TAT Give 104

THE TIMES AUSTRALIA

GIVE

Vol. 1 No. 4

速

November 2015

WHAT’S

THE TIMES®

8

18

INSIDE

GIVE AUSTRALIA

Colour

the Black Dog

Kindness goes deeper than

random acts & being nice.

40

Connect to nature and boost your health and happiness

30 ets:

rfect P e P d n a s n e d r a G ie g Veg

your guide to volunteering

82

Aid and how it connects people

Welcome NOTE GIVE magazine exists to inspire, inform and ultimately drive action to foster a greater

THE TIMES

GIVE AUSTRALIA

Kindness goes deeper than random acts and being nice.................................................. 8

culture of giving.

Colour the Black Dog ......................................18

Through real stories, interviews, and

Veggie Gardens and Perfect Pets: your guide to volunteering ............................30

collaborations, GIVE magazine highlights the importance of ‘giving back’ and seeks to provide young people with opportunities where they can contribute to their communities and make a positive difference.

GIVE magazine believes that if everyone was to GIVE a little more time of day, GIVE a little more attention, recognition and GIVE more respect and love to one another – it can and will make a positive difference in the community.

As the next generation of decision makers, young people are the key stakeholders in

®

Connect to nature and boost your health and happiness.................................... 40 Disconnecting in order to reconnect.............46 Duke of Ed encourages community engagement in young people....................... 60 Let the locals show you their heart, their soul, and their smile...............................68 They may take our lives…but they’ll never take our dubious penalty..................... 78 Aid and how it connects people..................... 82 Connectivity Calendar....................................88

creating a better future and therefore it is important to engage and empower them to take action.

COVER IMAGE

GIVE Magazine believes that through volunteering and the act of giving, young people develop respect, resilience and gain a broader perspective to the world we live in. We believe that giving is a two way street where young people have the opportunity to help others in need, and at the same time improve the quality of their own life.

Artwork by Julie Newton of www.julienewton.com.au & @joojgoto Editor: Lucy Saarelaht | Deputy Editor: Niamh Slevin Contributors: Lucy Saarelaht

Hannah Sweeney

Jane Spence

Sarah Cannata

Niamh Slevin

Ashlea Witoslawski

Editor’s NOTE In a world dominated by pop culture and technology, we are supposedly more connected than ever before. But as I take the peak hour train to and from work every day, noticing the majority of people looking down at their tiny screens (myself included), the majority of these people looking tired, bored, lonely even; I can’t help but question, are we really more connected? Is this real connection?

As I flip through the pages of gossip magazines, noticing celebrities being held up on a pedestal, being encouraged to obsess over their every move, it again makes me wonder; how many people spend more time trying to look a certain way, act a certain way, rather than looking up and noticing actual people, real people, real role models right in front of them?

For this issue of GIVE we are exploring the meaning of connection. We are digging beneath the surface and discovering what it means to feel real, authentic connections and how this can add more value and meaning to our lives and the lives of other people.

We talk to the inspiring women behind The Kindness Effect, a social enterprise aiming to create a shift in human interaction; a change in the way we treat ourselves, each other and our world. We chat with an incredible woman who didn’t buy anything new for a year, Sash Milne, who disconnected herself from consuming material possessions and in turn was able to reconnect with the more important things in life. We also gain insight as to how art can play a role in breaking down the communication barriers and help connect those experiencing mental illness with someone to talk to.

We have grown up in a world where we are told not to talk to strangers, but the truth is we are ALL strangers. Strangers connected by what we give to others, what we share, what we learn - strangers connected by our stories and our experiences. Don’t be afraid to say hello, ask questions and talk to someone you may not normally talk to; don’t be afraid to have a conversation and connect with someone different - even if that someone is yourself. You may just learn something new.

Lucy GIVE Magazine is now on Instagram, follow us @givemagazine_

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Kindness goes deeper than

random acts & being nice.

By Lucy Saarelaht

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When we first think of kindness we generally think about the type of kindness we give to other people. We think about how friendly we are, how considerate we are and how nice we are to others. Doing a quick Google definition search even implies that the meaning of the word is more in relation to the kindness we give others.

I’m not saying this isn’t true, however, the fact of the matter is, kindness is much more than that.

After meeting with two of the inspiring women behind The Kindness Effect, Founder Kate Rizzo and Communications Manager Antonea Gilopidis, my thoughts have been confirmed; kindness does go a lot deeper than random acts.

The Kindness Effect is a social enterprise aiming to create a shift in human interaction; a change in the way we treat ourselves, each other, and our world.

“We are a very holistic organization,” says Kate.

“In everything we do, we try to focus on three main elements; ourselves, others and our world.”

“We believe kindness is at the grass root level of how we as humans should behave, and from that so much can grow.”

They run school and community based workshops, organise community outreach days and are also in the process of filming a documentary.

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The journey of kindness.

So where did it all start? The idea first came about from 25 year old Founder Kate Rizzo’s sense of feeling misunderstood and alone.

Reflecting on her past, “my parents separated, I moved school four times, experienced a lot of change.” Kate says she developed, “this sense of feeling alone.”

It was this feeling of loneliness that got her thinking about human interaction.

“I wanted to create something where people had a place to come together and feel connected.

The more and more I spoke to people, the more I found a lot of people were feeling like that, just misunderstood, or they didn’t have anyone they could really talk to.”

So she then created ‘A Hundred Days of Kindness’ – an Instagram page documenting random acts of kindness, social experiments, and motivational quotes to encourage people to connect more with one another.

“When I started A Hundred Days of Kindness it was about kindness towards others, acts towards others” she says, “and the more and more I was doing it, the more I struggled.”

“This was my first realization that in order to create any kind of change out there with other people you first have to go on that journey yourself and that’s where self-development comes in.”

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11 ‘Illustration by Ella Pearce’

Through their workshops, The Kindness Effect aims to provide people the chance to be in a safe environment where they can speak openly and honestly.

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Since then, Kate continued to spread her message and formed a small team around her, equally as passionate about the cause and it all, “grew really organically.”

