Dr Terry Leah (keynote speaker and facilitator of our upcoming mini-conference) wrote: Our aid budget is nowhere near close to the 0.7% of GDP that is the minimal target suggested by the UN. Instead it is at 0.21% and is threatened to fall even further. What is going on? Australians by and large have no understanding at all that their affluence is built on the hard work of poor people in the developing world. They feel no responsibility to do anything about their plight. Aid is an easy target for government spending cuts. What most Australians believe is that people …
The recent EcoArts conference lead me to thinking about Eco-lution – the pathway a person may follow in greening their lifestyle. There is a lot of information out there forcing us to be aware of social and environmental issues, many of us are hopeful we can make a change. Some of us feel inspired to make changes. Quite a few of us feel equipped to do stuff that will make a difference, a few feel empowered and have their hearts pumping hard, making changes. But we all need to feel supported. The aim of this mini-conference about the social aspects …
Terry Leahy, the keynote speaker and facilitator for our upcoming mini-conference writes: Global Sharemarket – Lowest Mark since 2012 The world has still not really recovered from the financial crash of 2008. European governments and the United States are still recommending austerity as the solution. In other words, cut taxes to encourage private investment. Wind back public spending. This solution has not worked and unemployment remains high, especially for young people in Europe and North America. The Chinese, who have created an economy that depends on selling consumer goods to the rich countries, are in trouble because their market has …
Terry Leahy, the keynote speaker and facilitator for our upcoming mini-conference writes: Policing Ownership of Wealth “Considerable money is devoted to policing the class system of ownership of wealth. Members of the lower classes who challenge this system by developing illegal shortcuts to wealth are attacked with superior force. The state attempts to maintain a monopoly of force and weapons. The middle class is warned and titillated by these stories of subordinate class insurrection. The story warns by letting the middle class reader know how much danger they are in from insurrection, how much they need the state to protect …
Russ has been working for decades in the Solomon Islands promoting permaculture with his project http://pacific-edge.info/ He began his permaculture journey in 1985 and has been active in the movement ever since. He will be a great inspiration and leader at our mini-conference. The Mini Conference about Permaculture in Society and Development The Program Is Shaping Up Beautifully After a quick round table, getting to know you we will start with a presentation from Terry, There will be some short presentations from Russ Grayson, Aaron Sorenson, Sheryl Wiffen and the Permablitz team. We will then call for input from all …