NAVIGATION

NAVIGATION

AUST | GEIFN | CALLING | LGBTQIA+ Story Tellers for AUSSIE Stories: Downunder the Rainbow


Collected video stories of identity, connection and belonging by First Nations, Settlers and Migrants from downunder the rainbow.

As response to Voice Referendum 23, Global Engagement in Friendlier Neighbourhoods (GEIFN) and I’m From Driftwood (IFD) aim to showcase diverse Australian views by sourcing and producing 8-10min 1st-Person Video Stories of LGBTQIA+ Folk from around Australia. 

Recordings will be hosted individually on IFD website for global audience and matched with 2 others on GEIFN website for local audience.

GEIFN’s Potential Top 5 Talking Points to offer insights, answers and views to question “What does Reconciliation look like to you?":
  1. What did the coming out process look like for you?
  2. How did being LGBTQIA+ teach you about your family, community and the world?
  3. Where is your gift of being LGBTQIA+ been used in personal, professional or public life?
  4. Who is your message of reconciliation to?
  5. Why should Australia be a place, position and player on a spherical global playing field?
IFD's existing Australian content is 12 stories, all by cis-gender males. This project is encouraging Australian-residing LGBTQIA+ Women or Women-identifying, First Nations, People of Colour/Migrants. Together, a diversity of ages, genders, views, wisdom and compassion strengthen any reconciliation.

If you or someone you know fit the description and wish to be a part of this reconciliation
project, please contact Carey on 0438 371 488 or caretaker@geifn.org

Primary Collaborator

I’m From Driftwood (IFD) is delivered digitally through a cloud-based multi-channel platform to a broad-based audience developed over the past 15 years. Part of this conversation and active enthusiasts since the conception.

Quoting from IFD website:
The stories on I’m From Driftwood send a powerful message to LGBTQIA+ people everywhere: you exist, you matter, you belong.
 
IFD’s collection of more than 1,400 professionally-produced videos and user-submitted written oral histories are shared freely online – giving voice to and forging connections among often marginalized or silenced people, educating people about the joys and challenges, complexities and intersectionalities of LGBTQIA+ lives, and increasing empathy in IFD viewers.

Some existing IFD examples:


How to Reconcile

Language is an interesting thing. It can be used to educate, mystify, divide, harm or heal. English is a particularly interesting example.

The English language has 26 letters (written symbols) but it makes over 44 different sounds (syllables) and countless compound ideas (words). All relying on ‘learnt, practised or assumed knowledge' to correctly use, prevailing cognizance (ability to independently critically think), pronounce, know and then to respond.
 
To make things even more interesting, English is always changing, borrowing from many other languages with meanings that may change over time.

Let's look at the word "reconcile":
[reh’con’syle]
From late Middle English: from Old French reconcilier or Latin reconciliare, from Latin re- = back, concentrate, focus + conciliare = bring together.

verb
  1. restore friendly relations between. Ie, the monarch and the archbishop were publicly reconciled. Ie, they wanted to be reconciled with their father. 
    • settle (a quarrel). Ie, advice on how to reconcile the conflict. 
    • make or show to be compatible. Ie, the agreement had to be reconciled with the city's new international relations policy. 
    • someone accepting a disagreeable or unwelcome thing. Ie, the team was reconciled to the poor match result.
  2. make (one account) consistent with another, especially by allowing for transactions begun but not yet completed. Ie, it is not necessary to reconcile the cost accounts to the financial accounts.
And this is just 1 word. Languages are made of many words. Words connected by space(s) make sentences. Sentences connected by space(s) make paragraphs. Paragraphs connected by space(s) make narratives or stories. Stories connected by space(s) make story books. Story books connected by space(s) mark time and are called tradition. This is the process of transmission. Transmission can be verbal, physical, formless or abiding in the space between.

Please find examples of other words (and if needed translations in other languages):

So back to this case: collected video stories of identity, connection and belonging by First Nations, Settlers and Migrants Downunder the Rainbow.

How to get involved?

  1. Fit the criteria, sorted something out, feeling crazy-brave? Volunteer to tell your story and make contact on the details below.
  2. Pass the word to someone you know has a reconcilingly good story to tell.
  3. Share the message through your socials.

MORE:

Global Engagement In Friendlier Neighbourhoods (GEIFN)
Join us with 'humanising the other' 
Carey Rohrlach (he/him), AUSSIEstory Team Member, Tel 0438 371 488

GEIFN is based in the traditional lands of the Kulin Nation. Respect is offered to past, present and future elders of all spiritual traditions. May we find together a generous way to accommodate those in need of refuge. Let us be cool, strive individually and together to overcome inequality, violence, disengagement, tragedy and injustice wherever it may be. Let us honour, savor and enjoy results of mindful effort so more thrive peacefully with less effort in our place called home.


MELB | TORCH | EXHIBITING | We Sit in Circle | Weekdays , 1-18 July 2025 | 9am–5pm

[Edited extract from public address]

Strength. Hope. Survival.

