I quite like this idea and will keep an eye on it myself:
Many organisers of technical conferences, meetups, and dinners want to have more gender-balance in their lineups, but they don’t know where to find technical women speakers.Enter geekspeakr.com, a simple directory and connections system to help technical women speakers and event organisers to find each other.
(via Geek Girl)
Speaker: Sue Kenny (Deakin University)
In many senses globalisation has brought us closer together. However it has also enhanced the ability of the developed world to exploit everyone else. Instead of the unity we were promised we have a greater disparity in living standards and wealth. So what sort of globalisation could actually bring us together? Can global networks of NGOs help bring us together in a way our government’s have failed to? Can it be the key to greater understanding between cultures and nations, were our similarities bind us together creating a cohesive world order? Can we move beyond nationalism to a single moral community?
When: Tue 20 May, 7pm.
Where: TBA (but probably Horse Bazaar)
Cost: Gold coin donation (free for ACDJ members)
Contact: centre@democracyandjustice.org
Concerned about the growing corruption of our political systems? Always wanted to get involved with ACDJ but not known how?
Well now’s your chance! ACDJ is getting a Lobbyocracy Collective together and we want you to get involved. You can be part of a team that puts together the campaigns to expose the dirty back room deals and large donations with strings attached.
So why not come down meet some friendly people and get involved with our campaign.
All are welcome and all you need is a healthy dose of enthusiasm!
Where: 38 Cambridge St, Collingwood
When: 6 to 7 pm Tuesday 22nd April
The Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice’s forms often cover what is wrong with the current corporate-centric globalisation we are currently experiencing, but what are the alternatives to this? In or first series of forums for 2008 we explore a range of alternatives to economic globalisation.
Do we need to localise and turn to a slower, less transport intensive society where all our sources of food and fuel come from the local area? Does the answer lie in a single moral community? Or does it lie in a multitude of singularities all networked and interlinked with peers interacting to create an information-based society on all levels from the individual to the global?
Forum 1: Localisation
Speaker: Gilbert Rochecouste (Village Well – http://www.villagewell.org/)
With people feeling increasingly disconnected from their communities and climate changed caused in no small part by our transport needs, localisation provides an attractive alternative to ‘economic globalisation’. It is a move to greater social, cultural and ecological diversity – a world that is locally self-sufficient and not based on a competitive consumerist society. Can a cooperative, mutually beneficial world work? How will it work? Can it really provide us with the cultural and spiritual improvements it promises as well as feed the nation?
When: Tue 15th April, 7pm.
Where: Horse Bazaar (http://www.horsebazaar.com.au/), 397 Little Lonsdale Street
Cost: Gold coin donation (free for ACDJ members)
Contact: centre@democracyandjustice.org
Something we’re big on at ACDJ is building the capacity of non-profits, particularly activist groups.
So with this in mind, I was pleased to see the launch of Google for Non Profits.
Duncan from Tech Crunch says:
Google has launched a dedicated portal of Google services for non-profit organizations.Google for Non-Profits offers “a one-stop shop for tools to help advance your organization’s mission in a smart, cost-efficient way.” This site includes ideas and tutorials on ways Google tools can be used to promote non-profits, raise money and operate more efficiently.
Features include standard Google services such as Gmail (including hosted email), YouTube, Blogger, Gadgets, Earth, Calender and Analytics. The two interesting services are the provision of Google Checkout for free to non-profits who want to take donations on their site, and Google Grants, free advertising for non-profits via Google’s Adwords network.
While there isn’t much there that wasn’t already available, free advertising and merchant services will undoubtedly make the pitch very appealing for non-profits looking to save money and promote themselves.
ACDJ has just put out the following media release:
The Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice (ACDJ) today applauded the announcement by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to reform political donation laws.“If Kevin Rudd goes ahead with the imposition of caps on how much an individual or company can donate to a political party, it will be some of the most significant reforms of political donations Australia has seen,” said ACDJ director Hammy Goonan today. “Rudd said on the 7:30 Report last night that we should have the debate about caps on political donations so let us be the first to weigh in and say that the Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice sees this as a critical reform.”
The Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice has previously stated that it is firmly in favour of caps on on donations to political parties and urges the Prime Minister to take the additional step of limiting electoral spending as well. ACDJ has also welcomed the other reforms discussed by the Prime Minister.
“The rise of the disclosure threshold to over $10,000 under the Howard government rendered what was left of the disclosures meaningless,” said Mr Goonan. “While the reforms still have a long way to go, those that he mentioned last night, including banning foreign donations and lowering the disclosure level to donations over $1000, would be a significant improvement to the current laws.”
2006/07 political donation figures released by the Australian Electoral Commission in February showed the number of declared donations was down by about 1000 donations from the previous financial year, a reduction of 85% in declared donations.
“In a situation where so few donations are being declared our democracy is seriously lacking the transparency needed for an informed public to be able to participate. Unless this situation is rectified immediately we will continue to have a situation were influence is being bought by anonymous persons and corporations with no accountability whatsoever. It will be a ‘Lobbyocracy’,” Mr Goonan said.
A copy of the 7:30 Report interview can be found here.
