Align in the Sound - New Economy Network / Radio BTL / CoCanberra

A story from the archives, about the fight to stop the cyanide leach goldmine from being built in the lakebed of Lake Cowal, an ephemeral lake in the centre of NSW, Wiradjuri country.

The ACT Council of Social Service Inc. (ACTCOSS) represents not-for-profit community organisations and advocates for social justice in the ACT. They are a not-for-profit peak body working collaboratively with organisations and individuals who support their vision and goals for positive social change. Dr. Emma Campbell recently joined ACTCOSS as Chief Executive Officer in January 2020 and is the former CEO of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), Australia’s peak representative body advocating on behalf of Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Emma’s diverse portfolio covers a wealth of experience ranging across academia, the community sector, international crisis responses, business and government sectors. She also speaks Chinese and Korean and has completed three missions with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), including in Swaziland (now Eswatini), Sierra Leone and Lebanon.

This week we will be chatting with Maddie Diamond, Executive Officer of SEE-Change, a Canberra-based community, not-for-profit group that informs, inspires and supports people to join together and take sustainable actions. Maddie will be introducing us to SEE-change, and the org's local grass roots action in Canberra to educate and encourage sustainability practices within our communities. CoCanberra is a SEEchange group, which also presents Behind the Lines.

As suburban backyards shrink and green space becomes a premium, even as we are encouraged to grow, to compost and to reduce waste, it makes no sense to keep nature strips as no- go zones, and to insist on watering hungry strips of lawn with much of the run off ending up in the storm water system. The response has been a verge and community garden revolution! Especially since COVID with a surge of renewed interest in gardening, It’s one of those ideas that is now capturing the public’s imagination and we are starting to see more and more street verge and community gardens appearing, many of them growing food. Joining us via phone this morning to chat about transforming your verge and creating organic community gardens are Keith Colls from Canberra City Farm, and Peter Weddell from Canberra Organic Growers Society.

interview with Bronwen Morgan, Co-founder of NENA and Professor of Law at the UNSW Faculty of Law and Justice.

interview with Garry Claridge, the Co-op Secretary of NENA, an extremely experienced business systems analyst and software developer, and long-time volunteer with cooperatives.

Conversation with Dr Michelle Maloney, the Co-founder and Director of the New Economy Network Australia (NENA). Michelle is also the Co-Founder & National Convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance, promoting the understanding and practical implementation of Earth centred law and governance.

Introductory episode of the NENA Podcast. Host Anna Garnock outlines what the podcast is all about and gives a little taste tester of what’s to come!

Joining us this Friday morning to talk about the current and future impact of nuclear and uranium issues, we have three stellar guests, well actually two stellar guests and one stellar activist group! First up, from 9-9:30am, we will have Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Nuclear Free Campaigner, Dave Sweeney, from the Australian Conservation Foundation joining us via phone. Then in studio from 9:30-10am, we will welcome, Beyond Uranium Canberra, a group which focuses on the impacts of uranium mining, nuclear weapons and nuclear power, and radioactive waste on First Nations communities. They will be followed by fellow Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Sue Wareham OAM - President of the Medical Association for Prevention of War and Secretary of Australians for War Powers Reform from 10-10:30am. Both of our guests won their 2017 Peace Prize as founders of ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, in which they are both still active. It's going to be one helluva big show about why nuclear weapons and uranium mining still represent a major existential threat to our planet!

We are privileged to have live in studio with us this morning, Federal GREENS candidates Tim Hollo and Dr. Tjanara Goreng Goreng. Tim is the executive director of the Green Institute and the founder of Greens Music Australia, who will once again run in the seat of Canberra, alongside Wakka Wakka woman Dr. Tjnara Goreng Goreng, academic at ACU and secretary of the Australian Greens First Nations Network, who will seek to secure Canberra’s second Senate seat. Tim and Tjanara, who bring a wealth of experience from the NGO, university, public and community sectors, as well as a lifetime of community and environmental activism, will be introducing us to their platforms and vision of what two extra Greens seats in parliament could accomplish towards a sustainable Green recovery and brighter future.

