1. No category

Rather than a usual ‘editorial’, this time just announcements
about 4 ‘things’ which preoccupy our minds, hearts, busynesses on a rather ‘permanent’ basis…
P.O. Box 3079, Auburn 3123
First, after having lost Ben and Jean Leeman (see the eulogy
for him on pp. 9—11), we now have to sadly let you all know
that our very good friend, supporter and teacher, Uncle Bob
Randall has died in his country on Tuesday morning 12th of
May… Uncle Bob and his teaching on the Kanyini DVD and in
his Songman book have been with us for at least 8 years and
have been resonating for many Borderlanders, OASES participants, readers of the New Community and the many more
people who attended any of the events we have organised
with and for him… we are planning a celebration of Bob’s life
in the 2nd half of June, most likely on Saturday evening,
(20th June). We will confirm that date very soon, but please
keep that evening free!
Another big loss…
Then there’s our booksale; next week at Wesley Church Hall
in the City, 148 Lonsdale Street (the section between the Exhibition and Russell Streets); we’ve got well over 7,000 books
across the various fiction and non-fiction areas… please come
and figure out which books you always wanted and didn’t
even know you did want them!!!! We can still receive books
you want to make part of your downsizing program… drop
them off at Borderlands or directly at Wesley… (see ad. on p.
8)
2 Minona Street, Hawthorn
Volume 18 Issue 2
Borderlands Co-operative Ltd.
May, 2015
Dear friends, members, partners and everyone interested in
Borderlands…
Victoria AUSTRALIA
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
(More information on events inside)
Saturday 30 May:
The Long Walk together 2015
Community Event 12 - 6 pm
Wellbeing Concert 2 - 6 pm
The long walk to dreamtime
at the G’ 6 pm
OASES mid-year enrolment
time!!! Be part of the change!!!!
Saturday 6 June
OASES Breakfast with Eleni
Rivers and Jenni Goricanec:
‘Connecting Ways of Knowing’
Please help us promote our OASES Graduate Course in Sustainability and Social Change... the next mid-year intake is in
June/July… don’t think that you’re too old or too young or
too busy for some deep learning!!!! The times we live in demand of us that we develop such deeper understanding to
deal with the big issues we have to face… and if we don’t,
who will??? If our elected leaders don’t seem to want to get
out of the rut they’re in and have also led us in… it will depend, as per usual, on our own everyday leadership. (see p. 3)
Finally, Borderlands and OASES and the New Community are
together with the Economics of Happiness ’crowd’ organising
Local Lives—Global Matters - a Conference for Future’s Sake
in Castlemaine, from the 16th till the 18th October… A number of interesting international and national/local speakers
are invited and the program is slowly taking shape… go to
page 7 for more information!!!!
A bit breathless now… over to you!!!
Newsletter Deadlines
This newsletter is to share with you of all
the Borderlands happenings. And
We want to hear from you!
New section People to People we would
like to share your story or initiative. Please
contact:
[email protected]
To promote articles or details of your latest
events etc. (preferably in electronic format)
Please contact the Editor at:
[email protected]
Jacques for all the Borderlands Board...
Deadline for the next issue: 31/08/2015
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Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2014
New Community 2014
New Community
Volume 13 No.2, Issue 50 - 2015
Resource and Food Security
Submissions due: Mid-June 2015
CALL FOR ARTICLES
So get writing! We need your contributions for
this journal to be a true Community journal.
New Community is an Australian journal of Community Development, developed over 30 years ago and is the only one in Oceania.
Refereed and contemporary, we’re aiming towards an ecologically
and socially sustainable world! And we need more subscribers!!!
We’re also looking for authors for the journal - you don’t need to
be an expert writer, you just need a good story to share, or some
reflections about your practice or the practices you see in the
world, and a passion for communicating with others about community development. Both refereed and non-refereed articles are
welcome.
Article guidelines or requesting a
subscription can be obtained via
contacting us by:
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: New Community
or call Borderlands: (03) 9819 3239
We would like to hear the stories, philosophies, protests, stories,
struggles, and the joys of living and working in community development, whatever its form. Our journal is very much about hearing
the stories and ideas from the people ‘on the ground’. We try to
step away from academics writing ‘about’ other people (although
we do have academics writing too!). But to do this, we need contributions from people ‘doing’ the work in the ‘living’ community.
Borderlands Newsletter
Volume I8 Issue 2 — May, 2015
Published by Borderlands Cooperative
PO Box 3079, Auburn, 3123
Phone (03) 9819 3239 Fax (03) 9819 3429
For some people who write for our journal, it is a opportunity for
their organisation to get some exposure, or for individuals personally to get published in an refereed journal. Others do it as a community development project in itself (gathering stories, making
meaning of experiences, using it as a reflective tool). Others just do
it for the sake of expressing their ideas! The website
(www.community.borderlands.org.au) provides information about
the journal, including subscriptions, contributions and back-issues
as well as an archive of all previous publications by issue and subject.
[email protected]
www.borderlands.org.au
Editors: Alexandra Ramirez, Jacques Boulet,
Layout & Design: Alexandra Ramirez
Admin. and other support:
Martha Hills and others.
Please send articles, letters, poetry, creative writing,
artwork for inclusion in the newsletter.
IN THIS ISSUE…
1.
Editorial and latest info
2.
OASES: Vision, Upcoming Courses,
12-13. People to People—Alexandra
Events &
14. BORDERLANDS AND INSTITUTE FOR
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHING
3.
New Community call for articles
4.
Article: A bit rich
6.
