Pebbles

On Being Income Managed

2011-11-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

As the mother of a two and a half year old, on a low income with my partner, I am eligible to receive a Parenting Payment from Centrelink, our Australian Department of Human Services. As a family we highly value living simply on a low income with a budget we manage carefully, as well as working hard in a holistic way – i.e. not just in paid employment. This Parenting Payment has been of great benefit to us in allowing me to care for our son in keeping with our lifestyle values, while working in a voluntary capacity where I can. So you can imagine my surprise when I received a letter from Centrelink informing me that I was to be compulsorily income managed.

What an odd experience! I found myself looking over my own shoulder, not quite sure how to react. My ego was of course immediately affronted. What do you mean you don’t think I can manage my own finances? Who gives you the right to decide that? And, how do you decide that? The fact is, I am quite proud of the way I manage my finances, and do not care for anyone else to interfere with that. But then of course, I am receiving a payment from the Government, so is it their right to decide what I do with it? Or, is it my right to receive that payment because in this country we have committed to a decent income for all and value the work that parents do in looking after their children?

There is one more thing – I am white, middle class and educated. I am not used to being told what to do and I do not like it. It just so happens that my family and I have recently relocated to a remote Indigenous community and consequently are living in an area where income management is compulsory. So, if my Indigenous neighbours must be income managed then why shouldn’t I?

Shopping for basics....

In 2007 income management, amongst other measures, was introduced as part of the Federal Government’s Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER or more commonly known as the Intervention), targeting all Commonwealth i

ncome recipients in 73 Northern Territory Indigenous communities, quarantining half of their payments, specifying what the money was not to be used for and where it could be spent.

The purpose? Supposedly to help families better manage their money and look after their children. The inherent assumption? That Indigenous income recipients can not manage money or their families. How insulting, paternalistic, racist – and just annoying.

The outcome? Official studies show no clear evidence of the program’s benefits outweighing the possible harm. For example, the Menzies Health Research Unit’s thorough statistical study of purchases pre and post the introduction of Income management in a group of stores showed no statistical evidence of better purchasing patterns after implementation. Apart from making people’s finances significantly more complicated, the primary outcome I can see has been to make people feel less empowered and less in control of their lives – something that can only have negative consequences. I do not see any evidence that it has influenced people’s spending habits, just as it has not affected mine. People know what they need and want to buy and so they continue to do so, navigating the system accordingly eg using the 50% of funds that is income managed to buy their food and pay bills, and if they chose to do so, spending the rest on those things they aren’t allowed to buy through income management – cigarettes, gambling, sharing directly with family, etc. It is in effect taking away responsibility from people in making choices about what they do with their income and how they manage their responsibilities. Surely this only increases dependency on welfare systems?

I am also aware that the sharing of the Basics cards, (an EFTPOS type card only accepted in income management approved stores,) is very common and therefore does not prevent the “humbugging” – a term I had never heard used so commonly before moving here, used to refer to the ongoing requests for money from relatives and friends – that the Government seems to think such a problem. People live in extended family groups here and they share their resources. Forcing people to have an extra account with an extra card does not change this.

For myself, my options were to accept income management and apply for a Basics card, which is accepted at all services and shops in this community (the options being so limited anyway), or not accept the payment and try to live off a reduced income whilst we raise our children.

Last week, however, I discovered that it is possible to apply for an exemption from income management. All I had to do was participate in a phone interview consisting of questions such as : “Do I have problems with people asking me for money all the time?” “Do I pay my bills on time?” “Do I save money and put aside money for big bills?” “Do I have a mortgage?” “Do I have any debts or have I had to apply for any urgent payments or loans from Centrelink?” All of these I answered verbally with no further evidence required to verify my answers. The only documentation I had to provide was a medical certificate of attendance for my son, presumably to show that I take him to the doctor and he is not neglected (if he was of school age I would have needed to provide a record of attendance). What a humiliating process for anyone to have to go through.

I am now exempt from income management for 12 months and must then reapply. I have since learnt, however, that only approximately 10% of people who apply for exemption are granted it, highlighting my awareness that it was the colour of my skin and upbringing in the dominant culture that made it so easy for me, further confirmed by the embarrassment conveyed by Centrelink staff who I dealt with at the awkwardness of the situation. Moreover, there is a bribe of a $250 bonus every six months to encourage people to stay on income management voluntarily, which I was offered and refused.

