4 Oct
If you happen to be a child of the 80′s (or any of the preceding decades), you are likely to have a few spare cassette tapes in the forgotten corners of your home…begging to be brought out of the darkness. Well, we stumbled upon this clever little DIY project that will do just that….
28 Sep
Ladies!
We know you love dancing. We also know that if you read this blog, you most likely find violence against women intolerable. Therefore, we think you should spread the female LOVE on Valentine’s Day 2013 by finding an event near you, getting your dance on, and joining the One Billion Rising revolution.
17 Aug
In an interview back in 2010, Hillary Clinton challenged the double standard often imposed on female leaders in her response to a question about her fashion choices:
Interviewer: Okay. Which designers do you prefer?
Hillary Clinton: What designers of clothes?
Interviewer: Yes.
Hillary Clinton: Would you ever ask a man that question?
Interviewer: Probably not. Probably not.
(via Boston Review)
Two years later, her response to this question had an internet revival spreading across blogs and online media last week.
The question wasn’t relevant to the important work Hillary does, nor should her fashion choices be used to pass judgement on her as an effective leader. One thought for you to ponder though:
Sometimes interviewers ask people in the public eye about their personal lives. While all of us are unique, many women do appreciate fashion, just as many men appreciate sport. So was the interviewer’s question really so sexist? Would we be making a fuss if an interviewer asked Obama what his favourite NBA team is?
Is there unnecessary pressure on women in positions of power to stifle any ‘femininity’ in order to gain respect and compete with the men?
Just a little food for thought for your Friday 
Happy Weekend friends!
19 Jul
The TED 2013 Talent search is underway and we’ve gathered the auditions of a few inspirational women to share with you!
With each talk just 5 minutes, there is no reason not to take a teeny tiny break from whatever you’re doing to enjoy these enlightening and life affirming ideas.
Chantelle Baxter is changing the world one sanitary pad at a time with her latest initiative: Launchpad – providing girls in Sierra Leone with sanitary pads to ensure they stay in school. Chantelle is the co-founder of One Girl which exists to give girls in Sierra Leone access to education. One Girl is relaunching an exciting campaign in October 2012 – Do it in a Dress – inviting us all to pick a challenge, raise $240 (the cost of one education scholarship), and do it in a dress.
So watch her wonderful talk and commit to putting on a school dress, so that girls in Sierra Leone can wear one too.
After regular letter correspondence with her mother throughout her college years in the US, Hannah moved to New York, fell into depression, and began writing letters similar to those her mother wrote for her…to strangers. She promised the internet that if asked, she would write anyone a handwritten letter (Yes please!). For the generation that’s grown up in a paperless world, communicating in 180 characters or less, Hannah sheds light on the art form that is letter writing.
When was the last time you gave your facebook/twitter/iphone a rest, and sat down to write someone a letter?
Orly Wahba describes the beauty in the world she sees around her and encourages us to embody that beauty a bit more often in a lovely talk on the importance and effects of random acts of kindness (with a moving short film to accompany it!)
Through the brilliance of the spoken word, Julie Wangombe boldly introduces us all to the beauty and complexity of the continent for which the rest of the world has always been quick to label from afar. A beautifully articulated talk and one that we think certainly deserves to be heard at TED 2013.
And finally a light-hearted & educational one for you! Apparently ‘digestion is the cornerstone of health’ and if we haven’t ‘taken a satisfactory poop’ today then we may have something to worry about.
Nadya teaches physical movements based on ancient practices which aid digestion and make sure we are ridding our body of toxins which can lead to disease.
We hope to see these lovely ladies on the stage at Ted 2013. You can check out more of the up and coming TED talent and vote for your favourites here.
29 Jun
According to Anne-Marie Slaughter (Princeton professor and former Obama Administration Official), for decades the feminist credo has assured women that we can and should strive to ‘have it all’ – ‘all’ being the opportunity to both pursue a challenging and rewarding career AND raise a happy and healthy family. But in her article for The Atlantic last week, Mrs. Slaughter lets us in on a little secret: we can’t.
The catalyst for her discovery of this truth? The pursuit of her high profile career left her unable to be there for her son during the formative years of his adolescence, and inspired her to choose family over her career ambitions.
‘A return to the dark ages!’ she hears the feminists (who paved the way for her career success) protest.
It is of course a ridiculous protest… but one we can unfortunately admit to hearing ourselves now and then (and we don’t even have children yet!)… that little voice whispering triumphantly ‘Not only can you have it all but you shouldn’t settle for less!’ As if our decision NOT to ascend the career ladder to the top would somehow be letting down that generation of women who fought to give us the opportunity.