Article: Economic Inequality Is Far
Worse Than People Realize &
Local Lives Global Matters Conference
Booksale
Vale Ben Leeman
7.
8.
9.
15. Borderlands Membership Information
& Forms
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Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2015
Events
OASES Breakfast Conversations
6th June; 4th July; 1st August 2015
9am -11:30
To book for the breakfast please visit
http://www.oases.edu.au/breakfast/
Breakfast Conversations
Or call, 9819 3502
The OASES Breakfast Series is a monthly event
featuring local and international guests discussing a variety of topics, such as recent events
2 Minona St, Hawthorn VIC
on food, spirituality, democracy, and education for
sustainability and social change. Tickets include a
delicious vegetarian breakfast, with vegan and gluten
free options also available.
“Poverty is the parent of
revolution and crime.”
Saturday 6th June, 2015. 9:00-11:30am
~ Aristotle
Connecting ways of knowing
How to access your own enlightenment
'Aha', the spark of enlightenment in a moment when
everything makes sense! Such bridging moments
were described by James Joyce as ‘aesthetic arrest’.
New predicaments need new responses. These come
from accessing other parts of ourselves and from
connecting science with spirituality through art and
visual exploration.
Master’s of Sustainability & Social
Change
Ever thought of getting involved in some
‘real’ further education…? Having now
been around for almost ten years and being recognised internationally as one of
the best holistic and integrative/transformative accredited postgraduate courses...
Join us to explore the large scale context – climate
and the links between ecosystems and social systems. We gather in a place of deep spiritual history
where people have been exploring the aesthetic for
more than thirty years to create bridges between
ways of knowing.
we are now receiving applications for
the 2015 mid-year intake…
Eleni Rivers is an artist, teacher and cultural creative. She
has facilitated numerous individuals to access their innate
creativity as a way to support innovation through courage,
tenacity and flexibility.
Do give us a ring on 9819 3502 or just ‘pop-in’
at 2 Minona Street Hawthorn or have a look at
our website: http://www.oases.edu.au
Dr Jenni Goricanec works with others to enhance the sustainability of human systems. Her practice is to help people draw on their own ways of knowing by orienting them
toward the “pull” of future intentions
For more details, call us on 9819 3502 or drop in and
have a chat at 2 Minona St, Hawtorn
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Borderlands Cooperative
May 2015
A Bit Rich
intention therefore, to target the individuals that do these
jobs but rather to examine the professions themselves.
This report takes a new approach to looking at the value
of work. We go beyond how much different professions
are paid to look at what they contribute to society. We
use some of the principles and valuation techniques of
Social Return on Investment analysis to quantify the social, environmental and economic value that these roles
produce – or in some cases undermine. (from New Economics Foundation – NEF)
In the UK we live in a society of extremes. The incomes
of the very rich and the very poor continue to pull away
from each other. This is influenced by many factors but
wage inequality is at the heart of them. It is a corrosive,
destabilising issue that is linked to a range of social problems. It disproportionately affects some groups – particularly women, who predominate in low paid (and unpaid)
work. The least well paid jobs are often those that are
among the most socially valuable – jobs that keep our
communities and families together. The market does not
reward this kind of work well, and such jobs are consequently undervalued or overlooked.
Why wage inequality matters
Susan Steed, Researcher, Finance and Business
Helen Kersley, Head of Valuing What Matters
Eilís Lawlor
Why a minimum wage is not enough…
Pay matters. How much you earn can determine your
lifestyle, where you can afford to live, and your aspirations and status. But to what extent does what we get
paid confer ‘worth’? Beyond a narrow notion of productivity, what impact does our work have on the rest of society, and do the financial rewards we receive correspond
to this? Do those that get more contribute more to society? With controversial bonuses being paid out this Christmas in bailed-out banks, we believe that it is time to ask
challenging questions such as these.
The idea of a subsistence salary goes back to the early
classical economists. We still set wage floors today to
ensure there is a minimum below which employers are
not allowed to hire. However these minimums are often
set very low. The UK minimum wage is not indexed to
average wages, which means it slips behind pay levels in
the rest of the economy. The impact of globalisation has
made matters worse, contributing to an increasing specialisation of the workforce that has seen many previousIntroduction ly well-paid, semi-skilled jobs being replaced by lowskilled, service-based jobs with few options for progresWe are in the wake of the worst financial crisis for a cension.
tury. Many highly paid employees of City banks that are
…and why an upper limit is required
responsible for creating this crisis are being paid extravagant bonuses. This comes at a time when wage inequality
Low pay is only one part of the issue. There is little politremains stubbornly high, due in large part to the inical appetite for reining in high pay, and the idea of setcreased concentration of very high and very low earners
ting a ceiling on the remuneration of top executives has
in the economy. The controversies over City bankers’
failed to gain any meaningful momentum. One reason
bonuses raise fundamental questions not only about the
why a minimum wage has become the norm is that it has
remuneration of senior executives and public servants but
been accepted that employers have the power to set wagalso about the relative value of the work of everyone in
es. By the same token, in some sectors, a shortage of
our society. How should we assess the wider contribution
skills or the exploitation of monopoly power has allowed
our work makes?
a privileged few to capture very high rates of pay. Sectors
In this report the New Economics Foundation (NEF)
such as finance are notorious for sky-high salaries and
takes a new approach to looking at the value of work. We
big bonuses, as remuneration committees are selfgo beyond how much different professions are paid to
regulating and accountability to shareholders is often
look at what they contribute to society. We use some of
weak.