In 2010, under pressure from UN criticisms of the Government’s suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act that had allowed it to apply income management to Indigenous people alone, the Government amended the policy and extended it to most income recipients in the Northern Territory on a non-racial basis. Since then, despite the scant evidence of positive outcomes, little official support and various formal inquiry and submission processes, (e.g. The Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry for which more than 80 submissions were received – almost all opposed to the extensions of forms of coercive income management,) the Government has chosen to further extend the program to what it defines as “appropriate target areas” with higher than average numbers of Commonwealth income recipients. New legislation passed in June 2010 was supported by both the Government and the Opposition and only opposed by the Greens.

Consequently, the Government now has the power to apply income management anywhere in Australia and from 2012 it will be applied in five new areas in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia at a cost of $4000 per recipient per year in staff and administration (based on costs in the N.T.).

In her article on income management for Arena Magazine, Eva Cox writes:

“The use of initiatives like the Howard government’s Intervention to maintain policies that are discriminatory against minority groups and racist in origin, is seriously problematic. What is interesting is that few in the progressive community are looking at these areas of social policy and considering what needs to be done to move back to a human rights and equity model.”

Why is that? Is it because it doesn’t affect us? I admit that it has been very uncomfortable for me to recognise my own increased interest and indignation at the policy since its imposition on myself. Or, is it our lack of knowledge and understanding that causes us not to act?

I think there is also a general sense that we, in the dominant culture, do not really know what is going on in Indigenous communities, which is understandable as most of the information we receive is filtered through Government channels and the media, leaving us uncertain as to how to respond. We are told that child, domestic and drug abuse in Indigenous communities is rife, that communities are falling apart, that something must be done! For sure, there is gross inequality and disempowerment in Indigenous communities but one thing I can tell you, continuing to further disempower people is never the answer.

As dominant culture Australians we must not continue to support policies and programs that continue to disempower Indigenous communities, however well intentioned they may be. We need to ask ourselves – are Indigenous people gaining control over their lives through this? Are they being empowered? Or does the power remain with those in the dominant culture?

Reference:

Income Management – Eva Cox Arena Magazine, 08 2011-09 2011 No 113 pg. 38-39

Jessie Pangas joined the AHED team in Galiwin’ku in July 2011.

Click here to go to Why Warriors Blog

The Community

2011-09-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

It been a loooong time since we blogged and its high time we started again. So much has changed too! We are living in a totally different world now having moved from an Island at one end of the country to an island at the other. I have just finished reading a report: Indigenous Health and Education: Exploring the Connections, a research project into Health and Education that was undertaken here in Galiwin'ku and published in 2003 and it has a great little introduction to the community so here it is:

The Community

The remote community of Galiwin’ku, is on an island off the coast of North-East Arnhem Land 500 kilometers east of Darwin. There is a population of approximately two thousand Aboriginal people who refer to themselves as Yolngu and around 100 non-Aboriginal people (referred to as Balanda). A mission was first established there in the 1940s and subsequently large numbers of people from different clans in the region were drawn to that location for various reasons. As a result most of the residents are not living on their own traditional estates although many live for varying periods of time on their homelands.

The past fifty years have therefore been a period of dramatic cultural, social and economic change although many of the features of traditional lifestyle have been maintained to some extent. All children continue to learn a Yolgnu language as their first language and English has little relevance to everyday life. Although Christianity has had a pervasive effect, traditional Yolngu belief systems and ceremonial practices remain central to the lives of most people. Hunting and gathering are still highly valued activities although most people rely on the community store and take-away shops for most of their food, particularly during the week, and many of the often overcrowded households do not have refrigerators or functioning stoves.

Galiwin’ku, like most remote Aboriginal communities, is economically disadvantaged: few salaried jobs are available in the community and many of these are filled by non-Aboriginal people. The majority of Yolngu in the community receive either social security payments of participate in the Community Development employment Program (CDEP) programs (i.e. work for the dole) with little opportunity to move into paid employment. The community school has preschool , primary and post-primary sections but secondary level education is available only by correspondence. There is also a community health center staffed by Yolngu health workers, Balanda nurses and doctors.Serious illness and premature death are impacting increasingly on everyone in the community. The little available systematic data that has been systematically collected suggest that chronic diseases such as diabetes, renal failure and respiratory illnesses are rapidly increasing. For example, the number of people identified with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) in the region is growing markedly. Dialysis treatment for Yolngu with ESRD is only available in Darwin, which results in the person with ESRD – and often many of their extended family – relocating 500 kilometers from their home. This relocation is often highly stressful with many distressing consequences for both the patient and other family members.