We Sit in Circle has been curated to reflect the circle – this resting place. The artworks positioned near the entrance and exits of the gallery space are created by artists in the community, continuing their journeys after prison. The works placed at the centre of the exhibition are by women currently inside. They are regrouping, reconnecting, and resting and, in time, will continue on their own paths.

For generations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have used symbols as a visual language to pass down stories, preserve cultural knowledge and express spiritual beliefs. While their meanings vary across different language groups, many messages are shared. One such symbol is the circle, which represents a meeting or resting place. It reflects how we come together – sitting in circles, yarning (talking), and sharing. Lines extending from the circle signify journey paths, showing movement to and from that place of connection.

Presented by The Torch in partnership with Queen Victoria Women’s Centre (QVWC), We Sit in Circle First Nations women artists have lived experience of incarceration. They are mothers, aunties, grandmothers, daughters, and sisters.

We Sit in Circle is curated by Flick Chafer-Smith (Ngarrindjeri) and Sharn Geary (Bundjalung).
  • Where: Birnbeal Rainbow Exhibition Space, Ground Floor, 210 Lonsdale St, Melbourne 3000
  • Cost: Free
  • Bookings: no bookings required. Weekdays 9am–5pm and NAIDOC Weekend  (12 & 13 July) 11am–4pm

MORE:

The Torch Project (TORCH)
Address: 146 Elgin St, Carlton 3053
Tel: 03 9042 1236

AUST | CUIN | UPDATING | Multicultural All Day Every Day and more | June-July 2025

[Edited extract from public address]

Finding Unity in Diversity

Unity in diversity is the harmony that emerges when everyone’s cultural identity is honoured within a greater setting. Look out for our fantastic, limited, one-time offer to take part in a fully funded pilot program of Diversity Atlas into schools and be one of the first schools to experience holistic data-driven unity in diversity! We also have a fully funded Year 8 Intercultural Citizenship Ambassador Programs (ICAP) for 2026. 

Supporters are part of a global movement building harmony and wellbeing through intercultural understanding and we’re thrilled to offer you these opportunities.

In this edition of the newsletter, we also recap our participation at UNESCO on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of Diverse Cultural Expressions, introduce a brilliant new program, share highlights from master puppeteer Dalang Sumardi’s tour of Australia, and a post about the concept of unity in diversity and its mirror, diversity in unity, from international student Shadow Tsui. Finally, if you haven’t yet booked for NAIDOC Week book NOW to avoid missing out!
     

MARKING | Cultural Infusion and UNESCO at the 2005 Convention’s 20th Anniversary

As pro bono Secretariat for the Taskforce of Civil Society Observers of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, Cultural Infusion has been participating in this important Convention’s 20th Anniversary. Peter Mousaferiadis delivered the Opening Address to the Fifth Civil Society Forum on 17 June 2025. Our Research & Partnerships Coordinator Amna Ben Amara and Cultural Ambassador Mario Chatzidamianos spoke for Cultural Infusion on 19 June 2025.
     

OPENING | Address to the Civil Society Forum

How do we ensure everyone’s cultural expressions are protected and promoted, rather than just those of a privileged few?

Peter Mousaferiadis gave the Opening Address to the Civil Society Forum at UNESCO on 17 June at the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Convention, for which he also oversaw the preparation of Pre-Recommendations to UNESCO, Parties and CSOs. Final recommendations will be submitted to UNESCO next year.
"Today, we gather from across the globe to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the UNESCO 2005 Convention, and to renew our commitment to its principles and reaffirm the vital role that each of us plays in advancing the diversity of cultural expressions...
     

ATTENDING | Intervention at the 10th Conference of Parties to the 2005 Convention

Amna Ben Amara attended UNESCO for the 10th Conference of Parties to the 2005 Convention on 19 June 2025. 

SPEAKING | Data that Reflects Cultural Richness

Listen to Mario Chatzidamianos speaking for Peter Mousaferiadis at the Fifth Civil Society Forum on 19 June on the necessity for data that accurately reflects the cultural richness of the world’s people.
     

ENDORSING | UNESCO’s commitment to cultural diversity is crucial. 

At a time when cultural identities are increasingly under pressure, whether through conflict, politicisation, counter-politicisation, marginalisation or digital divides, we underlined how a data-driven approach to cultural diversity can help shape inclusive policies and initiatives so that no one is forgotten.
     

ANNOUNCING | Diversity Atlas for Schools

Thanks to a generous grant from the State Government of Victoria, world-leading cultural diversity data analytics platform Diversity Atlas is now being adapted specifically for the education sector – and if you are a Victorian public school we are inviting your school to take part in the pilot at absolutely no cost to you!

Places are strictly limited so act fast to secure your school’s spot in this pilot!

Diversity Atlas for Schools enables educators, students and school leaders to explore the cultural diversity of their communities through an egalitarian guided process using Diversity Atlas’s democratised datasets that allow people to identify their precise cultural attributes, avoids bucketing people into overly broad, unscientific or outdated categories and reflects the complexity, multidimensionality and relationality of human identity. A sophisticated yet simple way to measure and map cultural identity across communities, Diversity Atlas provides insights that help build respect and understanding, spark meaningful conversations, and facilitate inclusive school practices.

