by Chis Van Ingen
How much longer is the world going to suffer from the environmental Ostrich syndrome?
I saw a Ted Egan documentary made in 1985 that talked about the destruction of our rainforest but we still live in an environment of complacency in 2010.
Al Gore may have won the Oscar for his doomsday prediction but as soon as the cameras stopped rolling we put that inconvenient truth back in its box.
What we’ve failed to realise is that box has become a ticking time bomb for the next generation to defuse.
The good thing is every native culture around the world has already given us the answer all we have to do now is learn from the past and act for the future.
Since the beginning of time indigenous people have lived in harmony with the land then somewhere along the line we declared war on nature.
It is our consumer lust that drives the continued rape of this planet that gives us life and I must confess until now I have been an accessory to this crime.
The ancients knew survival depends on only taking what you need and then giving nature time to regenerate, a simple lesson we must learn before it’s too late.
If we want to save the planet each of us has to decide to buy only environmentally friendly organic free trade produces.
Until that day corporations will continue giving customers what they want so it’s time for a power shift.
Remember “keep the wheels of life turning in your direction.”
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
wall of ignorance
by Chris Van Ingen
Andrew Peacock’s comment “you have to be handicapped to understand Labor polices.” highlights the wall of ignorance people with disabilities still face.
I have loved politics sens I met Paul Keating when he was prime minister and I was even a member of Mr Peacock’s own party but I haven’t heard ignorance like that sens primary school.
For anyone still living in the dark agers with Mr Peacock here my introduction to disability lecture.
I will baffle you, astound you and tell you the truth as I see it. Let me start by asking you this question – What is the difference between you and me? The answer is nothing, we are all human beings. What is a disability?
A disability is
“any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner, or within the range considered to be normal for a human being.”
There are many different types of disabilities. I’ve had friends that have cerebral palsy just like me that are higher functioning than. I am I have also had friends that are lower functioning because like any thing in life every one is different, each disability is different. Unless you have lived with a disability you will never know what it’s like just as I will never know what it’s like dealing with the trials and tribulations of your life. I am only here as proof of what living with a disability is actually like, at least what it’s like for me. Every one on the face of this earth has their difficulties every day but for a person with a disability it can sometimes feel like these difficulties are magnified ten thousand times. Just to give you a small illustration of these difficulties I would like every person here to grab a pen in their opposite hand to the one you write with, hold it in a fist and then try and write your name.
Something as simple as writing your name can be this difficult for me and this is with my good hand. I’m not saying any of this to embarrass you or make you feel sorry for me these are just the facts. Every day I have to have someone dress me, feed me, shower me and even wipe my bum.
I have been incredibly lucky because at the stage that my brain damage occurred the doctors believed the areas of my brain that control speech and intellectual capacity were not developed that is why I’m able to communicate so clearly and because of this I have been able to function at a high level in society despite my physical difficulties. Even with my communication skills and normal intellectual abilities I have still been confronted with nasty stereo types and discrimination like all people with disabilities. Just the other day I was out with my fiancée having lunch and the waitress came up to the table and said “we have chicken nuggets and chips if he would like that” she didn’t even acknowledge my presence at the table. So naturally I replied “I’ll have the open steak sandwich, thanks.” This lady did not mean any disrespect, she just wasn’t aware enough. This is the case with a lot of people. That is why I always try and educate people rather than getting mad. I have found you get further that way.
If you lovely people are going to work in the disability field, the most important thing to remember is you are not there to do the person with a disability a favour so it is important to be a professional at all times. I can guarantee you if a person with a disability had any other choice you would not be in their lives as carers. I have found the general rule of thumb is ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. In other words don’t do anything to your clients that you wouldn’t like done to yourself. Let me ask you this question – please look at the person next to you, now what if I was to tell you that the person you are looking at right now is coming home with you tonight, strip you naked and shower you. The standard answer to this question is ‘hell no!’. But people with disabilities have no choice. I have had carers that think I am invincible because of the way I joke around and act confident. This is just my way of protecting myself from the invasion of privacy I deal with every day and it is because of this bravado a few carers have made inappropriate comments about my weight while showering me and even comments about how disgusting my bowel movements are. Comments like this are completely inappropriate because it is comments like these that make me feel more disabled than anything.
