Humanity Platform

 COP27 is the United Nations Conference on Climate Change held in Egypt this year started on 6 November. This year's conference focuses on the theme 'Together for Implementation'. Recent UN reports show that current national climate commitments will limit warming to 2.5 to 2.8C missing the 1.5C target world leaders have agreed to.  Speaker after speaker are urging the world to move from nice ideas to real action hence the theme Together for Implementation .  There was a very inspiring speech by youth climate activist Leah Namugerwa where she called on the world to "live by the rule of nature, live for others. Trees do not eat their own fruits and rivers do not drink their own water." UN Secretary General António Guterres said “cooperate or perish”.  I can’t believe how often Al Gore, my climate superhero, has to warn the world and yet we still do nothing. In his speech he said our current level of emissions is like heating the world with 600 000 Hiroshima s...

 There are times in our life when it's important to remember, no matter who we are and where we're from, we can all be David. Thousands of years ago a teenage boy went toe to toe with a fierce warrior to defend his nation when everyone was too afraid to. It is my belief that peace should be everyone's default position in their minds and hearts.  No individual person, government, or country has the right to attack another.  To ensure this is the case every citizen should have the skill and will to defend themselves; on the condition it is only done as an act of defense.  "So don't you be afraid of giants in your way. With God, you know that anything's possible. So step into the fight, He's right there by your side, the stones inside your hand might be small but watch the giants fall." ~ Francesca Battistelli, 'Giants Fall'. If we believe in democracy, freedom, and human rights we must be willing to join shoulder to shoulder against what the Aust...

 The COP26 Conference is yet another opportunity for world governments to take meaningful action on global warming.  The Covid 19 pandemic has proven what we can accomplish as a world when we work together.  It is time to put that same energy and effort towards tackling the climate crisis. There are no more excuses.  People can no longer say the problem is too big; if we can come up with a vaccine in record time we can certainly get to Net Zero.  The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) report shows that human activity is the main cause for global warming and has reached such a level that the IPCC has declared it Code Red.  It is time that old fashioned governments predominantly conservative around the world stop playing politics and take a bipartisan approach to the problem. Conservative governments are relying to much on private individuals to fix the problem. It takes all of us.  We need more than just the right headlines. We need polici...

 After writing several blog posts on International Women's Day, I decided to stop writing on this topic because I didn't want to be mansplaining women's issues. A conversation I had recently with a female work colleague changed my opinion on this however.  We were talking about a male colleague who had disrespected her and I naively responded, "Really? He was always so nice to me!".  My colleague then looked at me and said, "I know you have experienced prejudice because of your disability but think about it for a second. You are a white middle class man with a disability. He was hardly going to treat you the same way he was going to treat me." This short conversation I had with her made me stop and think. In 2021, gender stereotypes should not exist yet the conversations that the March 4 Justice and the Me Too movement have sparked show society that we need to work harder for true gender equality.  Men, including myself, need to work with women to make g...

It is right that there has been an extraordinary focus on the coronavirus in 2020 but it is still important to pay attention to social justice.  Many governments around the world, including Australia, have been using the pandemic as cover to shift focus away from important social justice, humanitarian and environmental work. One glaring example of something our government has tried to get passed is the cut to the number of refugees we will accept each year just so they can save the budget 1.8 billion dollars.  This policy does not make any sense considering one of the key indicators for getting the country out of recession is population growth. We should be taking in more refugees not less.  This decision by the Morrison government is exacerbated by yet more cuts to foreign aid.  Social justice for refugees is something we must continue to fight for and if you have any doubt about this you should watch the ABC series Stateless. A story inspired by true events that to...

Victoria once again is a leading light in disability services with the establishment and opening of the Disability Worker Commission on the first of July 2020.  The Commission will receive and investigate complaints about disability workers.  VDWC will focus on complaints and breaches of disability standards and code of conduct by support staff while the NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission focuses on complaints about disability service organisations and NDIS funded supports.  "People with a disability have a right to strong safeguards for services they rely on. That's why we're building a stronger, safer disability sector in Victoria." said Dan Stubbs, Victorian Disability Worker Commissioner.  In my thirty-seven plus years living with a disability I have seen, heard, and experienced the best and worst of disability care. In the current health crisis and with recent high profile abuse and neglect cases, it is more important than ever that people with disabilities a...

The past few months there have been some horrifying incidents that affect the entire disability community. The tragic and unnecessary death of Ann-Marie Smith is a major indictment on disability care. Her situation should not occur in 2020 and the fact that the ironically named Integrity Care has only received a fine is just a disgrace. No matter how big the fine is it does not equal the price of Ann-Marie's life. Just as the disability community was coming to terms with one tragic death, the appalling neglect of little Willow Dunn came to light. Where were the agencies that were supposed to be protecting her? My anger reached boiling point when I read the story of the two Brisbane boys with Autism who were found locked in their house in filthy conditions despite neighbours reporting the neglect of the twins to authorities no action was taken. As a further demonstration of current attitudes towards people with disabilities, I was forced to add my voice to the outrage over t...

This post is in memory of Ann-Marie Smith; a woman with cerebral palsy who tragically and unnecessarily died recently. May she rest in peace. I Cry and Am Not Heard Groups of people go out with binoculars in search for that one rare bird Yet I cry and am not heard. Causing pain with a cane was outlawed years ago Yet I feel the bite day and night.  My soul is not dirty but I wait and wait to be clean; You're standing right there but I am not heard or seen. I do not ask for much even though I miss human touch. All I need is what's fair, just one person to care. I hear you call me Ann-Marie Smith, I am not heard. I listen to you whisper Tessa but I am not heard. You shout Tony but I am not heard. I am many people with disabilities, I am not heard. How many times have people with disabilities been told, 'It's different than it was back then, it will never happen again'. It's 2020; you have a vision of understanding and care...