Misuse of substances, particularly petrol, kava and increasingly marijuana, is of continuing concern to many Yolngu. As the community is ‘dry’, that is, alcohol is banned, alcohol abuse is not common but Yolngu do go to other centers, including Darwin, to drink, some for short periods and others for many years. In this community, the average age of death (excluding perinatal deaths) in the period between 1992 and 2000 was forty-six (Knight, 2000).

Indigenous Health and Education: Exploring the Connections. A Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health Research Project Report.Anne Lowell, Elaine Maypilama and Dianne Biritjalawuy, 2003

Present

2010-06-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

A friend gave us a present yesterday, the best kind, a piece of her own art work. I love it. It is so unique. I tried to put in a poem what I saw in this piece. These are my words and interpretation not Liz's.

Liz Pinner, Pen & Ink Drawing

Guardian

Bent, insisting to love and see.
Delight, poring into his little life.
Gushing over the potential.
Protector of hope, “It’s OK"
“I will call you by name"
"I will fix my eyes on you”.

Admiration
I am seen, I am safe
Call me by name, custodian of soul
Don’t look away, for I exist only in your eyes.

locked on, healing each other, dare not to look away.

BP

Image used with permission

Brain Freeze

2010-06-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight at footy training it was freezing, 3 degrees with a heavy fog. It had been a week since I last trained and I felt it, I should say the three burritos I stuffed in just before I left didn’t help either.

As I rest my aching body in front of the tele, a documentary called ‘The brain that changes it’s self.’ has just finished. (my house mate suggested reading the book)

Neuroscientist have recently uncovered the ‘mirror neuron’ or the ‘Gandhi’ Neuron. These neurons which normally fire when you poke the patient with a needle (pain neurons), will also fire when the patient watches another patient being poked. Neuroscientist are suggesting these mirror neurons are connected to empathy and that we are hardwired to share another persons feelings. As I Google ‘Mirror Neurons’ there are many more writings about this relatively new discovery. One short video used the yawn as an example of the mirror Neurons at work ....yawning can set off a chain reaction of yawns in others. This they suggest is connected to 'empathy'.

It sounds like these brain wizards are just entering an whole new realm of new understanding, one commentator said ‘at least one thing was clear: mirror neurons matter, and we are only beginning to understand how much and how.’

“The mirror neurons, it would seem, dissolve the barrier between self and others.”

……something to share with the footy team next week

Hooray for Grandma!

2010-05-08T21:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Mothers Day! Thank you for the book it's Noah's Favorite.

Behind closed doors

2009-11-16T02:21:00.000-08:00

Today was somewhat of a non-event really. I woke up and suddenly it was 3 o'clock. I'm sure there is supposed to be 8 hours between 7am and 3 pm but there wasn't today. Nor was this an isolated event, on the contrary, it has become a disturbingly regular occurrence for me of late.

In a desperate bid to redeem my day I searched my small world for one significant thing that I could do before giving up on today altogether and waiting for tomorrow.

I visited a friend.

People are never a waste of time.

This friend and I, well, we've known each other for two years now and been good friends for half of that. We are nothing alike but I love her - our differences compliment each other I think.

Anyway I popped in and after knocking on the door for the 3rd time, was just turning on my heel to leave, when the door was opened to me and I inadvertently stepped into the middle of domestic mayhem. The particulars I wont discuss but the language was flying, the doors where flying, opinions where flying and there was a least 6 people trying to make themselves understood at once. It was fantastic!

I hate conflict. I am a peace lover. If I had lived in the 60s I would have made a great hippie. I would much rather site on the sidelines, (particularly if its under a palm tree), than be involved in anything that even has the possibility of leading to conflict, so to feel this way about such a blantant confrontation was completely new for me. I took myself by surprise. But to see people I love so unguarded was brilliant. So passionate, so involved. I admire that in them.

And there was something bigger happening. For the first time in this relationship I was there behind the closed doors - not just afterwards ... to talk about it. There was no masks, no pretense just people dealing with life the best way they could, out loud. I loved it. I loved being there and being able to be a part of that. That people can know me so well that they trust me to see them when their guard is down. Its a new level of friendship - its very real and its a priviledge.

