Australia21 needs your help

Australia 21 is a not-for-profit organisation which brings together diverse thinkers to develop ideas for Australia’s future, on policy areas ranging from climate change to drug law reform to euthanasia. Australia21 only tackles 'wicked problems'. These are complex problems that defy definition, resist all usual attempts to solve them, hardly ever sit conveniently within the responsibility of one organisation, and attempted solutions are thwarted by unforeseen consequences.

We have exciting plans for the future. But these plans are now at risk due to a lack of funding. So we would like to tell you a little bit about us and seek your help.

We believe that Australia 21 is uniquely placed to think about policy issues facing Australia in a way which goes beyond the populist consensus of the major political parties.

* What other organisation could bring together a former federal police commissioner, addiction specialists and former premiers to agree publicly that the war on drugs has failed and get them in the same room to discuss alternatives?

* What other organisation could gather palliative care workers, doctors, lawyers, former politicians and students to develop ideas about how we could regulate euthanasia in Australia, while also including opponents of euthanasia in the discussion?

We want to keep the conversation going – but we need your help. As well as plans for further developing the discussion on these valuable topics, Australia 21 is commencing a project about asylum seekers and a project about inequality in Australia, timely projects which are needed now more than ever.

If you believe in the work we do, if you have ever considered donating money to Australia 21, we would like to stress in the strongest possible terms that now is the time to do it.

Donations will be gratefully received at http://www.givenow.com.au/australia21

 

How to donate to Australia21

If you wish to make a donation to assist Australia21 to continue its program of multidisciplinary research and inquiry on issues of strategic importance to Australia in the 21st century, there are three ways in which you can do this:

(1)    By clicking the “Donate” button on our website and following the link to the “Give Now” website

(2)     By sending a cheque to Australia21 Limited, PO Box 3244, Weston ACT 2611

(3)     By direct transfer to our Bank MECU account: BSB 313-140, A/c No. 2319 3882

If you choose the third option you will need to send an email to office@australia21.org.au advising us of the amount and your name and address so that we may send you a receipt.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

We thank you in advance.

Nicky Grigg joins Board of Australia21

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Nicky Grigg to the Board of Australia21.

Nicky is a research scientist at CSIRO Land and Water. She completed Environmental Engineering and Applied Mathematics undergraduate degrees at the University of Western Australia, and a PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Science at the Australian National University. She conducted her postdoctoral work in complex systems science at CSIRO and has worked on a diverse set of projects ranging from a local scale (e.g. analysis of stormwater harvesting in Canberra) to a national scale (e.g. what builds social-ecological resilience in Australia?). Currently she is part of an interdisciplinary team using integrated modelling approaches to understand impacts of and responses to global change. Nicky is also involved with a range of change focussed community activities. She was a founding member of SEE-Change (www.see-change.org.au), has participated actively in the CSIRO Scientists in Schools program and over several years has performed in National Science Week and ‘Canberra Conversation’ events with A Chorus of Women. Nicky brings not only scientific expertise to Australia21 but also a lived experience of community engagement which is very valuable to us.

Steve Cork joins Board of Australia21

We are delighted to announce the recent appointment of Dr Steve Cork to the Board of Australia21.

Steve is a futurist, strategist, and ecologist who has had a career spanning research (University of NSW, CSIRO, and at the Australian National University) and public policy (Australian Government, United Nations). He pioneered research in Australia on the natural environment’s benefits for humans, managed the Future Landscapes Program in Land & Water Australia, led the writing team that prepared the Millennium Assessment’s scenarios for the future of the world, and has worked on forest and coastal policy and market-based instruments for natural resource management in the Australian Government. He is currently an adjunct Professor in the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU and provides futures and strategic thinking services to government and non-government organisations, large and small, as a private consultant (EcoInsights). For several years Steve has been a valued member of Australia21's leadership team for the resilience project and the ecosystems project. We look forward to his contribution in this new role as a director in a wide range of areas, particularly futures and strategic thinking. 

Lisa Pryor joins Board of Australia21

We are delighted to announce the recent appointment of Lisa Pryor to the board of Australia21.

Lisa is a journalist, author and medical student. She is the author of two non-fiction books, A Small Book About Drugs: The Debate We Need To Have About Recreational Drugs (Allen & Unwin) and The Pin Striped Prison: How Overachievers Get Trapped in Corporate Jobs They Hate (Picador). She was previously the opinion page editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, where she also worked as an investigative journalist and wrote a weekly opinion column. She has a law degree with first class honours, and an arts degree, from the University of Sydney. She returned to the university in 2011 to study medicine. Lisa first became involved with Australia21 through the illicit drugs project.

We appreciate her continued contribution in this area and look forward to drawing also on her experience in the broader area of media and communications, where she is known as an incisive and entertaining commentator.