This month: Jason Richards joins us from the Resource Work Co-op in Hobart, Tasmania, believed to be the largest worker owned coop in Australia. The Resource Co-op is a worker owned coop with 33 worker / owners, and has been running since 1993. What began as a tip face recycling effort is now flourishing, despite many setbacks that may have folded a different type of enterprise. Amongst other things, they currently: - run a tip shop, including 2nd hand arts supplies - pull large buildings apart by hand - reducing massive demolition waste - collect unwanted reusable things from the public - collect recyclables from building sites - run an annual art from trash exhibition - run education programs They are completely self funding through their activities. Find out more at https://www.resource.coop/resource-work-cooperative

Cohousing - J Esdaile live simply - M Spain sun villages - F Game cohousing canberra 2020-05-22 BTL by 2XX Behind the Lines and Align in the Sound teams

A recording from our archives from 2006. Christine Jones is a renowned soil scientist, she is still focused today on the importance of soil carbon, which has so many benefits in so many ways.

The Blue Tongue Coop is a Co-operative development agency, specialising in business successions which transform existing businesses to worker owned cooperatives. Mark Huston and Rob McMaster joined us to have a yarn about the worker owned Co-op format, how they have been going about helping the transformations, creating a cooperative culture in the workplace, and how workers can adjust to a truly democratic workplace - not an easy thing! A recording of the CoCanberra / NENA Canberra region meetup for July 2021. https://www.cocanberra.org.au/ https://www.neweconomy.org.au/

This week, we speak with Anna Garnock, Project Officer with Parliament of Youth on Sustainability, an annual SEE-Change program. Students research and develop proposals on how we can make Canberra and the region more sustainable, and the program finishes off with a Parliament Presentation Day, where they act as Parliamentarians and present, discuss and debate each others proposal in committee groups, then pitch their proposal to Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly, before all students vote on the best proposal.

A release from our archives from 2012, about the fight against logging in Tasmania.

A release from our archives from 2012, about the fight against logging in Tasmania.

A release from our archives from 2012, about the fight against logging in Tasmania. Interview in a big erosion gully during a punk gig with Bob Brown.

The Storytelling and Narratives session from the New Economy Network's online 2020 conference. Talks include: • Towards a next economic narrative for Australia, Chris Reidy • Unmasking Untold Stories, Louise TARRANT • The practice of distilling new (musical) stories for the new economy, Simon KERR The theme of NENA’s 2020 Conference is “New Economy—Work in Progress” and the intention is to share the amazing work being done by individuals and organisations across Australia, to build a new economy, focused on ecological health & social and economic justice. This year’s conference will bring people together (online) from around Australia, to discuss topics as diverse as food, energy, housing, health, sustainability, local economies, commons, local currencies, cooperatives, social enterprises, universal basic income, creating systems change, degrowth and the steady state economy, participatory democracy, Modern Monetary Theory, alternatives to GDP and much more. NENA’s Annual Conferences offer a space for NENA members and the wider community to meet up, share experiences, ideas, research and project updates, spark connections and collaborations and work together to progress our network and shared vision for a new economy.

The Democracy, Participation and Enterprise session from the New Economy Network's online 2020 conference. Talks include: • Sociocracy in action at Narara Ecovillage, Liz BASSETT • Democracy Reimagined: Experiments in deliberation around the world, Sonia RANDHAWA • Democracy (M)otherwise, Sara MOTTA The theme of NENA’s 2020 Conference is “New Economy—Work in Progress” and the intention is to share the amazing work being done by individuals and organisations across Australia, to build a new economy, focused on ecological health & social and economic justice. This year’s conference will bring people together (online) from around Australia, to discuss topics as diverse as food, energy, housing, health, sustainability, local economies, commons, local currencies, cooperatives, social enterprises, universal basic income, creating systems change, degrowth and the steady state economy, participatory democracy, Modern Monetary Theory, alternatives to GDP and much more. NENA’s Annual Conferences offer a space for NENA members and the wider community to meet up, share experiences, ideas, research and project updates, spark connections and collaborations and work together to progress our network and shared vision for a new economy.

