Hello
This Mothers Day, my partner Stephen and daughter Miranda will join me in the 4klms walk as part of the MothersDay Classic, an event organised to aid Breast Cancer research. See www.mothersdayclassic.org.
I have a number of motivations. The first, to do something with the darlings of my life; secondly, to encourage me to move more!
This is a very good cause. Getting older has made me more conscious of health issues. I am shocked at how prevalent breast cancer is among women aged over 40.
From a professional point of view, it will be interesting to observe how 'the big guns do it'. That is, the professional, large scale charities.
I meet with a group of consultants, monthly, who specialise in working with NGOs. They offer a range of services from marketing, HR, fundraising and grant seeking. Some have completed the Grad Cert & Masters at the Aust Centre for Philanthropy and Non-profit Studies at QUT. I have learnt many things from this wonderful group of women.
We have discussed the ongoing sustainability of NGOs. I think of it all the time in relation to the small organisation that I chair. We have had many discussions about the value of philanthropy and what it means to organisations. Government funding can often be too restrictive and is not enough to do the work that is required.
Watch this space more, I will pick this thread up again as my thoughts evolve.
Some links of interest:
p://philanthropy.org.au/index.html
http://www.fia.org.au/AM/Template.cfm?Section=About
http://www.bus.qut.edu.au/research/cpns/
30 April 2008
25 April 2008
Social Entrepreneurship
Edgeware whose tagline is "Have fun, make money, save the world" (says it all really!) have announced a new round of their unique brand of training and support for start ups. This time in parternship with the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland to deliver the course focused on social enterprises.
Brisbane BYB (focus on Social Entrepreneurship)
Thursday 22 May, 9am-4.30pm
Thursday 29 May, 9am-4.30pm
Thursday 5 June, 9am-4.30pm
Thursday 12 June, 9am-4.30pm
Venue: Brisbane Central location, TBA
For further information contact Michael Doneman at www.edgeware.com.au
As an 'Edgie' I would definitely recommend this course to anyone wanting to develop any new business or add a business arm to an existing NGO.
Cheers
Michelle
Brisbane BYB (focus on Social Entrepreneurship)
Thursday 22 May, 9am-4.30pm
Thursday 29 May, 9am-4.30pm
Thursday 5 June, 9am-4.30pm
Thursday 12 June, 9am-4.30pm
Venue: Brisbane Central location, TBA
For further information contact Michael Doneman at www.edgeware.com.au
As an 'Edgie' I would definitely recommend this course to anyone wanting to develop any new business or add a business arm to an existing NGO.
Cheers
Michelle
19 April 2008
2020 Summit
Well I am back. I never really went anywhere. Yes I am committed to this blog, I just well haven't been committing my ideas to this column. I have thought of plenty, but time has escaped me.
Alas, spurned on by this weekend's 2020 Summit, I thought a blog with the title 'You gotta have ideas' should surely be participating in this national event.
I did attend, two weeks ago, a local 2020 Summit organised by my local Member, Kevin Rudd MP and the new Member for Bonner, Kerry Rea MP. I was impressed by the event. It did not include the 'usual suspects' of people who lobby politicans regularly. My impression was that it was very grassroots and I was more than impressed with the school students who attended.
Now the real summit is on in the big house in Canberra. I have read some of coverage and analysis; apparently Canberra hasn't been buzzing this much since 'Bob Hawke walked across Lake Burley Griffin on the night of the '83 election' (Bernard Keane, Crikey.com.au).
Tonight's coverage has been dominated by pictures of the milky skinned Cate Blanchett; having given birth only six days before was leading the discussion on Creative Australia. Thankfully, she exploded the myth that she is the embodiment of Superwoman by saying where she would normally have been:
"It is a measure of my belief in the weekend that I am here at all, as you could imagine I would rather be in bed," (ninemsn.com.au). But she is a Super Woman I reckon.
2020 participants had to submit 200 words on their big idea. But that wasn't all, they also had to submit 100 words outlining an issue where they have completely changed their views. Crikey.com.au invited participants to submit their entries and have published them on their website.
As a Mum, running a small business, I am often a couple of days behind the world, so I haven't submitted my big idea to the 2020 Summit via the net, so here, late at night, I will for the record cast some ideas to the wind.
In no particular order:
1. Mandate that sustainability frameworks are part of all government, private and non-government sectors decision making.