“Every team member that came on board brought a new personality, a new vibe, a new idea and it just grew,” she says, “but I guess the seed, like the real source, was wanting to create community and real connection and unity, just bringing new people together in a really organic but, beautifully honest kind of way.”

The power of connection. encourages people to think and behave differently. They aim to break down the barriers that prevent us from feeling connected, moving away from feeling lonely to a sense of unity.

“I think us humans, we were never meant to be alone,” exclaims Kate.

“When people feel connected they want to be understood, they want their voice to be heard, they want to talk and speak honestly. I think it’s a solution to a lot of issues in our society.”

So how do we define connection?

In order to answer this question, both Kate and Antonea agree we have to take a step backwards.

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“Before you can even have an authentic connection with someone else you have to be your real self, your real authentic self,” says Kate.

citizen in the community, The Kindness Effect believes we can create social change in the world.

“We have connections with people every day, conversations with people every day - but it’s more about how authentic that connection is.”

But Kate emphasises again, this change can only occur once we accept ourselves.

“It might sound a bit doom and gloom but I don’t think a lot of us have real, honest, authentic connections with most people in our lives” Kate continues, “I think we show certain parts of ourselves to people depending on our past or if we’ve been hurt... but I think some of us put up a barrier.”

“I guess it’s a fear of judgement” adds Antonea, “and not really knowing or feeling like you can be your true self.”

Through their workshops, The Kindness Effect aims to provide people, both in schools and within the community, the chance to be in a safe environment where they can speak openly and honestly.

“We want to encourage people to move towards honest communication, real connection, even eye contact, (in addition to) telling yourself that you’re special every day” voices Kate.

A shift in human interaction.

Through self-growth and discovery, connecting authentically with others and being an active

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“Self-love is the seed” she says, “the trees aren’t going to grow if they don’t have a seed, just like self-development, we can’t grow without the seed of self-love.”

“I’m not saying it’s easy and I’m not saying you can’t have connections with other people if you don’t love yourself. We want to encourage people to go on that journey and ask themselves, ‘Am I being my authentic self?’ ‘Am I following my passions?’ ‘What do I like about myself?’ ‘Am I proud of who I am?’”

Antonea chimes in, “we want to encourage people to move away from a negative way of looking at things to a more positive way.”

Indeed. Because when you are more open minded and positive, you are more accepting of others and are more likely to value their worth as well as your own.

Through their self-development workshops and cultivating kindness, the end goal is to create citizens that impact their community in a positive way.

So, I had to ask the question, are we on the right path to creating this shift?

“A lot of people are open to it,” responds Antonea, “more people are waking up.”

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is, that is the most powerful. It’s through these real connections that communities prosper and we can achieve some pretty unreal things together.

“I’m an optimist,” adds Kate, “I think people are becoming more aware, more aware of what they’re eating, where their products are coming from, like their impact on the world in a bigger sense.”

Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

“I even see in school (through our workshops), the younger and younger they get - they are starting to think more not just about themselves, but the impact they have on other people and their impact on their community.”

The Kindness Effect is an inspiring reminder of the importance of connection and what it really means to be human. Follow their journey on Facebook and Instagram.

Like Kate says, we all connect with different people every day but it’s that level of authenticity, and how genuine this connection

c The Kindness Effe

t team

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Inspiring Minds ‘Illustration by Juliet Sulejmani

15 @thejulietreport

JUST DO

Sho

ShoutFor

O-NATE.

out.

rGood.com

Colou

the Black Do Text by Lucy Saarelaht & Images by Kristie Donnelly

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ur

og

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There’s no denying it, mental illness can be pretty tough to talk about - for both the person suffering and for those around them. If you haven’t lived with depression or anxiety, it can be difficult to understand what it’s really like – and too often when we don’t understand something, we have the tendency to sweep it under the rug.

For the person suffering, this can be incredibly discouraging and isolating, preventing them from speaking up at all.

Twenty-nine year old builder from Melbourne, Jordan Canham is wanting to change this and has come up with an idea to use art as a starting point.

“I’ve always wanted to help people through tough times but have found it difficult to start the conversation” says Jordan.

“Sometimes you don’t know the right thing to say straight away. So I felt that, with art as a starting point, a discussion could then flow.”

Introducing, Here’s My HeArt: a nonfor-profit campaign to inspire the giving of art in order to encourage a conversation between you and someone you care about.

“It’s a way of connecting and sharing a conversation with someone” says Jordan.

“I want to inspire people to give or create a piece of artwork, whatever that is, and in turn that puts a smile on someone’s face... It’s a way of showing you care.”

Having grown up with an interest in all forms

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of creative art, Jordan wanted to come up with a simple, long-lasting and universal idea, combining his passion for art with his desire to help others.

“I had thought about helping various causes but, when I realised a few people close to me were suffering depression, my next step was obvious.

The idea of art was always in my mind and it all just clicked with how it could work” exclaims Jordan.

“Art appeals to everybody, be it music, movies, painting, drawing or photography. It can help a conversation flow and provides a lasting piece of work for someone to keep. The fact it can be kept and turned to when you can’t be around is a reminder that you care.”

After setting up a Facebook and Instagram page to share artwork and raise awareness on the cause, the Here’s My HeArt campaign quickly gathered a support base inspiring all types of people to get involved.

Although still in its early stages, Jordan says the response has been overwhelming. Both professional and non-professional artists have jumped on-board wanting to collaborate and support the cause.

But one of the most rewarding responses he says has been the growing number of people speaking up and sharing their own stories of mental illness.

“People I’ve known for quite a while have approached me with their own stories of dealing with depression and it really hit home that it happens to anyone.”

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Art appeals to everybody, be it music, movies, painting, drawing or photography.

It can help a conversation flow and provides a lasting piece of work for someone to keep. The fact it can be kept and turned to when you can’t be around is a reminder that you care.

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With one in five Australians suffering each year, everyone is bound to know someone experiencing some form of mental illness, whether they share their struggles with you or not.

The one thing that is apparent though, is the need to talk about it, the need to start these conversations and the need to let people know they are not alone.

“Talking about it is one of the most important things in the recovery of anyone suffering.

Everyone naturally wants to help someone they care about but I think a lot of people just don’t know where to start” says Jordan.

