Brotherhood of St Laurence

Library Blog - August 2026

Selected readings

A curated selection of recent articles and papers relevant to our work.

AI and Emerging Technologies
  • Why clearer rules on using AI in hiring would be a win for bosses too: Natalie Sheard, The Conversation
    The author argues that stronger regulation of AI in recruitment would help protect job seekers from bias and discrimination while also providing greater clarity, accountability and legal certainty for employers using automated hiring systems.
  • DISCO‑Tech: A Framework for Resisting Ableism in Emerging Technologies: Alan R. Foley and Beth A. Ferri, Teachers College
    The authors argue that educational technologies such as AI, automated assessment and online proctoring should be evaluated not only for accessibility but also for how they shape understandings of disability, proposing a framework that challenges ableist assumptions and positions disability as a valued form of human diversity rather than a deficit to be fixed.

Children and Families

  • Early childhood food and nutrition security: Policy pathways to reduce hunger: Bonnie Searle, Stephanie Chiang, Emma Sydenham et al., Children Australia
    The authors argue that Australia’s high rates of childhood food insecurity reflect systemic policy failures and that coordinated reforms across food security, income support and early childhood education and care are needed to ensure all children have access to adequate nutrition and the opportunity to thrive
  • Towards an Ecology of Relations: Reconceptualising Relational Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education and Care: Kimi Liang, Mandy Cooke and Jessica Ciuciu, Education Sciences
    The authors argue that relational pedagogy in early childhood education should extend beyond educator–child interactions to recognise the interconnected influence of children’s relationships with themselves, families, peers and the more‑than‑human world, creating a more holistic understanding of learning and development.
Climate
  • Fixing Climate Communications: How to move beyond narrow narratives to power durable progress: Potential Energy Coalition
    The authors argue that climate communication is most effective when it focuses on the everyday impacts of climate change on people’s health, finances and communities, rather than technical, ideological or abstract messaging, and that reframing the conversation in human terms can broaden public support for climate action.
  • Personal climate actions do not crowd out collective action and policy support: Omid Ghasemi, Karlien Paas, Graham Bradley et al., NPJ Climate Action
    The authors argue that individual pro‑environmental behaviours can support broader climate engagement rather than distract from it, as people who take everyday climate actions are generally more likely to participate in collective action and support climate policies, particularly when they perceive climate risks and believe their actions can make a difference.
Democracy and Politics
  • Impact of Citizen Engagement: Making a difference to policy, institutions and society: Tessa Dunlop, Ventseslav Kozarev, Ângela Guimarães Pereira et al., Joint Research Centre, European Commission
    The authors argue that well‑designed citizen engagement processes can strengthen policymaking, increase public trust and legitimacy, build institutional capability, and create lasting benefits for democracy when governments are genuinely committed to acting on community input.
  • Spotlight – Young Australians’ civic engagement: Ebony Biden, Mara Davison, Kristen Power et al., Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS)
    Insights from Growing up in Australia show that young Australians are not disengaged from civic and political life but are increasingly participating through digital, community‑based and informal forms of engagement, highlighting the need for institutions to recognise and respond to evolving patterns of civic participation.

Disability and Inclusion

  • The transformative potential of student disability collectives in Australian universities: Rebecca Ganon‑Davey and Julie Kos, Disability & Society
    The authors argue that student‑led disability collectives play a vital role in supporting the academic, social and personal development of university students with disability, often providing benefits beyond those offered through formal university support programs and highlighting the value of peer‑led approaches to inclusion and equity.
  • Some disabled workers can legally be paid $3.31 an hour. Here’s how to reform a system built for a different era: Sam Bennett and Reilly Polaschek, The Conversation 
    The authors argue that Australia’s disability employment system allows some workers with disability to be paid extremely low wages while providing limited pathways to mainstream employment, and that reform should focus on expanding meaningful employment opportunities and tailored supports without removing valued sources of work and social connection.
  • A process problem: What the NDIS reform and Open Access have in common: Scout Bell, Scout Bell Blog
    The author argues that both NDIS reform and open access publishing are often framed as questions of access and compliance, when their success ultimately depends on transparent, inclusive processes that are shaped by the people most affected and grounded in trust, participation and lived experience.

Labour and Education

  • The sting in the tail of Victoria’s right to work from home: Todd Morris, Arianna Gatta and Lizi Yu, e61 Institute
    The authors argue that while Victoria’s proposed right to work from home could improve flexibility and wellbeing for many workers, it may produce unintended economic consequences because it is most likely to affect jobs where remote work is less productive, potentially influencing wages, opportunities for younger workers and broader property market outcomes.
  • Even the government agrees Job-ready Graduates has failed. Here’s what should replace it: Mark Warburton, The Conversation
    The author argues that Australia’s Job‑ready Graduates scheme has created unfair and ineffective disparities in university fees, and that replacing it with a simpler, more equitable student contribution model would better support both students and the higher education system.
Poverty and Wellbeing

Journals

Academic journals present peer‑reviewed research by subject experts. Recent issues from selected publishers are listed below.

