May1st- 15th- what I have said on blogs I am following (links attached to each blog)

Sat May 15, 02:36:00 PM http://theresa-thelittleenginethatcould.blogspot.com/  
Hi Theresa,
Yes you are right what can one person do to affect change in large corporations. It is something I believe that stops us all in our tracks at times.

However it sometimes only takes one person to speak out to realise that many others feel that same as us, and this can be the beginning of entering into action.

This week in Australia that has been the case on one point with the banks, with the beginings of a class action to get back fees from banks.

The use of technology as a means to join the action - register has gained momentum very quickly. In fact I also have toyed with the concept this week and I am still considering it. see link. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/13/2898166.htm

So you may be one - but one makes many when we speak up and many gives us power.
Karen


15 May 2010 2:48 PM http://swsp7123nacom.blogspot.com/
Hi,
I remember seeing a story ages ago on ABC re the one child policy and it was facinating the lengths that families were going to to have more than one child- and then the fall out from that. I found the link to the story - http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2005/s1423772.htm

It must be heart breaking for these young people to have to hide as they do.

The other think I remember was the increase of black market selling of children to rich families who could afford to pay the licence to have a second child.
Very thought provoking.
Karen

May 14, 2010 10:30 PM  http://megumi-cdproject.blogspot.com/
Hi Meg,
Great to get your email. I spoke with Gai this week re our last assignment- she asked me how you were & if you had taken on the 2nd subject. Told her you had and that you were doing well.

Also told her you had just been to Japan for your friends wedding. Hope you had a great trip.

I am going to be at the library all day tomorrow on level five circle desk if you want help with the paging thing on your blog.

Seems like you have been really busy with your project with your placement - read your discussion board that is awesome.

Any way let me know if I can help.I learnt everything I know from Miss Theresa (wealth of knowledge that one, and I am challenging her to learn more things today re uploading - (well finding video footage I appear to have lost from the computer and camera)so she can teach me -all for a small bribe of dinner tonight. Well fingers crossed it works.
Karen

May 14, 2010 9:15 PM http://indigenouseducationinzillmere.blogspot.com/
Hi Cindy
I have had a challenging read for social workers in the global context of working with indigenous communities last week.

I read two articles the first the -'Learning from a Murri Way'by R.Lynn (British journal of social work, v.31 no.6 2001, pp.903-916) was nice and I related to it.

The second 'A reflection on the Indigenization dicourse invSocial Work' by H.Yunong and Z.Xioung (International Social work 51(5) p 611-622) challenge me as a social work- saying that this should be in my practice any way and some indigenous want to be treated the same as other cultures.

Have a look and letme know what you think.
Karen

May 14, 2010 10:40 PM http://brisbanebasketball.blogspot.com/
Hi Rachel,
Just checking in to see how things are going with organising the basketbal 3 person comp tournament.

The legalities of ensuring all adults safe has certainly become a stumbling block in recent years for getting things happening quickly.
Whilst nothing is a garenteed certainity I do believe that it is a vital an necessary protection step, and our inconvience is worth the cost - to keep the children safe.

Let me know how you are going.
Karen



May 14, 2010 10:12 PM http://ugandansandfriendsunite.blogspot.com/
Hi Sylvia,
Whilst this can be very true. As an optimist I hold on to the belief that people are redeemable. Sometimes the change of public opinion can sway people from the destructive path that they have been on to rejoin the good fight.

Not that you would completely trust to begin with, but I think many people enter into political life with ideals - and along the way they get stipped away gradually. Until one day many of them wake up and don't recgonise themselves anymore.

Now not that it is exactly the same and I don't know the full details of the Qld MP's who left their party (Liberals) as they felt that they could no longer represent their consituents as members of the party.

For me I believe that they would have made choices and did things that they were against in the past.
And their future - by their choice may have opened them up to doing things differently and within their values and for their peoples.
Karen

May 14, 2010 10:20 PM  http://kulchakonnect.blogspot.com/
Hi Vanessa.
Got your email re the presentation that you are doing. Unfortunately I will not be able to make it, have so many things I need to get done in the these last few weeks.