In terms of plans for later down the track, Jordan is excited for what’s in store. Building on the Here’s my HeArt concept, he is currently is the process of collating an interactive book as an outlet for people to express their feelings and creativity.

“The idea is for it to be given to someone as a conversation starter and you’ll be able to draw on the templates together and create your own collection of memories, plans and love” says Jordan.

“I’m just about ready to finalise the layout with a graphic designer and looking at a release early 2016.”

“Showing you’re willing to talk about it and attempting to understand mental health may be enough to encourage someone you’re close to feel comfortable enough to discuss it with you.”

By promoting awareness and encouraging people to talk more about mental illness, Jordan says he really hopes to foster a culture of understanding and break down the barriers that prevent people from seeking help.

Because even if we don’t completely understand something, we still owe it to the people we care about to make an effort to do so.

It starts by showing your HeArt. You may never know just how much that small gesture means.

The Here’s My HeArt message is simple: everyone can help anyone through anything, with a little bit of HeArt.

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To get involved in the Here’s my HeArt campaign, whether you’re an artist or not, Jordan encourages everyone to have a go. It’s for a great cause, so show some heArt and flick him an email at: heresmyheartfoundation@ gmail.com Instagram- @_heresmyheart_ Facebook www.facebook.com/heresmyheartfoundation

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On behalf of GIVE Magazine and Here’s my HeArt - a big thanks to The Meadow for kindly letting us use their awesome venue and of course to the following artists for letting us use their works in our photoshoot: Black & Red Heart - www.druxe.tumblr.com &

@druxe_

3 Colourful Ladies - www.julienewton.com.au

@joojgoto

The Best is yet to come - (c) www.tracey-english.co.uk &

@traceyenglish

World Map - www.makusart.com &

@makusart

Green couple hugging - www.ghostpatrol.net &

@ghostpatrol

Couple kissing - www.hugomathias.net &

@hugo_mathias

@timregardtattoo

Roses (both) -

Heart Shells - www.jimmynails.net & Lexi Loves -

@itsjimmynails

@1_woman_disrobing

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: s t e P t c e f r e P d n a s n e d r ggie Ga

Ve

your guide to volunteering

By Ashlea Witoslawski

A big pa rt of our beliefs at people fr GIVE is om all wa driving lk s of life to change. W create po e aim to sitive drive this producin c hange th g a greate rough r culture o enough f f giving. I or us to s t’s easy ay, ‘Hey! make the Get out t world a b here and e t t e r place’, bu to GIVE t we wan you advic t e a n d opport help you unities th connect at w ith yours wider com e lv es and t munity. he

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t

eriod Projec

Melbourne P

Melbourne Pe

riod Project

Melbourne Period Project (MPP) ‘time of think about the struggles of homelessness. That we n whe ed look over n ofte is that thing one It’s The stressors that women on the street face every day. the month’ is bad enough without having the extra ing support and sanitary products to women experienc , care ide prov to aims ct Proje d Perio e ourn Melb nteers products or drop off donations to over 100 volu homlessness. People can donate money towards rg ess of the project, MPP founders Donna Soltzenbe succ g lmin whe over the to Due e. ourn Melb nd arou month. reach, supplying around 1200 Period Packs each and Natalie Cruz have continued to expand their Baby. and sanitary products.” Ms Soltzenberg told Essential food een betw se choo to have en wom eless “Hom e for one week each month can make a huge differenc “It sounds like such a small thing, but that bit of help .” on their feet and out of the cycle of homelessness back get them help can and en wom e thes of life in the ness, rtunity for not only women experiencing homeless These two amazing women have created an oppo Ballarat, of the population can relate! With hubs in Geelong, half over all, after ; lved invo get to yone ever for but The of opportunities to offer support to these women.

Bendigo Echuca and Gippsland, there are plenty off , get involved through donation or become a drop back give to way t grea a is ct Proje d Perio e ourn Melb zone and extend a helping hand. check out MPP site: For more information on packs and drop off points http://www.melbourneperiodproject.org.au/

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Veg Out

Veg Out

Enjoy the nearby ocean waves and screams of people hurling around Luna Park as you tend to the Veg Out Community Garden in St Kilda. Formerly a lawn bowling green, this organic, chemical free garden contains over 140 plots that contain a range of different veggies, herbs, flowers and art. This creative hub allows members, friends, families and community groups to get their hands dirty whilst sharing and creating great, new friendships. Veg out is always looking for new volunteers to get involved by helping out and even taking on new garden plots! Visiting on a Sunday is a great opportunity to get involved and see the workers in action on their busiest day. It is also worth noting that the first Sunday of every month are the Working Bees, where you can show off your green thumb.

To find out more, visit their website: http://vegout.org.au/

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i ce v r e ly S k e e The W

ritual, meaning and Bringing connection, lives is the humble purpose back into our Service. The main message of The Weekly r being human; focus is on gratitude fo d nurturing the living here and now an of us. Each Saturday goodness found in all le meet to discuss morning at 11am, peop der to connect with a range of topics in or sive environment. one another in an inclu under of the project Henry Churchill, co- fo religious faith, the says, “I love the idea of d the community kindness it can instil, an t alignment to a it creates. But withou prophet, I find myself particular doctrine or

The Weekly Service Notes from one of The Weekly Service catch-ups

consumed with co nstant demands in all areas of my life, overly focu sed on my career, an d with little time to think ab out life, or to get to know and love my community . The Weekly Servic e helps me and others reim agine how we’re sp ending our time on this stun ning planet and ho w we can relate to each othe r”. This is a perfect chance for you to meet som e great people and share your experiences th at may help others . Be sure to check out The W eekly Service as they plan to expand into wid er communities an d develop connections betwee n more and more in dividuals.

Visit ‘The Weekly Se rvice’ to join a discov ery with like-minded people .

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Open Table

Open Table meal at Athe

rton Gardens, Fitzroy

Open Table

This amazing initiative is based on two key ideas- reducing food waste and meeting the neighbours. Open Table was founded in Brunswick, when a few likeminded people got together to create some greater good in their community.