the principles and valuation techniques of Social Return
From surplus value to social value
on Investment analysis to quantify the social, environmental and economic value that these roles produce – or
Early theories of value neglected the extent to which the
in some cases undermine.
production and trade of goods and services may have a
Our report tells the story of six different jobs. We have
wider impact on society that is not reflected in the cost of
chosen jobs from across the private and public sectors
and deliberately chosen ones that illustrate the problem. producing them. These ‘externalities’ are often remote or
Three are low paid – a hospital cleaner, a recycling plant hard to see but that does not mean that they are not real
or that they do not affect real people – either now or in
worker and a childcare worker. The others are highly
the future.
paid – a City banker, an advertising executive and a tax
accountant. We recognise that our incentives are created Because social and environmental costs are not properly
accounted for, the market tends to oversupply products
by the institutions and systems around us. It is not our
that may have a significantly negative environmental or
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Borderlands Cooperative
social impact – such as cheap consumer goods and complex financial products. In the same way we underpay
work that has a high social value, creating high vacancy
rates in our most important public services such as nursing and social work. By making social value creation an
important societal goal we could set the right incentives
to maximise net social benefits, ensure a greater return to
labour rather than capital, and a more equal distribution of
economic resources between workers.
May, 2015
timated and undervalued in the way they are paid and
treated. We estimated, however, that for every £1 they
are paid, over £10 in social value is generated.
Determining the right amount of tax payable is a specialist skill and often requires professional support. However,
some highly paid tax accountants’ sole purpose is to
help rich individuals and companies to pay less tax. We
found that the positive benefits to society of these activiA closer look at six professions ties are negligible. However, every pound that is
‘avoided’ in tax is a pound that would otherwise have
We have tested our theory by taking a close look at a
gone to HM Revenue. In our model we looked at how this
sample of highly paid and low paid jobs. We found that
lost revenue could have been better spent. For a salary
some of the most highly paid benefit us least, and some of of between £75,000 and £200,000 tax accountants
the lowest-paid benefit us most. Although this will not
destroy £47 of value for every pound in value they
always hold, it does point to a massive flaw in the system generate.
and highlights the need for reform.
High-earning investment bankers in the City of London
Waste recycling workers do a range of different jobs
are among the best remunerated people in the economy.
that relate to processing and preventing waste and proBut the earnings they command and the profits they make
moting recycling. Carbon emissions are significantly recome at a huge cost because of the damaging social efduced when goods are recycled instead of sending them
fects of the City of London’s financial activities. We
to incineration or landfill. There is also a value in reusing
found that rather than being ‘wealth creators’, these City
goods, and we have included this in our model. Our
bankers are being handsomely rewarded for bringing the
model projects that for every £1 of value spent on
global financial system to the brink of collapse. While
collecting salaries of between £500,000 and £10 mil- wages, £12 of value will be generated.
The myths of pay and value
lion, leading City bankers to destroy £7 of social value for every pound in value they generate.
This report sets out to shatter some myths about pay and
value. Chief among them – and the point of the research –
Both for families and for society as a whole, looking after
is to show that there is not a straightforward relationship
children could not be more important. As well as providbetween high financial rewards and good societal outing a valuable service for families, childcare workers
comes. This isn’t just an intellectual exercise – it has big
release earnings potential by allowing parents to continue
implications for the way in which our society and econoworking. They also unlock social benefits in the shape of
my are structured. Financial incentives are very powerful,
the learning opportunities that children gain outside the
and we tend to shower them on some of the professions
home. For every £1 they are paid, childcare workers
that are the most socially and environmentally costly.
generate between £7 and £9.50 worth of benefits to This promotes undesirable behaviour, while positive acsociety.
tivities are discouraged.
Conclusions
Although the role of an advertising executive has high
status, the impact of the industry has always been a point
of controversy. It encourages high consumer spending
and indebtedness. It can create insatiable aspirations, fuelling feelings of dissatisfaction, inadequacy and stress. In
our economic model we estimate the share of social and
environmental damage caused by overconsumption that is
attributable to advertising. For a salary of between
This report is not about targeting any individuals in the
highly paid jobs it scrutinises. Neither is it simply suggesting that people in low paid jobs should be paid more.
The point we are making is a more complex one – that
there should be a relationship between what we are paid
and the value our work generates for society.
We need to overcome deep structural issues to act on the
£50,000 and £12 million, top advertising executives implications of this report. Many of these were recently
destroy £11 of value for every pound in value they
spelled out in a NEF report The Great Transition, which
generate.
charts the change from our current growth-based economic system to a more sustainable and equitable one. The
Hospital cleaners play a vital role in the workings of our stakes are high: without proper checks and balances we
healthcare facilities. Not only do they clean hospitals and believe our economic system could squeeze out those ashelp maintain standards of hygiene to protect against in- pects of life that people value most. We urgently need to
fection but they also contribute towards wider health out- align incentives with the social and environmental value
comes. The importance of these cleaners is often underes- that are generated by the workforce.
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Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2015
Economic Inequality Is Far Worse Than
Economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman
People Realize
s.e. smith
http://www.care2.com/causes/economic-inequalityis-far-worse-than-people-realize.html# ixzz3XEiZmvyV
The evidence is mounting: When it comes to economic disparities, both wealth and income (assets
and money earned) gaps are wider than ever before,
but many people are indifferent to these disparities,
or unaware of their extent. This has serious implications for American policymaking, as constituencies
that aren’t aggressive about pushing for more progressive social policies may find themselves locked
into a continuing trend of economic inequality.
