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- David Freeman is director of the Edmund Rice Institute for Social Justice.
Follow ERISJ on www.twitter.com/erisj_au or log on to www.erisj.org.au
A WEEK is a long time in politics, we are told – and what a week it was.
After a negative, largely uninteresting election campaign and its frequent 'race to the bottom', the near-deadlocked Federal election outcome has triggered a curious thing.
We can all sense the beginnings of – just maybe – a different political dialogue.
Necessity is the mother of invention, we are told.
This is historic.
We see the election of an indigenous MP, a hung Parliament, four Independents with something like the balance of power in the Reps, and the Greens with this in the Senate.
We sense widespread public rejection of spin and of cynical party machinations.
Who knows how it will all play out?
It is hard to think there will not be some movement on climate change, for example, or the ethics of political donations, or a revisiting of asylum seeker and other social justice issues.
The mainstream media may also find that its standard line of questioning, and personality-driven focus upon PM vs Opposition Leader, does not really cut it during this unusual – but welcome – state of affairs.
One observer on Twitter quipped: "It's like we got invaded by democracy and were completely unprepared for it."
Many in the not-for-profit community sector are buoyed too, as some of the issues Australia needs to address start to make their way into general discussion.
Public conversations matter.
They build understanding of human needs, and support for better outcomes for people's lives and dignity.
We need to keep talking about things that truly matter.
The 12 Social Justice Intensives that the Edmund Rice Institute for Social Justice in Fremantle each year provide another way for the public to have conversations about what matters when building decent societies for all.
Participants gain invaluable skills and networks along the way.
We look forward to your company.
Article in the Freemantle Gazette
GREAT news is afoot – we are seeing the emergence of a counter-trend to the self-centred ‘me’ ideology of the 1980s and 90s.The tide has turned against self-centredness and materialism.
If ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ is, in part, a PR strategy, it also generates invaluable practical contributions.
And we are seeing a turn away from corporate cultures where ‘greed is good’ toward more humanitarian and environmentally-friendly aspirations.
Gen Y is more socially aware than Gen X was, and more willing to do something about the social problems they see. Volunteering is up.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures from the 1995, 2000 and 2006 census showed a growth from 24 per cent to 32 per cent to 36 per cent of over 18s volunteering.
The 2006 census identified 713 million volunteer hours (on average 136 hours per volunteer pa).
New technologies also make it easier to become involved and have prompted the rise of national movements such as www.GetUp.org.au.
All of this is fantastic news for building decent societies.
The feel-good factor of being active for a worthy cause is contagious.
If you would like to catch some of this feel good action yourself, it is easy to become a volunteer and start ‘giving back’.
The Edmund Rice Institute for Social Justice (ERISJ) provides free training for volunteers. We invite registrations for our next workshop on August 28, from 9.30am until 12.30pm.
As well as various volunteer roles available with the ERISJ, we will commence five Social Justice Action Groups between 2010 and 2012.
The first will support the interests of Aboriginal Australia, and kicks off in September.
Find out more at www.erisj.org.au, or ring |9432 2400.
Register for our August 28 or November 20 volunteer training at admin@erisj.org.au.
The website also lists 12 year-round skills training events we offer to enable effective social justice action.
- David Freeman is the director of ERISJ.