2. Rethink the current connections and structures between government,non-government and philantropic organisations in order to achieve better outcomes on the ground.
3. A bill of rights enshrining the right to a home. This will force the Commonwealth and State to take action and maintain action on homelessness.
4. State and Commonwealth Budgets to produce a Children's Budget. Every department has to do up a Children's Budget statement which indicates how their programs will affect children.
5. Allow community housing providers to use the equity in the government housing they manage in order to grow affordable housing stock.
6. Look at violence in our culture. Family violence, youth violence - how can we get rid of this really destructive flaw in our communities.
And I have changed my mind on.....
My lecturer from Swinburne University told me about a program in the United States which provided mostly African-American sole parent mothers with housing. In order to maintain that housing they had to enter into education or training programs. Most exited into private rental or home ownership after completing their qualifications. Apparently this program lifted a generation of sole parent led families out of poverty. This represents an example of thinking differently, of beyond left and right. As a committed leftie, I am shuddering at the thought of the words I have just written. But with results such as those, thinking differently might just do the trick.
Good luck to the 2020 participants. The summit has been bagged by some quarters of the commetariat. 'It has to come out with stuff, it is just a talkfest.' yea, yea. I have every confidence that good ideas will emerge. I have faith in a process that facilitates people connecting with each to talk about making our country the best that it can be in 2020.
Cheers
Michelle
Alas, spurned on by this weekend's 2020 Summit, I thought a blog with the title 'You gotta have ideas' should surely be participating in this national event.
I did attend, two weeks ago, a local 2020 Summit organised by my local Member, Kevin Rudd MP and the new Member for Bonner, Kerry Rea MP. I was impressed by the event. It did not include the 'usual suspects' of people who lobby politicans regularly. My impression was that it was very grassroots and I was more than impressed with the school students who attended.
Now the real summit is on in the big house in Canberra. I have read some of coverage and analysis; apparently Canberra hasn't been buzzing this much since 'Bob Hawke walked across Lake Burley Griffin on the night of the '83 election' (Bernard Keane, Crikey.com.au).
Tonight's coverage has been dominated by pictures of the milky skinned Cate Blanchett; having given birth only six days before was leading the discussion on Creative Australia. Thankfully, she exploded the myth that she is the embodiment of Superwoman by saying where she would normally have been:
"It is a measure of my belief in the weekend that I am here at all, as you could imagine I would rather be in bed," (ninemsn.com.au). But she is a Super Woman I reckon.
2020 participants had to submit 200 words on their big idea. But that wasn't all, they also had to submit 100 words outlining an issue where they have completely changed their views. Crikey.com.au invited participants to submit their entries and have published them on their website.
As a Mum, running a small business, I am often a couple of days behind the world, so I haven't submitted my big idea to the 2020 Summit via the net, so here, late at night, I will for the record cast some ideas to the wind.
In no particular order:
1. Mandate that sustainability frameworks are part of all government, private and non-government sectors decision making.
2. Rethink the current connections and structures between government,non-government and philantropic organisations in order to achieve better outcomes on the ground.
3. A bill of rights enshrining the right to a home. This will force the Commonwealth and State to take action and maintain action on homelessness.
4. State and Commonwealth Budgets to produce a Children's Budget. Every department has to do up a Children's Budget statement which indicates how their programs will affect children.
5. Allow community housing providers to use the equity in the government housing they manage in order to grow affordable housing stock.
6. Look at violence in our culture. Family violence, youth violence - how can we get rid of this really destructive flaw in our communities.
And I have changed my mind on.....
My lecturer from Swinburne University told me about a program in the United States which provided mostly African-American sole parent mothers with housing. In order to maintain that housing they had to enter into education or training programs. Most exited into private rental or home ownership after completing their qualifications. Apparently this program lifted a generation of sole parent led families out of poverty. This represents an example of thinking differently, of beyond left and right. As a committed leftie, I am shuddering at the thought of the words I have just written. But with results such as those, thinking differently might just do the trick.
Good luck to the 2020 participants. The summit has been bagged by some quarters of the commetariat. 'It has to come out with stuff, it is just a talkfest.' yea, yea. I have every confidence that good ideas will emerge. I have faith in a process that facilitates people connecting with each to talk about making our country the best that it can be in 2020.
Cheers
Michelle
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