Latest news with #socialInclusion
South China Morning Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Japan to set up new team to help foreigners as election speeches spark ‘xenophobia'
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged on Tuesday to set up a new command centre within the Cabinet Secretariat early next week to address challenges related to foreign residents in Japan , the top government spokesman said. The issue has become one of the major topics during official campaigning for the July 20 House of Councillors election, with some minor parties arguing that regulations on foreigners living in Japan should be tightened to 'protect the rights of Japanese people'. 'Realising an orderly society inclusive of foreign residents is one of the most important policy matters the government should tackle,' Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular press conference, explaining Ishiba's plan. The move appears aimed at gaining public support for the government's response to controversies related to foreign residents, including allegations of misuse of the national welfare system, ahead of the key upper house election. The issues have prompted some minor conservative opposition parties to adopt xenophobic stances towards foreign residents, making remarks that could be considered hate speech and claiming that Japan's culture and the economy must be protected. Asked about stump speeches that could lead to discrimination against foreigners, Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said an 'orderly coexistence between Japanese and foreign nationals is essential', adding, 'there should be no xenophobia'.
Mail & Guardian
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
From code to cooperation: How the G20 and Unesco can shape ethical AI
Bright future: Unesco's Gabriela Ramos focuses on social inclusion and an antidiscriminatory agenda and ethics of artificial intelligence. (Photo supplied) Imagine a world where technology helps cure diseases, close learning gaps and expand access to public services. Now imagine one where digital tools deepen inequality, automate discrimination and erode democratic values. Both futures are possible. Which one prevails depends on the choices we make today. Advancing at remarkable speed, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a technical debate, it's a societal one. Generative AI reached millions in days, with ChatGPT adopted faster than any previous technology. Meanwhile, neurotechnology, quantum computing and synthetic biology are accelerating, often powered by AI that decodes neural data or drives biological simulations. Open-source models and falling costs have democratised access, with actors such as DeepSeek proving foundational AI is no longer exclusive to Big Tech. Yet many breakthroughs outpace our understanding, raising profound ethical issues. The real question is not what AI can do, but whether governments, youth and businesses are ready to guide it. The answer lies in our decisions. Responsible AI demands inclusive governance, strong safeguards and development centred on human and environmental well-being. That's why I am proud to have led Unesco's work in developing and deploying the The drafting process was led by Professor Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem of South Africa, which was among the Insights from this work are now informing the G20 agenda under the South African presidency, which prioritises inclusive outcomes. This is promising, because the G20 remains the leading forum for international economic cooperation. As a former G20 Sherpa, I am convinced of its potential to shape public policy that improves people's well-being and supports Unesco's core pillars: education, culture, science and communication. South Africa's strategic engagement is reflected in its leadership across several Unesco initiatives, including Minister Blade Nzimande's chairmanship of the Amid conflict, climate breakdown and digital disruption, Unesco, with strong support of members such as South Africa, must remain the ethical compass of a renewed multilateral system. My candidacy for director-general is rooted in this conviction, and built on three guiding pillars: impact, inclusion, and innovation.
The Guardian
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
'It'll push disabled people into poverty': Labour's controversial welfare bill
Labour has been in turmoil over the most controversial piece of legislation of Keir Starmer's premiership: a major overhaul of the benefits system. The government says the welfare bill is out of control – largely because of the huge rise in people claiming personal independence payments (Pip). More than 120 Labour MPs were poised to rebel, and yesterday Starmer was promising to make concessions. But for the 3.7 million people who rely on Pip to pay the extra costs associated with having a disability, it has been an incredibly worrying time, says the Guardian columnist Frances Ryan. Pip is essential for the extra costs incurred by disabled people, she says. 'It's about being able to afford to pay the care fees so that you can wash your hair. It's about having enough money to charge your electric wheelchair so you're not housebound.' She says the 'toxic' rhetoric around disability that the political debate inspires is also hugely damaging. Ryan has just written a book, Who Wants Normal? The Disabled Girls' Guide to Life, and has spoken to 70 well-known women living with a disability. In her interviews, one thing came across clearly: the message given to disabled people by society is that they do not have a right to be included, whether that is at school, in the workplace or at university. And, she says, the government's 'quick fix' attitude to reducing the benefits bill, rather than looking at the barriers people with disability face while trying to work, is part of the problem.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Migrants learn English and find new friends at outback sewing classes
Outback Queensland is a long way from Pakistan — but when you do not speak English, it can feel even further. That all changed for Amina Faisal when she made a Pakistani friend on the streets of Mount Isa. "I used to wander here and there, just exploring Mount Isa, then suddenly I met one of my Pakistani friends," she said. The friend suggested she head to the local library, where she found a community of residents from around the world. Ms Faisal learnt English through sewing classes with the group. Now, she has a job at the local supermarket, a group of friends in town and has just given birth to her first child. "[Before] my husband had to explain everything to me, what they are talking about," Ms Faisal said. "The biggest barrier is the language, if you don't know the language, in any country, you can't have a job." Therese Sexton is the Multicultural Program Coordinator at Community Action for a Multicultural Society (CAMS) Mount Isa. "We assist the migrant community in feeling welcome for social and economic inclusion," she said. CAMS has 19 locally run branches funded by the state government across Queensland, with each program tailored to meet the needs of its community. In Mount Isa, CAMS facilitates weekly sewing classes, where women from different countries come together to sew, drink tea and practice their English. "It's an opportunity for those who are quite capable of sewing to teach the beginner sewers as well — [it is] a great opportunity to interact," Ms Sexton said. According to the ABS, 23 per cent of Australians speak a language other than English at home. And in the remote city of Mount Isa that figure is still significant at 15 per cent . Like Ms Faisal's husband, many people migrate to the region for employment in the mining industry. The first project she worked on with the group was sewing blankets for the maternity ward at Mount Isa Hospital, the same ward where she would deliver her first child. When Ms Faisal fell pregnant, her mother back in Pakistan was worried she would have no help. "I told her, 'No, I'm not all alone, I have some very good friends here,'" she said. Kitika "Bird" Lambden moved from Thailand in September last year after her husband secured work in the mine. "I like Mount Isa because … [it's] quiet and not traffic jam — the opposite of my hometown" she said. Ms Lamden is excited to learn how to repair her clothes rather than replace them, but loves the social aspect of the group too. "This helped me learn a conversation with my friend," she said. "My friend is international from India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Australia, and Thai, and [we] have fun." "I feel so proud of myself and say, 'Oh! I can do!' "I know everything is different but I'm so happy living in Mount Isa." Mashell Ortac moved to Mount Isa three weeks ago. "I came here … looking for job opportunities because I am geologist," she said. After leaving her home country of Ecuador, Ms Ortac lived in Sydney for five months and then the small town of Bedourie for a year and a half. She said Mount Isa was a whole new remote Australian experience. "I was shocked because it's a city in the middle of nowhere," Ms Ortac said. She had never sewn before but jumped at the opportunity to meet new people. "The ladies help me a lot because I didn't [have any] idea how to turn on the machine," Ms Ortac said. "It's perfect for me because I would like to improve my English and I like to learn about other people [and] their stories."
