Do cosmic catastrophes pose the greatest threat to the ongoing survival of biological life on earth? Or is the danger far closer and more imminent than we might like to imagine?

Advancing human rights is as an investment in society's future and should be at the centre of public policy making. We shouldn't only speak of human rights when there is a crisis or scandal. Monash University Professors Michael Mintrom and Paula Gerber say we need to consider the societal benefits – and financial rewards – of policies that support human rights

Do you remember the chorus line of the Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi? You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone. It could be the theme song of the recent State of the Environment Report which details the health of our land , water , plant and animal species. To stop the downward slide we need to pay attention to the findings.

High prices for petrol and expensive electric cars are not helping our Paris climate target. So do we need a carbon emissions ceiling to accelerate the race to net zero.

What does the future hold for Greece and Turkey? What role can the diaspora play in helping to bridge the divide?

Fossil fuels have powered our world and reaching net zero by 2050 requires a momentous shift. Every country in the world, rich and poor , needs to do their bit. Every economy in the world has to calculate how to pay for the switch to renewables .And every person on the planet will be affected, in one way or another, by the change.

Australia must reckon with its settler-colonial past and confront the mistreatment of First Nations Australians if we are to shape a shared future.

Telling the truth about the frontier wars and massacres, is a big part of this reckoning.

Has making wars more humane in fact made it much easier to start wars? Has it made them drag on for longer and even sapped energy from peace movements?

Two democracies are under pressure in our region. Taiwan is in the firing line as China launches missiles and warships in response to Nancy Pelosi's visit. Closer to home , in Indonesia, secular democratic institutions are battling Islamist groups and entrenched corruption.

We need wisdom built into the education in schools and our universities A utilitarian approach to education is just not enough. Wisdom in the classical understanding, teaches us to look at the world holistically; it's associated with moral knowledge and accepting that there are always different side to an issue. And the other thing we need for good education, particularly in this technical age, is wonder and silence.