Don’t wait a minute! Register an expression of interest for your school now!

Read more about why Diversity Atlas matters for schools and how it works. Our aim is for every school in the world to adopt Diversity Atlas. Be one of the first!

Don’t your students deserve the best?
The result of more than 7 years of scientific and community research and development, Diversity Atlas is trusted by leading global and local organisations, including Amazon Web Services (which made sure we have the highest privacy and security standards), Carers Victoria and Melbourne City Mission, which we recognised last year as our first Diversity Data Leaders 
Diversity Atlas can be run on any group of people larger than 25 to uncover their collective and often hidden cultural composition. If you or someone you know is ready to discover the full diversity of their group and support ethical technology, why not get in touch with our team now for a free demo?
     

OFFERING | ICAP for Victorian Public Schools Year 8s

Our Intercultural Citizenship Ambassador Program (ICAP) is an 8-session series designed to address the General Capability of Intercultural Understanding in the Australian curriculum. ICAP equips young people with the skills required to navigate and lead in an increasingly globalised and diverse world, with a focus on cultivating important life skills such as critical and creative thinking and ethical understanding. Participating schools gain access to Diversity Atlas.

Together with the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing’s Future Ready program, Cultural Infusion has developed a custom ICAP Program for Year 8s for 2025-26, led by expert facilitators and leaders, including Aboriginal Elders, community educators, cultural experts and teachers, who will guide activities to cultivate global perspectives, empathy and cultural awareness in our participants.

The program will culminate in a ‘Model Global Parliament’ event where students will share their knowledge, collaborate with peers from other schools, and step into the shoes of future leaders.

There are limited fully funded spots available for public schools in Victoria in the first intake. Don’t miss the chance for your school to be part of this fantastic program!

Please contact our Education and Experiences on 03 9412 6666 with any questions or register your interest now!
     

REPORTING | Pak Sumardi’s Tour of Australia

Sumardi is receiving rave reviews from his Australian tour. Here are two from students from Claremont College in New South Wales:
"I really enjoyed the show for many reasons. Firstly I found it engaging and entertaining to watch and I can imagine that others did too. I had a lot of fun watching the performance because it was humorous as well as following an interesting storyline that you wouldn’t see in other stories. Secondly it amazes me that one person can perform that all by himself. He acted each character with a different voice for each one and it made it easy to follow as well as playing music beneath the stand. The infants watched a different show, a shadow puppet show, and I can imagine them loving it and enjoying it just as much as the primary students enjoyed their wooden puppet show. After the show was over I got the privilege of being able to go behind and see how it all worked and even hold the puppets. My friend Hattie and I also got to ask Pak Sumardi a few questions. My favourite scene was probably when one character called Che-Put was talking to a character called Para-Hasta because it was very funny and made people laugh. In conclusion it was a fun cultural experience for all students to enjoy." – Scarlett, Year 6
Spoiler alert in this one:
"Personally I thought the show was a blast, it was a combination of Indonesian culture, humour and storytelling. The performance was about a princess named Sinta who gets kidnapped by an evil king called Para Hasta. Princess Sinta’s husband Prince Rama gets his younger brother, his white monkey warrior and two of his guards to go to the kingdom of Alanka to find his wife. Para Hasta’s monsters try to fight the people who come after Sinta. In the end Princess Sinta gets saved and they all live happily ever after. My favourite character was Che pot (one of Ramas guards) because of his fun energy and his innocence although don’t be fooled because he’s good in a fight. Thank you to Pak Sumardi for his amazing puppetry performance and to Bu Jill for organizing this spectacular incursion." – Hattie, Year 6
Book now for your chance to experience this master of his art!
     

COMMEMORATING | NAIDOC Week | 6-13 July

The Next Generation: Strength, Vision, and Legacy
NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week is a fantastic opportunity to learn from and support the vitality of the original cultures of Australia. Our excellent programs help make NAIDOC Week one of our busiest weeks of the year. Keep reading for announcement and details of a new program!

The popular Aboriginal Infusion educational program is available in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wale, Australia Capital Territory and Virtual, and the Aboriginal Culture For A Day program is available in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales and Virtual, showcasing Aboriginal cultures through dance, symbolic art, yidaki (didgeridoo) and a wide range of other engaging activities, while our Mini Aboriginal Cultural Day is perfect for early childhood audiences and is available in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. 

Students can learn traditional Aboriginal symbols from our First Nations presenters in our Aboriginal Storytelling Through Art educational program, available in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales. This unique experience will give students the opportunity to create and share their own stories and is a perfect intercultural experience for any age! 

Aboriginal Storytelling and Artefacts is available in New South Wales, Australia Capital Territory and Western Australia and combines storytelling with an introduction to the history of some Aboriginal tools and artefacts. Students will have the opportunity to act out stories and engage with cultural artefacts. 
     

 New Program  Aboriginal Mural Creation

Tailored to Pre-Primary, Schools, Community & Corporate, this program is available in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.