When evaluating apathetic attitudes toward economic inequality, researchers are also faced with the
question of how to push for more awareness—and
which policy solutions to promote to address these
gaps.
recently noted that the distribution of wealth held by
those at the top in the United States has followed a
distinctive U-shape since the Great Depression.
Wealth declined radically for Americans of all economic classes after the Depression and remained
relatively flat before beginning to climb again in the
1980s, at which point it began to skyrocket among
the most powerful Americans. Today, just 160,000
wealthy families at the top own as much as 145 million families at the bottom, with similar disparities
seen in terms of income. Much of this wealth has
come from inherited money, thanks to highly favourable estate taxation laws.
This illustrates another important social and political
disconnect in the United States; the “American
Dream” is alive and well. In a nation founded on the
notion that anyone can achieve any social position
by trying hard enough, this elusive dream lingers,
despite the fact that class mobility in the United
States is actually quite unusual—and becoming
more so every year. Over half of Americans
acknowledge that wealth inequality exists, but beSeveral studies have polled people in a variety of lieve that people in the lowest income quintile can
nations about their perceptions of wealth and income still pull themselves up the class scale if they’re
gaps. Participants are asked to estimate actual willing to put in the work.
wealth and/or income gaps, such as that between
CEOs and workers. They’re also asked to provide Solving problems of economic inequality requires a
their ideal ratio. Across the board, people wild- number of clear and decisive policy moves, many of
ly underestimate the actual pay gap in their nations, which appear to be distasteful to the American puband their ideals radically diverge from the reality. lic. These include raising taxes on wealthier AmeriDespite the activism of Occupy and discussions cans, being more aggressive with the inheritance tax,
about the concentration of wealth among the top one requiring American corporations to carry a higher
percent—particularly the top 0.1 percent—many share of the tax burden, and setting other more proAmericans have difficulty wrapping their heads gressive social policies akin to those seen in socialist
around the wealth gap, possibly because of how ex- nations, where wealth gaps are still present but less
treme it is.
pervasive. The percentage of the electorate suffering
the most from these economic imbalances could
These gaps are even more striking when racial im- bring serious clout to the table if it chose to unite—
balances are factored in. The racial wealth gap is if voters can be educated both about the extent of
widening significantly, with people of colour across financial unfairness in the United States, and the role
the United States facing lower wages and far less they could play in changing it.
wealth than white Americans. The wealth gap in
particular is quite stark, illustrating that people of
colour have limited savings and assets to use in the
event of emergencies. Racial disparities in wealth
and income can be difficult to communicate to a
white public that already has difficulty addressing
the radical imbalances in income and wealth across
the United States.
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Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2015
Out of Tune Singers: help available!
It has long been held by the classical music establishment in Melbourne (and indeed several other style
groups) that “you have it or you don’t” (musical ability). Many of these people speak with strong authority,
cutting short the musical journey of many nervous novices and shaky “re-starters” (those whose previous
forays into performance music have been curtailed by ill-considered “constructive criticism”).
One of the favourite activities of these pundits is deciding whether the singer can sing “in tune”, with a
“yes” or “no” answer. It is thought to be inborn. Here is one such example which label this a rash decision.;
One of my students had spent much time with a group of Victorian College of the Arts jazz musicians, who
had advised her that she should never sing, as her tuning was so weak. She came to me with no pitch, no
volume and no confidence. Through my program of teaching, she gained in six weeks all of these, and acquired a new skill of singing magical classical songs.
To learn more about how you too can learn to sing for pleasure,
contact Jill Scurfield, Singing for Pleasure
Ph. (03)9808 5530 or e-mail: [email protected]
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of cultural and biological diversity, and the strengthening of local communities and economies
worldwide. Our emphasis is on education for action: moving beyond single issues to look at the more fundamental influences that shape our lives. Visit www. localfutures.org for more about program, events &
resources. To view the film, go to: http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/
ISEC, the OASES Graduate School, the New Community, Borderlands and several Castlemainebased graduates and local activists are organising
Local Lives—Global Matters
A Conference for future’s sake
in Castlemaine, October 16th to 18th 2015
go to: http://www.locallivesglobalmatters.org
Give us a call on 03 9819 3239 if you’re interested in this conference or, even better, if
you would like to assist in the organising or contribute!