Australia’s flawed food system encouraged the team to drive change, which has led to many successful meals and connected people from all works of life. In Australia, over 8 billion dollars worth of food is wasted or 1 out of every 5 grocery bags. Open Table fights this, by giving a second chance to food that would go unused. You can get involved! Simply volunteer your skills in the kitchen or offer ongoing project support. You may even like to share a meal in your own neighbourhood. Check out the calendar page for more details about where this month’s events will be held.

Visit the website to find out more about this amazing organisation: http://www. open-table.org/

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SADs

ing all dogs get

ean a no kill policy, m e av h e m e ch S Dog

le at Save a The great peop ave a great life! h to ce n a ch e th

SADs

Based in Glen Iris, Save A Dog Scheme is a community based animal welfare organisation that saves hundreds of cats and dogs from being killed each year. In 2013, the group saved 96.8% of dogs and 93.3% of cats and is an established leader in the no kill policy movement.

Working hard for nearly 30 years, they are dedicated to changing the culture surrounding pet adoption and creating a great quality of life for these animals. SADs also has another property in Yarrambat, which gives temporary shelter to dogs and cats awaiting adoption. Become involved in many ways and help save the lives of animals in need. You can help with general maintenance and tidiness of the shelters as well as farm type jobs at the Yarrambat shelter. It may also interest you to foster an animal, providing them a loving home before a more temporary placement. Maybe you’ll be unable to give them up!

Check out the SADs website to find you how you can get involved: http://saveadog.org.au/

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One of the backpacks that

Backpacks 4 VIC Kids

BP4VK supplies

Often kids are placed in foster care or emergency accommodation with little more than the clothes on their back. The number of children living in out of home care has risen by over 40% in the last five years across Victoria. Backpacks 4 Vic Kids strives to change this, by providing kids with the essentials to help with the transition. By providing toiletries, blankets and clothing amongst many other great items, they are able to aid the change for foster kids and their foster care families. With over 10 drop off points around the state, Backpacks for Vic Kids is solely run by passionate volunteers. Established this year, an amazing 509 backpacks have already been delivered, with an aim of 600 by the end of 2015. You can help and get involved in many different ways- providing goods, your time, fundraising and donations. Help out with packing and picking up items, create a fundraiser at your school or anything that you can think of which enables this great organisation to reach their goal!

To find out more about this great charity, visit the website: http://www.backpacks4vickids.org.au/

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The Welcome D me dinners hav inner Project e been held acr oss Australia

Over 70 Welco

Conceived on her travels in 2009, Joining the Dots Founder, Penny Elsley realised the world needed a great re-awakening’ to improve our interconnectedness.

Joining the Dots is based on the belief that we can all build connections that bring about the changes we want to see in the world. The team work tirelessly to help communities create meaningful encounters which lead to positive, influential and sustainable relationships. Through this, a greater increase in social cohesion and diversity acceptance oocurs. In 2013, the primary initiative ‘ The Welcome Dinner Project’ was launched. This simple concept creates a sense of community between established and newly arrived Australians in the hopes to break down social and cultural boundaries. By joining one another over dinner, people are linked in the shared value of connectedness. In its humble beginnings, The Welcome Dinner Project began as one-off projects in Sydney. It is since a successful campaign that just celebrated its 70th dinner. Get involved and volunteer with this outstanding organisation. You never know who you’ll meet and what you’ll learn.

Visit the website for info on how to get involved: http://www.joiningthedots.org/index.cfm causes nisations are out their supporting different It’s amazing to see how many different orga for helping others. Get inspired and help in and doing it out of their own love and passion and help support some wonderful groups of whatever way you can! Check out their sites rs may help you find new interests. Helping people! Giving back and connecting with othe e some outstanding changes in your own life. others create change, may drive you to mak Independent Media

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Connect to nature and boost your he and happiness

By Jane Spence

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e ealth Did you know an office worker spends about 5 years of their life sitting at a desk.

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When was the last time you explored nature? Freed your feet and put them bare on the grass? Listened to the birds and separated each sound distinct from the other? Laid down and watched the shapes forming in the clouds?

We spend less and less time outside and more and more time inside - 90% of our time is spent indoors.

And we’re losing touch of our senses.

Think about your day so far. It’s likely that most of it has been within within some kind of box – your home, car, office, local shopping centre, gym - or in front of screens like your TV, computer and phone. In those boxes and in front of those screens, we’re missing out on all the benefits of spending time outside and in nature.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote about nature’s healing power: “In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.”

And that delight, that awe and excitement – it’s so good for us.

There’s a chorus of scientists and researchers singing the mental and physical benefits of spending time in nature.

Research has found that spending time in nature can help protect us against a whole range of diseases including depression, diabetes, obesity, ADHD, cardiovascular disease, cancer and many more.

Another study found that nature can help boost our immune system and yet another found that gazing at a garden can help speed healing from surgery, infections and other ailments.

Wow right?

Connecting to nature can even make us better people - more empathetic and with more meaningful relationships and stronger community ties.

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New research suggests that nature enhances our immune system

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Easy ways you can reconnect to nature

• Take your lunch outside to your local park or patch of sunshine

• Cloud gaze – look up!

• Sshhhhh…listen out for the birds

• Get up close and smell the flowers – literally

• Sign up to The Hello Nature Project to get a daily dose of nature throughout November

The Hello Nature Project wants to help remind you that you don’t have to travel outside of the city to find nature, it’s all around us, right here.

It’s the trees on your way to work, it’s looking up when you go outside at lunchtime, it’s your breakfast on your front step on the weekend and it’s our parks and gardens in the middle of the city.

We’re asking people to sign up to receive daily emails throughout November with a simple activity to help them connect to nature. The activities will include things like cloud gazing, freeing your feet and standing on the grass, listening out for birds and insects and taking your lunch outside.

It’s these daily connections to nature that can change a person – boosting your health, happiness and creativity and helping you become more connected to your community. www.hellonatureproject.com

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Nature can lower blood pressure, fight off depression, reduce stress - and even prevent cancer Independent Media

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Sash and her daughter Bo

46 Sash Milne

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Disconnecting in order to reconnect GIVE Editor Lucy Saarelaht interviews Sash Milne from InkedInColour

Could you go a year without buying anything new? No new clothes, no new accessories, shoes or makeup, no homewares, a whole year of no unnecessary product consumption? Aside from the basic essentials, that is exactly what freelance writer and mother Sash Milne did last year.

