Factual and research

  1. Read a policy of any political party active in Australia today on a human rights or discrimination issue that interests you. What do you think of the policy? Does it make good logical sense? Write about whether you agree or disagree with the policy, and why.
  2. Read a decision (judgement) by the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal or previous judgements from the South Australian Employment Tribunal about an equal opportunity matter (go to the Australasian Legal Information Institute website to see a list of decisions by year). Write a one page summary of what the person complained about and what the Tribunal decided. Try to include all the essentials but nothing unnecessary.
  3. Do you agree that the law should treat two people as legally a couple after they have lived together for two years? Or do you think it should be their choice whether and when to be legally regarded as a couple? Explain your reasons.
  4. Racial vilification laws make certain types of speech unlawful. Should our laws restrict what we can say, as distinct from what we can do? Why or why not?
  5. Racial vilification laws make an exception for genuine works of art or artistic performances. Should art be protected from general community standards in this way and, if so, why? Why should it be legal to make a speech in a play that you could not make at a public meeting?
  6. Find out about the problem of elder abuse and write an essay about how we could combat this.

Personal/creative

  1. Imagine that you have a disability which requires you to use a wheelchair. Describe an outing, such as a visit to the shops, a concert or a sporting match, noticing how people treat you and whether you run into any practical problems.
  2. Imagine that you belong to a minority racial or ethnic group and describe an imaginary experience of discrimination. What was it like? How did you feel?
  3. Come up with a new ground of discrimination and write a letter to your MP, arguing for it to be included in the law.
  4. Write your own declaration on the rights of the teenager.
  5. Write a declaration on the rights of the parent.
  6. How accurately does your appearance match the real you? What assumptions could people might make about you because of the way you look, sound or present yourself. (Relevant factors could be your size, skin colour, hairstyle, piercings, jewellery, clothing, voice, what you carry with you, etc.) How well would someone really know you based on this information?
  7. Have you experienced discrimination? Write about what is was like for you. Do you think discrimination laws are adequate or would you suggest changes?