There are many issues that disabled people face everyday. For example,
How will we get from one place to another?
How do we gain access to friend’s places, shops etc?
How do we deal with sexual frustration when society believes that disabled people don’t have sex so therefore they don’t even think about it?
I’m not asking you to answer any of these questions. The only thing people with disabilities want is for everyone to be open minded and simply aware – after all that’s why we call it ‘disability awareness’.
Thank you for your time.
I am happy to answer any questions you may ask.
Andrew Peacock’s comment “you have to be handicapped to understand Labor polices.” highlights the wall of ignorance people with disabilities still face.
I have loved politics sens I met Paul Keating when he was prime minister and I was even a member of Mr Peacock’s own party but I haven’t heard ignorance like that sens primary school.
For anyone still living in the dark agers with Mr Peacock here my introduction to disability lecture.
I will baffle you, astound you and tell you the truth as I see it. Let me start by asking you this question – What is the difference between you and me? The answer is nothing, we are all human beings. What is a disability?
A disability is
“any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner, or within the range considered to be normal for a human being.”
There are many different types of disabilities. I’ve had friends that have cerebral palsy just like me that are higher functioning than. I am I have also had friends that are lower functioning because like any thing in life every one is different, each disability is different. Unless you have lived with a disability you will never know what it’s like just as I will never know what it’s like dealing with the trials and tribulations of your life. I am only here as proof of what living with a disability is actually like, at least what it’s like for me. Every one on the face of this earth has their difficulties every day but for a person with a disability it can sometimes feel like these difficulties are magnified ten thousand times. Just to give you a small illustration of these difficulties I would like every person here to grab a pen in their opposite hand to the one you write with, hold it in a fist and then try and write your name.
Something as simple as writing your name can be this difficult for me and this is with my good hand. I’m not saying any of this to embarrass you or make you feel sorry for me these are just the facts. Every day I have to have someone dress me, feed me, shower me and even wipe my bum.
I have been incredibly lucky because at the stage that my brain damage occurred the doctors believed the areas of my brain that control speech and intellectual capacity were not developed that is why I’m able to communicate so clearly and because of this I have been able to function at a high level in society despite my physical difficulties. Even with my communication skills and normal intellectual abilities I have still been confronted with nasty stereo types and discrimination like all people with disabilities. Just the other day I was out with my fiancée having lunch and the waitress came up to the table and said “we have chicken nuggets and chips if he would like that” she didn’t even acknowledge my presence at the table. So naturally I replied “I’ll have the open steak sandwich, thanks.” This lady did not mean any disrespect, she just wasn’t aware enough. This is the case with a lot of people. That is why I always try and educate people rather than getting mad. I have found you get further that way.
If you lovely people are going to work in the disability field, the most important thing to remember is you are not there to do the person with a disability a favour so it is important to be a professional at all times. I can guarantee you if a person with a disability had any other choice you would not be in their lives as carers. I have found the general rule of thumb is ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. In other words don’t do anything to your clients that you wouldn’t like done to yourself. Let me ask you this question – please look at the person next to you, now what if I was to tell you that the person you are looking at right now is coming home with you tonight, strip you naked and shower you. The standard answer to this question is ‘hell no!’. But people with disabilities have no choice. I have had carers that think I am invincible because of the way I joke around and act confident. This is just my way of protecting myself from the invasion of privacy I deal with every day and it is because of this bravado a few carers have made inappropriate comments about my weight while showering me and even comments about how disgusting my bowel movements are. Comments like this are completely inappropriate because it is comments like these that make me feel more disabled than anything.
There are many issues that disabled people face everyday. For example,
How will we get from one place to another?
How do we gain access to friend’s places, shops etc?
How do we deal with sexual frustration when society believes that disabled people don’t have sex so therefore they don’t even think about it?
I’m not asking you to answer any of these questions. The only thing people with disabilities want is for everyone to be open minded and simply aware – after all that’s why we call it ‘disability awareness’.
Thank you for your time.
I am happy to answer any questions you may ask.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
politics of life
By Chris Van Ingen
With an election coming up it important to remind ourselves before we drown in promises we have to focus the politics of life.
