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Category Archives: social issues

Body Bags of Bits …?

Our bits, harvested, repackaged and sold back to us… without the heart.

Renew Democracy …

Cartoons for the new DEMOCRACY booth in the exhibition hall at the Australian Labor Party ALP 50th National Conference in Adelaide 23-25 July. ‘The new DEMOCRACY Foundation is a non-partisan research, advocacy and advisory charity that promotes Citizens’ Assemblies as a more trusted way of doing democratic decision-making.’

I did cartoon caricatures of visitors to the booth during the conference, while they were introduced to the new DEMOCRACY mission.

Community Health resuscitation …

‘Hello Simon–we probably talked 40 years ago when you designed the letterhead/Annual Report for Fitzroy Community Health Centre in Melbourne. I’m attaching an example of that excellent collaboration as a reminder.

I’m now involved in setting up ‘Friends of Community Health’ to resuscitate the community activism of those early times 🫤.

I’m also attaching our information sheet/hand out that needs some illustration/ lightening up.best regards, Terri Jackson (former Manager of FCHC)’

Making way …

More trees to go in the Adelaide Parklands … for the MotoGP …

Pacific Women Leaders’ voices …

The 2026 Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meeting, 3-5 June, Suva Fiji: ‘Current economic shocks and escalating security and social pressures – deepening poverty, reducing jobs and increasing vulnerability, impacts which fall hardest on women, youth, children and persons with disabilities’.

I attended the meeting remotely, through Zoom. Here are some of the cartoons from the three days of presentations.

Do it yourself social research …

In 1984 the Victorian Council of Social Service published Yoland Wadsworth’s Do It Yourself Social Research. as the back cover of the second edition said: “This introduction to social research methods became a runaway bestseller when it was first published. For fifteen years it has been used by students and professionals in sociology, social work, community development, education, health , welfare, psychology, management, environmental studies, legal studies and many other fields.”

This project was an education for me, an important stage in my cartooning development. Yoland Wadsworth knew exactly what the illustrations needed to depict: she understood how text and illustration combine to communicate with the reader.

Cover of the second edition

Two further books followed: Everyday Evaluation on the Run and Human Inquiry for Living Systems. Now, just over 40 years since Do It Yourself Social Research Routledge has reprinted the revised and updated set – including revised covers and many of the illustrations : ‘This 3-volume collection of path-breaker Yoland Wadsworth’s crucial work will assist new generations in conducting research effectively at every stage’.

Park Lands chipped away …

As designed by William Light Adelaide was a city surrounded by wide parklands – parklands for all. Over many years they have been encroached upon by various developments, and this has ramped up under the Malinauskas government, encouraged by various influential groups, developers, lobbyists and more – as detailed by the Adelaide Parklands Association.

Alright! …

Some of the illustrations for Simon Betts/Soul Trader’s new songs. The first song Alright in the end has been released with more to follow. Eventual ly the illustrations will be used on the album cover.

Political cohesion …

… so much for social cohesion, as Albanese hoped.

Isaac Herzog says the photograph of him signing a bomb in 2023 was taken out of context ….

Recoil …

Adelaide’s Writers’ Week has been cancelled after political and lobby group pressure. More than 180 authors have pulled out. Director Louise Adler has resigned accusing government and lobby groups of censorship. The event is a great loss.