Cid Riley has been worm farming at a decent scale for many years. Brook Clinton is a microbiologist who has begun a community composting scheme - Capital Scraps. Together, they unpack the world of urban and suburban food waste cycling.

A release from our archives from 2011, about the fight against logging in Australia.

A release from our archives from 2011, about the fight against logging in Tasmania.

A release from our archives from 2011, about the fight against logging in NSW. We went out to the site of recent logging in the Badja State Forest with a "green policing" crew from South East Forest Rescue, to see how well the department of logging and the loggers had followed the law.

A release from our archives from 2011, about the fight against logging in NSW.

A release from our archives from 2010, about the fight against logging in Tasmania.

A release from our archives from 2009, about the fight against logging in NSW.

A release from our archives from 2008, about the fight against logging in Tasmania.

A release from our archives from 2008, about the fight against logging in Tasmania.

A release from our archives from 2008, about a novel approach to saving the Daintree Rainforest in northern Queensland from development.

A release from our archives from 2008, about the fight against logging in NSW

A release from our archives from 2007, about the fight against logging in East Gippsland.

A release from our archives from 2007, about the fight against logging in Tasmania.

Cobargo is a town on the NSW south coast. It was among the worst hit by the fires of 2019/2020. Residents in the area are coming up with solutions to the subsequent housing crisis, also addressing challenges presented by an aging population of farmers. Gathering those in the area who are interested in cohousing and cofarming, CoCo Cobargo was formed... Monica Considine joined CoCanberra's June 2021 meetup to have a yarn about what the local community is up to.

Dementia From The Outside - Trilby Jeeves 2020 - 04 - 10 BTL by 2XX Behind the Lines and Align in the Sound teams

Divestment - Market Forces - Maggie Mckeown 2020 - 03 - 13 BTL by 2XX Behind the Lines and Align in the Sound teams

Domestic Violence During Covid - Sonia Demesa 2020 - 05 - 15 BTL by 2XX Behind the Lines and Align in the Sound teams

This week, it’s our pleasure to welcome back Dr. Stephen Mugford, who will be discussing the National Resilience Project and accompanying report established by the Institute for Integrated Economic Research and Global Access Partners, and why Trust and Social Cohesion are vital foundations for Resilience. BIO Stephen is a sociologist, public policy specialist and facilitator who taught at the ANU from 1974-1996 and has over 40 years experience as an educator, researcher, facilitator and change management consultant for government, military, private sector and non-government organisations. He has been both an advisor to senior leaders over many years and an active player in major change programs, preceded by a long and successful academic career, specialising in sociology and social psychology, earning a major reputation as a scholarly researcher in criminology and drug policy.

Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op is a collaboration of diverse organic farmers in Central Victoria at the former Mount Alexander Fruit Gardens site.

Scotty Foster from Co-ops Commons and Communities Canberra (CoCanberra), Radio Behind the Lines and the Align in the Sound Podcast was interviewed on the Celebrating Earth And Art show on Community Radio River FM 92.9 in Lismore, NSW.

In this session from the New Economy Network of Australia's 2020 online conference, we hear: Liz Bassett - Sociocracy in action at Narara Ecovillage Sonia Randhawa - Democracy Reimagined: Experiments in deliberation around the world Sara Motta - Democracy (M)otherwise

A discussion with Peta Swarbrick and Bethany Williams about the early stages of a cross sectoral womens organisation in Canberra.

Kinglake, in Victoria, near Melbourne, suffered its own bushfire tragedy with the "black saturday" fires of 2009. Many lives were lost in those blazes. Sue MacKinnon joins us to talk about how the local forests have recovered from those fires, and the continuing threats from logging that face them now.

Harriet has been involved in saving the forests of south east NSW (from our own government) for many years. Today we talk about how the forest industry is trying to log areas already wounded by the massive bushfires of 2019-20. Logging areas already suffering from a massive trauma only compounds the damage to be inflicted. Have a listen to find out more and to help save our remaining forests from the chip mill.

