On February 16, Joey Rush will begin the long trek on foot from Melbourne to Canberra, with his faithful canine companion Jonty by his side. Setting off from the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Parliament House will symbolise the finish line for a project that has been months in the making. The twenty-nine year old has lived …
On the 21st of March 2010, whilst celebrating her 44th birthday Zahra Abrahimzadeh was murdered by her husband Ziaollah in front of their daughter and more than 300 witnesses. Chillingly, in his 2016 TEDx talk middle child Arman Abrahimzadeh says that he and his sisters ‘saw this murder coming, and it could have been stopped, it could have …
A young boy, now orphaned stands in front of his mother’s coffin surrounded by social workers. The look on his face – a mixture of devastation and confusion – will be etched on Jane Rowe’s memory forever. Working as a drug and alcohol counsellor in the 1990s, Jane witnessed first-hand how a lack of appropriate …
Tragedy struck Dr. Cathy Kezelman almost twenty years ago when her niece Angie died in a car accident. Working as a General Practitioner in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, Cathy thought she had a comprehensive understanding of grief. However this untimely death triggered previously buried memories and emotions to surface in her conscious mind: “I started having panic …
CEO of STREAT Bec Scott describes herself as a “super optimistic angry person fuelled by injustice, prepared to stand up for what is right, even if that means standing alone”. Bec was raised by parents who were very active in the community: “I was taught that we have a responsibility not just to ourselves but …
A Nambian girl is pictured collecting water from a river for her family. A maternal voiceover says ‘Change a life – sponsor a child now’, and the girl’s face turns to the camera and breaks into a radiant smile. Genna Radnan remembers being deeply affected by these World Vision and Oxfam sponsorship advertisements, often on …
There is one question that strikes all visitors to 100 Story Building in Footscray: ‘Where are the other 99 floors?’ Seeing the confusion wash over their faces, co-founder Lachlann Carter points out the trapdoor between overflowing bookshelves, supposedly hiding the rest of the venue. The inhabitants of each floor are completely up to the imagination – …
When Dan Poole starts explaining how his idea for Crepes for Change first formed, the story parallels how author J.K. Rowling thought up the story of Harry Potter. Their respective ideas came whilst sitting on public transport, in Dan’s case on his way home from university, and by the time they reached their stops the …
In my humble opinion, the world needs more people with the social conscience, kindness, intelligence, maturity, and quiet determination of Rida Hazim. Fleeing Lebanon just before her birth, Rida’s parents came to Australia as migrants with her older sister: “There was a civil war between Syria and Lebanon. My parents decided it was too politically …
Born in Yorkshire England, Christine Smith moved to Australia in 1971 and enjoyed a successful career as an employment consultant to people with disabilities and the long-term unemployed. Her aim was to understand the career aspirations of her clients and set them on the path toward their chosen field. Five and a half years ago, frustrated …