Slaughter’s 12,000 word essay goes on to make the case for why those nagging voices are wrong, and why our entire system needs to change. It is a well thought-out (though lengthy) piece of writing with some fantastic points backed up by great examples. And brought up a couple questions for us…
This is hardly a gender issue. Men have a choice to make as well, and while some men may gladly work long hours before staying at home with the kids, others have always had to make the same sacrifices Slaughter complains of. As one reader commented:
“As a man, I have made many decisions to prioritize family over work, and you better believe that they have come with the same costs that a woman would have incurred. Women who are otherwise very intelligent and sophisticated seem unprepared for the idea that they have to make some kind of choice. Strangely, I don’t know very many men who ever thought they could have career excellence and parental excellence.”
We agree. It was silly to expect we could be superwomen…and silly to expect the same from men. It’s called compromise.
We are the first to admit that those voices are of our own creation. The movement fought to give us the same CHOICES as men, not for us to become them. We should feel all the more empowered to be able to sit down with our partners and decide together the parenting situation that will work best for both our careers and our kids. Doesn’t our freedom to choose still pay homage to the years of progress made?
We’ve reflected on the dilema of parenthood and work-life balance here before and our own expectations of what that balance might look like have certainly evolved. While Jessica Jackley seemed to be a shining example of a mother-to-be, determined to ‘have-it-all’ by means of a flexible working environment, a great startup team, and a partner willing to take on equal parenting duties, her venture was recently forced to shut down. Hopefully not due to Jackley’s inability to balance her career and her newborn twins, but it’s not out of the question – nor should it be.
In a video interview about the article, Slaughter mentions that the hardest sentence to write was the one in which she admitted to wanting to be home. So difficult, it didn’t even make it into the first 7 drafts. Perhaps something to do with the reactions she got from her colleagues when she made the decision to leave Washington - “It’s such a pity that you had to leave Washington” and “I wouldn’t generalize from your experience. I’ve never had to compromise, and my kids turned out great”
For us, this is an interesting and important point she makes – The decision to invest time in family is devalued in the workplace. The predominant work culture makes it hard for middle class women AND men (let alone lower class families) to juggle work and childcare, and looks down upon taking time out to focus on raising children.
We believe, as Slaughter does, that with changes to the system, to the way businesses are run, it is possible for both women and men to balance their families and careers. And we believe this is already happening, particularly with our generation. We are seeing a move from the belief that the more hours you put in, the better you are at your job (how counter-intuitive!) to flexible hours, video conferencing, and working from home. But we also believe that a shift in societal values that recognises and respects a commitment to family as much as a commitment to a career is of deep importance, regardless of gender.
What do you think? Have you ever felt the need to ‘have it all’? How do you balance your work-home life? Do you see a shift in today’s attitudes towards traditional feminism?
27 Jun
14 Jun
If we asked you to tell us your story in one minute…what would you say?
With the prospect of having to conveying your life in just 60 seconds, your internal dialogue might go something like this:
My story? Where do I start? Childhood? We’ll be here all day! No, I’ll start with what I do… “I’m in Marketing.” Yes…But that’s not who I am! That’s just how I pay the bills… Shit, there goes 15 seconds!”
Few people are prepared to ‘sell’ themselves at all…let alone in one minute (and women tend to be more adverse to this than men). But your story has defined you. It encapsulates your values, your passions, what you stand for…and it’s worth sharing.
1. Firstly, avoid falling into the trap of defining yourself by the role you fill in society - be it in sales, marketing, finance, or fashion. Paricularly if it is not your core passion. If you happen to be in recruitment by day but your real joy comes from flamenco dancing and poetry writing by night, working at the soup kitchen on weekends, or stealing away to travel the world at every chance you get …reflect on why you’re drawn to these things. There is most certainly an inspiring story hidden in there!
2. Each of us have had a myriad of experiences that have molded and shaped us into the person we are today. Think about what gets you fired up. What makes you angry? What makes you happy? What inspires you? And why ? What in your life that has evoked these emotions, these passions? This is the core of your story.
3. Embrace vulnerability. For those of us with stories born out of pain, confusion, ignorance, or hardship, it can be daunting to share our stories. But this is where the heart of stories lie. Authenticity and raw emotion allow us to connect and relate to each other’s stories. In turn, our stories inspire and motivate others, making the world a more beautiful and connected place.
4. Keep it simple - Few people have time for the details. You want to get to the heart of who you are today. So, share the experience(s) that have shaped your values and passions, then make it clear how they play a role in your life today.
Taking the time to reflect on your story allows you to convey it clearly, concisely, and honestly, increasing your confidence, and inspiring others. And as soon as you’re ready to share it with the world, we’ve got the perfect platform for you to do it!
A few weeks ago, we mentioned an exciting media project launching later this year designed to ‘open societies, connect communities, and create happier human beings.’ This Place is Yours is an open invitation to tell your story and engage with stories of others.
