In Australia, people from a CALD background have a significantly lower level of access to mental health care and support in the wider community, with many not seeking help or support. Following his recent appointment as Multicultural Mental Health Ambassador for the Northern Territory, Mathews David shares his views on the value and role of mental health programs and policies for CALD communities.
A guest post from the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) National President, Christine Craik.
Young people are particularly experiencing real stress and anxiety around climate change, with four in five Australian students recently reporting they are very anxious, and one in five saying they would not or have fewer children because of climate change. In this interview, Dr Sally Gillespie outlines how she has applied her studies and experiences with Jungian psychology to help others and publish a book on climate consciousness.
Youth Advocate, Jahin Tanvir, believes the pandemic has seen young people’s needs and concerns largely overlooked, and there is a growing need to effectively engage with today’s youth so they are empowered to withstand the current challenges and uncertainty. With recent research highlighting how rarely young people are quoted in media, despite the growing volume of issues directly impacting today’s youth, Tanvir encourages young people to continue using their voices to drive the changes they want to see in society.
Aarti Bajaj is the creative director of groundbreaking production company, Wild Dreamer Productions. Bajaj recently rejected the words “white” and “brown” on the set of her major stage production, believing the terms to inhibit inclusiveness and diversity. She said her aim is to offer actors, dancers, singers and composers a platform to showcase their talent, without being hindered by their ethnicity. In this interview, Bajaj shares experiences from her career in production, and her views on the representation of ethnicity on screen.
Digital accessibility has long-been misunderstood and overlooked as a complex and costly exercise. But high-profile court cases like the 2015 case against Coles in 2015, which has led to significant changes and new initiatives to make online experiences more accessible, demonstrate that accessibility isn’t a ‘niche’ area and in fact impacts the lives and autonomy of millions of people.
Managing and understanding climate change will be critical to the sustainability of all industries, communities, and ways of life. At the core of this challenge, is science communicators, who carry the heavy responsibility of ensuring their extensive research and studies of this field are accurately communicated to the public. In this interview, Dr Linden Ashcroft shares her experiences as a climatologist and her views on how the field is changing.
A guest post from Susan Moylan-Coombs, Founding Director of The Gaimaragal Group. Gaimaragal Group is a First Nations organisation established to lead social change and create social impact by bringing together like minds and like spirits.
For article #101 of Echo Chamber Escape, experts and community leaders were asked: What can people who have never experienced racism do to better understand what it is, its impact, and how they can contribute to removing racism from society?
For article #100 of Echo Chamber Escape, experts and community leaders were asked: What can we as a society be doing to eradicate racism in our communities?
Alissa Musto has experienced first-hand the impacts of changes across both the entertainment and cruise liner industries due to the coronavirus pandemic. In this interview, Alissa shares how she started her career in entertainment, and how she is managing the changes due to the current pandemic.
Ableism – or discrimination against people with disabilities – has had detrimental impacts on immigration policies and immigrants, suicide rates among people with disabilities, and social acceptance and stigmatisation by society. Unfortunately, many have seen ableism have an accelerated impact during the coronavirus pandemic. In this interview, Encalada shares his views on how research can make a difference, how research has failed to help in the past, and the importance of involving people with disabilities in research programs as researchers.
Following a teenage crush on Mulder in the X-Files, Jo started acting at 15 years old. While building this career and acting alongside the likes of Heath Ledger, Jo undertook a degree in education and became a primary school teacher. As well as juggling these two career streams, Jo has become a social media influencer, mummy blogger, and of course also manages her most important job of all – being a mum. In this interview, Jo shares how she multitasks and manages her various skills, and her view on what you really can have it all.
Hayden McEvoy was diagnosed with ADHD in Year 1 and has since thrived at school and gone on to start his own successful tutoring company. He believes in the importance of a student’s environment, rather than their ADHD diagnosis, when determining their potential. In this interview, Hayden shares his own journey through the education system, and why he developed a bespoke teaching model to bring out the best in every student.
Nikki Hamilton started her own marketing consultancy, Seedling Digital, under a year ago with no formal qualifications yet is succeeding beyond all her expectations. With a baby just over one, a commitment to constant learning, and a dedication to building beautiful brands with meaning, Nikki is a driven leader and passionate about helping businesses grow and thrive.