Work closely with an Aboriginal artist to create an Aboriginal-inspired mural together. The creative process starts with a Yarning Circle, where all participants gather to discuss and decide on the narrative for the artwork, before bringing it to life. Painted on a canvas, the completed mural can be displayed in an office, classroom or public space as a celebration of collective achievement. 

Each participant will be awarded with a certificate of completion to acknowledge their contributions in completing this cultural art piece.

MARKING | NAIDOC Week competition

To mark NAIDOC Week, Cultural infusion is launching a competition. Take a photo or video of your Cultural Infusion experience during NAIDOC Week. Post it on Instagram tagging @CulturalInfusion using the hashtag #NAIDOCwithCulturalInfusion.

The best post (photos and/or videos) will win 20% off their next booking.

Book your NAIDOC program NOW to avoid missing out!

Don’t forget that you can book these programs all through the year. In fact, our presenters encourage booking outside NAIDOC Week. 
     

BEING | Part of a Global Movement for Building Harmony and Wellbeing

Whether you are an active listener or donor or engaging with our products and services, your involvement with Cultural Infusion makes you part of a global movement dedicated to building a more inclusive and harmonious world through intercultural understanding via education, the arts, and ethical technology.

Cultural Infusion is proud to be an official Partner of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO and has been recognised by leading international bodies including the UN Alliance of Civilizations, UNESCO, and the UN World Food Programme.

As an Official Observer and Taskforce Secretariat for the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, we play an active role in shaping global dialogue on cultural diversity. We actively collaborate with international partners and share our research and thought leadership at major global forums.

Since 2010, we have presented at the World Forum for Intercultural Dialogue, the World Summit on Tolerance, numerous Diversity and Inclusion Conferences, the Council of Europe’s World Forum for Democracy, and most recently, a keynote to more than 600 scientists in Macao.

Our work has been recognised through more than 15 international awards from organisations and governments around the world – a testament to the global impact we’re making in building inclusive, culturally vibrant societies.

A portion of every booking goes toward the Cultural Infusion Foundation, which enables:
  • Ongoing professional development and training for our presenters
  • Program delivery to regional and remote communities
  • Investment in our Living Culture Program, supporting the preservation and celebration of cultural traditions
  • Advocacy efforts for cultural diversity and inclusion on global platforms
  • Research and development, pushing the boundaries of intercultural understanding and educational innovation
     

GIFTING | Learning Lands

Your reminder that everyone who books a program with us three months’ free access to our Learning Lands suite of constantly updated intercultural education resources, comprising internationally award-winning apps, games and activities that integrate the arts, music, geography, history and Indigenous perspectives to put students at the forefront in intercultural competency.
     

FINDING | Unity in Diversity and Diversity in Unity

Cultural Infusion is lucky to host international students, who bring valuable expertise, enthusiasm and skills to the organisation on a regular basis, and some have contributed to the blog. We pinched the title for this edition of the newsletter from Shadow Tsui’s thought-provoking piece about cultural diversity in Thailand and the concepts of unity in diversity and diversity in unity.
"Experiencing a new form of culture is an unusual opportunity for a citizen of Hong Kong…
As a history major and a Christian, I was encouraged by my church in Hong Kong to embark on a short Christian mission to Thailand, to spread the gospel and experience the multicultural environment. Thailand’s culturally diverse nation is a harmonious society with a population composed of various ethnic groups, including Thai, Khmer, Malay, Bamar, Karen, Hmong, and Chinese. Thailand is home to more than 70 languages, including 51 languages indigenous to Thailand. With such a rich background, I’m keen to visit Thailand and explore its amazing cultural environment...
     

HIGHLIGHTING | Calendar Spotlight: 24 July, Tanabata (Japanese Star Festival)

Tanabata is a Japanese Star Festival that originated from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It derives from the old Chinese legend of the two stars, Altair and Vega, that meet each other after being separated by the Milky Way. One famous Tanabata custom practised across Japan is to write a wish on a piece of colourful paper called tanzaku and hang it in a bamboo tree in the hopes that it will come true.

To honour the essence of this festival, we have various immersive programs available that celebrate authentic Japanese culture:
In addition, our Japanese Infusion program (VIC, NSW, WA, Virtual) introduces students of all ages to Japanese culture through a mixture of song and dance, storytelling and art.
     

STAYING | Up to date

Interested in staying up to date and finding out more about our cultural initiatives? 
Follow us on social media for the latest news and events.

MORE:

Cultural Infusion (CUIN)
Address: Suite 2, 273-277 Wellington Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066

Cultural Infusion respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and pays respect to their Elders, past and present and future custodians In continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practises of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Australia.

AUST | SRD | RAISING | Awareness, Support and Funds for

[Edited extract from public address]

There are many global issues that will only be advanced when #ResponsibleDesign is embodied into the ongoing change process. 

#ResponsibleDesign adds a layer of appropriate consideration for positive impacts for now and well into the future to benefit all life on earth. It is essential to adopt this method of best global practice thinking, development and implementation to address current crises and the meet the UN SGDs.