7
Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2015
BORDERLANDS
BOOK SALE
WHERE
Wesley Church
148 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
WHEN
Monday 18th May till Friday 22nd
May
11am – 5pm
HUGE VARIETY OF BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM AT VERY
CHEAP PRICES
NON FICTION, FICTION, ACADEMIC (SOCIAL WORK, SOCIAL
SCIENCE , COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT)
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
PHONE :98193239
EMAIL: [email protected]
8
Borderlands Cooperative
May,2015
2000s; and increasing and deepening involvement in
various aspects of the green/ecological movements. I
still vividly remember how we were all collecting
food and other ‘stuff’ to support his daughter Grusha
I spent several hours with Ben the first week at Cari- who, together with her partner Justin, were attempttas Christi hospice, where he was to spent his last
ing to prevent logging at Goolongook in Gippsland
weeks, surrounded by his children, their partners and and they were involved in some quite radical stuff
his grandchildren and friends … and we reminisced out there…
about the many adventures, misdemeanours, initiatives we had been together involved in over the past And of course, Ben was always thinking of bringing
17 years; I was doing the speaking and Ben was on- other people into the ‘realm’ of Borderlands, helping
ly able to answer with his eyes and nods and through them to find purpose again after losing jobs, helping
those seeking for more direct involvement in politiour holding hands as he had lost the ability to
speak… but we did relive - in the language we share cal, ecological and social action with connections to
(his Dutch and my Flemish) lots of our joint experi- networks and movements… and there was his involvement in the peace movement, the Humanist
ences… and I would like to share some of those
Society – especially as we were urged to become
with you …
part of the ‘coalition of the willing’ and fighting
Ben walked into my life when we started the Borwars in other peoples’ places… which we still are…
derlands Cooperative now over 17 years ago, in
1997/8… the times felt grim… in Victoria, from the From 2002 onwards, for the last 12 years, Ben became the pillar of a small group of ‘us’ who brought
early nineties onwards, the conservative governments had done great damage to the community sec- the New Community (Quarterly), our journal, out
again (after its ‘predecessor, the Community Quartor, thousands of community-based organisations
disappearing in the space of a few years; federally, terly has gone belly-up after 17 years). He was the
from around 1995, the new conservative government one who made sure that the subscriber database was
maintained; that the subscription monies came in
hadn’t even needed to fight an opposition, as it
and then went to where they needed to go, to printdeepened the economic rationalist and neo-liberal
programs and policies initiated by Labor a few years ers, the Australian Post and whoever else was due
money; he was the one who, for the first ten years,
earlier…
formatted the 40 issues we published, making sure
And of course, Ben – having become a social work- the pdf went to the printer’s; he organised pick-up
er during the heady 70s and being involved with and and – often together with Jean – put the 400 or so
practicing at the critical edge of the profession ever copies of the journal in envelopes and addresses on
since, later joining the Social Developers Network
the latter; he negotiated his way through various loof which John Russell will have to more to say –
cal Australia Post offices – just to find the one willcame to know what we were trying to do with the
ing to overlook the 2 grams some issues went over
Borderlands idea and became involved in the forthe limit, potentially moving them into the next postmation discussions of the Cooperative in 1998 and – age category (sorry Aunty!); he did minutes and
together with Jean – was a founding shareholder and agendas for our meetings; advertised and promoted
put his hand up to become one of the first set of five the journal at conferences and events; solicited conDirectors… which he continued to be for several
tributions and occasionally contributed some himself
years…
(being a very committed Community and Social DeDuring those first years he was involved in many of velopment true believer, he was interested in pubthe early things we got involved in… assisting peo- lishing material about Peace, Social and Restorative
Justice, Aboriginal Justice, Volunteering, Humanple to learn how to use the internet – including a
group of refugee West Papuans who had made Bor- ism, the Environment, Social Development); And all
of that - obviously? - as a volunteer and often putderlands their ‘base’ for a while; the Borderlands
LETS group which counted well over 100 members ting in much more than his (and Jean’s) ‘free’
for several years; solidarity movements in support of time… The family often lived in the middle of 50+
Salvadorians being persecuted by their own govern- boxes containing the remaining journals which
ment, aided and abetted by the US; support for Abo- needed to be stored ‘somewhere’… so why not in
the lounges and nooks and corners of the Leemans’
riginal activism – the Bridge marches of the early
Let us now praise a simple man… goodbye to
Ben Leeman, my friend….
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Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2015
give up, it is the very essence of our humanity, it must not be sub-contracted or scattered
… To hell with tolerance when it goes hand
in hand with cowardice!”
home…???
Ten years ago, as we started to think of establishing
our own ‘proper’ tertiary Post-Graduate program – in
response to what we perceived to be a dramatic and
gradual drop in the relevance and adequacy of tertiary education in this country and wanting to offer a
type of learning which would address, in form and
content, what we now need to address as the issues
and problems that beset our world socially, spiritually, ecologically and aesthetically – there was Ben
again, taking part in the Genesis group who did the
thinking and talking about and developing of what is
now our OASES Graduate School… And Ben had
just started participation in the Master’s Degree, having about finished the first year of study… and having shared his deep reflections about and experiences
of what needs to be done for our and our world’s survival. He will be missed by all of us at Borderlands,
New Community and OASES …
And that was certainly not the tolerance Ben displayed during all his life; his was a critical and supportive tolerance for those who think and live differently, but always aware of how power corrupts the
coexistence of those differences and diversities. I
have always marvelled at how the differences between Jean and Ben held their relationship together firmly… an atheist and a committed religious person, supporting one another in the activities and endeavours associated with these rather contradictory
beliefs… held together by a relational commitment
based on – what Kenneth Gergen calls – relational
responsibility in action…
“To be responsible to relationships is, above
all, to sustain the process of co-creating
meaning. In relational responsibility we
avoid the narcissism implicit in ethical calls
for ‘care of the self’. We avoid the self/other
split resulting from the imperative to ‘care
for the other’. In being responsible for relationships we step outside the individualist
tradition; care for the relationship becomes
primary.”
So what kind of man was Ben…?
For those amongst us who are social workers (or
who have come to know social workers of the traditional ilk), Ben has had a long and proud story in
‘interpersonal’ social work in the multicultural and
disability areas, but he was the type of social worker
who would let his tell hypothetical ‘client’ something like:
“I have some good news and some bad news
for you; the good news is that you’re all
right. The bad news is that the things you’re
seeing are real.”
