Writer
Susan Connelly
Susan Connelly is a Sister of St Joseph who has been involved with Timorese issues since 1994. Other concerns include West Papua which she visited in 2016. Her recent book published by Bloomsbury Academic is “East Timor, René Girard and Neocolonial Violence: Scapegoating as Australian Policy”. It is an interpretation of the relationship between Australia and East Timor through the lenses of French-American philosopher René Girard’s insights into human violence and scapegoating.
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Imitation accelerates
The whole world is experiencing an “escalation to extremes” because we imitate each other to a profound degree. We should choose our models more carefully. Continue reading »
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Enemy twins: Israel and Hamas unite to massacre innocents
Hamas’s refusal to recognise Israel as a state is as absurd as Israel’s belief that the current massacre of Palestinians will destroy Hamas. If all this were mere stupidity it would be bad enough, but the consequent violence against innocent people is extreme and it is accelerating. Continue reading »
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The origin of monarchy is violence: Can Australia choose a new path?
The concept of monarchy began as an antidote to human violence. Continue reading »
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It’s time for an ICAC
There’s a three-way relationship between Australia, China and Timor-Leste. How will the next government manage it? Continue reading »
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Australians quick to forget terrible wartime price paid by Timorese saviours
The current government has shed every vestige of honour to conceal the truth about the espionage against the Timorese, venting its guilty fury on the spy with a conscience, Witness K, and his lawyer Bernard Collaery. Continue reading »
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In spying on East Timorese, Australia forgets its neighbour’s sacrifices
Australian forgetfulness of the wartime friendship and suffering of the Timorese people was crowned in 2004 by a grubby act of government greed. Continue reading »
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Australia shredded all decency in the persecution of Bernard Collaery.
Our spying against Timor-Leste and persecution of a whistleblower and his lawyer reads like a tawdry thriller that would embarrass James Bond. Continue reading »
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Adventures in incompetence – Witness K sentenced
This whole farce is more about protecting the real criminals in the case, those politicians and public servants who devised and planned, enabled and financed the shameful act of spying on the Timorese people. Continue reading »
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The Other Swindled Partner
What were you doing in 2004 as the Australian Government’s fleecing of the Timorese people took shape? Continue reading »
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Politicians and Prosecutions
Straining gnats and swallowing camels is not reserved for biblical Pharisees. Australians in the 21st-century witness pious adherence to matters that have certain importance, but which are secondary to, and meant to serve, the great human principles of ‘justice, mercy, good faith’ (Matt. 23:23-24). Continue reading »
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SUSAN CONNELLY. The World is Full of Scapegoats
Compromised politicians, muted religions, a distracted and increasingly partisan media and a malleable crowd combine in another tragedy. Scapegoating it is, but thanks to the Gospel it is not destined for seamless success. Continue reading »