Soil City Co-operative Farms is being developed in Canberra, Australia by Co-ops, Commons and Communities Canberra, or CoCanberra. In this interview it is referred to by its interim working name, the "COFE" (Community Owned Farming Enterprise) Coop. They aim to: Provide a stable, secure and attractive living for farmers, using the tools of: Community ownership of land Regenerative culture Healing the earth / Care for the land / Regenerative farming Localism - Local food production and ownership Education of our members Providing a stable, secure and attractive food production system for people, using the tools of: Connecting people with the sources of their food Sharing risk with the farmers through the co-operative Food sovereignty (ownership and control of our food production system) Education of the broader community Our own Scotty Foster joined us with his CoCanberra hat on, to have a yarn about Soil City.

The Pre Power Co-operative system is being developed in Canberra, Australia. Once proven, the pre-payments funding model and community development funds will give communities the power to own and control their own energy future. "At Pre Power we see a world in which all local communities own and control enough infrastructure to meet all of their needs in a way which has positive results for people and planet. We envision the Pre Power Co-operative System as our means to provide community owned and operated renewable energy equipment to provide for any communities electrical and energy needs." We were joined by Tom Nockolds and BTL's own Scotty Foster to find out more about this ground breaking project.

Mary Graham is Kombu-merri - Wakka Wakka person from South East Queensland. She is very well versed in both white and black law and culture. Mary has been addressing NENA conferences since 2017, and never fails to give an informative, thought provoking talk. Aimee Meehan is gomerai - Irish, with a background in business innovation, governance and participation, among others. The New Economy Network Australia (NENA) is a network of individuals and organisations working to transform Australia’s economic system so that achieving ecological health and social justice are the foundational principles and primary objectives of the economic system. The theme of NENA’s 2020 Conference is “New Economy—Work in Progress” and the intention is to share the amazing work being done by individuals and organisations across Australia, to build a new economy, focused on ecological health & social and economic justice. NENA’s Annual Conferences offer a space for NENA members and the wider community to meet up, share experiences, ideas, research and project updates, spark connections and collaborations and work together to progress our network and shared vision for a new economy.

The New Economy Network Australia (NENA) is a network of individuals and organisations working to transform Australia’s economic system so that achieving ecological health and social justice are the foundational principles and primary objectives of the economic system. The theme of NENA’s 2020 Conference is “New Economy—Work in Progress” and the intention is to share the amazing work being done by individuals and organisations across Australia, to build a new economy, focused on ecological health & social and economic justice. NENA’s Annual Conferences offer a space for NENA members and the wider community to meet up, share experiences, ideas, research and project updates, spark connections and collaborations and work together to progress our network and shared vision for a new economy.

This week on Behind the Lines we welcome back two former guests, Dr. Jill Woods from the Nepal Leprosy Trust and Barrister Ian Neil SC with Grameen Australia to discuss Microcredit Financing and the difference that the cost of a meal out in Australia can make for people in impoverished communities seeking to transform their lives and communities. The leprosy trust already has an established microfinance initiative that is making enormous difference to the lives of women and their families impacted by leprosy in poverty stricken communities in Nepal. Many entrepreneurial enterprises have sprung from the initiative and are thriving. Jill will be sharing some stories of these successes, and personal insights garnered from her active involvement and time spent volunteering in Nepal treating Leprosy patients. Joining us later today via phone, we are fortunate to have leading Australian Barrister, employment and Industrial law expert, and chair of Grameen Australia, Ian Neil SC back with us. We previously hosted Ian last December to discuss the ins and outs of the Jobkeeper scheme and the employment contract. This morning Ian will be chatting to us about Grameen Australia’s Microfinance Initiative, working with Nobel Laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus, to build ‘a world of 3 zeros’: zero poverty, zero unemployment, zero emissions.

Canberra Seed Savers Co-operative is a network of urban food growers and local farmers working cooperatively to protect our abundant, common heritage of open-pollinated food seeds. Members swap and share seeds, learn and teach about seed growing and saving, and together build a resilient community seed sharing network – a ‘living seed bank’.