Series 29

Still dancing at 100, Eileen Kramer's creative spirit is undiminished.

In our first Moral Compass of the year, Geraldine and her guests will be grappling with the subject of blasphemy: the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God, to religious or holy persons or things, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable.

Three inspiring Jewish women who lived through WWII pass on their life experience and recipes to their grandchildren.

On her first visit to the Holy Land, Compass presenter and ABC personality Geraldine Doogue travels on a personal pilgrimage for Holy Week.

The history of the Muslim Cameleers who helped open up Australia from the 1860’s through to the introduction of the motor car.

Stan Savige fought at Gallipoli, then commanded the operation that saved 50,000 Assyrian refugees from certain death in the Middle East and went on to found Legacy - an organisation still providing aid to families of service men and women.

Emily Simpson’s passion for walking labyrinths made her determined that everyone should be able to enjoy this ancient form of spiritual exercise.

Geraldine and her guests will be grappling with the question: Does Christianity really offer women a seat at the table?

For generations of young Australians, Sunday School was their first playground - a place where they learnt about God and Jesus, said prayers, sang songs and made friends.

Formed in Australia in 1916, the RSL was borne out of the camaraderie, concern and mateship shown by diggers for the welfare of their mates during and after the First World War.

In the 1960’s Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced Transcendental Meditation to the world, spreading his meditation technique to Australia and setting up centres in Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia’s grand dame of the outback - the Country Women’s Association turns 93 this year but is showing no sign of aging or retiring anytime soon. Instead she’s having something of a facelift.

Examines the impact Women’s Lib really had on our culture and attitudes. After the massive achievements of the late 1960s and 1970s is sisterhood still powerful?

After WW2 the Anglican Church in Australia introduced Marriage Guidance to try and retrieve marriages threatened by the inevitable fallout of war. Growing up through the social upheaval of the 1960’s and 1970’s Marriage Guidance became a secular service that reflected the mood of the times, evolving and transforming into the multi-million dollar industry it is today.

Archibald prize-winning artist Wendy Sharpe draws portraits of 39 asylum seekers as they share their powerful stories of survival and integration.

As the end of the financial year approaches, tax is on many of our minds. What are our moral obligations around paying tax? The Moral Compass gets a feel for the views of people in the street and an expert panel debates the ethical issues - both big and small - associated with tax.

Aboriginal community leader Lois Cook’s exploration of her great grandfather Bubba Jack Cook’s story reveals the history of indigenous massacres on the NSW North Coast.

Through its ground-breaking arts based curriculum, Port Phillip Specialist School in Victoria provides a transformative learning experience for students with special needs.

Rather than saving souls for the hereafter, the organisation Urban Neighbours of Hope (UNOH) strives to make life better for those struggling in the here and now.

In June, the Pope’s Encyclical called on humanity to change its approach to the environment. Since then, there’s been fierce debate with politicians and business groups from around the world opposing the Pope’s environmental message and questioning the church’s legitimacy to even enter the debate. So have church leaders strayed too far beyond religion or is climate change core business for Christians?

Part 1 charts the relationship of an Australian gay man and his American partner and their 40 year fight for recognition of their marriage.

Part 2 continues the story of Tony Sullivan and Richard Adams and their 40 year struggle to have their marriage recognised by the American authorities.

Geraldine Doogue goes on a personal quest to understand more about the Jewish roots of her Christian faith. Following a visit to Jerusalem at Easter, she became intrigued by the history and traditions of Judaism.

Stephen Fry talks to Irish broadcasting legend Gay Byrne about the people, ideas values and beliefs that give his life meaning. In February this year a Youtube clip from this interview describing what Fry would say to God if he met him at the Pearly Gates went viral. Here Compass brings you a revealing insight into the life and brilliant, but troubled, mind of Stephen Fry.

Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first woman President, talks to Irish broadcasting legend Gay Byrne about the people, ideas, values and beliefs that give her life meaning. A brilliant lawyer and human rights activist before entering politics, she famously challenged the influence of the Catholic Church in Irish society and helped to bring about changes in the law concerning contraception, divorce and homosexuality. And yet she remains the product of a traditional religious upbringing and education and sees those values as the moral engine behind her continuing work for human rights and what she calls climate justice.

Sir Michael Parkinson talks to broadcaster Gay Byrne about the people, ideas, values and beliefs that give his life meaning. The two originally met when Byrne interviewed the Beatles in 1962. Fifty years later, after Parkinson went on to become a broadcasting legend in Britain and Australia, the two met up again to record an interview for Gay Byrne’s series The Meaning of Life on Irish Television.

The Victorian opposition says it’s a broken election promise but the decision has reignited debate about the place of religion in public schools. After a report found that Education Department guidelines were being breached by the key provider of Special Religious Instruction (SRI), Access Ministries, Victoria also banned religious organisations from running prayer groups, handing out Bibles and delivering other unauthorised information sessions during school hours. NSW legislation requires state schools to offer religious education classes for ‘children of any religious persuasion’ but recently the Baird government has unveiled a proposal to remove reference to ethics classes on school enrolment forms, leaving parents unaware of their right to opt out of the scripture lessons presented in Special Religious Education (SRE). Given the fact that various state based legislation argues that education in public schools be secular, should that exclude religious instruction classes or religion in the broader curriculum?

The first flush of love, your heart skips a beat, a knowing look - or is it? We find out where it all began for our five couples.

When two individuals leave their family of origin and combine to make a new family, each brings a piece of their past with them, some bring more baggage than others. Our couples reflect on how they negotiated this tricky transition.

After the honeymoon period, sooner or later every relationship hits a rough patch. Sickness, infidelity, addiction, children; it’s the stuff that can make or break any relationship. Our couples share what got them through.

As the daily grind takes its toll, the division of domestic labour is a matter that must be negotiated. And then there is the question of sex. Does longevity breed boredom in the bedroom? Our couples reveal the habits they tolerate, those that drive them crazy and how to keep that special spark alive.

Our couple's relationships have stood the test of time with their bonds intact. But the ultimate price of a life lived together is the reality that one of you will die before the other. Our couples reflect on the glue that has held them together, what they are most proud of and how they look to the future.

Geraldine is joined by local panellists to discuss what Australia can learn from Toowoomba’s experience of helping to settle refugees who have moved into the area. Guests are Professor Lorelle Burton, Psychologist from the University of Southern Queensland, Gitie House from Toowoomba International Multicultural Society, Dr Mark Copland from the Catholic Social Justice Commission, and former refugees, Moses Ali and Prudence Melom.

Michelle, Vicki and Aaron are young adults who suffered devastating disability through chronic illness and injury. For each of them a protracted stay in aged care facilities has formed part of their recovery experience because there was nowhere else for them to go.

Music therapist Emma O’Brien has been instrumental in transforming the lives of long term patients who participate in her innovative therapy program at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Jarrod McKenna and Teresa Lee are Christian activists. They are amongst a growing number of Christians turning to civil disobedience to try to effect change.

Since 1971 the Adamstown Uniting Church in Newcastle has been making Christmas puddings to support a range of welfare and community programs in Newcastle, Australia and overseas.