J

Tea Time

2009-10-23T01:40:00.000-07:00

"And the truth will set you free"

2009-09-18T03:59:00.000-07:00

TA (transactional Analysis) experts say there’s a parent tape in our head that say’s things like: you can’t, you shouldn’t, you should, you didn’t! These voices are formed in the past and not only do they prevent us from trying new things they suppress our ability for expression, intimacy and self-awareness – a defiant script ripping us off our fullest potential. For myself I recognise these 'tapes' as procrastination, writers block, fear of failure and depression. Faith is generally talked about as putting trust in a God, in something outside of oneself and thus finding salvation. This I find this so much easier than the faith I need to trust in myself my own expressions and my own potential. Hears to a new life of Faith, a faith in me, a me made in Gods image and his latent potential.

Jolly Jumper

2009-07-04T04:49:00.000-07:00

This thing looks like so much fun! Its the perfect thing for Noah's non-stop legs, if only they made them adult sized.

COMMUNITY

2009-07-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

This Month, TEAR and Forge are running a conference in our suburb, themed 'Community'

This will be a unique conference, the Rocherlea community will be hosting the conference and have been amazing with their support. The community center has offered us the hall, the local child care center has opened for us to use all their facilities for childcare, the manager of the child care center is volunteering on the day, locals are cooking food, serving lunch, and billeting speakers. We also have non Christians coming along whom are passionate about building their community.

Presenting

Ant Edler
Ant is a member of Third Place Communities, a team of missionaries seeking
to express the hospitality of God in social contexts
such as pubs, cafes and homes around Hobart. He is also a
qualified youth worker and works with disadvantaged youth, teaching life skills
and developing community. Ant is in the early stages of pioneering a mission
to a low socio-economic suburb in Hobart and will share a host of stories to
inspire and inform those wishing to build community locally.

Besta Poni Peters
Besta Poni Peters works for the Migrant Resource Centre in Launceston. A
migrant herself, her story starts in Sudan working as a social worker. Now here
in Northern Tasmania as a bi-cultural family support worker and she is helping
new communities to develop and integrate. She also works in a local
womenʼs shelter. These two worlds give Besta a unique perspective on
community development both here and abroad.

Darryn Altclass
Darryn Altclass is a missional practitioner with direct experience in initiating
and developing the incarnational approach in difficult settings across
Australia. Locally with a group of friends he pioneered Third Place
Communities—a collective of missional churches geared for social contexts
such as pubs, cafes and homes. He also lectures part-time in Spirituality,
Mission and Evangelism at Tabor and in various other forums around the
country. Darryn is co-author of The Forgotten Ways Handbook with Alan
Hirsch, a book on Missional Practices. He lives in Hobart with his wife Corry &
their daughter Georgie.

Dave Andrews
Dave has lived and worked with marginalized groups of people in Australia
and overseas for more than thirty years. Dave is particularly interested in
radical spirituality, incarnational community, and personal and social
transformation. He is an author, a lecturer and a powerful speaker.

"I cannot speak too highly of Dave. He is an extraordinary individual; He is
arguably the most outstanding community development worker both
theoretically and technically to have graduated from this department (The
Department of Social Work of the University of Queensland) in the last
decade."
Tony Kelly - Senior Lecturer in Community Work University of Queensland

“It's natural to think of Dave Andrews as a prophet: (with) his fiery passion, his
concern for justice, and the way his life speaks even more eloquently than his
words.”
Brian McLaren

Livingston Street Project - Speakers to be decided
Two years ago, two families purchased a sloping block of land in South
Hobart with the dream of building their family homes around the principles of
mission, sustainability and community. Each house was architecturally
designed, with a common deck and shared living spaces to foster relationship.
Michael, Julie, Daniel and Kylie (and children Aja, Mimi and Naomi) are also
members of Third Place Communities, and will share their experiences as two
families developing a middle class mission in the suburbs.

Rocherlea Story – Speakers to be decided
A handful of committed followers of Jesus wanting to live a life of mission and
community have moved to Rocherlea to work relationally, to build on the
hospitable, generous and loving spirit of the Rocherlea community. This
initiative has provided some lessons and insights most valuable to anyone
wanting to strengthen their community.

Stephen Said
Stephen works with TEAR Australia as the National Youth Coordinator and is
part of Forgeʼs training network. A sought after educator, coach and writer
focusing on issues of social justice, poverty, discipleship, missional
leadership, and the work of TEAR internationally. Stephen is involved in
young adult ministry and a new faith community in the north eastern suburbs
of Melbourne as well as facilitating short term exposure experiences to developing countries for young
adults.