Design may significantly contribute OR conversely detract from desirable outcomes unless properly studied and due consideration is applied including the latest in design thinking and innovation. Design or Innovation without Responsible Design results in superficial change(s) with limited long term benefits. Globally these are massive challenges that we ALL may contribute to in many ways.

Ensuring tangible benefits for humanity and ecology are infused with our lifestyle is the simple message. Putting that into practice worldwide is understandably no simple task. The many ideas, directions and links contained in regular eNewsletters will inspire, engage and challenge you.

MORE:

The Society for Responsible Design Inc. (SRD)
Address: PO Box 326, Church Point, NSW 2105


AUST | TJP | REPORTING | Awareness, Support and Funds for Trans Justice Project

[Edited extract from public address]

We just released our EOFY Impact Report for 2024/25. It tells the story of our movement from January 2025 until today.

Our movement has grown enormously since then, building a continent-wide movement fighting for freedom, justice and equality for all trans and gender-diverse people. 
We’ve been going nonstop since January. Supporters have helped us to mobilise 16,300 people in the Protect Trans Youth day of action to oppose the cruel ban on gender affirming care, launched Flood the Post, and go all-out at the election with the Trans Justice Pledge.

I’m incredibly proud of what our movement has achieved.

We’ve got big plans for the rest of the year: launching new campaigns, hosting in-person trainings in cities around the country, and fighting to overturn the cruel and unjust ban on gender affirming medical care for those under 18 in Queensland.

We’re so glad to have you as a part of this movement. You have been a vital part of the future that we are building together, whether you’ve organised an event, donated, volunteered, spoken to your representatives, or simply shared our work.

Read about what we’ve done over the last six months, and our plans for the year ahead, by downloading our Impact Report now!
Download it now!

The anti-trans billionaires and their lobbyists and politicians have multimillion dollar campaigns of fear and disinformation. but we have something stronger: each other. 

And together we are building a world where all of us are safe, celebrated, and free. Our movement has already chipped in more than $19,000, putting us incredibly close to hitting our EOFY goal. 

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated already to help power our work!

Will you help us get over the line and raise $20,000 by 30 June 2025 to power our work into the future?

In solidarity for trans justice,
Jackie Turner (she/her), Director


MORE:

Trans Justice Project (TJP)

The Trans Justice Project works and organises on the stolen land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We acknowledge Traditional Owners across this continent and their continuing connection to Country. Sovereignty was never ceded and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal Land.

AUST | AFUO | RAISING | Awareness, Support and Funds for Ukraine Crisis Appeal

[Edited extract from public address]

A Message of Gratitude

To valued supporters, from the bottom of our hearts – thank you. 
Because of this support, Ukrainian families displaced by war have found shelter, children have found safety and communities have found strength to keep going.

This brief overview of the vital work of the Ukraine Crisis Appeal is a celebration of universal kindness, and a glimpse into the many lives touched. Supporters are part of a global family standing with Ukraine, and this generosity is making a lasting difference.
 

Emergency Relief When It Was Needed Most

When Russia’s invasion and assault on Ukraine expanded in February 2022, supporters responded without hesitation.

Helping deliver emergency aid to over 1.182 million people, including:
  • Shelter for those who lost everything
  • Hot meals, clean water, warm clothes and beds
  • Mental health care for traumatised children and adults
  • Vehicles to evacuate the vulnerable
Supporters were there in Ukraine’s darkest hours — and this impact will never be forgotten.


Safe Homes, Healing Lives and shedding fear

With Caritas Ukraine, your support continues to help families fleeing violence to find peace and safety:
  • Forest shelters with space to breathe and begin healing
  • Gardens, animals and community farming to reconnect and rebuild
  • Regular trauma counselling with the aim of integrating back into society
  • 1,160 children and 460 parents supported with warmth and care
  • Brand new day services opened in 2024


Critical Medical Aid Delivered with Urgency

Thanks to your support, specifically requested life-saving medical aid has reached hospitals across Ukraine. With Rotary partners, you helped deliver:

• $2.7 million AUD in critical supplies
• 100 portable ultrasounds to help doctors diagnose quickly
• 2,000 trauma kits that save lives in emergencies
• Four 40 ft containers full of medical and humanitarian aid sent to Ukraine
• 232 pallets of aid flown in by Qantas and the ADF
• Care provided to 20+ hospitals and clinics

Every item sent carried an act of hope and care.


Shelter for Displaced Victims of War

Working with Rotary Kyiv International, 30,000 displaced Ukrainians received more than shelter – stability.
  • 35 emergency shelters across the country
  • Each one a place to rest, heal and start again
  • Trauma support, children’s play areas, and community kitchens
  • Providing long- and short-term housing in a safe community environment
  • Shelter for the elderly, for the lonely and for families
All made possible by generosity and belief in providing a better tomorrow.