Intrigued? Check out Seema’s story (the founder), get involved and help spread the word!
We want to hear YOUR story.
5 Jun
Congratulations! If you are reading this you are most likely one of the lucky ones. You have probably received a decent education, maybe even gone on to University.
But imagine for a moment what your life might be like, if that hadn’t been the case.
Imagine if you had only made it through year 3…Where would you be today?
A scary thought.
But in Papua New Guinea, a country just to the north of Australia, the average time spent in school is a mere 2.9 years because parents can’t afford to pay the fees.
Thankfully, though there is a pretty amazing local guy working to change this.
John Taka is a Spark* Changemaker. A young social entrepreneur who had an idea to turn around his community.
About 6 months ago, he began ‘Seeds of Hope’ – a sweet potato farm cooperative in his community – which sells the harvest to pay the school fees of the children in the village.
He wants to bring this idea to more communities, to give more children the opportunity to go to school. And you can help him.
A challenge for you:
Can you donate a dollar for every year of education you’ve completed?
18 May
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest… Each day we have a plethora of opportunities to exchange, share, communicate, support, and connect with others thanks to the horde of online communities we now have at our disposal.
Though some believe we are feeling more isolated than ever.
An interesting hypothesis, and one we thought worth exploring. So earlier this year (inspired by this post), we solicited the opinion of the world wide web on community in a digital age.
“I’ve always seen online communities as a supplement, not a replacement, for real life ones. I use them as a means to stay connected to people when we’re not in the same physical space. I’d much rather be doing stuff in the real world, because real life is so KICKBUTT.”
~
“I think there is always some loss to a community that is online. Its just not the same as a real connection, sharing your time with someone in a physical space. The loss of eye contact, body gestures, fine details… It is sad in many ways, yet being able to communicate and share from a distance has many benefits and will continue to be apart of society as we become more connected.”
~
“I don’t think that there is any way to fully replicate the experience of having a face to face conversation with another individual with an online community. Though we have so many new ways to connect with each other, I think that many of us are feeling more isolated than ever.”
~
“What I’ve had fun with – is to expand my offline friendships with extended online ones. This has opened up entirely new relationships in very cool ways.”
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“I am an Administrator on a large bulletin board; We are all bound together by the need for support and understanding (prisoners’ families). In real life we would not be able to make those connections so easily. One of the first things that members say when joining is “Thank God I found you! You understand me, no-one else does”. In my experience the internet has enhanced my ability to join a community towards which I feel a real sense of “belonging”. It has been one of the most rewarding times of my life, and I have made and met lifelong friends through this medium.”
~
“In the last year, I moved to a brand new city where I knew absolutely no one. As I explored the city, I was open to connections and talked to whoever was around me when it seemed appropriate, but in most of these cases we had nothing in common more than whatever situation we were in and whatever else strangers have in common. We could talk about local events or experiences, or tell each other our stories but that ended up being the extent of it. I had much better luck finding groups of people with common interests through online communities and then meeting them at events.”
~
“The online world can be a good portal into real-world connections if you want it to be – for example, meetup.com or ‘tweet-ups’”
Like many who weighed in, we believe BALANCE is key. Our online and offline communities should not be mutually exclusive but rather mutually reinforcing. Those of us living nomadic or urban lifestyles may have to work a bit harder to nurture our real world connections, but we think there are some fabulous ways to do that. We need only to get off our lap tops (iphones, ipads, etc.), turn off the TV, and get out there!
Here’s a quick look at just a few new community initiatives in our backyard that are successfully using the online world to expand our offline interactions:
This Place is Yours is an exciting non-profit media project launching later this year that seeks to ‘connect communities, open societies and create happier human beings.’ The beauty of this project is the way it plans to do this via online journalism & story-telling combined with real world events & workshops in order to foster face-to-face connection and community.
Urban Love - ‘Extremely social, guerilla-style events across Sydney’s underused inner-city spaces. A much needed chance to get outside, mingle, stretch your happy muscles, meet your neighbours and liven up our streets! Public street-parties every third Saturday 2-6pm. Rogue Tunes, outdoor foosball, great times & BYO drinks & food.’
Make Tonight Count - A new iphone app designed to share your plans for the evening with ‘a few mates, all your friends or the world.’ A nifty little tool to help us all coordinate our social lives. The night is full of possibilities and this app exists to help you take advantage of all of them.
Are Facebook, et al. causing loneliness and isolation?
How do you nurture your offline communities?
Why not make a commitment to foster real world connections in NEW ways this weekend?
9 May
A clever campaign and an unimaginable injustice we encounter everyday – whether we know it or not. The waitress at the restaurant, the hands that made our clothes, the child forced to work to produce the chocolate we enjoy…
If you’d like to learn more, get involved or simply support great organisations working hard to end modern day slavery, check out:
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