in his recent TV series, The Human Universe, Brian Cox says it is reasonable to conclude that we are alone in the universe. Traversing the disciplinary boundaries from astrophysics he then suggests that because we are alone we are precious as the inhabitants of this lonely planet.
We all need to live and to survive together. There are strong cosmopolitan implications in this point of view. The conduct of petty wars of retribution, terror attacks, wars on terror, preemptive strikes, drone assassinations, repulsion of asylum seekers and border protections are scarcely conducive to harmony within the world’s populations. Couple this with a pervasive carelessness about the plight of others in poor countries, or indeed the plight of the poor in wealthy countries, and the prospects for peaceful coexistence are not good. The world, striated
with national boundaries, sees border protection as a powerful statement of collective selfishness. This is not to deny that important responsibilities rest upon states and their governments, but to call for a transformed outlook on the world from within its separate communities. The essays in this collection seek to address problems of separation from various angles.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Guest Editor’s Introduction
3 Cosmopolitanism – Graham Maddox

Themed Articles
8 The Cosmopolitan Dream: Withdrawal, Empire and the Church – Tony Lynch
14 Classical Stoicism and the Birth of a Global Ethics: Cosmopolitan Duties in a World of Local Loyalties – Lisa Hill
19 The Thin Black Line: Living Apartheid on Groote Eylandt – Inga Brasche
27 Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Human Dignity – Phil Glendenning
34 On the Necessity for Gender Equality: Anna Doyle Wheeler and William Thompson and ‘Equality in
Community’ – Jim Jose
39 Cosmopolitanism and the Labour Movement – Verity Burgmann
45 The Attraction of the United Nations – John Langmore
51 Cosmopolitanism, National Interest, Selfishness and Australian Aid – Helen Ware
58 Explaining the Capture of the University – Tim Battin

Commentary
64 Transition Townspeople: We need to think about transition (Just Doing Stuff is Far From Enough!) – Ted Trainer

Short Story
70 I’m in that book – Ian C. Smith

Book Reviews
72 Inside the New University – Prerequisites for a Contemporary Knowledge Production – Deb Blakeney and Karryn Bratby
73 Out of Print: A Cold War Romance: (A Serial in Sixteen Episodes) – Tony Lynch

Gallery
76 A Right Not Privilege – Megan Wolthers
77 Change Today, Transforms Tomorrow – Lucia Hubner
78 It Shouldn’t Take an Epidemic to Bring Healthcare to Those Who Need it Most – Christopher Colbert

Poetry
7 Brushstrokes – Jenni Nixon
13 Stretch Marks – Sheila E. Murphy
18 Every Breath – Lynne White
33 Wanting – Jo Langdon
38 Removal Method Mindscape – David S. Pointer
44 Street Stall – Jo Langdon
50 Superior (Not the Lake) – Sheila E. Murphy
50 Ticket – Jo Langdon
57 Am I the Only Semaphore – Sheila E. Murphy
63 Crackers – Jenni Nixon
69 Sonet #7 – Chris Palmer
75 We So Need No More News Today – Hamish Danks Brown
75 Parochial – Jane Downing