Investing with your social conscience

Rudd's Homelessness Council: an interesting mix among friends

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister for Housing Tanya Plibersek meet

with members of the Choir of Hard Knocks in Parliament House.
Photo: Glen Mccurtayne Photo from here.

The Prime Minister has announced the establishment of a Homeless Council to meet his policy objectives for homeless people.

The Council will be chaired by Tony Nicholson of the Brotherhood of St Laurence, here in Melbourne. More on Tony Nicholson here.

The eight member council includes Pat Brahim, General Manager of Julalikari Council in Tennant Creek. Congratulations to Pat and Julalkikari on her appointment. Tennant Creek has always been a very creative place both in blackfella and whitefella terms. It is not only creative artistically but socially providing creative solutions to entrenched social problems.

• The first Night Patrol in Australia - a much copied model across the country - was established in Tennant Creek.
• Julalikari Council shut the pubs in Tennant Creek with the co-operation of the Northern Territory Liquor Commissioner, then John Maley, and the local community (although not all were in favour!). The story has been documented in a book titled Grog War by Miles Franklin Award winner, Alexis Wright.

Julalikari has always been a very savvy, forward thinking organisation. And I note that this is the second Federal Government appointment for Pat this week. Pat has been appointed by Jenny Macklin as the new Chair of the Aboriginal Benefit Account Advisory Committee.

While not wanting to sound cynical, neither do I want to reflect negatively on Pat and Julalikari, the appointment should be set in the context of a Federal Government that has been in hard battle with Tangentyere Council in Alice Springs over land acquisition.

You see, dear Networker, Julalikari Council signed up with the Federal Government almost twelve months ago giving the Federal Government sixty year leases in return for $20 million, plus $10 million from the Northern Territory Government. Tennant Creek wants housing and it wanted it years ago. There has been the fanfare of the Alliance and SIHIP but the hammer has not yet touched the nail.

It is clear that Jenny Macklin needs all the friends she can get and if Julalikari Council has been straightforward and upfront with the Federal Government in trying to get the best for the people of Tennant Creek then it is fit and proper for Julalikari and Pat Brahim to receive some recognition for that.

It is just remarkable though because so many people overlook Tennant Creek, particularly within the Northern Territory, and don't give it the recognition or assistance it deserves. For Tennant Creek there is a Berrimah line (just south of Darwin) and a Mount Nancy line (just north of Alice Springs). One has to shout to be heard across this type of apartheid, so it is good to see Tennant Creek will have some influence at broader policy levels and I hope it brings good things back for everyone in TC.

It is great to see Anglicare WA at this crucial policy table. As a former Director of Anglicare in North Queensland, congratulations. I hope you have significant success in dealing with the issues that bring about homelessness in the wealthy state of Western Australia and that Kevin Rudd's goal of halving the current figures is borne out in reality.

Others on the eight member Council are:

• Alan Kirkland (NSW Legal Aid Commission),
• Netty Horton (St Vincent de Paul, Victoria),
• Margaret Hamilton (Multiple and Complex Needs Panel), ^^
• Christine Edwards (The Myer Foundation) and
• David Cant (Brisbane Housing Company).

**

Disclosure: Miss Eagle once worked with Professor Margaret Hamilton and her team as a "resource person" on a research project on Alcohol in Mount Isa, Queensland. At the time, Miss Eagle was Secretary of the Mount Isa Welfare Council.

Ian Thorpe and Australia's Dirty Little Secret

Ian Thorpe, Olympic Swimmer

Ian Thorpe has spoken out on Aboriginal disadvantage and the Intervention at the “Beyond Sport Summit” in London on Thursday July 9, 2009. Read what he had to say here.

IACD, Brisbane:: Declaration of intent to work towards sommunity centred economies

I have been in Brisbane this week attending the Oceania conference of the International Association for Community Development. It has been a very rich experience with inspiring yet practical speakers by the dozen. At the close of the conference, the Declaration of Intent set out below was issued. This is in a 'not quite final' form. There may be a little tweaking yet and it will then be re-sent to the participants. When that occurs, I will re-post here the amended version. Until then, use this to your heart's content to work with, to plan with, to convince, to convert, whatever......

DECLARATION OF INTENT
TO WORK TOWARDS
COMMUNITY CENTRED ECONOMIES

We offer this declaration as a ‘starting point’ in our shared commitment to foster Community Centred Economies.

OUR VISION

Economies are for everyone, and are everyone’s responsibility.