Today’s politician’s often use a strategy called Game Theory which promotes the idea that if everyone goes for the same goal someone loses but if we go for different things everyone wins. I believe with this theory it is community that loses.
Politics shouldn’t be about winning it should be about working together because to change the world our leaders have to stop operating in these cliques known as political parties.
We should call on our leaders to stop the Machiavellin back stabbing and work on the environmental, economic and social justice issues that affect all Australians.
I was in a political party for 6 months but constant point scoring made it impossible to advocate for what I believe in.
We need to remember our humanity and share the abundance of this country with everyone.
We need to save the environment before it’s too late and we need to commit more resources to empowering people with disabilities now and that way it will cost less to support people with disabilities in the future.
So before you vote for the same old Joe Blow you usually vote for please remember this article and elect people you think will serve this country with humanity.
With an election coming up it important to remind ourselves before we drown in promises we have to focus the politics of life.
Today’s politician’s often use a strategy called Game Theory which promotes the idea that if everyone goes for the same goal someone loses but if we go for different things everyone wins. I believe with this theory it is community that loses.
Politics shouldn’t be about winning it should be about working together because to change the world our leaders have to stop operating in these cliques known as political parties.
We should call on our leaders to stop the Machiavellin back stabbing and work on the environmental, economic and social justice issues that affect all Australians.
I was in a political party for 6 months but constant point scoring made it impossible to advocate for what I believe in.
We need to remember our humanity and share the abundance of this country with everyone.
We need to save the environment before it’s too late and we need to commit more resources to empowering people with disabilities now and that way it will cost less to support people with disabilities in the future.
So before you vote for the same old Joe Blow you usually vote for please remember this article and elect people you think will serve this country with humanity.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Live Below the Line
By Chris Van Ingen
Did you know as you read this there are 1.4 billion people are living in poverty? Live Below the Line is a campaign dedicated to changing this fact.
Live Below the Line participants have to survive on two dollars a day for 5 days, if you think it’s impossible remember 1.4 billion people do it every day.
To put it in perspective 1 take away coffee is about 4 dollars almost double the daily income of many families around the world.
Money raised from the campaign will go to the Oaktree Foundation and the Global Poverty Project to found the building of schools in Cambodia, as well as, educational programs in Australia.
Live Below the Line organisers believe education is currency people need to lift themselves out of poverty.
“I want help raise awareness about the issue of poverty.” Said Tara Watts a Live Below the Line participant.
This event is a powerful reminder that 2 percent of the world’s population controls around ninety eight percent of the wealth so putting a stop to poverty means sharing.
As the author of this blog I have to admit for a long time I followed Gordon Gecko’s mantra “greed is good.” But now that seem so stupid.
I am 1 small wave in the ocean of humanity but I will do what I can to make sure that in the next generation no one lives below the poverty line.
Live Below the Line runs from the 2nd to the 6th of August if you want to donate to Tara go to www.everydayhero.com.au/tara_watts
Remember “Keep the wheels of life turning in your direction”
Did you know as you read this there are 1.4 billion people are living in poverty? Live Below the Line is a campaign dedicated to changing this fact.
Live Below the Line participants have to survive on two dollars a day for 5 days, if you think it’s impossible remember 1.4 billion people do it every day.
To put it in perspective 1 take away coffee is about 4 dollars almost double the daily income of many families around the world.
Money raised from the campaign will go to the Oaktree Foundation and the Global Poverty Project to found the building of schools in Cambodia, as well as, educational programs in Australia.
Live Below the Line organisers believe education is currency people need to lift themselves out of poverty.
“I want help raise awareness about the issue of poverty.” Said Tara Watts a Live Below the Line participant.
This event is a powerful reminder that 2 percent of the world’s population controls around ninety eight percent of the wealth so putting a stop to poverty means sharing.
As the author of this blog I have to admit for a long time I followed Gordon Gecko’s mantra “greed is good.” But now that seem so stupid.
I am 1 small wave in the ocean of humanity but I will do what I can to make sure that in the next generation no one lives below the poverty line.
Live Below the Line runs from the 2nd to the 6th of August if you want to donate to Tara go to www.everydayhero.com.au/tara_watts
Remember “Keep the wheels of life turning in your direction”
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