Working Papers
The working papers collection comprises historical papers as well as current ideas and works in progress on some of the major issues and topics of our times.
Andrew Mawson is a billion dollar social entrepreneur. His ventures rival those of the most successful private entrepreneurs (See the appendix to this review). World wide there are plenty of church, government and voluntary bosses who run billion dollar budgets. But there are very few who have generated those funds. Mawson’s billion is not accrued as his own personal wealth, it accrued as community wealth. He is the prototype of a new social and community activist that supports people and community development by literally manufacturing resources, environments, funds, possibilities... He represents, hopefully, a glimpse into our future. But there are plenty of rivers to cross before the Mawson approach is understood or embraced by governments or their gate-keeping minders and bureaucrats. I suspect it will be a matter of communities and tough minded people doing it for themselves, despite the rhetoric and meddling of governments. Mawson is coming to Australia later in 2008 for a limited series of talks and discussions. So his book The Social Entrepreneur - Making Communities Work, Atlantic Books, London, 2008 is a must read for anyone interested in innovative work within the community sector.
The curse of the favourable opinion poll
Aboriginal social and economic development is littered with government waste and disaster. Lets not make the same mistakes again.
Issued two days before Prime Minister Rudd's Apology, this was the wish list: public acknowledgement of the eugenic thinking behind the removal of Aboriginal children, a full and comprehensive compensation strategy. It caused quite a stir among sections of the media when it was cheekily released as a first draft recovered from the Executive Wing shredder!
(or how to find $1.7 billion in Commonwealth Public Sector savings!) 10,550 words
Wake up Kevin, Julia and Wayne you are now running the country!
Hillary Clinton, Ricky Ponting are both on a search for the First Class Temperament of our times. An impossible search? When they find it, their futures' will be assured!?
Report of the Ngarda Heavy Plant Operator Training (HPOT) Strategy which took 19 Indigenous men and women from unemployment to high paid, high quality work in the Australian Mining Industry. "COAG bureaucrats and politicians need to read this or quit", Barry Taylor, Executive Chairman, Ngarda Civil & Mining. "I also want to recommend it to my hard working colleagues in the Australian Mining Industry". 72 pages, 20,000 words
Ngarda Civil & Mining's Heavy Plant Operator Training (Oct 15-Dec 7) took Indigenous people who were unemployed into high quality employment in the mining industry. Of the 20 who started 19 were offered jobs. With editorials by Executive Chairman Barry Taylor the newsletters tell the story. A major final report is due soon.
Ngarda Civil & Mining's Heavy Plant Operator Training (Oct 15-Dec 7) took Indigenous people who were unemployed into high quality employment in the mining industry. Of the 20 who started 19 were offered jobs. With editorials by Executive Chairman Barry Taylor the newsletters tell the story. A major final report is due soon.