Steve & Felicity Turner
The Turners have been involved in ministry for many years, with various
ministry outfits and churches and currently serve with Forge and Youth for
Christ in Queensland. They have six young adult children and are sought after
by their grandson Tyrell and many people who call them or turn up at their
home for dinner on Monday nights. They started a missional community called
Joshua Tree, along with some other crew a few years ago and this continues
to grow, and morph, involving itself in all manner of community activity and
mission. They are involved in training, building projects and community
development in South Africa and best see themselves locally as trying to raise
an army of western missionaries.

As most of the workshops will be held in lounge rooms around Rocherlea, my hope is the non lavish, hospitible venue will speak more of mission and community than the speakers themselves.

Visit TEAR's website for registration and more info. CLICK HERE

Warming your Insides

2009-05-28T04:27:00.000-07:00

Thursday night. Zac’s cooking night. Shed night. Space to be creative night, (not because other nights are not creative but just in case we are so swept up in the mundane for the rest of the week that we have at least one night set aside to explore possibilities).

This night, it is just Ben and I, (don’t worry we have the baby monitor on). The fire is all black and grey and red and orange, glowing, warm in the way that only a fire is warm, soaking into you, warming your insides and I am happy just sitting here in front of it.

How quietly blissful it is to do nothing more and how rare an occurrence in modern life.

This saddens me but it only seems that it is in these precious moments when I am still that the need and longing for many more of them can be heard.

I used to be so good at it. But then I didn’t really have a life. And now the pendulum has swung to the more normal extreme – at least in our culture.

And this brings me to one of the few attractions of TV for me. It allows me to allow myself to sit still. As much as I rail against it I actually love sitting down to any old thing (almost) and switching off. I see why it is addictive because when it is not on, which is most of the time, I and we are always doing something. My brain and my body just can’t sit still. I’ll just do this and then I‘ll just do this and then I’ll sit still. TV gives me an excuse.

But a fire is a so much better one.

As with TV, with a fire there is no need to do anything else. And as my body is warmed it relaxes and as my mind is freed, it does too. Free to wander, docile and aimless. Free to ponder and explore.

A theory: God gave us fire as a substitute for the sun in winter.
Just as we need the sun for life and spirit, so the fire does the same in a more unassuming, intimate way in winter. And perhaps it is not such a good thing that we are replacing it with machine regulated temperatures for it is about so much more than the temperature.

Truckloads

2009-04-25T02:06:00.000-07:00

As we potted our chillies plants this evening we pulled 140 chillies off them, (thanks Aaron and Cara). These are the hottest chillies we've tasted. Its just one year since we started the veggie garden and its has provided so much! This time last year we were despairing not having a productive garden. Its now humbling to think how much we have got from our plots. Broad beans, purple runner beans, scarlet runner beans, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, tomato's, cherry tomato's, onions, cabbage, lettuce, rocket, garlic, carrots, spring onions, strawberries, raspberries, leaks, khale, parsnips, capsicums, potato's, rhubarb, artichokes, peas, celery, pumpkin, beetroot, cucumber, and all types of herbs including my favorite basil. The only question now is what shall we plant next?

Swimming Lessons

2009-04-19T01:37:00.000-07:00

Woodheaters and Workshops

2009-04-09T05:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the first night I spent in our workshop and to be quite honest, I thought it would never happen.

Its been our plan all along. In fact, when we were looking for a house, we were looking for one where we could be creative and hospitable and when we got this one we automatically designated the shed as workshop and filled it with lots of dreams but unfortunately sheds also easily fill up with stuff. Most recently ours has filled up with drums. And that has been great because the neighbourhood kids hang out in there and we enjoy that, (as do they,) but the longer they have remained, the more distant grew my dream of having my own studio until I eventually gave it up altogether. Funny though isn't it, how when we give things up they somehow end up back in our laps?

Nothing has changed really. The drums still occupy a quarter of the space but Ben has worked really hard to clean up the rest and put in a wood heater that we were given by friends and now it is just a pleasure to be out there. Its getting cold now but still we can be toasty and warm out there in the evenings and I am thinking that that might be my most productive working time once Noah settles into a sleeping routine, (he's close). And we have a place to hang his hammock out there too so he can soak up the creative vibes with us. Its so exciting. My dreams are flooding back and I know we are going to spend so much time out there, (wood fires are so much more inviting than heatpumps).

