Like I'm A Six-Year-Old

For an in-depth breakdown of what exactly is going on with Australia's immigration policy and exactly how many laws we're breaking, I talked to academic and advocate Senthorun Raj.  Currently completing his PhD in law at Sydney University, Senthorun has worked extensively with the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, Amnesty International, ACON Health and many other organisations. Hear us discuss how his Tamil family background (and a TV show) influenced his passion for human rights, our society's tendency to ignore certain kinds of violence and how Australia is complicit in state-sanctioned torture.  @senthorun  Senthorun's writings for The Guardian Cause of the Week: Amnesty International (amnesty.org.au), The Pinnacle Foundation (thepinnaclefoundation.org)  

You probably know Dicko best as that arsehole judge from Australian Idol, but there's a lot more to the old codger than that. He's been a window washer, a music journalist, a radio host and more, all the while retaining his trademark unflinching honesty. Here we discuss his father's remarkable story, the political colouring of his youth, stories from his time working with everyone from Pearl Jam to Rage Against the Machine, political correctness and why he's found himself in hot water with Quentin and Paulini.  Dicko's story about Quentin is on ABC iView Cause of the Week: The Australian Children's Music Fund (acmf.com.au)  

Kate Doak is a freelance investigative journalist who runs her own current affairs website (thedeadlynewt.com) and writes and reports for numerous publications.  She is a proud transwoman who's passionate about confronting transphobia and other forms of discrimination facing the LGBTIQ community. Listen to hear about her coming out story (both of them), the physical threats trans people still face and the importance of language and visibility.  @katedoak Cause of the Week: The Safe Schools Coalition (safeschoolscoalition.org.au) For more info check out The Gender Centre & short film In My Shoes   

Samah Hadid is a human rights and social justice campaigner who's worked with the Global Poverty Project, the UN and grass-roots organisations all over the world. She very kindly sat down with me in a Bankstown cafe to talk about being called a terrorist, wearing (and not wearing) a veil, Charlie Hebdo, foreign aid and being addicted to warzones.  samahhadid.com  @samahhadid Cause of the Week: The Global Poverty Project (globalpovertyproject.com)