(I thank Linette Hawkins for passing this on to me
together with several other ‘bad’ social work jokes)
And that includes care for the essential difference
and diversity without which relating would become
cloning… and result in boredom… and self-centred
utility… and it always seemed to me that they had
developed the right ‘formula’…
Indeed, Ben’s critically informed and strong stance
about what was and is going on in the world was and
remains legendary… He certainly was a man of
strong opinions… and he would feel rightly represented by Lamia, the heroine of Algerian author
Boualem Sansal’s recent novel Haraga, who strongly reacted to those who think that ‘we are not in a
position to judge’… when we see evil and injustice
and exploitation right in front of our eyes; as she declares:
Indeed, their differences were held together by a
commitment to and belief in the necessity of community, that much-battered relational ‘thing,’ precariously dangling in the middle of the centrifugal powers of individualism and nuclear family constructs –
on the one hand - and the promises and desires generated by globalisation and electronic communications – on the other – both pulling in quite opposite
directions…Theirs was a belief in the essential importance of community – from com-munus, ‘munus’
“It was on the tip of my tongue to say that it’s being Latin for ‘gift’ and ‘com’ indicating the joint
precisely because we refused to judge that we and reciprocal relationship of gift-giving and receivare in the mess we are in today… we judge
ing… the stuff out of which real relating is made…
not like judges or policemen, but like human
beings who do not understand yet recognise The last three years were very difficult for Ben and
those things that hurt, that kill, that demean. Jean, as she developed cancer and he became her
Judging is like breathing… that we must not carer, transporting her (often many times per week)
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Borderlands Cooperative
December 2014
to her appointments at the cancer clinic; Jean died in
Over everything you do.
October and her loss hit him very hard… I still see
You must realize that something is
him offering the eulogy during the celebration of
happening to you,
Jean’s life, surrounded and supported by his children
That life has not forgotten you,
and their partners and grandchildren – he was a
That it holds you in its hand and
shadow of his previous strength but held by the relaWill not let you fall….
tional strength of his family. In December, he visited his homeland, Holland, where he had to witness So moving on seems to be the word, dear Ben....
the rapid deterioration in the health of his brother
Goeie reis, lieve vriend, ik ben zeker dat de
(who died in January) and sister and, returning bemensen hier het ons niet kwalijk nemen dat
fore Christmas, he developed pneumonia, still took
ik van jou afscheid neem in onze taal; ik heb
part in the Social Developers Network yearly gatheraltijd de initimiteit dat ons dit gaf genoten...
ing in January and then came his stroke on the 19th
(Farewell, lovely friend, I’m sure that the
of February… as you will have heard from others
people here won’t object to my saying
during the Gathering, he didn’t anticipate regaining
goodbye in our own language; I always
the quality of life he would wish to enjoy and which
enjoyed the intimacy this offered us)
was needed to continue to contribute to the many
causes he supported and he decided to refuse treatYou do leave a hole that will take a few dedicated
ment and food… brave, principled, determined to
people to fill…and then still leave gaps… but I’m
the last…
sure that we all want to continue the work you startAs we met for the New Community management
ed with us… I/we miss you… an OASES friend sent
meeting in February, a few days after his 74th birth- me a message just a day before I visited you in the
day and one week before the stroke hit, still very
hospice, which seem strangely a-propos for you and
weak from the pneumonia and its penicillin treatthe journey you’ve been through … I know you fulment, Ben arrived with two immense bags of docu- ly endorsed it as I read it out to you the next time I
ments ordered in about 12 manila folders … he had visited…
carefully sorted the entire 12 years-long administration of the New Community (Quarterly). The paper- Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in
a well-preserved body
work had been in a bit of a mess, neither of us being
very strong in the art of administering but he had
But rather to skid in sideways, totally worn-out,
managed to sort it all out; he had also managed to
shouting “holy shit… what a ride!”
appease Consumer Affairs Victoria about our ongo- And more soberly, again with my new favourite
ing neglecting our annual reporting duties… He was novelist, Algerian Boualem Sansal:
determined to the last to not leave us with ‘stuff’ he
had felt responsible for as he also wanted to offer his
resignation from the management group to spend his
To Live or to Die
energies elsewhere, especially his support of AboAll that is begun must end
riginal communities … which, unfortunately, is not
This we have known since the dawn
to be any more in the fullness he was hoping for …
of time.
So how does one deal with the enormity of the sadAlready to speak is to be silent
ness his departure leaves us with…? One of my faAnd to be born is already to die.
vourite poets, Rainer Maria Rilke, helps with the
What matters it that God wills
paralysing sadness which grows when one thinks too
And the Devil laughs?
much about one’s losses:
Our reason for being
Our incessant lunacy
You mustn’t be frightened
Is doggedly to believe
If a sadness arises in front of you,
In the impossible.
Larger than any you have ever seen;
That which is finished is invited
If an anxiety, like light and cloudTo begin again
shadows,
And thus
Moves over your hands and
Living is possible.
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Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2105
PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
Appreciating humanity & beauty in the world
People to People is our new section to spread positive information about worthy actions, projects, initiatives
and so on around the world. Let’s to connect with the beauty that exists in our humanity. Your experience
will be shared with all of us at Borderlands…. Don’t worry if your story is in Spanish, Italian, German
send it to us and we will translate it for you!
People to People for sharing, learning, connecting from/with others.
If you want to share your People to People’s story please contact Alexandra Ramirez to:
[email protected].
And here is my story…
In 2013 I arrived with my husband in Australia, on our honeymoon. The initial idea was to stay downunder just one and a half months, the necessary time to explore this new land a bit. At that time we did
not know anything about Australia, but wonderful comments from another Italians living there had come
to us.
