of disappearing species is caused by two factors: the loss of habitat due to climate change or human activities; and the induction to non-native species that prey and compete with the native species for habitat and food. The continuous expansion of land-clearing and urban towns and cities destroy habitats as well. Fertilizers from homes and farms, such as superphosphate, affect the land and its native species population.

Literacy, although present, is being increasingly criticized for non-traditional methods of learning. Visual association with vocal pronunciation of words and pictures, verses, the spelling of words and pictures has created a generation of children who can not spell the words they understand as pictures. In Australia, only four percent of children are not enrolled in primary school. With number almost equal across the board, ninety-six percent of boy and girls are enrolled in primary school, and eight-six percent of girls continue to secondary school, compared to eighty-five percent of boys. With an almost perfect completion rate, ninety-eight percent of those boys and girls complete primary school. Of those students within collegiate age, seventy-two percent of them do attend tertiary education. This high level of learning could be the result and influence of the Australian government’s high percentage of domestic educational spending (13.3%).

Action for Aboriginal Rights - An information site looking at current issues in Australia that are to do with Indigenous rights; land rights, history, health, One Nation media attention and Wik, Mabo.

AFS Intercultural Program Australia - AFS Intercultural Programs is one of the world’s largest not-for-profit community-based volunteer organizations and is dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world through intercultural exchange. AFS offers exchange programs to over 50 countries worldwide. A network of 52 partners organizations run programs involving over 11,000 students, young adults and teachers each year.

Asialink Centre - Asialink's mission is to increase understanding and build partnerships between Australia and Asia. We expand strategic alliances with key government, education, corporate, philanthropic and cultural stakeholders; initiate and deliver programs and services that are contemporary, creative and relevant; strengthen Australia/Asia activities in the education, business, arts, media and community sectors; and extend our reach by targeting high impact groups and making our programs available to a greater audience.

Australia and New Zealand Third Sector Research (ANZTSR) - Australia and New Zealand Third Sector Research (ANZTSR) is a network of people interested in pursuing and encouraging research into the Third Sector in Australia and New Zealand, the hundreds and thousands of private not-for-profit, community or voluntary organizations and the activities of volunteering and philanthropy.

Conservation Council of South Australia - The Conservation Council of South Australia is an umbrella organization representing approx. 60 member groups whose main purpose is conservation and protection of the environment. Combined, these groups represent over 60,000 South Australians.

The role of the Conservation Council is to facilitate representation on conservation and environmental issues to all three levels of government on behalf of our member groups and other concerned members of the community.

Doctors Reform Society of Australia - The Doctors Reform Society of Australia is an organization of Australian physicians and medical students supporting universal access to quality health care regardless of social or economic status. We support universal single payer insurance and the public hospital and health system with health care free at the point of delivery.

Good Therapy Australia - Good Therapy Australia is a not-for-profit organization and health promotion charity, dedicated to awakening awareness, creativity and responsibility.
Good Therapy Australia seeks to establish programs that encourage meaningful connections with, and amongst mentors and mental health professionals and generate opportunities for developing interpersonal intelligence and social responsibility in schools and communities, as well as sponsor an open and inclusive forum for exploring the integrity of education, counseling and psychotherapy.

Queensland Council of Social Service Inc. - The Queensland Council of Social Service Inc.(QCOSS) is the peak statewide body representing individual's and organizations working in the social and community service field in Queensland, Australia. QCOSS has been working since 1945 to eliminate inequity and disadvantage in our community.

QCOSS works towards a more just and equitable society by: advocating on issues around social justice & equity to government, through the media and with the wider community; providing support and training to organizations in the sector; undertaking research and policy analysis; disseminating information on current policy & professional development issues; aspiring new initiatives and innovative projects; and representing consumer and sector interests on advisory bodies. Issues faced by rural & regional organizations are a particular focus.

International Student Volunteers, Inc. - International Student Volunteers, Inc. aims to create an environment that combines conservation, community development, education and recreation into the ultimate adventure travel program for people who desire to make a difference by volunteering in communities abroad.

Stop Child Poverty Campaign - Our vision is to connect people with communities in need. We do this by supporting the work of local community organizations in countries through the placement of international volunteers.

Student World Assembly - The Student World Assembly is a non-governmental, non-partisan organization created to represent students globally. It provides a deliberative assembly where students around the world can exchange views, vote on global issues through online discussion forums and in annual international conventions, and translate these views into meaningful actions.