They are valuable to the extent that they achieve genuine, equitable wealth in all its forms including cultural, economic, social, environmental and spiritual wealth.
The health and abundance of such things as relationships, spirit, happiness, food, housing, clean water and soil, biodiversity, and livelihoods
must be primary to, and served by our economies.

We call for a move to community centred economies to achieve such wealth.
These economies will nourish, and be nourished by, the people within them.
We envisage them, not as ‘alternative’ economies,
but as the essential building blocks of national and global economies.

WE WILL THEREFORE

1. Learn – Re-think – Lead
We want to open ourselves and others to different possibilities – to an understanding of the damage being done by existing systems, and the potential to transform them through community centred economies. We will be leaders, and learners, together. We will create time and space to foster our leadership and our learning.

We recognise the economic and environmental crises that face us, and will use these to foster our creativity, collaboration and growth.

It begins with ourselves, and grows through our relationships. We are powerful together.

2. Think Local : Community First

We will think, first, (but not only) of our community – as we understand, asking:

• What are our needs and aspirations, and how an we resource them?
• What are our strengths and assets, and how can we build on them?
• What are the needs of the land we rely on, and how can we heal and sustain it?
• How can we invest our wealth back into our community?
• How can we support the genuine wealth of other communities?
  

We will begin by listening to the land, and its traditional custodians.

Community initiatives, not imposed ideas or programs, will be the starting point for community and economic development.

3. Foster and Structure Local Relationships

Any community or locality has knowledge, skills and assets and resources within it, which, when brought together, can create new possibilities. Indeed, there are many examples, past and present, of community centred economies at work.

Community centred economies rely on people within communities and the government and private sector joining together in relationship to identify and foster the potential that lies within. In turn, community centred economies foster these relationships.

4. Resource community centred economies

As there are many communities, so there will be many answers. No one answer will work for all communities. Outsiders can play a role in offering ideas and knowledge but they cannot know as well as local people what is right for that area. They should respond to and resource local agendas, rather than seeking to direct them.

Community initiatives may be funded from various sources within and beyond the community. Communities can be strategic in determining the best source for different purposes. Funding sources, as far as possible, should be responsible and flexible to community circumstances.

5. Commit to justice

As we build strong and just communities, we also strive to foster equity within and between communities. Particular attention must be given to the voiceless or powerless.

We will work to reduce inequality. Communities with greater resources will choose to support the economies of those with less.


6. Build a network of courage and support

We seek to build an ever-growing network of people who understand the importance and possibility of community centred economies, and who are striving toward it. We will learn from each other’s successes and challenges.

We want to create, indentify and/or join appropriate networks and alliances so that, together we can develop Community Centred Economies that provide genuine wealth and livelihood for all.

The unexamined life is a life not worth living

Please click to open an enlarged and readable version in a new tab

I am a great believer in "first things first".  In short, my view is that, for long term lasting success, lay good foundations: deep spiritual practices; strong, enquiring minds; healthy, exercised bodies.  

We have to ask ourselves some deeply personal questions about body, mind, and spirit.  Each part of us requires its appropriate food on a regular basis.  Each part of us requires its appropriate exercise on a regular basis.  Each part of us requires human interaction on a regular basis.  Each part os us requires appropriate stillness and rest on a regular basis.

How do we do this and do it well?  Where do we begin?  The picture gives some clues.  You don't have to do each and everyone in the diagram and something might occur to you that is similar but not on the list.  But the best things begin with reflection.

A famous quote attributed to Socrates is: "The unexamined life is a life not worth living."  So if you don't know how to being your reflection, begin with this quote.  Find a quiet, comfortable place and think about you, your life, the people around you, your personal environment, the wider environment and your place in it.  Do this regularly.

You may wish to make changes to your life - but choose carefully.  As you make changes, they will affect your body, your mind, your spirit.  

For the body, here are sound diets and rubbishy, faddy, unhealthy diets.  Similarly, for the mind there is quality food and junk food.  Be selective about what you let in.  In the world of spiritual belief and practice, there are sound teachings and practices.  There are also unsound teachers with unsound, unhelpful, and unhealthy practices.  

Indeed, when one wants to move into the world of personal life change or personal development, there are plenty of people wanting to take your money and hook you up into the strangest ways.  There has never been a shortage of charlatans in the world - but often wise teachers take a while to enter one's life.

Turn  to the wise books 

from a variety of cultures and traditions.  

There is much to find.  

If you get stuck and need a helping hand - 

you can always write to 

misseaglesnetwork(at)gmail(dot)com.