A Safe Space for War-Affected Children – Berdychiv

In a town where 240 families lost a parent, you created a space where children can just be children again:
  • Children and their caregivers are given daily support and love and travel from surrounding towns just to be a part of this unique program
  • 143 children and 42 caregivers are receiving in-house support
  • Mobile teams reaching 500+ children a year
Focusing on play, healing, education, ongoing counselling and hope


Supporting Ukraine’s War Heroes

Men and women who gave everything for their country find peace and purpose again. They not only protected Ukraine, but world peace.

Veteran Rehabilitation and Support:
  • Veterans over the last five years have been provided with both physical and trauma rehabilitation, addiction and PTSD recovery support
  • Families also receive counselling, medical support and time to heal with their loved ones
  • Gym, accessible housing and therapy rooms were funded and dedicated in memory of the late Stefan Romaniw OAM past president of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO)
Compassion is giving Ukraine’s heroes the second chance they deserve.


Healing Young Bodies and Giving a second chance of life

Brain and spinal chord cancer are among the most common and dangerous diseases in Ukrainian children. Equipment for surgery is $5,000AUD, which exceeds what most families can afford.

Through our partnership with Tabletochki, donations helped save young lives:
  • $100,000 AUD funded neurosurgery tools
  • 37 children received critical brain surgeries
  • 40 life-saving procedures performed in Kyiv and Lviv
Turning fear into a future.


Ambulances Save Lives

Every ambulance delivered has become a symbol of hope on the road.
  • 8 ambulances fully equipped and filled with essential medical supplies
  • 4 evacuation vehicles covering terrains where ambulances cannot
Each one a lifeline, saving 100’s of lives.


Investing in Ukraine’s Future

Training Ukraine’s frontline healthcare workers to keep saving lives:
  • 54 health professionals trained in occupational therapy
  • 11 days of in-person skills training
  • Online modules shared with Ukrainian universities
  • 112 doctors and medics trained in portable ultrasound use
Helping Ukraine stand strong — now and into the future.


The Need Remains Urgent

Together, we can continue to show them they’re not alone:
  • 12.7 million people need humanitarian assistance
  • 9.2 million need medical care
  • Over 10 million war affected people remain displaced

Donors Are the Difference

Every warm meal, every hospital bed, every limb saved, every smile on a child’s face – it’s because of you.
  • Your support is a lifeline
  • Donations over $2 are tax deductible.  
  • Make a Donation

Thankyou for showing the people of Ukraine that love and support travels across oceans,
Diahanna (Darka) Senko, Director
Ukraine Crisis Appeals, Humanitarian and Medical Aid                                             

MORE:

Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO)

AUST | NBCF | RAISING | Awareness, Support and Funds Towards Zero Deaths From Breast Cancer | Thursday 17 October 2024 | From 9am

[Edited extract from public address]

Together let’s make Zero Deaths from breast cancer possible.

Big strides are being made - thanks to donors. Professor Paul James is uncovering the hidden genetics of breast cancer, while supporters are stepping up in powerful ways. Every action, every dollar, every story brings us closer to a future where no one dies from breast cancer. 

Breaking the Chain

Donor support powers genetic research uncovering hidden breast cancer risks – bringing hope to Australian families. Thanks to ongoing support, groundbreaking research into hereditary breast cancer is unlocking new possibilities. 

Professor Paul James, a leader in genetic research, is investigating how combinations of over 300 genes influence breast cancer risk. His work is revealing why some families are more vulnerable – and how we can better predict, prevent, and treat this disease. Only 18% of hereditary cases are linked to a single gene, making your support vital in uncovering the rest of the story. 

Donations are not just supporting research – they’re changing lives and giving hope to families across Australia.
 

100km of Love and Purpose 

Jennifer completed NBCF’s 100km Trek Toward Zero Deaths in Tuscany, honoring loved ones and raising funds for breast cancer research.

 

How loss has inspired a legacy 

In memory of a friend, Linda and Janine support breast cancer research and future families.

 

Our Research


MORE:

National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF)
Address: GPO Box 4126, Sydney NSW 2001 Australia
Tel: 1300 708 763

The National Breast Cancer Foundation would like to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and their continuing connection to the land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their cultures and their Elders, past, present and emerging. We will respectfully use the terms, First Nations and First Peoples, interchangeably to refer to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

GEIFN | MIXING | Media | July 2025

[Edited extract from public address]

Best wishes for less Suffering, more Happiness with Good Health and Time to Enjoy it. Welcome to Berber Calendar Year 2975.

Sharing a timely aspiration:
"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."
Audre Lorde, American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist (1934-1992 CE)

If having no reason to celebrate this month, here are 3 prepared earlier:

This edition, we reflect upon an Ancient Indian concept of Ānāpānasati/Ānāpānasmṛti/Mindfulness of Breathing(Pali/Sanskrit/English) and different ways to look at it. A form of Buddhist meditation originally taught by Gautama Buddha. Mindfulness of breathing develops the link between interiority of understanding the mind with considered attitudes and activity in daily life. 

With Theravada view, mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation is a part of paying attention to one’s body in quietude, and recommends meditation as a means of cultivating the Seven Factors of Enlightenment:

  1. Sati/Mindfulness (Pali/English)
  2. Dhamma vicaya/Analysis
  3. Viriya/Persistence, which leads to 
  4. Pīti/Joyfulness, then to 
  5. Passaddhi/Serenity, which in turn leads to 
  6. Samadhi/Concentration and then to 
  7. Upekkhā/Equanimity. 