Given the fact that we live in a world full of consumerism, I would say most of us would find this concept pretty daunting. But for Sash, the Nothing New Project was really quite simple.

The whole point was to change her spending habits and come back to a place of simplicity, “where life becomes more about the people and the world outside our door instead of all the shit we buy,” says Sash. “Where our self-worth is about who we are, not what we have.”

Through shifting her perspective and changing old habits, Sash discovered the true power of connection. By disconnecting herself from material things that she didn’t need, she was able to discover and reconnect more with herself and look at the world in a different light.

I have loved following Sash’s journey on her blog, InkedinColour and wanted to learn more about what lead her to journey down this path and how it has shaped who she is today….

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What is the most significant change you have experienced within yourself from the moment you began the Nothing New Project to now?

As a young woman I seemed to have this idea that I had to do grand, amazing and very public things to prove that I was successful. I was constantly plagued by the idea that I wasn’t doing enough.

That my life would mean nothing if I wasn’t able to prove my worth to the world. By 25 I thought that I had failed, because I hadn’t achieved the things that I had wanted to, in fact I had fallen flat on my face again and again. I felt like a failure. I felt like I had lost the race to the imaginary finish line. I made a few drastic changes in my life that all lead me on the path that created the journey of the Nothing New Project. I have changed as a person because of that journey, but perhaps the most significant change has been the letting go of the need to be something amazing - and the absolute surrender to living a life that is simple and beautifully ordinary. My own definition of success is no longer based on what I believed I had to prove to the world or what the world expected from me - but instead on the nature of my relationships, on my ability to be kind (both to myself and to others) and on living my very own truth. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being ordinary. Good food, deep compassionate friendships, loving and laughing, crying deeply, existing without shame, falling without the fear of failure: isn’t it the most ordinary of things that are the most beautiful after all?

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Our entire culture is based around how we look and what we wear and what we own. There is this expectation that we should be perfect.

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This issue of GIVE is themed around authentic connection. Drawing from your experiences can you tell us about the power of connection and what this means to you?

True connection for me is simply defined as a genuine and compassionate exchange within a relationship of any kind. This can be within ourselves, within our families, our communities or on a much larger scale.

We live in a world that is shrouded in a lot of hate and inequality. We place different values on different human lives. But we can’t fight hate with hate. I know many of us look at the political and social landscape of our planet and feel a lot of fear right now, and it feels as if we are powerless to make a change. It is true, we cannot change other people - but what we can do, is surrender with great loving kindness to our own communities - like all true change, it starts at home. The only way to create true connection in our communities is to yield gently and without judgement. To live peacefully and to look up and out into the eyes of the people around us and find our compassionate hearts.

When we trust each other and surrender to each other - we create a space where we can build relationships with people who may be different to us in almost every way - these connections, however small, are built on trust and equality and not on competition and comparison. When we make every transaction an opportunity for true human connection; strong resilient communities follow.

With connection comes relationships, with relationships come community.

We are all in this together after all.

And what about disconnection? What are the benefits of disconnecting?

When I talk about disconnection I tend to be talking about two different things. Firstly, disconnection from social media and the great hyper connectedness that is our online lives. Hyper connection is a breeding ground for social anxiety and we are all becoming less and less practiced at basic human connection. Disconnecting from technology from time to time and instead reconnecting with the world helps us to bring balance back into our relationships. with our families, our friends and our community. I also think there are great benefits in disconnecting (briefly) from the busy-ness of the world around us and reconnecting with ourselves. Learning to love ourselves and be comfortable in the landscape of our own mind is an important skill for each and every one of us. Sitting in stillness and acceptance of ourselves is a kind of meditation that not only allows us to reconnect with ourselves but it helps us to process our inner world with a loving kindness that is hard to manage in a state of constant noise.

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GIVE You have mentioned before that getting over yourself is the key – how did you learn to let go of your ego and was this easy?

The key to letting go of ego is perspective. Without perspective we are all just walking heads, lost in a world created purely by our own memories and imaginings.

When we are able to gain perspective, we are able to gain empathy and understanding not only for ourselves (and therefore stop giving ourselves such a hard time) but also for the world around us. Learning to let go of ego isn’t easy, in the Western world we are programmed to be selfish and self-serving. Our entire culture is based around how we look and what we wear and what we own. There is this expectation that we should be perfect.

The word perfection is synonymous to ‘finished,’ ‘superior’ and ‘unflawed,’ - my journey to truly simplifying my mind began when I honestly understood that I could never be any of these things. So instead of beating myself up about the fact that I’m a work in process, that makes mistakes, that is consistently riddled with flaws - I could begin to embrace the fact that imperfection is not only natural, it’s a beautiful space from which to grow further as a person.

It takes a commitment to mindful thinking and acceptance of the self to truly begin to let go of the incredibly powerful voice of the ego inside our own minds. The only way we do this is by being gentle with ourselves and trying to do a little better every day. When we are gentle to ourselves, and start to let go of those inner voices that tell us we are not good enough, our inner world becomes much more peaceful and therefore less important. It then becomes easier to look outwards more. It is easier to be gentle with the world.

For me personally, it is a constant journey of letting go.

It’s never finished. The ego is always there. It’s learning to live and let go, every single day. It’s a space from which we can truly make a difference to the world around us, a space from which we have more to give to other people.

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with being ordinary.

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What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses? How do you embrace these?

My greatest strengths are at times also my greatest weaknesses. I am undeniably stubborn and emotional and certainly can be terribly impatient. I am an introvert who really needs my own space and quiet to process the world. I am coming to stage in my life where I am no longer trying to be things that I am not. I am self aware enough to be able to recognise when I need to adjust my behaviour or let go of a train of thought that is not serving me. My stubbornness, emotional connections and impatience work well when it comes to pushing for social change and grass roots initiatives - but they certainly can work against me if I’m not careful. I make lots of mistakes and put my foot in it often - especially when I’m tired. I always try to embrace my need for time alone by often retreating from the world - and I no longer apologise to the world for needing to do so (there goes that ego again) - the world goes on just fine with out me.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would you change?