MulletHawk!

2009-04-09T01:24:00.000-07:00

Its amazing the difference a hair cut can make. I feel scary and tough looking. I also feel like I stand out more but in truth I probably fit in more. The most scariest thing about the MulletHawk is that I kinda like it.

8th week

2009-04-07T22:31:00.000-07:00

This is Noah's 8th week. He changes so fast. His arms, hands, eyes and smiles have all increased in their dexterity. This week he has made full use of his tongue. His eyelashes are growing.

Suck it up

2009-03-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

On a walk to our nearest nursery we were called over by a local alderman Ivan Dean. Some of our neighbors we standing beside the road talking. We learnt about a proposed Concrete mixing plant just on the other side of the road not 250 m from our home.

Cement contains Crystalline Silica and every bag of cement carries this warning:

“Cement may cause respiratory, skin and eye irritation. Wet cement can be irritating and corrosive to the eyes and skin and may cause skin sensitisation, (dermatitis). Repeated inhalation of the dust containing Crystalline Silica may cause Bronchitis, Silicosis, (scarring of the lungs,) Lung Cancer, and the risk of Scleroderma.”

Already we are experiencing dust from the dumping of landfill on the proposed site as most of the prevailing winds coming from that direction. This stuff will be floating in the air and landing on our veggie’s, on our cloths and on our roof.

There must be a law against using such hazardous chemicals around residential areas. This is a major health hazard for our neighborhood.

I reckon there's probably one in some of the more middle class areas of town, where the voices are a little more confident and scary, where the price of land says you don’t have to put up with the noise of trucks, unsightly hoppers, and carcinogenic chemicals.

I'm sure this isn’t a new thing under the sun, where we ask poorer communities to carry the cost of a ‘developing’ world.

The worlds poorest communities are baring the brunt of global warming. They are the least responsible for carbon emissions, and the least able to cope with climate change. While their survival is threatened our air conditioned apathy asks them to ‘suck it up’ and pay the price for our need for comfort.

Sadly poverty comes with a marred identity that can suppress initiative and disarm people when fighting such gross injustices. Lets use our voices to change these identities, the non poor who think they are like God and the poor which think they are not.

Public Meeting: Tuesday 2:30

Gus

Our new person

2009-02-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

After to a lot of pushing he was pulled into this world at 4:59am on Monday 16th Feb at 8.4 pounds. Despite all efforts he showed no distress and was as content during labor as he was in the womb. Now he is out the trend continues. Three days later and he remains peaceful, happy sleeping, feeding well and pooing like a pro.

His name is Noah Thinley (pronounced Tin-Lay) Pangas.

When we first met, we discovered Noah was both Jessie and my favourite boys name and had been Jessie’s favourite bible story since she was a little girl. And so it seems only appropriate that he be Noah - especially as it means restful, peaceful - for he most certain is.
And Thinley, besides being a beautiful name, signifies for us his connection to the world and to nature. Being of Tibetan origin and representing a mountain leader, we sense he will be a leader of people, have a deep connection with nature and champion its keep.
These are our impressions after three days and we are looking forward to getting to know him more.

Check him out.

Local Legend

2009-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

On hearing that Rocherlea had a finalist for Tasmanian Senior 'Australian of the year', I wanted others in Rocher to know that we have a legend in our midst. Our local news letters was after some good news stories, below is the article, below that is a poem written by Aunty Phyllis.

Local a finalist for Tasmanian senior ‘Australian of the Year’ Award

Visiting Aunty Phyllis at her home is like visiting an old friend. With her welcoming smile and customary hug and kiss, you immediately feel at ease.

Aunty Phyllis is full of stories, most of which end in a laugh. Her rich life experience has given her an invaluable perception and wisdom which she graciously shares as she works tirelessly for her community on a range of issues including youth justice, education, housing, and Indigenous women's health and wellbeing.

Aunty Phyllis is a respected Aboriginal elder who is a proud advocate for her people. A sort after speaker and writer, she is a highly regarded poet and storyteller. “I think the best ways of sharing is story telling”, she tells me.