Remember: information may contain misunderstandings, deliberate omissions and complete fabrications. Accept nothing blindly. Test for usefulness: if useful keep; adapt for personal circumstances if necessary; or if unuseful discard. Be your own guiding light.

Read on intrepid Mixers, and let's see what is to discover this edition. Subscribers decide if anything is useful.



Topics List

  1. Guest Sings
  2. Street Jives
  3. Wisdom Reconciles
  4. Media Writes
  5. TED Talks
  6. Music Challenges
  7. Acknowledgments



1. Guest Sings

Approx 5 min presentation

 


2. Street Jives

Approx 2 min presentation

 


3. Wisdom Reconciles

 


4. Media Writes

Approx 5 min reads

Intro
Jane Rocca explores literature, impressions and impactfulness when "The book that changed me: Hannah Kent, Sarah Wilson, Hilde Hinton and more” via The Age

Nicole Elphick explores identity, connection and belonging as "Star of ABC hit The Newsreader mines real-life family drama for new project” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Sheriden Rhodes explores place, people and possibilities recalling how "Chappo didn’t like Shakes when they first met. Now, they’re ‘like brothers’” via The Brisbane Times


Intra
Henrietta Cook explores presenting symptoms, diagnosis and treatment when going "Beyond the knife: How public hospitals are diverting patients away from surgery and into therapy” via The Age

Nicole Precel explores maths, numeracy and learning when calling to "Cut the fluff’: Fixing primary school maths one problem at a time” via The Age

Tony Wright explores place, people and purpose with "A message stick, aching feet and great expectations as truth walk ends” via The Age


Inter
Victoria Laurie explores identity, connection and belonging with a call to "‘Find things in common’: After a cancer shock, Pat Dodson has words of hope” via WA Today

Nell Geraets explores creating, content and constructive engagement in "Is this the end of faceless internet trolls? How one ‘mumfluencer’ is turning the tables” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Luke Heeney and Sarah Davis explores learning, innovation and context seeing "Trump’s war on innovation is a golden opportunity for Australia, if we’re smart enough to take it” via The Sydney Morning Herald


Multi
George Brandis explores power, authority and leadership as "King Charles and Pope Leo defend US Constitution from Trump” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Lenny Ann Low explore courtship, continents and contentment recalling how "He was a management consultant; she’s a Harvard grad. Now they sell pre-owned clothes” via The Age

Nick Dent explores artistry, perspective and expression when reviewing Brsibane’s Gallery of Modern Art’s Wonderstruck in "Yayoi Kusama’s Obliteration Room is back. This time, it’s a house” via The Brisbane Times


All
Cameron Woodhead and Tony Way explores identity, craft and expression when reviewing "Feminist funfest takes a laugh-out-loud swipe at superhero culture” via The Age

Shona Hendley explores households, membership and contributions with "‘They’re like therapy animals’: How backyard chooks made a comeback” via The Brisbane Times

Angus Dalton explores place, people and participation in "The Australian scientist helping to re-write the story of civilisation” via WA Today


Togather
Nicole Abadee explores identity, connection and belonging in "They’d been friends for decades – then they applied for the same job” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Nicole Precel explores childhood, homelessness and education recounting how "Annie was 17 when she slept on a park bench. All she cared about was school the next day” via The Age

Linda Morris explores people, place and passion to “‘Like nothing you have seen before’: Meet the artists entrancing New York” via The Age


Nobly
Carolyn Webb explores selfless, consistent and loving unconditionally as "King’s Birthday Honours shine light on years of unheralded human decency” via The Age

Michael Lallo explores place, people and purpose revealing "How SBS evolved from ‘clogs and cooking’ into our most innovative broadcaster” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Lauren Ironmonger explores community, connection and camaraderie in "‘It’s a classic win-win’: The ways volunteering does you good” via WA Today

  

5. TED Talks

5-20 min presentations

  

6. Music Challenges

Approx 30 min presentation + reflection times

If desired, a short selection of publicly available material on a chosen theme for personal reflection. 

For best results, sit comfortably with a straight back, have headphones in a shared space, after each clicked link, allow a little reflection with your personally-held view before clicking on the next link.

Get ready to Reflect!
Choose your playing level:
Be introduced at 1.
Be soothed at 2-4.
Be shocked at 5.
Be inspired at 6.
Fuller illumination 1-6.
You be the judge. Or not.