Listen and watch

A selection of podcasts, webinars and recorded talks relevant to our work.
  • What’s the point of a gas exports tax?: What's the Point, Australia Institute (Podcast)
    Richard Denniss argues that Australia is giving too much of its gas wealth to largely foreign-owned export companies and that introducing a gas export tax would deliver a fairer return to Australians while helping fund public services and address the domestic gas crisis.
  • All that we touch.. Wikipedia: All That We Touch (Podcast)
    Host Heather Ford, researcher Francesca Sidoti, and author Richard Cooke investigate the site and all that it touches.
  • A Nation Changed podcast with Kurt Fearnley (Podcast)
    In this podcast, Kurt deep-dives into one of the greatest social reforms in Australia’s history - the NDIS. He learns where the scheme came from and why it was so desperately needed. He talks to people who fought to change the system, those personally affected by the NDIS and those it’s failing.
  • Strengthening support for LGBTQ+ young people with disability: AIFS (Recorded Webinar)
    Drawing on lived experience, practitioner knowledge and research, this webinar will explore how service providers can better support LGBTQ+ young people with disability.
  • Research Snapshot 25:Intervention to improve self-efficacy of key workers and parental wellbeing: PRECI Australia
    An intervention to improve the self-efficacy of key workers to support parental wellbeing at an early childhood intervention service in Australia: a stepped wedged randomized cluster trial 
  • Return to self: A gender affirmation learning resource: University of Melbourne (Video)
    Return to Self is a 5-part video and podcast series, exploring gender affirmation through the experiences and insights of three trans people. Learn what this means for each of us as we create an environment where trans and gender diverse people can participate, contribute, and thrive.
  • More Than a Laundry: Aboriginal Investment Group (Video)
    Through the voices of community members, the Gunbalanya Laundry Team and partners, this documentary explores how access to free laundry services is contributing to improved health outcomes, local employment and stronger communities.

Learning Opportunities

Upcoming events, including talks, short courses and webinars.

  • 2026 Kenneth Myer Lecture Melbourne: Ronni Kahn AO
    6 August, National Library of Australia, Online, Free 
    The 2026 Kenneth Myer Lecture will be delivered by Ronni Kahn AO, founder of leading food rescue charity, OzHarvest. Ronni will explore the notion that persistent hunger in a wealthy nation is a failure of imagination and will. What does that say about who we are for one another?
  • On-demand: Supporting families to navigate tough times: The impact of financial and housing insecurity and isolation
    4 August - 25 August, AIFS, Online, Free
    This webinar will explore how practitioners can better support children and families who may be experiencing multiple hardships.
  • Expenditure and outcomes in the Child Protection system. Let’s discuss the reality.
    11 August, Online, Free
    Drawing on national data and cross-jurisdiction insights, the webinar will explore key trends in child protection and out-of-home care, and how investment decisions influence outcomes. It will highlight opportunities to invest earlier, improve long-term outcomes, and make more effective use of resources, alongside a youth perspective on what timely, meaningful support looks like.
  • Community-led peacebuilding
    11 August, ChangeFest, Online, Free
    This session continues the peacebuilding dialogue convened at ChangeFest25, where people across the movement came together to share what it means, personally and systemically, to truly make peace on these Countries. A clear call came from this dialogue a call for us to each find our role and purpose in peacebuilding as central to the work of community-led change.
  • The Not-for-profit Agenda
    20 August, Community Directors, Online, Free
    Hosted by Community Directors journalist Matthew Schulz, the next edition will feature special guest David Crosbie, chief executive of the Community Council for Australia, the sector’s peak advocacy body.
  • 2026 Melbourne Institute Director's Lecture: How is economic reform achieved?
    1 September, Melbourne Institute, Carlton Vic 
    Professor Beth Webster will explore common elements behind Australia’s most successful policies and what they can teach us about today’s economic challenges. She will examine how ideas gained traction, how support built across communities, and the effective transition arrangements critical to reform success.

Current Display

This month the book display in the library is about Children and Families, highlighting our collection of resources relating to children and families including past work by BSL. Our items on display can be found in the Books on Display list.
For more information about past work that BSL has done in this area see the BSL Timeline on Children and Families, as well as our list of  BSL Research reports (Youth & early childhood). More resources on specific BSL projects in this area can also be found amongst our Curated Subject Lists.

Acknowledgement of Country

The Brotherhood of St. Laurence acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which our organisation operates. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present.

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