Well, what could be the best moment for a travel to discover another part of this world that a honeymoon trip? 15 kilos each of luggage and the airplane took off from Venice. Perhaps at this point I must say
that I am not Italian as is my husband. I arrived in Italy when I was 25 years old, leaving my motherland,
Colombia, behind me. Italy was my dream when I was 8 years old and in geography lessons my teacher
showed me the map of boot. Ten years after my arrival in Italy, I was leaving for a place to renew my
strained energies.
We landed in Perth, where there were – and there are still - my husband’s cousin and his girlfriend who
welcomed us. After the hugs, we had our first Australian dinner. Although I did not know any word of
English there was something written on the board of the restaurant that caught my attention. SHARE, was
the word. I asked what it meant and they translated for me, CONDIVIDERE in Italian and COMPARTIR in
Spanish. This word was balm for my wounds as my quest has always been about concrete action where
SHARING becomes tangible. It was a marvellous beginning.
Two weeks later our honeymoon plan had completely changed. We had asked and received one year of
unpaid leave from our respective jobs. So, we were heading off to Melbourne for its connotation as a Cultural city and where it was believed being easier to find a job especially for my husband, who is a Jazz musician and a drum teacher with 20 years of experience. For me there were not many possibilities without
English. To work as a social worker learning English was a must! So all my efforts have gone in this direction. Whoever has lived in another country knows really well that the initial sensation of displacement is
exacerbated due to the lack of communication with the outside world.
Paying an exorbitant amount for English classes was the only way we had to enrol in a school. Meantime,
we got our first Australian job in an Italian restaurant. My husband, as a waiter and I as a dishwasher, few
hours a week for fifteen dollars cash per hour. Naturally we celebrated our student visa! Through my previous experience as an immigrant in Italy, I could grin and bear this new phase. No identity crisis, no cultural shock… Not for me, but for my husband the story was different. Step by step we started to adapt
into the Melburnian environment. My husband had some hours of teaching and some gigs around, whereas
I was looking at how to have my social work degree recognised. Everything in the recognition procedure
seemed perfect until… The IELTS exam. To work as a social worker I need to gain seven out of 9 in each
band of the International English Language Testing System, IELTS in short. So what to do? I was hoping for
a miracle.
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Borderlands Cooperative
December, 2014
An unexpected event arrived, under the name of Lella Cariddi. To be precise, I was at a gig of my husband at Bennet’s Lane, when somebody started talking to me in Italian. It was Lella. She was really interested in our situation and tried immediately to figure out some solutions. It was November 2014. At that
time we had already renewed our visas and received the second student visa, which meant that we could
stay temporarily in Australia (until August 2015). Some time after our meeting, Lella wrote to me and
gave me the contacts of a social cooperative in Hawthorn. What a beautiful surprise! Over the months, I
had been trying to gain professional practice as a social worker in order to obtain Australian experience,
improve my English, build my networking and so on but no door was open to me.
I went to Hawthorn and found the place that convinced me that trying to live in Australia was a worthwhile decision. Immediately as I arrived at “Borderlands”, I felt welcomed and respected despite my diversity. My spoken English was really poor but it was not a problem at all. There was no role to play, so I did
not have any requirement to fulfil. For the first time in my life I had the permission of being without
words, responsibility or skill to show. What a privilege! It has already been some months since I arrived
at Borderlands. Being in an English-speaking environment, of course, is helping me but the value of this
place resides in the fact that it is a space to share the experience of being human and through this, build
knowledge for the benefit of all.
My husband and I still do not know what will happen with our next visa, whether there is the possibility
of remaining in Australia or not, but, while we are waiting for a more certain time, I want to thank all you
Borderlands people.
Alexandra
Asha Global is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that supports women
and their children involved in sex slavery in developing countries. We partner with local grassroots organisations to provide holistic community development programs in education, health, psychosocial support, and human
rights awareness.
To learn more or to get involved, visit www.ashaglobal.org
Asha Global’s office is at Borderlands… do get in touch!
13
Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2105
BORDERLANDS AND INSTITUTE FOR
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHING
Order at:
www.cd.borderlands.org.au
People, Power, Participation: living community development
A memoir and reflections on community development
By Mary Lane
This book contributes to a history of community development in Australia and to debates about its
future as a strategy for social change. The author’s lived experience, told through fascinating stories of
activism, practice and
teaching the 1960s on, is a means for identifying changes in community
development theories/practices and factors influencing those changes. Highlighted are positive outcomes
for disadvantaged people as well as tensions and contradictions, notably those arising from government
patronage.
The author calls for re-affirmation of community development as a significant means for tackling social
problems. Increased sponsorship by non-government organisations committed to social justice and
ecological sustainability is prioritised, as is deconstruction of an understanding of community
development as a paid occupation only. Rather, it is seen as a way of doing things that emphasises
connection, participatory democracy and common good, a way which can inform all aspects of human
activity.
Anthill: A place of knowledge about community work and community management
By; Neil Stuart, John Rule, Kate Nolan, Roy Bishop & Gael Kennedy
Reflections on an Anthill:
Budd L Hall, University of Victoria, Canada
“Anthills eloquently show us the power of the collective, the power of community knowledge”.
The
Anthill Mob draws our attention over and over to the importance of ants, to the collective creativity of
ants both as force of nature and a metaphor for human community. Anthills achieve remarkable things
by working together in spite of the fact that they have neither leaders nor a common shared vision.
Each ant communicates with the other ants by way of pheromones, their partial knowledge connected
with partial knowledge of the others allows for a collective mind that can feed thousands, build
extensive shelters, protect the young, reproduce and more. For the authors of this creative and
thoughtful storying, the anthill represents an space where knowledge might be arrived at by listening to
stories.