Cryptic Clue:
What is a way to come together for peace's sake?
        1. Inspire
        2. Perspire
        3. Collaborate
        4. Engage: Test for personal circumstances, if useful keep, if unuseful discard, if exceeds needs, share mindfully
        5. Endure: Adapt for present times without sacrificing intent
        6. Endear: (Inspiring Others To Tend the Flame) live/ demonstrate/ inspire/ teach experience with others
        This challenge is consolidating cohesion, connivingcensuscatastrophecollaborate & certainty.

        consolidating
        [con’so’lih’dayt’ing]
        From early 16th century = combine into a whole; from Latin consolidare, from con- = together + solidare = make firm; from solidus = solid.

        verb
        1. make (something) physically stronger or more solid. Ie, the first phase of the project is to consolidate the outside walls.
          • strengthen (one's position or power). Ie, the company consolidated its position in the international market.
        2. combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent whole. Ie, all manufacturing activities have been consolidated in new premises.
          • combine (a number of financial accounts or funds) into a single overall account or set of accounts. Ie, consolidated accounts.
          • (mainly British English) combine (separate pieces of legislation) into a single legislative act. Ie, the Companies Act 1948 and subsequent enactments were consolidated by the Companies Act 1985.

        cohesion
        [co’he’shen]
        From mid 17th century: from Latin cohaes- = cleaved together, from the verb cohaerere,  from co- = together + haerere = to stick.

        noun
        • the action or fact of forming a united whole. Ie, the completed work radiated cohesion.
          • (Physics) the sticking together of particles of the same substance.

        conniving
        [con’nyve’ing]
        From early 17th century: from French conniver or Latin connivere = shut the eyes (to), from con- = together + an unrecorded word related to nictare = to wink.

        adjective
        • given to or involved in conspiring to do something immoral, illegal, or harmful. Ie, a heartless and conniving person.
        verb
        • secretly allow (something immoral, illegal, or harmful) to occur. I was not involved in the conniving of falsified documents.
        • (usually connive to do something) conspiring to do something immoral, illegal, or harmful. Ie, they were conniving with bank officials to launder money.

        census
        [sen’suss]
        From early 17th century (denoting a poll tax): from Latin, applied to the registration of citizens and property in ancient Rome, usually for taxation, from censere = assess. The current sense dates from the mid 18th century.

        noun
        • an official count or survey, especially of a population. Ie, the Australian Census is conducted every 5 years.

        catastrophe
        [ca’tas’troe’phee]
        From mid 16th century = denouement; from Latin catastropha, from Greek katastrophē = overturning, sudden turn, from kata- = down + strophē = turning; from strephein = to turn.

        noun
        1. an event causing great and usually sudden damage or suffering; a disaster. Ie, an environmental catastrophe. Ie, inaction will only bring us closer to catastrophe.
          • something very unfortunate or unsuccessful. Ie, the tax would be a catastrophe for the industry.
        2. the denouement of a drama, especially a classical tragedy.

        collaborate
        [cole’lab’oh’rate]
        From late 19th century: from Latin collaborat- = worked with, from the verb collaborare, from col- = together + laborare = to work.

        verb
        1. work jointly on an activity or project. Ie, they collaborated with each other on numerous hotel projects.
        2. cooperate traitorously with an enemy. Ie, during the last war they collaborated with the invaders.

        certainty
        [sir’ten’tee]
        From Middle English: from Old French certainete, based on Latin certus = settled, sure.

        noun
        • firm conviction that something is the case. Ie, they knew with absolute certainty that a solution would be discovered soon.
          • the quality of being reliably true. Ie, there is a bewildering lack of certainty and clarity in the law.
          • a general air of confidence. Ie, a petitioner exuding certainty.
          • a fact that is definitely true or an event that is definitely going to take place. Ie, the passing of the act made a general election a certainty.
          • a person that is certain to do or win the specified thing. Ie, the home favourite was expected to be a certainty for a gold medal.

        Optional
        -- Chant Mantrastyle

        Why? Why not?
        Start today. 
        As the case may be.
        Or not.


        7. Acknowledgments

        Reconciliation
        Acknowledging traditional inhabitants of Cities of Port Phillip and Glen Eira are the Boon Wurrung, Bunurong and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin NationRespect is offered to past, present and future elders of all spiritual traditions. May we find together a generous way to accommodate those in need of refuge. Let us be cool, strive individually and together to overcome inequality, violence, disengagement, tragedy and injustice wherever it may be. Let us honour, savor and enjoy results of mindful effort so more thrive peacefully with less effort in our place called home.

        Invitation to Support Content Creators
        The music/stories/videos have been sourced from public domain. If you like any of the content, please consider buying directly from online marketplaces to support creators and truth telling in the public interest.

        Caretaker Disclosure
        Words and concepts are conditional things that point to a 'reflection of experience'. They are limited and do not adequately describe the 'full lived experience'. Like the moon's reflection on a lake's surface, it is not the moon, nor the experience of gazing up at the darkened sky transformed by the presence of a full moon. It is in the eyes/ears/nose/mouth/touch/cognisance of the beholder.

        This curation is an interpretation of the universal basis of re:lig:ion (Latin = again:uniting:energy) or bodhicitta (Sanskrit = Awakening Consciousness). This email invites a sharing of countless thoughts, words and actions wishing, causing and receiving less Suffering and more Happiness. For benefit initially of the individual increasing in beneficiaries until it includes all across the 3 times and 10 directions. Or not. As each case may be.

        It is not personal, it is just the way things are.