The Religion and Ethics Report

At this time of the year, supermarket shelves are groaning with Easter chocolates. But there's a troubling story behind these popular products. Child exploitation is a huge problem in the cocoa industry – cocoa being the main ingredient in chocolate. 

Is Israel really on the brink of a civil war? President Isaac Herzog thinks so, using those very words recently, talking about the huge anti-government protests that have gripped Israel.

During the covid pandemic, hatred and conspiracy theories festered online. Many Australian Muslims bore the brunt of covid-inspired abuse, a new report on Islamophobia finds.

Thirty neo-Nazis stood on the steps of Victoria's parliament house over the weekend, giving the "Heil Hitler" salute.

Their behaviour has shocked the Andrews government into legislating a ban on the symbol. But will a law overcome a wider, even growing, ignorance of Nazism and its monstrous history? 

20 years ago this week, the United States military began a so-called "shock and awe" campaign against Iraq, bombing the capital Baghdad. 44 days later, then president George W. Bush proclaimed "mission accomplished." But what really happened to Iraq and its people after the US-led invasion, and to the country's multi-ethnic and multi-religious population?

For 30 years, the United States has seen a steep increase in deaths from suicide, alcoholism and drug abuse. Over the same period, there’s been a major decline in religious participation. New research from three leading US economists suggests the two trends could be linked.

A piece of troubling data reveals that around 400,000 Australian women aged 45 and over are at risk of homelessness. Danusia Kaska of the Xavier Social Justice Network warns of a social crisis.

The Scottish National Party is in the throes of a divisive leadership election. A leading candidate, Kate Forbes, is a member of the conservative Free Church of Scotland and has traditional views on sexual and gender identity. There's been a backlash against Forbes for her views. What could this mean for the role of personal faith in politics?

What do Catholic women want? Pope Francis opened the floodgates when he invited submissions to the Synod of Bishops to address major issues facing the church. Now, the women have spoken. Over 17,000 women, in fact, from 104 countries. It's the largest survey of Catholic women ever undertaken.

What is the "care economy" – and how does it stand in the way of women's equality?