I have to say that it was very tempting and I hope that it all goes well for you.
Look forward to your posting to see how it went.
Karen

May 14, 2010 10:36 PM http://uqpostgradgroup.blogspot.com/
Hey Jess,
Just checking in with how the project is going so far. I know that I have not been helpful and signed up with my face book etc.

I have only just got around to connecting and letting two friends become friends with me. Still have not prgressed my facebook to mean anything just yet. It is on my plans - the weekend ones when I am no longer doing assignments though.
Is there any way it can flip to peoples email accounts- I know that I find if it pops up here I am more likely to respond as it is not another medium I have to check ,just see and link across to?  Karen


May 2, 2010 6:37 AM http://brisbanebasketball.blogspot.com/
hi Rachel,
I came accross this article which talks about how the use of out of class room activities can contribute in many ways to the learning of young people.Basketball can be used as means to teach maths, something I know myself can seem hard, but put into another context it can be easy to understand.

'I wondered how out- of- school settings provided opportunities for young people to learn and develop in ways that some classrooms seem to struggle with (Everyday Pedagogy: Lessons from Basketball, Track, and Dominoes Na'Ilah Suad Nasir The Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 89, No. 7 (Mar., 2008), pp. 529-532).
Thought this might be really useful in your project.
Karen

May 2, 2010 5:57 AM http://alex-learninginaction.blogspot.com/
Hi Alex,
I just read an article that talks about how young people not only learn at school but through their contribution in the community they are actively contributing to the information literacy for society(Social Action Learning Gail Bush School Library Media Activities Monthly; Mar 2006; 22, 7;Pg38)

So in your case the loss of information passed from students into their community by removing these program is going to be s tragic loss to all those communities.
So it is great project to fight to keep it going.
Karen

2 May 2010 11:16 PM http://swsp7123nacom.blogspot.com/
Ho Na,
I have just looked at an article that talks about one of the other issues thatr will soon face China with it current one child policy, the reduction of age working population.'As the demographic transition process continues to carry forward, the growth of working-age population becomes slower and slower, whereas population aging speeds up. These changes raise many challenges to China's society' (Cai Fang. Far Eastern Economic Review. Hong Kong: May 2007. Vol. 170, Iss. 4; pg. 58, 4)

How much extra pressure will this put upon the child by the parents in requiring support in their old age.
Karen

May 2, 2010 6:56 AM http://ugandansandfriendsunite.blogspot.com/
Hi Sylvia,
The building of new communities to fight against a corrupt system is no small task to undertake. And whilst we can look at it negatively and believe that it is impossible, i am hopeful cause it only takes one person to believe and not be influenced by corrupt systems, Gandi and Mandala are definate examples of hoe one person believing in peace can influence millions.

'The success of anti-corruption efforts depends on the political will to implement change. Genuine commitment is needed from both executive and legislature, and civil service reform should be supported by incentives from the international donor community'(Author: Peter Eigen National Post ISSN: 1486-8008 Date: 03/27/2004.
Karen

May 2, 2010 7:09 AM  http://uqpostgradgroup.blogspot.com/
Hi Jess,
The post grad group looks like fun project to develop.

I have come across a study that also highlighted a futher positive benefits from such a group. The connection of the students formed as a place to check, challenge, discuss and develop ideas.Certainly as we go off into the big wide social work world this is definately a safety and support network that we need.

'This study generated an inventory of dialogue civic outcomes which details impacts from dialogue articulated as 29 themes over the five domains of cognitions, behaviors, attitudes, and skills, as well as hopes and plans for the future'(Diaz, Andrea N., Ph.D., Fielding Graduate University, 2009).
Karen

Sat May 01, 08:43:00 PM http://theresa-thelittleenginethatcould.blogspot.com/
Hey Theresa,

What a really nice thankyou email that you got re the garden.
It certainly makes all the work that you do worth while. Not just the appreciation for the individual but also the acknowledgement that the program is moving forward.
Karen

April- what I said on the blogs I am following (links attached to each comment)

April 30, 2010 8:22 PM http://indigenouseducationinzillmere.blogspot.com/
Hi Cindy

I have just read and article in the Australian Journal of Education, by Sarah Prout, who discuss educational issues for Indigenous people. The article looks at the engagement practices of beurcrats - and how maybe it isn't just about identifing the issues, bu to take the next step differently.