I would turn the running of the world over to the Earth’s mothers from all walks of life. Old, rich, white men have had their time - and let’s face it they haven’t been doing a very good job.

On behalf of the team at GIVE we thank Sash for sharing her insights with us. Her ability to live on less and focus on the heart of the matter has inspired me to become more conscious of my own spending habits and realise it’s the simple things that matter the most in life.

You can follow Sash’s blog: InkedInColour here.

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Duke of Ed encourages community engagement in young people

By Niamh Slevin

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It’s always surprising to reflect on the past and realise the huge impact certain people or memorable experiences have made on your life and what direction they have lead you in today. When we open ourselves up to new experiences we discover more about ourselves and foster deeper connections with the people around us. This connection is especially important for young people as they realise the role they play in a community and the difference they can make.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (DEIA) has become the world’s leading youth achievement award and are aware of this need to encourage young people to develop into mature and active citizens who positively contribute towards society.

Currently present in more than 140 countries and having reached more than 8 million young people, it’s all about individual challenge and presents a balanced, noncompetitive and enjoyable program of voluntary activities designed over three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Participants create their own unique program of activities over a set length of time across five sections including Service, Skill, Physical Recreation, Adventurous Journey and Residential Project.

Gold Awardees Emma Wiggins, Joshua Harbourd and Vanessa Mae Cohen have all completed their Awards and agree that this program has built a strong relationship between themselves, others and their wider community.

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Emma Wiggins, Toorak College “During my Residential Project at The Portsea Camp I was able to give children from disadvantaged backgrounds a fun week’s break at the seaside. It sounds so cliché but seeing the smiles on their faces made the long 18 hour days entirely worth it! One of the children had their birthday on the camp so we ran a small party for them with some of their friends from their home town. Many of these children had never been to or celebrated a birthday party. It was just magical to be able to give a child their own party and watch them have so much fun.

I would love to continue volunteering now that I have completed the Award! They were only children, sometimes as young as eight years old, but they were so inspiring. Despite their circumstances they were determined to have fun and were so open to new people and new experiences. I learnt so much from the challenges of this experience (teaching kids to swim for one) but mostly from the kids themselves.”

Joshua Harbourd, Mount Alexander College “I started volunteering for St John Ambulance in November 2012 for my Service section of the Duke of Ed Bronze Award. All I knew about the organisation was that they provided first aid at events. I was bit apprehensive at first but I haven’t looked back after 3 years and more than 800 hours of service.

As a member of the Moonee Valley St John Ambulance Cadet Division, I have developed my first aid skills and obtained first aid qualifications including Advanced First Aid and Advanced Resuscitation (Oxygen and Defibrillator). I have also helped out with the cadets at the Division and was a group leader at the 2015 Cadet Easter Camp. Another memorable experience as a cadet was to march in the ANZAC Day parade. My volunteer work gives me a great sense of satisfaction as I am giving back to the community.

My experiences with St John Ambulance have also made me realise that I want to pursue a future career in nursing. I look forward to making the move from being a cadet to an adult member with St John Ambulance and continuing with my volunteer work.

Completing the Award has helped me develop my self-confidence and made me more community focussed. I’ve had so many rewarding experiences and I feel a sense of personal achievement and pride in the numerous activities that I have completed throughout my journey. The most important lesson that I have learnt is to keep on going even if you lose motivation as the rewards at the end far outweigh the challenges that you face.”

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Vanessa Mae Cohen “The Adventurous Journeys and the Residential Project were definitely major highlights of my Gold Award. I went to Wollangarra Outdoor Education Centre in Eastern Victoria to complete all three trips and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. They gave me the opportunity to hike up mountains, sheer sheep, rebuild hiking tracks on mountains and gorges, camp and sleep under the stars. Most importantly I was able to help a community who had been affected by recent bushfires to get back on their feet in the mountains.

My most memorable moment was standing on the highest point of the hiking track around the Macalister Gorge and looking back at the track I had cleared with a group of young people. We had cut away the bushland that had grown over the track and cleared the trees that had been burnt in the recent bushfires so that in the future, people of all ages and walks of life can enjoy the glorious walking track.

The Award has definitely prepared me for my future career endeavours because it has encouraged me to work collaboratively with others as well as being able to work independently on different tasks.

Throughout the course of my Duke of Ed experiences, I have gained so much more confidence in all areas of my life. In the future I would love to become a primary school teacher and work in a rural area of Australia to support kids who may not have as many facilities or opportunities.”

Emma, Joshua and Vanessa Mae have achieved so much during their Award and deserve to be recognised for all their hard work and success. They are among 72 Gold Awardees who will be receiving their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at the Gold Award Gala on December 5th at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne.

If you would like to find out more about The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award or the Gold Award Gala event visit www.dukeofedvic.org.au

Let the locals show you their heart, their soul, and their smile.

By Niamh Slevin

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It can all start with a smile. A friendly, welcoming gesture that is a universal sign regardless of language, culture or race.

We are living in a highly connected world where opportunities to experience first-hand international cultures are plenty. Seasoned travellers would have a wealth of knowledge but even those willing to dip their toes into the pool of curiosity would have interesting stories about the people they’ve met.

How could I forget John, the Aussie backpacker who helped me and my friends navigate the streets of Budapest, or Skye, the friendly American on a mission to see every country in Europe.

Then there’s Will, the eccentric englishman, the two Swedish girls I shared so many meals with, and of course those Scottish roommates who provided hours of entertainment.

There is no doubt these fleeting connections made a difference to my time abroad but when you travel to the heart of country and make an effort to interact with the locals, you are fostering a connection that goes much deeper than having an extra travel buddy. The impact these native residents can have on you is tremendous, altering your whole perception of the world with lessons that will stay with you for a lifetime.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

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Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

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During my recent trip to India, I peeled back the image of the Tai Mahal and the ever so famous Bollywood scene to explore the real people and culture of this breathtaking country.

