Gareth Ward, member for the NSW electorate of Kiama, and former councillor of Shoalhaven City Council, is one hard working politician, seemingly having devoted his life to the cause. I don’t think he always makes a positive contribution to public debate. While this is a very local piece I have aimed to present as fair …
I’m trying not to be fixated on federal government de-funding of civil society organisations but this is an essay I wrote on the felling of the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition. The subject matter had special meaning for me after a memorable experience I had around 12 years ago. It’s been published on New Matilda in …
Round we go again: the ‘listening to youth’ merry-go-round Read More »
“In defence of usual suspects and vocal minorities” is an essay I wrote trying to understand what it is that drives those people who are prepared to take a stand for what they believe in. It focuses on Corinne Fisher, convenor of the Better Planning Network in NSW, and Adam Bonner, a privacy advocate who …
“In whose interest?” was an essay I wrote about federal government de-funding of the Environmental Defender’s Office. It was re-published on No Fibs, an on-line citizen journalism site established by former Fairfax journalist Margot Kingston. To see the visually enhanced (sub-edited) version, now titled “Digging up the drama,” click here: http://nofibs.com.au/2014/03/27/whose-interest/
In the world of titanic battles almost everyone loves a David, with the understandable exception of Goliath, and his supporters. When David, in the form of a local progress association beats, Goliath, in the form of an international mining giant, the natural order is upended. Change is needed to restore order. Late last year the …
Shirley Fitzgerald is a freelance public historian, based in Sydney, with an interest in Huskisson and Shoalhaven. Shirley has just written a review of my book, Beyond Fear and Loathing: local politics at work. * Just finished reading Graeme Gibson’s Beyond Fear & Loathing: Local Politics at Work. Well worth a read. The ‘local’ in this …
Undoubtedly due to some of my life’s experiences, I’ve long been interested in those people who are prepared to take a stand on what they believe in. I took some time to get to know something about a couple of these people, which led to the following essay. IN DEFENCE OF USUSAL SUSPECTS AND VOCAL …
In August 2013 I gave a keynote address at “Communities Shaping The Future,” the annual conference of the Local Community Services Association,” the peak body for neighbourhood houses and community centres in NSW. I opened with: “I’m going to tell a story about local democracy and how it relates to community engagement and then try …
In July 2012 the Illawarra News was established as an on-line site for citizen journalism with a focus on news, public affairs and community in the Illawarra and South Coast. In June 2013 awards were presented in five categories: Community Advocate, Journalism and Media Advocacy, People’s Choice, Outstanding Elected Councillor, and Panel’s Commendation for Community …
GRASSROOTS: Growing Local democracy I believe people have a right to be meaningfully involved in the decisions that affect them and the local level is an obvious place to apply this. GRASSROOTS: Growing Local democracy was a public forum I organised (September 2011) where a panel of speakers presented their ideas about engagement and deliberative …