A smile creeps across her face as she shares about her life as a child growing up on Cape Barren Island. “We had a wonderful life,” she recalls, “the days weren’t long enough… …there was no black, white, or brindle, we were all just kids.” As a poet and author, her writing explores Aboriginal history, traditions, culture and identity. Her love for writing and poetry started at a young age. “When I was little I always loved books and reading and writing,” she says tapping on her chest, “I love poetry, it comes straight from in here.”

In a new chapter of her own story, Aunty Phyllis Pitchford of Rocherlea, who was one of the four finalists for Senior Tasmanian of the Australian of the Year Awards attended a breakfast ceremony in Hobart with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The nomination, Aunty Phyllis said, was, “a shock. I never expected anything like that. I thought my girlfriend was joking that she would nominate me… …It was an honour to be selected as a finalist,” although her nomination may come as no surprise to us.

Back at home Aunty Phyllis maintains a special place in her heart for the young people in her community and is involved with Meenah Mienne (My Dream), an art-based pilot project for Aboriginal youth at risk in the justice system.

“My passion for the rest of my life is to help people, especially young people in the youth justice system. I like helping people, anybody, I don’t expect monetary value, I just like the giving of me.”

Leaving her home, I believe Aunty Phyllis has become a surrogate Aunty to all our young people as she longs to see them encouraged and have hope.

THE GOLDEN MOMENT
(This small poem belongs to whoever chooses to read it)

When I first stood within my space
Outside thoughts I did erase
As warmth within, of feeling free,
A golden moment just for me.

And as I travelled in my mind,
Alone, I knew what I would find.
As thoughts of love and peace arose
The golden moment I held close.

I’ve known the heartache, fear and pain.
The need to trust and love again.
So when I ventured far and wide
The golden moment was my guide.

Now, when life’s journey I relate,
I still reflect and meditate.
Just me, alone, within my space.
The golden moment, wisdom’s face.

Phyllis Pitchford (Nunarng)

Growing Things

2009-02-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

There is something growing in our gravel pit.
A growing thing.
A little bean growing in our gravel pit.
It doesn’t look like a bean yet,
it doesn’t look like much at all
but it is growing, (I know because I eagerly scrutinise it every morning).

Move the rocks.
Crack open the rusted-over gates of the earth.
Plant a seed -

TimewaterTimesunshineTime -

grow little bean grow.

And oh the joy of the first sign of life emerging from the ground!
Green breaking through brown.
A bean in a gravel pit.

And for us it may as well be the Botanical gardens.
It is our marvel, our pride, our hope and joy.
And it carries all the promise of the Amazon rainforest
in its unfolding, fragile leaves.

My garden.
My heart.
M community.
My belly.

TEARSMANIA

2008-12-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

News from TEAR in Tassie

Each Christmas we celebrate hope entering this world: a hope that continues to succeed. 2008 is full of stories of compassionate people continuing to build this hope by making distinct choices, choices that support our worlds most vulnerable. Among these are TEAR staff Yvonne Walker concluding as Tassie’s Education Officer, Grant Maynard concluding as State Coordinator and taking up Chaplaincy at Evandale Primary, Jeff and Leah McClintock returning to Tassie from Bangladesh and Steve Bradbury concluding as TEAR’s National director. I am grateful that all of these guys continue to support me and TEAR’s work in Tasmania.
For myself the last six months have been one of great learning and orientation. As I meet the TEAR constituency I am discovering you all share a quirky creativity and passion.

Snapshots:

There is a Family in my Fridge Box!

Mandi and Heidi Schjelde, Cara Nichols, Anthea and Bridey Maynard and Ben Pangas ran a program on urban slums for the Home Schooling Association. We looked at the different rooms we have in most of our houses, and reflected on what it might mean for us to live in one small room, without a bathroom or toilet, as is the case for most slum dwellers. We then built our own life size houses out of cardboard and plastic sheets. Whilst there was a lot of excitement and fun in building the 2m x 2m ‘cubbies’, there was also a felt sense these cardboard boxes where comparable to many family homes. By the Year 2020 40% of the worlds population will be living in an urban slum (UN Habitat, 2006).

When your 10 you think you can change the world, … and your right!

Kaleb (10) and Khya (7) had 50 people attend their Rice Party to raise money for a Rice Bank. Kaleb said, “I wanted to help people in need so I went on the internet and found a Rice Party”. Everything on the day was produced by a team of young people organised by the siblings. Invitations, food (dhal and rice,) and rice games (including making juggling balls, rice pictures and rice shakers). The pair were pleasantly surprised when they exceeded their target of $150 and raised a grand total of $585, almost enough for six Rice Banks! Not put off by all the work Khya said “Next time we want to raise money of a village package” ($5,000).
Thankyou Kaleb and Khya for bring your community together in order to support another.