In past it has been the main form of addressing these issues to remove and change the Indigenous ways. Sarah suggested that we engage on a different level in an attempt to get outcomes that benefits both parties needs and outcomes. "Such engagement, it seems, is fundamental to real progress in ‘closing the gaps’ in education outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students"(Australian Journal of Education, Vol. 53, No. 1, 2009, pgs 39–53 by Sarah Prout).40
Karen

April 30, 2010 8:41 PM http://kulchakonnect.blogspot.com/
Hi Vanessa,

I have been reading an article about the changes that have occured in international law- the focus being placed upon Indigenous communities.


The article talks about the recognition of Indigenous cultures holding their countries accountable for social justice issues. 'More generally, indigenous peoples have arguably come to represent one of the


most influential, and well recognized, parties of a global civil movement committed to the pursuit of justice (International and Comparative Law Quarterly (2009), 58: 957-983 Cambridge University Press).


One of the things it talks about is the recognition of 'cultural' persepctives. It discusses the importance of looking at 'customary' justices to be inclusive of countries systems.


I am aware that there is an Indigenous court up in FNQ, it is my understanding that this is an effective way of engaging the two systems and societies in addressing legal issues in the Indigeous community. The connection for the elders and those in legal trouble in this instance is often the difference. The cutural connection to justice systems is just one componet of what you are talking about with cultural connection.
Karen

April 30, 2010 7:57 PM http://megumi-cdproject.blogspot.com/  

Hi Meg,
It is unfortunate that we have not progressed very far as a nation in addressing the health issues of our Indigenous community. A clear example of this is in 1998 the World Health Organisation identifing trachoma as the leading cause of the world's infectious blindness, and that it was placed on their agenda to erradicate this diease world wide by 2020.


However our remote and rural Indigenous are still dealing with this infectious eye disease, which has long since been eradicated in the Australian cities.


When the World Health Organization (WHO)made their announcement trachoma was still occurring in 54 countries- Australia being one of them. The shame was that Australia was the only developed country that was on the list.


'The poor health of indigenous communities has been likened – by policy-makers and commentators – to
the problems of the developing world'(Bulletin of the World Health Organization April 2008, 86 (4))
Karen

29 April 2010 3:52 PM http://swsp7123nacom.blogspot.com/

Hi Na,
This is most certainly not for the faint hearted as a subject.

Tackling parental expectations in a system that restricts their rights in such a way will most definately have some difficulties.


The extreme pressure upon the sole child by the parents must be intense at time.
I look forward to hearing how this progress.
Karen

April 28, 2010 10:37 PM http://alex-learninginaction.blogspot.com/
Hi Alex,
Just had a quick read to see where you are up to. That looks great. And as with most plans we have ideas and they have already done some of those. But you seem have plenty of other ideas to keep you going and moving forward with connecting to the group and getting things happening. Look forward to where you are heading to next.
Karen

April 28, 2010 10:02 PM http://megumi-cdproject.blogspot.com/
Hi Meg,
Now to chat about your project- it looks great. You have really done some work on it. I have only this week taken off my close the gap band.


So how has the project been going for you.
The arm band was great- and I wore it to bali and talked much about it to everyone I went with. So it is a great way to generate the discussion with those who have little to do or exposure to the issues.
Karen

April 28, 2010 9:57 PM http://megumi-cdproject.blogspot.com/   
Hi meg,
You can set up another page and add your plan to that so it doesn't take up so much room on you posting page. Call me and I will talk you through it and how to add the page and move that.
Karen

April 28, 2010 10:46 PM http://brisbanebasketball.blogspot.com/  

Hi Rachel,
i agree it is probably quicker and simpler to do something with young people who are not under aged. But it doesn't mean that in the fututre that can not get legs and grow into something. So start with what they offer you and get in the door and work your way around from there.


The three on three comp sounds like a great idea- it is quick and fast and likely to attract the interest quickly.
Karen



April 28, 2010 11:27 PM http://indigenouseducationinzillmere.blogspot.com/
Hey Cindy
Whilst you didn't get an agreement, look at what you have achieved in the small time frame.Also you need to remember that rushed processes can lead to bad solutions and people not feeling heard.


It is an important topic and all need to feel heard as part of this process in order for them to make decisions where they are truly engaged in the decision making.
Great job
Karen,