GDay World 391 – Jon Dee, Founder of Planet Ark and Do Something
Posted on 24. Aug, 2009 by Cameron Reilly in activism, climate change, environment, future makers, Podcast, social activism, social responsibility
A few days ago I had a chance to chat with Jon Dee, founder of Planet Ark and the new Do Something! initiative, about his life and goals. We talked about everything from his involvement in Rock Aid Armenia (where he pulled together a list of top Brit Rockers to perform a charity concert and record a new version of Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water” to raise funds for earthquake victims in Armenia) to deciding, with friend Aussie tennis pro Pat Cash, to start Planet Ark, and his new venture Do Something!, which aims to create positive social and environmental change.
Here’s the version of Smoke On The Water that Jon produced back in 1992!
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Australians Are Racists
Posted on 25. Jun, 2009 by Cameron in Australian media, Australian politics, social activism, social responsibility
"Aboriginal people are 13 times more likely to be locked up than other Australians."
That’s a figure that comes from the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC is a division of the Australian National Council on Drugs, a Federal government body) report "Bridges and Barriers – Addressing Indigenous Incarceration and Health".
There are about 750,000 aboriginal people in Australia out of a total population of about 23 million. They comprise about 3% of the total population. But, according to the report:
"One in four prisoners in Australia is Indigenous and their over-representation in the jail system is only getting worse."
3% of the population – 25% of the prison population.
And it’s just getting worse.
"In the decade to 2007, the number of Indigenous Australians in prison rose by 6.7 per cent a year, on average.
Aboriginal people went from comprising 18 per cent of the prison population to 24 per cent."
Why?
Obviously it’s a complex issue and there are lots of reasons, some that go back 200 years, but I believe the major reason is this:
Aussies are racists.
And I know most Aussies are going to hate that – but I think it’s true.
Wikipedia defines racism as:
"… the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race."
Ask most Aussies why they think one quarter of the prison population is Aboriginal and I guarantee you most of them will shrug their shoulders. They just don’t care. Why? Because we’ve been programmed not to care. We’ve been programmed to think aboriginals are just lazy, child-molesting alcoholics. Unless, of course, they excel at an Anglo sport, such as athletics or footy. Then they’re alright. Or if they excel at an Anglo art – musicians and actors, they’re okay too. Or if they become a politician and survive in the Westminster System (the form of government instituted by their occupying power) – then they’re alright in our books too.
But as for the other 99% of the Aboriginal population – we’ve been told, over and over, by the mainstream media and successive governments, that they are mostly just lazy, child-molesting, petrol-sniffing alcoholics who don’t appreciate the money we throw at them, who drive a car until it runs out of petrol then leave it by the side of the road, who rip perfectly good fridges out of houses and leave them to rust in their backyards.
So most Aussies just shrug their shoulders, as if to say "what more can we do?".
Meanwhile, a 45,000 year old civilisation is being wiped out in our backyard.
A people who lived in harmony with nature for 45,000 years, who lived sustainably, who didn’t feel the need to go out and invade other countries, a civilisation that was already 40,000 years old when the Great Pyramid of Cheops was built – is being wiped out as a direct result of the Christian invasion and occupation of their country.
Our country.
Imagine if the headlines said "One in Four Prisoners is Muslim". I think that would create more of an uproar. I guarantee you a week from now, people won’t even be talking about this issue in the press.
But we’ll still be talking about Neda.
We’ll still be talking about Andrew Symons.
We’ll still be talking about Utegate.
We’ll still be talking about Transformers 2.
We’ll still be talking about whatever we’re told to talk about.
Just not the Aboriginals.
Racism isn’t just when you put on a white robe and burn people on crosses. That’s just an extreme expression of racism. That’s just a convenient version of racism that lets the rest of us off the hook. We can say "oh I’m not a racist".
Meanwhile, we let a 45,000 year old civilisation disappear.
I think we’re guilty of the same kind of insidious racism that allowed the people in Germany 60 years ago to turn their heads while their Jewish population were being lead out of their homes.
It’s the kind of racism that says "they don’t look like me – so it doesn’t matter."
If we – the people – don’t talk about it, the politicians won’t talk about it.
Oh they will – they will have committees, Kevin Rudd will say sorry for the lost generation – but it won’t be a major focus.
He’ll spend his time looking after the interests of mining companies and banks.
He’ll spend his time worrying about how to get re-elected.
But the Aboriginal people of Australia are a long way down the list.
It’s up to us. We need to make this a priority.
We need to say "not on our watch".
G’Day World #340 – Hilary Mine, MD (Australasia and North Asia) Alcatel-Lucent
Posted on 20. Aug, 2008 by Cameron in environment, General, Podcast, social responsibility
This morning I was given an opportunity to interview Hilary Mine, Alcatel-Lucent’s Managing Director Australasia and North Asia, about the launch of the Alcatel-Lucent Broadband Environment Challenge 2008 they did this morning in Melbourne with Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
The Challenge looks to award the Eckermann-TJA Prize ($10,000 provided by Alcatel-Lucent) for the best paper on broadband telecommunications applications and/or solutions that have the potential to deliver significant benefits to environmental sustainability.
Hilary and I discussed how the Challenge came together (this is its second year) and some of the ways that broadband might be able to contribute positively to environmental sustainability. Hilary mentioned that she telecommutes one day a week to show her senior team that it is possible and practical. I think more large Australia companies should be encouraging their staff to telecommute. As I mention in the show, we were talking about this stuff back at Ozemail in 1996 and it surprises me that it isn’t more commonplace yet.
More information about the competition can be found at www.tsa.org.au. Entries close Monday 6 October 2008.
To be completely up front (as you know I always am), this is a paid gig and my client is Alcatel-Lucent.
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G’Day World #318 – Bill Liao
Posted on 11. Mar, 2008 by Cameron in Australian media, entrepreneurialism, motivation, Podcast, social activism, social responsibility, success
Bill Liao is one of those guys I just love to talk to. He’s smart, successful, humble, visionary – and nice to boot. Just who the hell does he think he is?
Apart from being a successful serial entrepreneur and a co-founder of Xing.com (a massive social networking site based in Europe), Bill is also driving an amazing project called Declare! where he’s encouraging everyone to make a “Declaration of Global Citizenship”. I spoke to Bill earlier today about his background, his motivation, his vision for the human race and what we’d all do if we’re ever taken over by lizard aliens from another planet. Strap yourselves in kids – this show is pretty awesome.
The music track today is:
310
“Fortuitous Bounce” (mp3)
from “Sixes and Sevens”
(Conduit Records)
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