I was moved after the lunch I shared with many locals at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, a Sikh temple in Delhi that operates a free kitchen. It’s run by self-less volunteers who prepare and cook donated food to feed over 30,000 people a week regardless of faith, gender or background. To this day I can still remember sitting with the volunteers in the kitchen as they taught me how to prepare the roti. Even though not a word of english was spoken, I was completely content to be in the presence of their smiling faces and pure generosity. I have found after this experienced I can connect with others on a deeper level as someone who spent time walking in another man’s shoes and learning what others around you value.

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Madelyn Collins volunteer trip to Sri Lanka.

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As someone else who is well aware of the power of shared experiences with locals, Deakin student, Madelyn Collins spent two weeks in Sri Lanka working on developmental projects in the Ampara region.

“As a group of 20 english speaking university students, we travelled to a rural community in a developed country after raising money for the region to go towards infrastructure and water irrigation. During our stay we worked on many projects, one of which was planting mango and banana trees at several schools so they can then go on to sell them within their community, creating a sustainable income for the future. This trip really showed us exactly where our funds had gone and the exact impact we were making.”

However, Ms Collins came to realise most of these developments would take time to come to fruition rather than seeing instant changes.

“It’s very easy to want to be a change agent but it takes hard work, efficient planning and a supportive team. It’s not realistic to expect the world to do a complete 180 but I know we’ve contributed to the lives of future generations.”

On the other hand, her presence made a huge difference to the school children. “The best days as a group were spent interacting with the kids. They were so genuine and loving, it

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really proved to us that you don’t need material possessions to make you happy. It was beautiful to see that the tiniest little things meant so much to them for example, they all wanted to have our signatures as if we were famous.

The ways we connected varied all the time, we played sports with them and even though we didn’t speak the same language our friendship seemed to go beyond words.”

Ms Collins was no longer just a tourist looking from the outside in. She was a welcomed guest at all the schools with a strong desire to explore what it means to be a local.

“I think after travelling, a part of you gets left behind in every place you go and along with the memories, a new part of you is created. No matter how short the trip is, you’re never really the same in a good way.”

Experiencing life on the other side of the world encourages you to make the most out of all these passing connections and really begin to live in the present by opening yourself up to new experiences. Once you stop scrolling through instagram filters and put the camera away, you truly absorb what’s happening right in front of you and foster meaningful connections in the most organic way.

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To seriously ill children around Australia, wishes are powerful.

They create hope for the future, strength to battle life-threatening illness and joy from their unique once in a lifetime wish experience. Help us unleash the incredible power of wishes by donating today!

DONATE NOW makeawish.org.au 1800 032 260

They may take our lives‌but they’ll never take our dubious penalty

By Hannah Sweeney

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GIVE Every second ad at halftime shows ‘The World In Union’ the official catchphrase for the rugby world cup 2015. Yeah it’s a pun, ‘rugby union’ for those English football fans who care not for the code’s full title. But does it really bring the world together? As an Aussie living in London perhaps a more apt catch phrase would be ‘the world in opposition’ followed by ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie’ then ‘Oi Oi Oi’.

I attended a game at Twickenham, bought a ticket on the day, sat up with the gods, second row from the back in the 82,000 capacity stadium and survived without even a nosebleed for Australia V Scotland.

‘Scooootland’ was chanted for the full 80 mins.

Aussie fans were completely drowned out and scared. But not as scared as the Aussie players who were booed and could be seen, even from my seat, shaking in their little footy boots, missing kicks and fumbling around. Somehow we won. A dubious penalty 3 mins before full time. We took it and hoped like hell to be better in the semi finals.

The assault that followed on the Wallabycoloured-clan included “you should be in prison, for that robbery today” from one ex-Scotland player. The ‘you’re a colony of convicts’ chant at the station before we left, on the train for the full 9 stops then sung a third time for us by a group of scots running beside our tube the full length of the platform.

Yes, they made it personal. We could have said ‘you may take our lives, but you’ll never take our… dubious penalty’ but we didn’t. Because

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we respected the fact that we were in their neighbourhood and their loss meant not only Scotland or even the United Kingdom but the entire Northern Hemisphere was out. So we let it slide.

I did however love the kilted, face painted, flaming-red-haired-wig-wearing Scots. The thick Scottish accent behind me in the 75th minute saying ‘Ooh it’s exciting stuff’. The Aussie rugby players who thanked us for our support by staying on the field for photos well after the whistle blew. A Scot playing Star Wars and ACDC on the bagpipes as 77,000 people walked to the station smiling. Even Brian McFadden spotted at the pub was forced onstage to sing a song stating “Ireland, how sh*t were we against Argentina?”…I digress.

Excusing those who don’t give a throw in about rugby, the question remains…is the world united or in opposition over the world cup?

One point clarifies for me that it was far more of a united experience overall… I attended the game on my own.

How did I manage to have such a good time and meet so many great people? Where strangers, in sorrow and celebration, turned into my friends? Our love of watching guys tackle each other and kick a ball actually did unite us somehow that day in Twickenham.

To the fans of nations knocked out far to early in the comp… If at first you don’t succeed try and try and try again. Then at least you’ll have 15 points, 21 with conversions.

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Aid and how it connects people

By Sarah Cannata

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Schools, teachers, food, access to basic sanitation… they’re the things we can all admit to taking for granted at times.

However, we can’t ignore the fact that certain regions are denied what we as Australians consider part of our daily lives.

In September this year, world leaders gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to agree to the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

The Global Goals are a series of ambitious but achievable targets that work towards the end of poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and tackling climate change over the next 15 years.

By banding together globally, by 2030, our children could be living in a world that’s vastly different to the one we know today.

The ‘why?’ behind it all is very simple: it’s all about people.

When we are brought into the world, we all embark on life as kids, reliant on those around us to ensure we’re kept safe until we’re old enough to look after ourselves.

Regardless of gender or background, every child should start its life with the same potential.

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Is it fair that a child born in Australia automatically has a better chance of living a happy and healthy life as opposed to a child born in a less fortunate region? The answer isn’t to turn our backs away from underdeveloped countries. The answer is to help these people to lift themselves out of hardship and to build a better future for themselves via Australian aid. After all, every life is created equal.