Making Democracy Work - Voices for Justice 2008

In October, over 200 people from around Australia meet over 100 politicians, including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, in Parliament House, Canberra to advocate for Australia’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals. This year we sent a team of six Tasmanians: Ben McKinnon, Jemma Gardam, Aaron Tuthill, Amy Bradley, Allison Hicks and Ben Pangas to meet with our state MP’s. Overall there was a sense of growing understanding among politicians about the campaign this year and many positive responses including adjournment speeches, conversations with frontbenchers and overall support for Micah Challenge and TEAR in Tasmania. It was really exciting to be part of making our democracy work and since then we have developed a strong advocacy team in Tassie that continues to lobby, (the highlight being attending and having private audiences with ministers at the Community Cabinet held in Launceston).

These are just a few stories from this little corner of the world that is full of activity. I’d love to tell you about all the significant choices that TEAR groups, schools and individuals are making but if you want any more information, resources or avenues for getting involved then please contact us.

Work Consume Be Silent Die

I found this piece of stencil art in the centre of Launceston. It was most probably sprayed by a young person who for a moment saw what could be a motto for our consumer culture.
Sadly, it names a descending order we are all in danger of following. Our driven-ness, selfishness, and apathy can leave so many depressed, suffering and in need. Like many of us this young Prophet may have been looking for something more substantial, something real, possibly something to die for as opposed to die from.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. As we see the life of this compassionate, non-conformist it offers hope. TEAR’s concluding National Director Steve Bradbury has said, “Jesus reveals to us a God of extravagant love, generosity and awesome creativity. Poverty is not a consequence of scarcity, but the product of greed, insecurity and an unwillingness to share.” Jesus life shows us that deep down below this shallow superficial consumer driven world there is a way of life waiting to be discovered, a new order with no allowance for injustice and discrimination of anyone. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” Jesus.

How then shall we live?

2008-09-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

‘Its not so much what questions you ask but where you ask them that will determine your answer.’

For those of you who know us you will know that for a long time now we have been asking questions. How do we as Jesus followers live? How do our small lives here in Tassie fit in with what God is doing in the world?

And so we went to India – to ask our questions there in what appears to us to be the antithesis of life here in Australia and a hotbed of holistic mission and development theory, (not your typical honeymoon choice we know).

There, where it is said everything and its opposite is true, we met the poorest of the poor amidst the optimistic affluence of India’s economic boom.

Our Sunday school lessons became a reality as we saw God walking with the poor.

We are so glad to be home even as it is confirmed to us emphatically that God’s heart is with the poor.

How then shall we live?

Now we start to figure that out practically, day by day. Just now this includes making our new house a home and filling it with life and transforming our gravel pit of a garden into veggies and fruit trees. For Jessie it means going back to school to rediscover her creativity through studying visual arts at TAFE and Ben – taking in his recent appointment by TEAR Australia as their Tassie state coordinator and continuing to work with Fusion.

There have been a few days where we have caught a glimpse of what life here could be like and we are excited by the reality of living life with our neighbours, having little hands knocking at the door all day and night, an enthusiastic but disastrous attempt at making Anzac biscuits, (this afternoon,) or painting in the shed.

This is what life is going to look like for us for us for a little while now. If you would like to join in please come and visit us for a cup of tea or to stay for a month – we look forward to it.

Gus's Poems

2007-07-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Be Still

Be still, and wait, for your soul to catch up.
Walk through the door again and empty your pockets, sit, let driven-ness burn itself out, and the warm coals lift your spirit.
Let it respond to laughter and light, know your rest.
Make space in your heart and receive good gifts, for you where made for such an art.

Soul of a tree

Life is playful and fragrant, full.
As we push up to heaven our eye set on the sun, we grow momentum, rediscover our shape already seeded. Fill it out with help of our friends,- the rain, the air, the sun, seasons and pattern are authored latent and free. In our heartwood, we are soft, yet a channel for life.
We are so many one in a whole forest, more so far away.
Yet the soul of tree is lonely, thirsty, so close yet barely touching.
Watching but powerless held tight by the earth.
If only I could lift or slide, I’d see the sights travel to the edge,
dance with the oak and cypress, sit under the shade of a larger friend.