Speaking truth to power: a tribute to Dr Raelene West

AdvocacyPower to Persuade22 April 2026Disability, Disability Royal Commission

Genetic Testing Is Expanding. Our Psychosocial Support Systems Must Keep Up.

Advocacy, 21stC Policy and Rights, Policy and governancePower to Persuade17 April 2026health, mental health

The Robodebt of Aged Care: MND Reveals that Aged Care and NDIS Are Systems Built to Miss the Point

21stC Policy and Rights, Policy and governance, Service DeliveryPower to Persuade15 April 2026aged care, health, NDIS

Why ethical review matters for good policy

Ethical review is sometimes seen as a hurdle in the path of getting a research or evaluation project completed. This post from Gerard Atkinson, Managing Director of Iris Ethics, outlines the benefits of ethical review for better evidence, and better social policy .

Policy and governancePower to Persuade9 April 2026Ethics, ethical review, Policy making

Designing inclusive publics: systemic listening in disability support

Across Australia and globally, disability policy increasingly promises to give people with disability a voice. Yet, as many people with disability can attest, having a voice is not the same as being heard. Recent research by Dr Laura Davy and Molly Saund ers at the Australian National University explores radical listening as a potentially transformative approach to strengthening participatory democracy in everyday spaces.

21stC Policy and Rights, Policy and governance, Human RightsPower to Persuade2 April 2026Disability, inclusion, equity, social policy, social services

Toward creating spaces of belonging…

Power to Persuade27 March 2026Children, racism, schools, education

Every child has the right to a sense of belonging at school

Power to Persuade27 March 2026Children, education, schools, culture, racism

Suicide, domestic violence, and the system blind spots we must address

Dr. Jennifer Hester Principal Evaluator at Good Shepherd Australia and New Zealand (GSANZ) reports on developing a Submission to The Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, Parliament of Australia - The relationship between domestic, family and sexual violence victimisation and suicide.

Drawing on practitioner evidence and service system expertise, it emphasises the urgent need for improved data, integrated service responses, and long‑term recovery supports for women, children and young people.

Content note: this post and the submission discuss family, domestic and sexual violence and suicide, which some readers may find distressing.

Advocacy, children, Policy and governancePower to Persuade13 March 2026family violence, Suicide, FDSV, Coercive control

Not there yet - what gender inequality is costing us

Gender, Human Rights, Policy and governancePower to Persuade6 March 2026Gender equality, International Women's Day

New report on outcomes for New Zealanders with intellectual disability: From Data to Dignity

IHC New Zealand has just released an important new report providing longitudinal data on health and wellbeing outcomes for people with intellectual disability. Find the report here and the Easy Read version here.

Creating using evidencePower to Persuade25 February 2026Disability, data and evidence for advocacy

Searching for missing migrants and non-citizens: the need for systems of support

Welcome to Power to Persuade for 2026! We begin the year with a post from Alexa Ridgway (RMIT University), who discusses the need for formalised, co-ordinated and government-funded support for the family and friends of missing migrants and non-citizens - a salient issue in the context of missing Belgian tourist Celine Cremer, whose friends travelled from Belgium to assist with search and rescue efforts.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade17 February 2026

2025 wrapped - holiday reading from Power to Persuade

Advocacy, Creating using evidence, Issues, PoliticsPower to Persuade23 December 2025Policy advocacy

Do High-Consumption Lifestyles Violate Our Ethical Obligations to the Planet?

21stC Policy and Rights, Health and wellbeing, Finance and economicsPower to Persuade11 December 2025economy, environment

The Australian Government's Contradictory Stance on Undocumented Migrant Workers

21stC Policy and Rights, Human RightsPower to Persuade10 December 2025migration policy, employment

Buy Now Pay Later as a weapon of violence: Disrupting harm through safety by design

Power to Persuade28 November 2025

Human Rights: Reclaiming the Foundational Policy Intent

In 2025, Power to Persuade has invited articles on the theme of the relevance of rights for 21st century policy. This post from Everyday Human Rights, an independent, non-political human rights educational consultancy, argues for the continued relevance of human rights frameworks as a tool for policy makers.

21stC Policy and RightsPower to Persuade26 November 2025human rights