Published on whydev.org: "As long as the razor wire exists: Voices of refugees"

My article "As long as the razor wire exists: Detention dehumanises asylum seekers" was published on the whydev.org site this week.

This piece was originally published on The Scavenger in April last year. I wrote this article in late 2010 for a university assignment. It was inspired by the harmful - and persistent - rhetoric of politicians on the topic of refugees. I felt that Australians were being given a very distorted and one-sided view of the issue via the media and the government. I was compelled to write a piece which looked at this multifaceted issue from the perspective of refugees themselves, and from those who work closely with them.

The version which has gone up on whydev.org has been updated with some recent stats and info. In promoting my article across social media, whydev.org have said:

• "It's rare that we hear about effects of detention on asylum seekers from the source. This is a must read from Susannah Waters".


• "Want to know about the effects of detention on refugees? @agualily goes straight to the source in this post".


• "Compelling new post by @agualily on whydev".

[agualily is my Twitter username]

I really appreciate whydev.org's interest in my article, and I am really thrilled to have my work on their site.

Shortlisted for 2011 Voiceless Media Prize

On 30 November 2011 I attended the 2011 Voiceless Awards Event, as I was shortlisted in the Print/Online category for the Voiceless Media Prize. The prizes recognise the most influential and accurate reports on animal protection and ethics.

I was shortlisted for three of my articles: Ducking Progress: Victoria's Duck Hunting Season, Horse Racing: The Hidden Cruelty Revealed, and Shark Fin Soup: A Recipe for Extinction.

Although I didn't win it I had a brilliant night. Great venue with amazing food and wine, plus I had the opportunity to meet some fantastic people.

Christine Jackman won the Print/Online prize for The Claws Come Out in The Weekend Australian Magazine. Her article discussed the difficulties of animal law, which still considers an animal to be a form of personal property.

Sarah Ferguson and Michael Doyle of Four Corners (ABC) very deservedly won the Broadcast prize for A Bloody Business, an expose of the live cattle trade with Indonesia.