Sometimes, we tend to look at the world around us and bury ourselves in the enormity of the situation. The problems may seem too big and all consuming. But together, we can make a difference – progress isn’t inevitable but when you look at what Australian aid achieved in 2014 alone, we see that it is possible.

According to Campaign for Australian Aid, in 2014, Australian aid has: • Built more than 9,000 new classrooms.

• Trained over 100,000 teachers.

• E quipped more than 400,000 farmers with better technology.

• I ncreased access to basic sanitation for over 1 million people.

• R esponded to emergencies in 24 countries including Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and flooding in Solomon Islands.

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And yet, recently, seen the Coalition slash a recordbreaking $11.3 billion from the Australian aid budget.

The dire situation has led Campaign for Australian Aid to launch a bold new video and campaign (http://dearprimeminister.org) asking Australians to send a letter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to let him know they’re for Australian Aid. Taking things a step further, they’ve also launched a confronting newspaper advertisement in The Australian newspaper. The Australian aid newspaper advert leaves Malcolm Turnbull lost for words.

“Come on Mr Turnbull - we’ve gone to the effort of writing your speech for you, now you just need to make the announcement so that Australia can join other leading nations in the fight to end extreme poverty,” said Executive Officer for the Campaign for Australian Aid, Tony Milne.

“Clearly, Australian aid is an issue that’s left the ever-eloquent Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, lost for words. The fact remains that we need all politicians and political parties to support more and better aid.”

So while we can focus on politicians, statistics that prove Australia has failed to fulfill our global promise of investing 0.7 per cent of our GNI to aid and anything else that creeps its way into our

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dialogue, one thing should give us the answer we’re looking for: this is about people and leaving no one behind on the journey to 2030.

Kids hurrying off happily to school each morning.

Families being able to provide for and support their children.

Peaceful people, free from concern about where their next meal will come from.

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It all comes back to people and that’s exactly why we’re for Australian aid.

Join us in calling on Australia’s Prime Minister to stop cutting Australian aid, and investing in a more prosperous future for your region and the world, by sending him a letter via the dearprimeminister.org website.

Sarah Cannata is the Communications Officer for Campaign for Australian Aid.

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Connectivity Calendar As we discuss connection in this issue of GIVE, It is important to step back and understand the meaning of this and how it can affect our daily life in many ways. When we feel connected to someone or something, we feel comfortable, understood and trusted. To help you feel connected, we have compiled a list of events to get involved with this month.

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Head over to Fawkner Senior Citizen Centre and join Open Table for a feast!

1pm-3pm, 77 Dukes Road, Fawkner. Check out the info here.

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Get down to St Kilda and join the Veg Out working Bee. All green thumbs welcome. There will be live music, food and entertainment, including a petting zoo. Click here to find out more 11pm-5pm, Corner of Shakespeare Grove and Chaucer Street, St Kilda.

Get stuck into some delicious strawberry dishes at the Yarra Valley Strawberry Festival. They festival marks the beginning of the strawberry picking season and is a fun family day out; hosting more strawberries than you have ever seen! Find out more to be even more enticed!

10am-4pm, 40 Jones Street, Lilydale

The Yarra Valley Strawberry Festival marks the beginning of the strawberry picking season!

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After three years of negotiations, the Sustainable Development Goals were agreed upon by the 193 member states of the United Nations. Join in the conversation and enjoy some food for thought with the Melbourne Development Circle, Monash Sustainability Institute and Save the Children. Find out more information here.

6pm-8pm, Donkey Wheel House-673 Bourke Street, Melbourne

World Leaders have committed to 17 Global Goals to achieve 3 extraordinary things in the next 15 years- end extreme poverty, fight inequality & fix climate change.

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Happy 1st Birthday Backpacks 4 VIC Kids!

Here’s to helping double the number of foster children in the year to come!

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Head to The Old Bar in Melbourne to support the Melbourne Period Project. There will be entertainment and food to help raise funds and gain supplies for the great cause. Click here to find out how you can help.

7:30pm, The Old Bar- 74-76 Johnston Street, Fitzroy

Check out The Weekly Service every Saturday in November at 11am. Each week the conversational topic is posted on Facebook, so hit it up for details!

Nest Coworking, 829a High Street, Thornbury

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Backpacks 4 VIC Kids Annual General Meeting. This is the perfect opportunity to get involved and become closer with the organisation. Help with the charities ongoing sustainability.

Find out more on their Facebook: Backpacks 4 VIC Kids.

38 Toirram Crescent, Cranbourne

Get those old clothes and runners on, it’s Colour Run time! If getting fit whilst being hit with paint powder is your thing, then this is the

event for you. The Colour Run Australia has raised over 1.5 million for over 50 charities since 2012. Find out how to sign up here!

2pm, Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Road, Flemington

Mark Kolbe, Getty Images

The Color Run is a five-kilometer, un-timed run, where thousands of participants are doused from head to toe with our coloured powder at each kilometer.

If you loved the first two Open Tables this month, check out this meal in Collingwood. Meet new faces and share your experiences. Learn more about this great organisation here.

1pm-3pm, Collingwood Neighbourhood House, 253 Hoddle Street, Collingwood

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Get involved in the People’s Climate March. In the hopes to create the world’s biggest climate march, cities and people around the world will march together as world leaders meet in Paris for the

United Nations Climate Summit. Let’s create positive change and put an end to the use of fossil fuels. Connect and get involved here.

Join hundreds of thousands of Australians as we march for a transition to renewable energy, for secure job creation, for clean air, for a healthy

5:30pm, State Library of Victoria, 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne

environment and a safe climate.

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Etsy Made Local Melbourne

The market is carefully curated with a range of sellers focusing on jewellery making, art, craft, fashion and more.

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Come along and discover some interesting and unique finds at the Etsy Made Local Melbourne Market. Spend the day wandering through an eclectic mix of stall holders and discovering new creative talent. To find out more, click here.

9am-3pm, Rupert on Rupert, 73 Rupert Street, Collingwood

Connecting newly arrived people with Established Australians through food and conversation.

The last Open Table for the month! If you’ve visited the last three this month, maybe it’s time to get involved and help out the kitchen!

1pm-3pm, East Coburg Community House, 32 Nicholson Street, East Coburg Luisa Brimble- Broadsheet

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