The Anthill Five are non-Aboriginal community workers from Australia who have been engaged in a
variety of community work and community management activities for 40-50 years. This is remarkable
book that can be ‘read’ by opening up the book at any place one likes. The reader is invited to jump
to another story anytime s/he wishes. But what is the book about I hear the reader wondering? It is
about stories as knowledge, about power and language, about the subversion of community processes
14
Borderlands Cooperative
December, 2014
HOMAN ACCOUNTING SERVICES
Reza Homan
Accountant, MBA
Mobile: 0410 587 134
Our beloved accountant here at Borderlands is looking for additional work.
He is available, trustworthy, and has a vast array of expertise working with NGOs,
community, and environment affairs.
MYOB accounting expert.
The Earthworker Cooperative is
strongly progressing in their
mission to establish renewable
energy manufacturing through
community-owned cooperatives.
The project is a powerful, positive and
unifying endeavour to;

revitalise & empower local
economies

address climate change


support local manufacturing jobs
assist a 'just transition' from fossil
fuel to clean renewable energy
while producing high-quality sustainable products.
ETWA is a small, Australian not-for-profit with a big
heart for rural women in Timor-Leste.
From supporting development projects, training and product development in Timor-Leste to fundraising
campaigns, events and community stalls in Australia, our committed volunteers work to implement innovative projects to make practical, positive change in women’s lives in Timor-Leste.
To learn more or to get involved, visit www.etwa.org.au for more information.
15
Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2015
Borderlands Cooperative:
Being a member of Borderlands is great.
Independent network for holistic
Not only do you get to support one of the most
down-to-earth, ecologically healthy, sustainably
conscious, social theory drenched, community
focused, participatory / democratically in-tune and
generally wonderful place, you also get membership
goodies.
Membership goodies include:
 Reduced subscription rates to New Community
Quarterly (the only Community Development
Journal in Australia)
 Variable discounts on lectures and workshops
 Use of Borderlands Spaces for your events,
meetings, chats*
 Broadened borrowing opportunities at the 14,000
volumes (and counting) Borderlands Library.
community activism, sustainability
and action research
Be a part of a sustainable future!
By making a gift in your will to Borderlands Cooperative you are
sustaining your values and ideals into the future.
Planned financial amounts can be donated for charitable purposes tax-free. And you do not need a great deal of wealth to make
a difference. Every dollar helps to keep this non-profit organization alive and vibrant.
Your will is a very important document – it may be difficult to
think of preparing it now – however, it protects your family and
your assets for the future. A will gives you the opportunity to
decide where your assets and possessions will go and how they
are to be used. Preparing a legal will can potentially remove unnecessary stress, expense, and legal problems in future times.
Now is the time to renew your membership – or
become a brand-shiny-new member (or shareholder)
of this wonderful independent network for holistic
community activism, sustainability and action
research.
However, we believe your will can do even more – it can also be
your legacy, passing on not only physical assets, but also your
values and ideals. A bequest is as simple as it is powerful; with a
few words in your will, you can continue to be an advocate for
community activism, healthy ecologically, sustainability and participatory democracy.
We’d particularly love your membership if you
have been receiving newsletters and
correspondence from Borderlands for a while and
haven’t yet renewed your membership.
A bequest is a gift nominated in your will to one or more nonprofit organizations. Your bequest can take any (or a combination) of the following forms:
Please help keep Borderlands vibrant and active!
Membership is easy; just fill out the
‘Membership, Shareholders and Subscribers Form’ at
the back of this newsletter and send / email it to us!





Cash
A percentage of the overall value of your estate
Retirement plan or life insurance beneficiary designation
Securities
Personal property (artwork, jewellery, etc.)
Due to the complexity of planned giving, we strongly suggest that
you contact your tax advisor and/or legal advisor to begin the
process. We encourage you to provide us with a copy of the relevant pages of your will, trust, or beneficiary designation form. All
information will be kept in our secure files.
For membership, donations or any other purpose, please contact us:
Borderlands Cooperative
PO Box 3079
Auburn 3123
Tel: 03 9819 3239
Fax: 03 9819 3439
[email protected]
16
Borderlands Cooperative
May, 2015
Please return your completed form to Borderlands Cooperative, PO Box 3079, AUBURN 3123
1. Your details
Name ___________________________________________________________
Address__________________________________________________________
Suburb ______________________State_______________ Postcode__________
Use this form to
 Become a member, shareholder or subscriber

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
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Email address_____________________________________________________________
Phone______________________________ Mobile______________________________
Skills I can contribute
2. Membership/Shareholder. The primary activities of Borderlands are to provide consulting
services, meeting spaces and to contribute to supporting ecological, social and cultural
regeneration and sustainability through collaborative endeavors and critical inquiry.
All members of the Cooperative are required to be active members.
Active membership requires:


For members payment of annual memberships fees
OR
For shareholders
Participate in at least one activity each financial year such as a meeting, or use the space or other resources of the cooperative
AND/OR

Make a donation to further the activities of the cooperative

I wish to
become a member or renew my membership by:
Join
$25 yearly subscription
Payment of membership fee of $_______
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(NEW MEMBERS ONLY)
 email
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I agree to become an active member of the cooperative.
here if you
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receive emails
on events or
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3. Newsletter only I do not wish to become a member or
shareholder but would like to receive the newsletter.
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17
PO BOX 3079 Auburn VIC 3123
Ph: 03-9819 3239 fax: 03-9819 3439
18